Still the same. And still beautiful.

Still the same. And still beautiful. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:outside

It was the next day, but Monty wasn't there. I stared at the tree. And then, wondering quite why, I stood where he always stood and gazed up at the tree, through the branches and up to the sky. It had rained the other night, and a single drop fell on my face and took its place as a tear at the corner of my eye. "What the hell are you doing?" screeched Rachel.

"Oh, shut up Rachel, no one cares about your insignificant whines anymore, it may have made you popular, but now your nothing but a joke!" I stormed off to Monty's place, and waited for the bus. I heard murmurs of agreement from behind me, and one boy, Aidan, came up to me and waited with me. I turned to look at him, but as soon as he turned to look at me, I turned away.

"Why do you care so much about Monty?"

"I don't know. He just... its not his fault, and its all so... scary for him and-" the bus drew up. I went on and looked back at Aidan. He had green eyes and black hair, both looked piercingly dangerous. staring at him would only cause the starer to run away and cry. I got on the bus, and he sat next to me. No questions, for the entire bus journey. He just sat there and read a book. I felt like I should engage him in some sort of conversation. But every time i tried I just remembered those eyes and thought how pathetic I would come across.

***

"Wheres Monty?" Not a teacher talking, this time, but Aidan, to Monty's form tutor, Miss Opal.

"Why?"Aidan, looked at her and calmly said,

"Because we are concerned for him." Miss Opal looked at Aidan, not backing down. She had a mind as strong as a castle... made out of solid diamond.

"If you really are concerned for him... which i hope you are, I see no problem in telling you..." Aidan kept staring, "It is nothing serious, but Monty was in an accident." My head felt faint and my heart sank... "He will be back at school within a week and be on crutches for about two weeks after that." My heart sank lower still, and thudded to the floor. As we left miss Opals office, I felt as if I had left it behind.

-inside

some time had passed since the screeching and the noise of the roads, and Monty was calming himself by composing in his head. He had learned how to use crutches, and had come to terms with them as part of his life now. "Don't worry, sweetheart," He thought again and again, over and over, "It'll all be over soon..."

-outside

The week after we found out, Monty came back. But i didn't want to say anything. Yet. Aidan sat with me again. But this time, I thought I would say something at least, "Do you think Monty recognises me?"

"probably, but remember, to him you a not a person."

And that was it. We just sat there again. Him reading, me staring out the window.

***

It was just before lunch, and we had maths again. Monty was working hard. But I soon realised that Mr. Grady hadn't put up any page numbers for the work yet, so what was Monty doing? I leaned over, but Mr. Grady saw, and said, "Miss Ramson, do you really think that is A good idea?" I looked down again. But as Monty got up at the end of his lesson, I caught a glimpse of what he was doing in his book. Most of it It wasn't maths at all. It was Music. Pages, and pages of music, fluttering throughout his numbers...