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For the rest of the school day, I couldn't sit still in my seat. I tried to convince myself that it was because I was worried about Kristie but I also knew in the back of my mind that I was completely shaken by Scarlette and her idea that Trent liked me. I mean it wasn't that hard to believe when I thought of how he acted, but I also couldn't comprehend the idea of someone as attractive as him wanting me. Especially, when I was being so difficult.
I'd seen Matt between classes, accompanied by Tracey no less and although it annoyed me, I took his good mood to my advantage when she told us she was throwing a party tonight. Although Matt was difficult sometimes, I also knew when to push my luck and it paid off.
The most annoying part about it all was that I didn't have Kristie to tell. I'd spent the last two periods constantly texting her under the table, making sure to apologise about three thousand times and hint that I had news for her.
At first, she doesn't reply to anything and as the second hour of the class starts, I begin to think that maybe she never will. However, just before the bell rings to signal the end of school my phone buzzes and her familiar face pings up on the screen.
K: Meet me at your locker.
The one sentence alone makes me grin from ear to ear and as soon as I hear the shrill ring pulse through the school I am out of my chair and sprinting down the hall, half knocking people out the way as I make my way to the other side of the building.
I arrive at my locker out of breath and a little frazzled, but I can't stop my grin when I see my best friend leaning against the metal with a smirk on her face, observing me trying to catch my breath and failing.
"You alright?" she laughs and I nod breathlessly but hold up my finger, pausing the conversation.
This is why I don't do sports.
After a few moments, I compose myself and take a deep breath, my lungs grateful that they're not being put under strain again.
"I always wonder how you stay so skinny when you can't run for shit," Kristie teases, rolling her eyes and I shrug.
"I hate running, what can I say?"
We're silent as we both chuckle, the sea of people moving past us creating a hum of sound.
My heart aches as I take in the space between the two of us, my guilt sinking slowly.
"Look, K," I sigh, "I'm really sorry, I honestly don't know what came over me."
She watches me with guarded eyes but I can still see the pain flicker through them, her lips tight as she holds in her emotions.
"I shouldn't have said it, and it was an awful thing for me to do. I am the worst best friend ever. Please forgive me?"
She assesses my apology, figuring out if it's acceptable or not and I feel myself grin internally at her familiar expression and her struggle to contain her smile.
"Aaaaaaand," I sing, stepping closer, "Tracey is throwing a party tonight and I may have not only convinced Matt to let me go with you but also stay over at yours."
Her reaction is instantaneous. Her face breaks out into the biggest grin I've ever seen and her arms wrap around me, half lifting me off the ground as she squeals in my ear, drawing attention from the crowds around us who I wave away politely while my feet dangle in the air.
"I knew that would make you forgive me,"I chuckle, holding onto her.
"How did you convince him?" She gasps while abruptly dropping me to my feet and I stumble to catch my balance.
"I just took advantage of the fact that Tracey was clinging to him, for once she was actually useful and convinced him that a night with the boys was what he needed."
Kristie rolls her eyes.
"No doubt 'a night with the boys' will turn into her being attached to him all night," she grumbles but then quickly shakes her head and grins, "Anyway, who cares! I get my bestie for a night!"
Her squeals echo around us again and her arm loops through mine, dragging me towards the school doors.
"We're going straight to mine yes?" she asks and I nod eagerly, "Brilliant! I can't wait to get you to do my makeup and I can pick your outfit, it's going to be so much fun!"
She babbles about different outfits that she wants me to try on and I laugh at her excitement as we reach her little car, it's yellow shine almost blinding me in the sunlight.
"Kristie, have I told you that your car resembles a giant, rolling lemon?"
She scoffs at my comment.
"Yes, you have actually, every single time you get in it so just zip it unless you want me to make you wear my freshman prom dress tonight."
Immediately I shut up and slide into the car, the image of her bright green, diamante studded dress flashing through my mind, making shivers go down my spine.
It really was an awful dress.
As Kristie sits down I turn and face her, grabbing her hand from the stereo before she can touch it.
"K." Her eyes look at me in alarm, "I am really sorry."
Her expression softens as she sighs, squeezing my hand in hers.
"Elle, you're my best friend. We're allowed to fight sometimes, just don't ever say it again. Please?" I nod straight away, promises babbling out of my mouth as she turns the engine on.
As we make our way to her home, our lungs aching from singing and laughing so much I realise that Kristie was honestly the best friend that I could ask for.
She dealt with me having virtually no free time, was there when I had a breakdown or needed someone to talk to and she forgave me in my worst moments. It didn't matter how bad Matt or my father could get, as long as I had her, I knew I could get through it.
We pull up to her house a short time later, our laughter tumbling out with our feet as we exit the car.
"I cannot believe Cameron did that!" I chortle, the memories from years ago playing in my head, "He ended up in detention for about a month because of it!"
"Yeah," Kristie says, "But it was worth it, even if I do have a fear of chickens." We enter the house and I follow her to the kitchen, "Hi mom!"
Linda Kennedy turns around with a beaming smile on her face, her cheeks covered in baby food as she comes towards us, arms outstretched and waiting for a hug.
"Hello, darling!" She greets, pulling a resistant Kristie into her body, "Oh don't pretend like you don't love me." She chuckles, letting her go. Her eyes turn to me and she smiles, advancing, "I know for a fact that Elle will accept my hugs, won't you Elle?"
I laugh and nod, returning the hug as her soft body cocoons me in its motherly embrace. When I come to Kristie's it's like a breath of fresh air.
For a night, or however long I stay, I feel as though I actually have a caring family, I actually have a mother figure that cares about me and looks after my needs. Her arms around me brought comfort and a sense of safety that I clung to.
I would never say no to a hug that brought me all of that.
"Always, Mrs Kennedy," I smile and she rolls her eyes, her hand softly coming out to slap me on the arm with the dishtowel she holds.
"I've told you a thousand times, call me Linda. Oh goodness, I'm covered in food."
Even though I'd been here a hundred times it was still strange sometimes to be in a home with such informality in comparison to my own, and sometimes I forgot that parents often don't make their children's friends call them by their last names. Or their children for that matter.
She turns away from us and crosses to the other side of the island and that's when I see what had caused her so much stress and mess. Sitting in a highchair with a pile of food not only in front of him but on him was a small giggling figure.
Benji.
Benji was Kristie's one-year-old little brother who, according to her, was satan reincarnated. She would come into school with a stain on her top, or a chunk of hair missing and only one name would come out of her mouth, an explanation without words.
"Benji."
To me, however, he looks like the most adorable toddler I have ever seen and every time I see him his face lights up in a smile which makes my heart soar. As I step into the kitchen fully his little head turns to me, chocolate curls bouncing and his blue eyes light up and happy gurgles pour out as his little arms stretch towards me.
"Honestly, it's like your his sister and not me," Kristie grumbles, jumping onto the counter and grabbing an apple, "I swear he puts on an act when your here to fool you into thinking he's an angel."
I roll my eyes and walk over to Mrs Kennedy who lifts Benji out of his high chair and takes off his stained top before passing him to me. His legs kick out as I take him and immediately his adorable smile makes me grin as he clutches onto my top, his chubby fingers beginning to prod my face.
"Maybe he prefers Elle because she doesn't refer to him as 'devil baby' or 'Lucifer'," Mrs Kennedy comments pointedly, her sharp eyes glaring at Kristie who just gives her a guilty smile back, "I swear if his first words are 'hail satan' I'm not paying for college."
I gape at Kristie as her mom leaves the room and she makes her way over, a wicked smile on her face.
"I've been trying to teach him it, mom's scared that my 'negative view' on him is affecting his development." She holds out her finger to Benji who looks at it for a moment before turning back to me and continuing to babble. "See– he hates me."
"He doesn't hate you!" I laugh, tickling the baby in my arms who wriggles and giggles at it, "You just treat him like a dog."
Kristie huffs and continues eating her apple, "I don't treat him like a dog, I just feed him things when he does something good."
I shake my head and continuing tickling Benji, his innocent laughter allowing me to escape in bliss for a while longer as I bask in the purity of it.
"Is that why you rewarded him when he finally brought you the television remote the other day?" Linda interjects as she reenters the room, fresh clothes in her hands.
I help her dress Benji while Kristie stands beside us, trying to explain why it was a good learning exercise for walking and how beneficial it was for him when it came to future cognitive skills.
After we finish cleaning Benji we have a snack altogether and talk about the gossip from school, Linda really was sometimes like a teenage girl and she loved hearing stories from us. Kristie complains about Tom and his drama queen behaviour while I interject with stories of Tracey and her horrible comments.
"So, Elle," the older woman slyly begins and I glance at my best friend suspiciously, "Kristie tells me that you guys are in charge of welcoming the new students and dealing with their change?"
I nod slowly, not quite knowing where the conversation was going.
"And she also said that you'd made friends with quite a few of them and they seem to be nice."
I agree again but glare at Kristie, knowing full well what her mother is about to say.
"Any nice boys?"
I groan and slam my head to the table, trying to cover up my blushing face as the two other women laugh at me, their light giggles sounding like naughty schoolchildren.
"Kristie," I moan, raising my head, "Would you stop trying to make me and Trent a thing."
"So it is a thing!" Mrs Kennedy shouts in excitement and I resist the urge to jump off the stool and knock myself out on the floor below me.
That would be too traumatising for Benji.
"I told you it was a thing!" Kristie boasts proudly.
"It's not a thing!"
They both give me knowing smirks and sip their tea, eyes flicking over to each other, clearly not believing me for a second.
"It isn't!" I state firmly, "It's not! We're just friends... well sort of... I mean I have kind of been ignoring him because of Matt..." I trail off, my words fading as I try to understand what exactly Trent and I actually were.
"Oh Elle," Mrs Kennedy sighs, her voice full of concern, "I do not know why you are with that boy sometimes, you could do so much better. His father was just as horrible as him and I'd hate to think he treats you in any way similar to the way his mother was treated." I smile softly and shake my head, easing her worries and I watch as she relaxes.
I knew that Matt's father hadn't been a very good guy. Right at the beginning of our relationship Matt had told me about his childhood, about the constant arguing and the way his father spoke down to him and his mother. He'd tell me stories of when he'd accidentally do something wrong and his father would blow up, taking it out on his mother if she got involved. It was awful to hear and I couldn't imagine the strength that it had taken for his mom to get through it, that's why when after he died and Matt started acting in the way that he is now I couldn't bear to break his mothers heart and tell her that the son she'd spent so long protecting and trying to keep safe wasn't any better than her late husband. How could I be the one to shatter all the illusions she had about him and admit to her that he was putting me through a portion of what she had been through. She didn't deserve any more pain or heartbreak; she'd been through enough and I would just have to suck it up.
"It's an awful shame what happened to that school, though," Mrs Kennedy continues, changing the subject quickly after noticing the looks that Kristie was giving her, "I mean, imagine an entire building being burnt to the ground with nothing but ashes left behind. It was a miracle no one was hurt."
Trent immediately pops into my mind and I feel my stomach drop, what if it had happened a couple hours earlier and people were still in school? What if he'd gotten trapped and injured, or worse died.
Why did that thought make me feel so much sadness and grief?
"Have they figured out exactly what happened?" Kristie questions, picking at a muffin and Mrs Kennedy shakes her head.
"No, but I don't think it was accidental or a faulty wire like some of the papers are reporting. The building was far too big and it wouldn't have travelled so easily, plus I heard gossip that there were multiple points of origin so unless various electric sockets overloaded at once, I don't see how it could have been an accident."
We're all silent for a moment as we take in the situation and eat our food– my mind whirling with thoughts of arson and the people capable of doing it.
"Did you know the school?" I ask after a moment, realising that she sounded very familiar with the place.
"Oh yes," she smiles, cleaning up our dishes, "Back when I was in school I had a friend that attended East Valley Woods, her name was Jemma and she was hilarious," she laughs, her eyes shining as she falls into her memories, "We met the summer before Junior year at an internship thing with a summer school and we clicked straight away, I honestly don't think I would have gotten through it without her. She took me to parties over on her side and I brought her to house parties here. The town really is beautiful over there, it's all trees and nature and mountains if you go far enough. She even took me camping in the woods one time."
Kristie gapes at her mother who laughs lightly and waves her shock away, "It was a different time, there was no massive stigma between the two towns or a fear of the forest, and because it was during summer, we didn't have to deal with people at school having issues with our friendship. It was one of the best summers of my life."
Had Mrs Kennedy been in the woods? We were basically forbidden to go there by our town, it was like an unspoken rule between everyone that lived here. We got told that it was really dangerous.
We never got any information about them, why would they hide away from us?
"Mom, you never told me that. I didn't realise the town was nice– all we hear about it is horror stories and negative descriptions."
"Well, that's because what people don't know they make up, especially when they think people are different to them." Linda shuts the dishwasher with a bang and claps her hands together, "Now, you two better go start getting ready if you want to be on time for this party. I'll make the two of you some light cocktails if you want?"
We both nod eagerly, grinning and she smiles back fondly before shooing us away with her hands and Kristie and I begin to leave the room.
I got to follow her up the stairs but my feet hesitate and my thoughts plague me too much to leave without asking.
I slowly turn around, my mind whirling with all the information she'd given us.
"Mrs Kenn- sorry, I mean Linda," I correct before she can complain and she grins, "Your friend, Jemma, what happened to her?"
The easy smile slides from Mrs Kennedy's face within a blink of an eye and her skin seems to almost pale, her eyes becoming glassy and I watch as her hand shakes slightly as she closes the cupboard door.
"She died." She states softly, her voice no longer dripping with melancholy but instead almost shivering in a hushed tone.
"What happened?" I push, hoping I haven't gone too far but it's as if I can't control the urge. I needed to know what happened.
Her dark eyes snap up to me and an almost grave expression coats her face as she stares at me, her lips barely parted as she speaks.
"She was mauled by wolves."
Aaaaaaaaand whose finally excited for the mention of WOLVES!!!!! Starting to go into the darker side of the book and I'm so fricken excited. LOVE YOU GUYS x