Love Sucks

( Another new cover by mattbenfly75 thanks xx )

*Chapter Ten – The Hill of Weird*

Let’s just say my mam went absolutely furious when she heard about my having detention and saw red when she found out the reason for it. That was the reason I was sitting in on a Friday afternoon, stalking my (new and improved) Facebook newsfeed. Everyone seemed to be doing something; meeting up with friends, getting ready for a disco, watching a new episode of some tv show… But what was I doing? Nothing. The only entertainment I was offered by my mam was coming to the hairdressers with her, I politely refused.

It was when I saw the lady who lives across the road from me trying to leave her house with her son Daniel that I saw an opportunity for an occupation. I often babysit Daniel for April, his mum, when she is busy but I guess she presumed I wasn’t around today to do that for her. I decided to make the first move, it would be a good outcome all round; I get some money and something to do, April gets to go shopping in peace and Daniel doesn’t have to be dragged around the shops. In my opinion it was a fool-proof plan.

I quickly ran over to April and made the various arrangements so soon enough Daniel and I were out my back garden, kicking around a football. He soon decided that wasn’t enough though and that he wanted to go play football in the field behind our estate.

We went around to the field with our football and jackets on and were amazed by how crowded it was. I knew it was the only green area for two estates but usually you could be the only person here. It was nearly black with people playing all sorts of sports or just sitting on the grass chatting to friends or walking dogs.

Daniel and I started kicking our football back and forward between us, both of us were totally un-aimed and un-skilled in the game. Me because, I just suck full stop at any sort of sport and Daniel because he was only five, who can blame him?

The bad thing about us both being epic fails at ‘The Game’ was that it involved a lot of running to retrieve the ball to take our next shot and lots of bumping into people who aren’t paying attention to the fact you’re running right towards them. It was all going fine and I had to admit I was actually having fun with Daniel, he was just so cute!

Then things climbed to the top of the hill of weirdness and went on a steady slide on down again.

It all started when Daniel actually kicked the ball with surprising force but in a totally opposite to me. . . I ran after it as I knew it would be too long for him as it went a good distance away, it was fine though until I walked past my neighbour who lives three doors down from me.

Peter Ennis had messy light brown hair, he was short and not on the skinny side of life… We used to be like best friends when we were younger, we would be in each other’s houses day after day until a fight we had ended that. It was when we were seven and he called me ‘Stinky Sarah’ so in retaliation I called him fat. I couldn’t help it; I was a mean little child!

After that he practically ran out my front door and we haven’t had a proper conversation since. We were civil to each other and would say hello and whatnot but it wasn’t overly friendly, just enough for the on looking neighbour’s to know ‘The battle of Deer Lawns’ wasn’t about to begin anytime soon. So they could put away their pitch forks and torches and stop betting on winning and losing sides, yes my neighbours were strange people.

I simply ran over to where our football had landed, coincidently right beside him and sent a fleeting “Hey Peter,” in his direction. I didn’t have time to notice any sort of reply as Daniel had started to wander off, a sprint on my part saved the day. As I glanced back over in Peter’s direction I couldn’t help but notice the slight smirk he had on his face while staring in my general direction until his brother whacked him on the arm and he got his head back into the mini hurling match he was playing.

Half an hour or so passed and I had exceeded my average exercise quota for a month with Daniel’s bad aim and tendency to fall over and wander off. I couldn’t blame the kid for any of it though, he was just so darn cute!