After that shock back to reality, I grabbed my bag from the reception and went into the nearest disabled toilets to change into the 'nunnery' dress that I had initially intended to wear. It was a long khaki coloured dress that covered me from my neck to a few inches below my knees. After a look in the mirror, I realised that Megs was right. It did look like something a nun would wear. I did not know what tempted me to buy this last week- it was just a waste of my money.
Sending my parents a quick text that I was leaving now, I pulled out all the pins from the up do Meg had done for me and slid my backpack onto my shoulder and walked out the gates. I had already delegated all the post party activities to Christina and a few others, telling them that I will be in early tomorrow to clean up the rest of the stuff if it becomes a bit time consuming for them.
I lived a twenty minute walk from the school but the streets of London can be a bit intimidating at times, especially at dark. So, I snuggled into my coat and speed walked, taking the long way as it was brighter and filled with more people.
However, there was one street right after I reached the Glitz that was usually abandoned and was the typical 'alleyway' type that you hear about in the newspapers. Of course, that was the street that I was dreading the most. If I could just come out the other end alive and well, I would be thanking the gods on my knees.
Oh dear lord, there it was. I did not know if it was my terror or if it actually looked like that, but right then, at that moment, the alleyway looked extra dark and dingier. I tightly clenched my hand around my pepper spray. Muttering prayers under my breath and my head down, I almost jogged towards the end of the street.
A sudden thud on my right startled me and I jumped, all the while shrieking an animalistic sound that has ever come out of any sane human being's mouth and cowering at the ground with my head between my legs.
A hand covered my mouth and pulled me up, cutting off the shriek so that a sudden silence fell upon the night, only my laboured breath filling the quietness. Eyes widening, they fell up on the irritated individual whose arm was currently wrapped around my head. The first thing I noticed was the hazel coloured eyes that shone like fire as they glared at my head.
Snapping out of my terror and full of adrenaline, I did the one thing that I could do to protect myself. Aligning my hand to his eyes, I pressed my finger down on the nozzle.
With a loud screech, the man released me and fell to the floor, clutching his eyes and screaming out profanities that almost made my ears bleed.
Taking the opportunity of him being distracted with the contents of my pepper spray, I readied my legs and fled out of there without a second thought. As I reached the end of the doomed alleyway, I turned my head to see if he was following me. When I spied no one, I quickly blended into the crowd around a pub, put my hood up and hurried home.
Later on in the night, as I was snuggled up into my comfy duvet, it hit me that I was okay. I was fine! The thug did not murder or rape me. Guess all my prayers worked out. With a huge sense of relief, I fell asleep. I just hoped that I never run into him again.
*
True to my words, I woke up early the next day so that I could clean up the mess we had made yesterday. Reaching school at 7:30, I was shocked to see Christina and Mark already there; Mark was mopping the wooden floors while Chrissie was taking down the decorations from the walls.
"What are you two doing here this early in the morning?" I dropped my bag and coat at the entrance and walked over to the pile of chairs at one corner of the room.
"Hey, Leigh! You didn't have to come down, you know? You worked hard to make the party a success! We are more than happy to clean up." She said as she threw down yet another tinsel from the metal ladder she was standing on.
"Who said I was happy? This witch woke me up at six in the morning! Six!" Mark interjected, furiously sloshing the mop in its bucket, causing water to splash everywhere.
"Oh stop acting like a cry-baby. The world is not going to end because Mark woke up a few hours early." Christina retorted, retracting one of the mistletoe from the ceiling and tossing it right at his head.
"Ow! You effing motherf-"
"Alright! That's enough, you two! From now on, I forbid you to utter another word." I declared and began to arrange the chairs in an orderly fashion.
"But-"
"Nuh-uh! What did I just say?" Chrissie went back to ripping things out of the wall and ceiling and Mark went back to showing his frustrations on the poor mop.
We quietly worked, taking all the rubbish out and rearranging the chairs back to how it is supposed to be. It took us a while but we did it. Halfway through, the rest of the committee joined us and we got everything done five minutes before the bell for registration. I personally thanked and congratulated each and every one of the Prefects because without them, I would not have to been to able achieve half of what we had done together. I was glad that I had picked this .twelve out of the forty Prefects.
We separated after the bell went; Chrissie and I heading to our tutor group in the English department.
She didn't say anything as we walked and that was a rare occurrence. So, I asked her what was wrong and she took out her phone, typing something.
My phone vibrated in my trousers pocket and I took it out to see a message from her.
Chris <3 Someone forbade me from talking -_-
I could feel her glare and I looked up to see her smirking. Only she can accomplish smirking and glaring at the same time.
"You took that seriously? You know I only said that so you and Mark will stop arguing."
She just linked her arm with mine and started to drag me towards the classroom...
"Okay, I'm sorry! I give you permission to speak again."
"I'll forgive you if you skip Chem to go out with me and the girls." She said, deviously. She knew that my studies came before everything. What she didn't know was that Chemistry was my least favourite and I would do anything if it meant that I did not have to face my grumpy, old teacher, Mr Crowfield. Yes, I know. Trust me, I spend a lot of my time in Chemistry trying not to laugh in his face.
"You got it, Chrissie." I said in an extra sweet voice to a baffled Christina and walked into my tutorial.
*
"You are going to bunk?" Holly breathed out when I told the girls during Break. Her pure disbelief was proof that I must be the most boring person in the world.
"Yes, Hols." I sighed as I took a sip of my chilled Green tea.
"Bu-but you'll get in trouble! Your parents!"
My eyes enlarged as it sunk in that if I skipped, the school would call my parents and then I would never hear the end of this. I could just see it:
"Aaand give it up for our Nobel Prize winner, Raleigh Darshini Kaye for her incredible contributions to the medical industry!" the announcer bellowed out. Applause rang through the auditorium and The Script's 'Hall of Fame' bounded from the loudspeakers.
But the music screeched to a stop and a limelight shone down brightly on my parents as they glared at me disappointingly.
"Wait! Did you know she skipped classes in high school?! She is a disgrace!"
Gasps echoed and the announcer ripped my trophy out of my hands and pushed me from the stage.
"LEIGH!" I blinked back into reality. What the heck? Since when was I so melodramatic?
"Sorry, zoned out for a sec." I muttered, "I'll just tell Crowfield that it's the time of the month and that I have the worst cramps. He falls for it every time."
"Who are you and what have you done to our reserved little Raleigh?" Megs said as she held me at shoulder's length and assessed me from head to toe.
"I am allowed to have some fun, Megs." I said, gently extracting myself from her strong grip.
"About time you realised it, babe." Holly grinned, giving me a one-sided hug.
*
"Chris, I thought you said you and the girls. Where are the girls?" I asked as she pulled me out of school after third period.
"They backed out. Apparently, they have some important test or something like that." She said, dismissing it with a wave.
"So, I'm your back-up plan?"
"You got it, babe." She winked and linking arms with me.
"You suck, Chris."
"Please, you know you love me."
"Whatever." I muttered under my breath. "Where are we going anyway?"
"Nowhere special. I'm dying for a cup of coffee. We'll just go to Glitz today."
The Glitz was a ten minute walk from school and they really did have the best coffee. To hell with Starbucks or Costa. After their opening two years ago, they became the most popular hangout with their quirky, colourful chairs and the Friday night entertainment. Well-known local musicians and bands were constantly booked and it was usually more than well-received. The owner was a fifty-year old flamboyant and vibrant woman, Valarie Flores, who became the local celebrity after booking the local university band, Static and giving them their first real break.
Unfortunately, to everyone's heartbreak, she was diagnosed with leukaemia and has been holed up in her apartment above the shop. There has been talk of her nephew taking over when she passes away as she has no children of her own. But it has been three months and no nephew has showed up and she is still in her apartment all by herself. The members of the community has been taking care of the shop until this alleged nephew materialises.
Christina was babbling on about something Mark did when I realised that we were walking towards the alleyway of doom from last night. Then, it dawned on me that the street was behind Glitz; this fact made me uneasy as it was my favourite coffee shop and I did not want to associate it with last night.
"-and then-Leigh!" I jumped and turned to look at Chris holding the door of the coffee shop and vigorously motioning for me to go in. I nodded meekly and walked in.
"Are you okay? You seem a bit off." She enquired as we sat down at a table in the corner.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Now, go get me some coffee, you wench." I tried to joke. She looked dubious but went off to get me what I asked for. Pushing thoughts of dark allies and mysterious men out of my mind, I pulled my phone out and started updating my to-do lists. These lists were my stress reliever and I write down everything that I need to do; from homework projects to housework to anything, basically. It makes feel accomplished every time I tick off one of the items.
"Coffee is the best invention of man-kind, I swear!" Chris exclaimed, dropping onto her chair, opposite me, "the barista said that he'll have it here in a few minutes."
"What? Since when does Glitz have waiters?" I was thoroughly confused.
"Since Valerie's nephew took over two days ago. Argh, have you met him yet? He is one hell of a human being! No one should be that hot-it should be illegal. He's like Ryan Gosling and Channing Tatum mashed up." And she continued on with that for a while, practically drooling over this boy. I felt a bit guilty as I assumed that the nephew was a good-for-nothing slacker who could not be bothered to come and help out his terminally ill aunt. I guess I was wrong.
"Chris, god, that's enough! I get it, he's hot." I interrupted her preaching when she started to describe every single part of his body that was visible.
"So, why did he get waiters?" I asked, since I still had not received an answer.
"Oh, right. Apparently, it gives a more personal experience for the customers. He wants to connect with all his customers and get to know them. I wouldn't mind connecting with him, if you know what I mean." She said, winking at her last remark.
Rolling my eyes at her crude and cheap behaviour, I was about to retaliate when a familiar husky voice reached my ears.
"You wouldn't believe this chick! She screamed the place down and then when I stepped in to help her out, she attacked me with a pepper spray! Right in my eyes."
My ears bristled as it dawned in me that I was the 'chick' in question. When I turned around to match a face to the voice, I saw the guy again. He was walking with a tray of drinks and heading straight for my table. Fortunately, his gaze was on the middle-aged man, walking alongside him.
Without even pausing to think, I grabbed my phone and ran into the disabled toilet behind me, almost tripping on one of the chair's leg in the process. Luckily, it was just before the guy turned to look at the table where Chris sat, her eyes as wide as a watermelon and her jaw ready to hit the floor.
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Hi guys! Sorry for being MIA-a lot going on but I'm not going to make excuses. I negelected this story but I'm back and I have got so many plans for Raleigh.
Please vote and comment if you like it or if you have any other suggestions.
Love,
RA