Seeing You

Flipped over a sheep

We left the bus, Mac and Quinn walking to the side building of school where their form classes were. Quinn waved cheerily as they left but Mac didn't even look over his shoulder. I stared after them, mouth slightly ajar, not quite believing how shit this morning had been so far.

I heard a car door close behind me and turned to see Gabe and his on-off girlfriend, Sadie Mellor, walk hand in hand towards me.

I raised my eyes to the sky, taking a deep breath and then exhaled out, slapping a fake smile onto my face.

"Hi Pete," Sadie said, "You look..interesting. Was unwashed hobo the look you were going for?"

I rolled my eyes at her. Normally, I would have fired a retort back about everyone was sick of seeing her midriff when it was the middle of October and everyone was wrapped up like burritos but I didn't. I didn't want to lose my chance here, I needed to feel like I was achieving something that mattered to me.

Gabe watched me, hands tucked into his coat pockets. Sadie kissed him on the cheek then  ran to catch up with her friends before they cackled into the main building.

We were alone. Gabe was silent and staring.

Come on, be polite.

I swallowed hard, "Gabe, I wanted to apologise for earlier. I shouldn't have reacted that way and I.."

He cut me off, "We meet on Wednesday's after school. I expect full attendance. Emails will be sent out on Tuesday with the proposed plan for the paper and I will assign tasks. I want you to email your article to me by lunch."

I stuttered, my jaw so low, I'm not convinced I didn't knock out a mole as it thundered to the grass beneath me.

Gabe raised an eyebrow, "Holy shit, a silent Petra and an apology, this Monday is going to be all downhill from here."

He turned and walked up the stairs and into the school. I watched him, feeling more confused than I'd ever been.

*

School was like always; classes, lunch, classes and then back on the bus. Then it changed, I was running late, really late. Mr Jenkins had needed to talk to me about a Chemistry project and I was going to miss my bus home. I burst through the doors and saw my ride disappear around the corner.

"SHIT!" I roared.

I paced. I couldn't call Nan, she couldn't leave dad and our local policeman had kindly suggested last year that she was too old for the moped after she had flipped over a sheep. Yeah, an actual sheep but that's a story for another day.

Although, the kids in the village were now completely convinced that she was a witch after they'd seen her fly though the air, squealing with glee.

Mac wasn't talking to me, he'd ignored me all day. I need to get to the bottom of that but I needed to get home to do that. Quinn would be home by now.

I sat on the steps and ran my fingers through my hair.

"SHIT!" I roared again.

"Petra, that is disgusting language for a lady to use," I heard drawled behind me.

I looked over my shoulder at Gabe in his running gear. He sat beside me.

"What's wrong?"

I could smell his sweat and pine. It wasn't unpleasant, it was probably the first time I'd been close enough to smell him. Why on earth was I smelling Gabe? I wasn't a labradoodle, for crying out loud. I shifted away from him.

"I missed my bus," I muttered.

"Come on, I'll drive you home," he said, got up and walked to his black BMW.