Diamond in the Sky

Chapter 3 (Pre-NaNo)

I dug out my mobile phone and text Nate.

"You were right, things have got harder."

I wasn't sure what to do with myself. What do I do now that I am out of school and everybody else is either in school or at work? The sort of student that would be truant wasn't on my friend list and I had no idea what they do with their stolen time. Maybe they had good reasons for not going to school, maybe they were hurting somehow and I wasn't so alone. My mind was made up, I wasn't going back to school, not today. My feet were moving, I knew instinctively I was making my way home.

My phone beeped. I glanced at the screen.

Nate: Where are you, gorgeous?

Kya: Walking home

My feet were light as if I had taken flight out of the school, but now they felt heavy and wrong. Like elastic bands tied around my ankles, pulling at me to return. The further I got the more they tugged and the harder it was to press on. My pace slowed with the effort. This wasn't me. I wasn't the girl that bunk offs for the afternoon.

I was frustrated with my inner conflict; not wanting to return to school and not wanting to skip school. Worried someone would see me, I turned into the back alley where some business ran workshops and garages. My heart thudded as I walked past the open doors and could see men hard at work, waiting for one of them to look up and question what a young girl was doing out of school. They were too busy to notice or care.

My phone began to ring. It was Nate.

I took a deep breath and pulled the phone from my bag. "Hi, Nate."

"Where are you?" He panted down the phone as if he had been running.

"Down Bridge Road; the alley off the bridge that runs behind St Andrews."

"I'm in St Andrews. I'll meet you at the far end of the alley."

"Thanks," I say surprised that he came.

"See you in a minute."

"Okay." I agree.

I've never been down this alley before. I didn't realise how busy it was. The garages have cars parked everywhere and mechanics running around, I can't see how anyone could drive down this bumpy track. I'm sure the way becomes more uneven as I reach the end of the alley and the path turns sharply to the right, into St Andrews Road. The end of the alley is narrow and definitely only small enough for people to walk, not for cars to drive. Sure enough at the end, I can see Nate's concerned face. He starts walking towards me and we meet in the middle. He pulls me into a warm hug. I hadn't realised I was cold until I feel his hot body forced upon me, engulfing me with his scent.

"It's gonna be okay Kya. I'm gonna make sure of it." Nate rubs my back and squeezes me into him. I felt stiff and didn't welcome his embrace. My shields were up and I didn't want to cry. "You just gotta trust me and do what I say."

Desperate to feel myself again, I wanted to trust him. A voice in my head was ringing like an alarm bell. Something wasn't right, something felt wrong but I couldn't place what it was.

He held me at arm's length, gripping me by my upper arms. "Can you do that for me?" He asked.

I nodded, unsure what the question was but I couldn't speak. The tears were waiting to reign free but I wouldn't let them. His closeness and comfort made me feel I could share my pain with Nate. A drink might wash that lump away...

"Good." Nate looked pleased and loosened his grip on me. He then began running his hands up and down my arms as if trying to warm me up, "you are going to be okay." He reassured me.