Do You Know Indigo?

Chapter Seven

Beth stood at the bottom of the stairs, red nosed and waiting.

"Beth, are you OK?"I asked. She didn't look at all well. Her blusher couldn't even apply a healthy glow to her pallid cheeks.

"Oh I'm fine, caught a bit of a cold. It's Devon's fault for us missing the bus and I swear I'm gonna kill the fu-." She sneezed, almost blowing herself backwards. "That's better." She sniffed, forgetting what she'd be saying and shoving the tissue back in her pocket. "Your bruise won't be doing you any favours today, will it?"

"You can say that again." I muttered whilst we ambled to the bus stop. The mobile phone guy was there again. He acknowledged us with a brief nod and returned to his conversation.

"I think I'll find Devon and give him a share of my cold. As if he'd take it willingly!" Beth considered pushing her hair back behind her ears. Mobile Guy gave a slight pause. I wasn't sure whether he was reacting to what Beth had said or his conversational companion on the phone was talking.

"Anyway I just hope he hasn't gone and made up rumours about Kieran because he's really the good guy in all this. Even you can't deny that Little Miss Damsel in Distress," Beth continued. I nodded in agreement, only half listening. I was analysing the man with the mobile phone. I knew he was watching me out the corner of his eye. It gave me the creeps.

Jude and Mandy joined us on the bus. Both of them were appalled with the mark Devon had left on me and avoided Beth's runny nose.

"I could kill him!" Jude growled pounding her fist in frustration. "Scum. Absolute scum," she continued.

"I'm just glad Kieran got there before it turned uglier. Devon didn't actually- you know?"

"No he didn't even kiss me, Kieran got there just in time. I mean I kicked Devon in the gut to try and get away but he lashed out and hit me," I explained. The sympathy was nice but all I wanted to do was blend into the seat upholstery.

"It changed your opinion about Kieran though, no use in denying it," Beth said between sneezes and sniffles. The three of them burst out into fits of giggles. I was about to join in, seeming to brush it off, when I saw mobile guy looking at me. His head turned abruptly when he saw I'd noticed him. What was with that guy?

"Yeah, you could say that," I mumbled still eyeing the eavesdropping stranger.

At lunchtime I took cover in the school library. Beth, Jude, Mandy and Sophia went out to find Devon. I excluded myself from this and took shelter amongst the uncritical pages of countless books. The constant taunt and curiosity of other people had driven me to tuck myself away where I might remember what peace was.

I'd always been an avid reader, hungry for literature after being left in libraries and book stores when Mum went shopping. I had been a quiet and self dependent child, something Mum had been as barely an adult when she'd had me.

Secluded in a Victorian landscape, I didn't notice him standing above me, let alone his fragrance.

"Dickens? Good choice," he said. I looked up not expecting anyone to approach or disturb me. His eyes glowed brighter in the dark of the library. "Mind if I join you?" I shrugged. "You certainly got a thumping yesterday, didn't you?" I wasn't impressed with his humour, or his methods to charm me. I sighed and returned to my book. Idiot.

"Sorry that wasn't funny, could we start again?" he asked, extending me his hand.

"What like, I'm Chris Evans it's nice to meet you sorta thing?" I disregarded the hand and continued to dissect Dickens.

"Chris? Isn't that a bit butch for a girl?" Kieran sniggered, taking his outstretched hand and combing his hair.

"It's short for Christine actually. What about you then your royal highness?" I turned the page, pretending to be disinterested.