When the Blossoms Fall

2 ~ Better With Friends

"Bye dad~ I'm sorry, I don't know what that was"

I held a pinched smile, even though there was still prickling at my chest, most of the pain had subsided by now. I took my father into a long hug. I was reluctant to come back to school but I might as well make the most of it.

I stare through the gates of the school, and try to catch a glimpse of the street that I had seen this mystery boy in. But I don't surprise myself when all I can see is the metal barring of the school gate and the long drive that leads to them.

I bring my view up to the boarding school in which I will spend the next week, until my parents next pick me up at the weekend. The building is a classic English manor, the stone was drying out revealing flakey layers that could be easily peeled off with just a finger. The front view was only a first impression, as behind it was hidden many modern buildings. I had a rather distaste for the front building, as I hoped to escape from the aspect of mansions, but had instead landed myself into another.

School wasn't bad, it was obviously hard work, but some of the lessons I quite enjoyed, and whenever it came to, I would throw myself into the curriculum without hesitation. Although I did love sport, I found myself spending less and less time there as the years wore on. The school itself was not very notorious, and held every type of personality.

Waving a last goodbye to my father, I entered and ran into the front manor, taking the grand dark wooden staircase then turning left into the girls wing. I sprinted into my dorm, thankful that none of the cleaners had altered the room. The walls were a soft greenish blue, due to a few leftover cans of white and Prussian blue, and maybe a dabble of yellow.

My dorm mate, Emma, had already arrived and was unpacked. We greeted each other with the usual exited squeal and tight bear hug. I breathed in her scent of lavender and pressed silk, contrary to her marking of a lotus flower.

'Do you need any help unpacking?' Emma inquired. She was eyeing up my rather small duffel bag, and she was only asking to prevent me having to.

'You know too well' I joked, and we both started interrogating the bag for its contents.

By the time all was neatly put away, it was already nearly dark. We decided it would probably be best to sleep early, as we'd need the energy to confront everyone else in our school. I started dressing into a long shirt, but when I was pulling my original T-shirt over my head, Emma was looking squarely at my chest. The new marking on there.

She slowly got up, and walked towards it.

'Where did you get it?' Emma whispered.

'I... I got it from-' I explained the story of the boy in the street, and she was left a giggling mess on my bed.

'You know what this means! This has never happened before! You didn't know his name, but you still got a marking off him!' She studied me for a moment. 'Does it hurt?'

'A bit.' I say, 'but I think he was hurt a lot more'

'Honey... you have to see him again. Is he fit?'