Until I Met Her

Chapter 4

October's half term came and went and I'm still struggling.

I've got so many assessments and so much stuff to do that I don't even know where to start. Sometimes, I skip class so I can at least finish some stuff before returning to class to learn about new things.

I didn't hear much from Kelly over the half-term, although she did say she was going to try to come, she never actually showed up. I shouldn't hold it against her but I would rather she didn't tell me she was coming if she knew she really wasn't.

It's not like I wouldn't understand.

I guess it would be easier to say we are drifting apart but in order to drift apart, you need to not be attached to the person and Kelly has this hold on me that she keeps pulling whenever she feels like it.

We're in different places, literally and figuratively. When she broke up with me, she said she wanted to "do things," get out of this town and see the world, do adult stuff and I— I didn't know what I wanted.

But anyways, in other news, happier and greater news, Mrs Williams has been officially cancer free for a year. To celebrate it, my family and the Williams organised a little get together with a bunch of their friends and Mr Williams actually came.

Unfortunately, though, I didn't really have much time to celebrate because, well, as it turns out, I do not work well under pressure and I have three essays to give in and although I've started them all, I'm nowhere near finished.

And yes, although I am under pressure, there's no way I'd miss Mrs Williams party, so I grabbed my laptop and my backpack and I made my way to my mum's house. So far I was diving the time, I'd study for 40 minutes and then went downstairs for 10.

I'm in my 40-minute part, rolling around the room in my chair and looking at the walls. Even though I don't live here anymore, my room was still the same mess as it was when I left. The room was decorated by me which means most of the walls were covered by posters of skaters and skateboards. There's trophies I had won from sport day and that one award I got for being early every day and never missing a day of school. Year 9 was my year.

Pictures of my friends were all over: Freddie, Gio, Lexi, Mark, Joe, Billy and I. Pictures of my family and one picture of Kelly. The only one I allowed myself to keep.

The harder I stare at my laptop, the blurrier my vision gets. Word document's open, the little line blinking back at me, mocking me. Thoughts and thoughts pop into my mind... pity they're mostly about Avatar, the Last Airbender.

I go off Microsoft and open Netflix instead, looking for Avatar in the kids' section.

"What're you doing?" Eleanor's voice startles me. I close the lid of my laptop quickly, as if I was watching something I shouldn't.

"Jesus, Eleanor, what the hell?" I groan, turning to face her.

She's got her blonde hair in a high ponytail with her bangs out, her middle parting's nice. She has little makeup on. Sometimes, I wonder how is it fair that Eleanor looks like that, with her straight little nose, her somewhat full lips, her high cheekbones and those stupid icy blue eyes.

Why is she so pretty?

She has a silk white shirt tugged a little inside her tight black pants, she looks like she was dressed by Tan France. She looks like she's got her life sorted out, like she belongs somewhere fancy where people drink wine and not here in my room that looks like it belongs to a 14-year-old boy.

"Shouldn't you be doing essays?" She squints her eyes accusingly.

"I need a break."

"Me too." She whispers loud enough that I hear her.