Chim - Lights Out

Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

It was a weird sensation walking back into the dorm after the week off, almost like a relief, I was back with my friends, back with my dance, but best of all I was back with Kimberley. It looked like I was the first one back, it was late afternoon on a Sunday night and I couldn’t wait for Kimberley to walk in. I couldn’t be bothered to unpack yet, so I just left my suitcase on the floor and got out what I needed for the evening, my pyjamas, toothpaste and things and sat down on the bed waiting in anticipation.  I didn’t have to wait long until I heard the door swing open and in she came, her hands full with a suitcase and handbag, her ipod plugged into her ears, I grinned stupidly at her and didn’t have time to notice what she did back because  I already had my arms wrapped around her, something she didn’t return in quite the same way. I pulled away noticing her lack of affection,

“What’s wrong?” I asked,

“Nothing,” she shrugged, “just tired,” she replied, blatantly faking a yawn.

“Right,” I said unconvinced as she turned away from me and began unpacking her case neatly into her draw.

What was up with her, we had talked last night on the phone and she was completely fine, maybe she was just tired, but then again, I just knew that wasn’t the case.

“Oi Oi!” Came a loud voice bustling through the door, the loud voice belonging to Sarah, breaking the silence between me and Kimberley.  “How is everyone?” She asked, pulling me into a hug before doing the same to Kim.

“I’m good thanks, how was your holidays?” I replied, glancing nervously over at Kim, who had gone back to her previous work of unpacking her things.

“They were great thanks,” she now was glancing over at Kim, clearly noticing something was up and Sarah being Sarah always said what she thought, “Kimberley, what is up with you?” She asked bluntly.

“Nothing is up,” she replied just as bluntly, still unpacking.

I shrugged my shoulders at Sarah, I knew just as much as she did, which was nothing and it was starting to upset me now, we had been so good on the phone all week and I thought she wanted a ‘talk’ tonight, something I doubt she wanted to happen now, she could barely even look at me.

“Well I bumped into Nadine on the way up, told her we’d meet her in the dinner hall for dinner, you coming Kim?”

“No thanks, think I’m just going to stay here, unpack and sleep,” Kim replied still with her back to me.

“Suit yourself,” Sarah frowned, “Come on Cheryl,” I hesitated for a second, looking towards Kimberley, who didn’t look like she wanted company, certainly not from me anyway, so I followed Sarah out the door,  finding it hard to not just burst into tears.

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“... And it rained the whole time, so basically it was sh!t,” Nicola finished telling us about her what seemed like disastrous week off.

“Aww babe, well it must of been nice to be home anyways,” Nadine tried to make her feel better, whilst my mind was somewhere else. Why was Kim being this way? What had I done?

“Babe? Are you okay?” Nadine asked curiously, waking me from my day dream.

“Uhh yeah I’m fine, just-“

“Your thinking about Kimba ain’t you?” Sarah asked, I suddenly panicked at what she knew.

“What?”

“Your thinking about Kim and why she was weird, I know I am,”

I breathed a sigh of relief, “Uhh yeah I am,”

“What’s going on?” Nadine asked.

“We have no idea, I just came in the dorm today and Kim was being seriously weird, that’s why she isn’t hear now.  I bet I know why though,” Sarah told them.

“You do?” I asked, curious.

“She’s in touch with Martin again, they’ve been texting again, now he’s broken up with that Jasmin,”

I gasped along with Nadine and Nicola, “What the *Duck* is she doing that for?” Nicola said exasperated.

Sarah shrugged, “I have no idea, but I bet that’s what’s up,”

I sat there in silence. Was that really the reason, because of Martin? What was she doing texting him, I thought – I hoped she liked me; she gave me all the signs, signs that were too much to be just ‘friendly’ things.      I made my excuses and left the girls at the table going back up to bed, this had not turned out the way I wanted it to.  I entered the dorm to find Kim already in bed, I didn’t know if she was asleep or not, but to be honest I didn’t care, all I wanted to do was get in her bed and snuggle up to her like we used to, but I couldn’t do that now. I got ready quickly in the bathroom and headed towards my bed, glancing over at Kim, who was facing the wall. I wonder if she was awake, I wonder if she knew how she was making me feel. I guess I would never find out, I laid down, burying myself under the duvet whilst a single tear made its way down my face.