Lost Love

6. Putty in My Hands

‘When are you coming back?’ Eleanor asks as she makes herself a sandwich for school in the kitchen. It still freaks me out a little that not long ago I was sprawled out on the floor with a head injury and severe bruising. I think everyone else finds the room harder to be in than me seeing as I can’t remember the event. She’s dressed smartly in a black skirt and white shirt, with her blonde hair scraped back into a ponytail with a perfectly placed flower clip placed to the side of her head.

‘Tomorrow,’ I tell her, as I nibble on my toast. ‘I’ll go to my lessons today, stay there tonight and come back tomorrow.’

‘Really? You don’t want to stay there any longer?’ She queries, slipping her sandwich into a plastic box, before grabbing some more food from the cupboard.

I shake my head at the thought. ‘Not yet, no.’ I don’t go on as to why and I can see that she really wants me to elaborate more, but even with Eleanor, I’m still getting used to her being my sister. I watch as she heads out of the door, before she turns around and says, ‘Oh, Imms, this weekend, shall we have a girlie sleepover? You me, Daisy and Alice?’

‘Who is Alice?’ I ask, watching as she takes her phone out of her pocket.

‘Daisy’s younger sister.’

It then clicks that Daisy mentioned that’s how we met. ‘That’d be nice,’ I tell her, which satisfies her. She gives me a bright smile, before telling me to have fun back at uni.  

Following strict instructions written down by my Mum, I manage to navigate myself towards the right platform, waiting for the right incoming train to take me back to uni. I’ve got a small suitcase and a holdall seeing as all of my stuff is already in my room there. Still, I feel anxious. So many things could send me into a panic, first of them making sure I get on the right train and the correct carriage, as I’ve been told it divides half way.

Thankfully though, there’s someone wearing a network rail uniform who is more than happy to help me, even if he is overtly checking out my body. Once seated, I lay out a few things before getting my phone out and telling me Mum I’m safely on the train.

Ozzy said he’d meet me at the station and take me to my lesson and then take my stuff back for me, seeing as I’m pushing it a bit for the 12pm lecture. After a relatively calm train journey, as the train pulls in, I spot him, looking so handsome in a dark blue jumper and jeans and purple converses on. His hair is messy and sticking up at every angle and his rucksack is slung low on his back.

I drag the heavy suitcase out of the train with my holdall in the other hand and immediately, he spots me. Striding over to me, he gives me a one armed hug as he takes my bags.

‘Hey, how are you?’ He asks, with the underlying question being ‘do you remember me yet?’

‘I’m fine,’ I tell him, making that answer clear enough. ‘Will we get there in time?’

Glancing down at his watch, he says, ‘If you walk fast.’

By walk fast, Ozzy means practically run. By the time we reach the building, there’s still a mass of people waiting outside the lecture theatre. The awkwardness then ensues when I realise I don’t know anyone here, or at least people who know me don’t know that I am here.

I look to Ozzy, who is carrying both my bag and my suitcase as he looks through the mass of people and then tugs my hand to follow him. He then brings me in front of this tall, leggy blonde with big brown eyes and says, ‘Emma, have you seen Ford or Blake? I’m trying to find Immy’s friends.’

Emma, who casts her gaze down at me, pouts her pink lips and asks, ‘Immy, are you feeling better?’

I don’t know why, but her pouty voice makes me want scratch my ears out. I nod, looking around hopefully for someone to catch my eye and recognise me. Then, I spot Blake and quickly walk over to her. She beams and pulls me to her side and kissing my cheek.