Before you go

Chapter 3

Ben

"Mr Reynolds this is your 2nd infraction in the last 3 months." Mr Yarmen said tenting his fingers on his desk.
"You know the policy, 3 strikes and you're out."

"Yes sir." I said through gritted teeth.

"I'm very busy with paperwork, you may go back to your class. Try not to get into any trouble on your way there." He said with a small smile.

Mr Yarmen wasn't that bad to be honest, he knew how and when to have a laugh with the students.

The rest of that day passed in a mind numbingly dull blur. It didn't take long for the news of the illusive pain in the ass Lily was coming back. People adding lie upon lie about how she looked now, I over heard a group of 4th years saying she doesn't even look like Lily and that it was a body double, making people think she'd been killed and replaced by a new lily.

Get me the fuck outta here.

Thank god it's Friday.

***

Walking up the drive on Monday morning into the parking lot the school was sill buzzing with rumours about her. I'd already had enough.

Do people have no lives?

"Yo Ben!" Harry called as he jogged down the bank steps falling into line with me. His curly brown hair falling all over the place.
I shook my head at my disheveled looking friend.

"Coming for a smoke?" It was more rhetorical than an actual question as we headed down the back path.

Harry shrugged following me.
"No offence dude but you stink of smoke already. And you literally got busted on Friday" Harry said a hint of concern slipped into his voice.

I stopped and looked at him quizzically.
"What's your point?" I asked getting more frustrated.

I just want to smoke.

"What I mean is are you okay?" He sighed out.
Looking me in the eye.

Well I wasn't expecting that.

"Fine mate, why wouldn't I be?" I asked him with a half lie.

"You been pretty off last few, you sure this has nothing to do with Lily coming back? I know you guys had this thing to see who could out do the other but-" I cut him off.

I'd rather not talk about her right now.

"Can we just go smoke my lungs are dying from the lack of smoke and excessive amount fresh air" I huffed out running my hand through my hair.

"Sure." Was all he said as we walked off and down the path. I knew he hadn't let it go though.

He was half right, Lily coming back through me off a hell of a lot more than I ever thought it would. And we did have the stupid unsaid competition to see who could out do the other. That lead to Lily filling my locker with a stupid amount of glitter covering everything in there and me. I never got her back for that, I never got the chance when we came back after Christmas she was gone.

"Yo space cadet!" I was snapped out of my thoughts by Harry shoving me in the shoulder, with a laugh.

"The fuck man!" I half yelled with a tiny smile lighting mine and his cigarettes.

Harry just laughed and took the cigarette I held out for him.

I was about to speak when a soft airy laugh cut through the silence. Harry and I looked at each other, before looking around to where the sound came from. Walking down the dirt track to where there was a clearing. Sat on a fallen tree there she was the owner of the laugh Lily.