by Alex Pitt
We went down the sea-blue slide, Daisy first, and re-joined my three friends on the grass. I told them all that Daisy had to be going, hoping they would convince her to stay for longer. No such luck.
“I’m knackered myself,” Scooter said. “Maybe we should call it a day.”
“Of course, young Maximus,” Tom goofed. “I am quite sure you need to be well-rested for the oh-so-joyous Triple English session tomorrow.”
“Shut up,” Scooter laughed stiffly, giving him a light punch on the shoulder.
“Lads,” Daisy laughed, and my depressing thoughts from a few seconds ago were distinguished.
“Girls,” Vince retorted. “Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Daisy asked defensively.
“It means that you can’t live with girls because they annoy the shit out of you, but you can’t live without them because otherwise we’d all be living in slums with empty pizza boxes piled around our heads.”
“Not that you’ll ever know what living with a girl feels like,” I chimed in, and laughter erupted from everyone, including Vince.
“Alright, lads, I think I’ll leave you to it,” Daisy said, giving us all one of her most radiant smiles.
“Do you have to go?” I asked, but I already knew what the answer would be. I could see it in her eyes.
“Yes, but I really like hanging out with you. All of you. We should do it again sometime. And thanks for the chips,” she added.
Placing two hands on the grass, she lifted herself to her feet and brushed the back of her clothes. It was then that I decided to make my first move. I wouldn’t go too fast, I wouldn’t rush into anything because I still didn’t really know the girl, but I had to do something before I was stuck in what many college guys found themselves lost in forever with the girl they liked: the friend zone.
“Let me walk you home,” I said, rising to my feet. I could see the other three lads exchanging smirks.
“Honestly, Jack, I think I’m OK. I know the way back from here.”
“All the same, I’d like to walk you home. Please.” I could see the debate in her eyes, as well as the way she chewed her lip in thought. Something else needed to be added, so I said, “You never know who’s about these days, and a young girl such as yourself needs to be careful.”
A massive grin cracked across her face when I said this. “Oh, that’s ever so kind of you, Jack. I don’t know where I’d be without you.”
“Quit the dramatization,” I smirked, and cast a final look at the three of my friends on the grass. “See you guys tomorrow.”
Tom and Vince nodded, but Scooter grunted, “Have fun,” and so I flipped him the finger when Daisy wasn’t looking.
The walk back to her house didn’t take long. Fifteen minutes at the most, but I still wanted to spend more time with her. Those minutes had gone by so quickly, and I’d learned a hell of a lot about her. I knew that her favourite food was barbecued chicken with chips, her favourite drink was a Purple Rain from Weatherspoon’s. She listened to Rhianna and Beyoncé and all that crap, but she’d been to a few rock concerts over the past year, even throwing a bra at Jack Barakat back in March. I didn’t ask if it was her own bra, I didn’t want to know. Her favourite movie was Ferris Buller’s Day Off, and she had never seen a Star Wars movie, something I intended to fix as soon as possible.
“This is me,” Daisy said, as we approached a thin house with a black front door and vines draped over a fence out front.
“You can’t say that,” I said to her, slapping her on the arm. A playful slap, just to break the touch barrier.
“Why not?” she asked, her head tilted in curiosity.
“It’s cheesy as shit. That’s what the girls always say in the movies.”
She laughed at that, and the pure joy from her laughter was enough to break through the skin and find its way to my heart.
“You like your movies, don’t you?” she asked, and I nodded.
“I want to be a director when I’m older.”
“Wow. That’s incredible.”
“Well, it’s just a dream. Who knows if it will actually happen.”
“It will Jack. If you try hard enough, never give up, and put yourself out there, anything can happen.”
“Another cheesy line,” I smiled, and she returned it gladly.
“Thanks for an amazing day,” she said, after a few seconds of staring into my eyes.
“It can’t have been that good. We had college.”
“Trust me, Jack, it was perfect. I can’t remember the last time I smiled this much. Things have been kind of tough recently. My parents have been going through a hard time,” she eluded, and it looked as if the words would spill out of her mouth.
Instead, she just shook her head and smiled up at me. I wanted to hug her and kiss her forehead and tell her to talk to me, I was there for her, I would always be there for her, but it was too soon for that kind of commitment, and she looked as if she’d drifted into her own little world.
The sun was beginning to dip in the sky, but I could still feel the heat on the back of my neck, burning a hole right through to my spine. After a few seconds, she got on her tiptoes and flung her arms around my neck, burying her face. She was wearing the same perfume as when I’d first met her, and it smelt so good.
I brushed my lips against her forehead lightly, and she seemed to like it. For a few seconds, she clung to me even tighter than before, and then she turned her head and locked eyes with me. I ran my fingers across her cheek, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She gave me one last smile and untangled her arms.
“See you tomorrow, Jack,” she said, and bounced up the steps to her front door.
She didn’t look back.
I watched her open the door and close it behind her, thinking about the moment we’d just shared. Then, with a hint of sadness in my heart, I headed for home.
Chapter Three
Daisy
“I met someone. Someone from college. He’s nice, I think, but I don’t really know him.”
“If you say you’ve met someone, and we all know what that means, then how can you not know who he is?”
“I do know who he is. I mean, we’ve spoken a few times and we hung out the other day. He’s really nice and sweet, and pretty good eye-candy as well.”
“Right. And when you were hanging out, did anything happen? Did you do anything with him?”
“No, God no. We were in the park. And even if we were at home, I wouldn’t have let it go that far. Not on the first date, anyway.”
He peered over his half-moon spectacles at me and smiled. God, I hated that creepy smile, like he was eyeing me up. Who knew how many other girls had sat in this chair and received the very same eerie smile? His moustache crinkled when his lips moved, and I could see yellow teeth plastered with plaque behind them.
“Daisy, darling, I am just trying to protect you,” he beamed, his accent coming on strong.
The folder he was holding crashed down on the table and pages flew from it. I could see a photo of myself that had been taken when I first came here, six months ago. I looked tired, dishevelled, my hair was a mess, and the smile was forced. I could remember this day with extreme clarity.
There had been a lot of shouting and arguing and swearing that day, mainly done by myself, but some of it came from my mother. She insisted that I had to visit this place, said it was about eighteen months too late, and I’ve been coming every week since then. For the majority of sessions, it’s been a complete waste, but it has been nice to have someone to talk to, no matter how creepy his smile is.
“You don’t need to protect me, honestly. Nothing bad will happen.”
“All the same, be careful. I’ll see you again next Saturday, OK?”
I nodded and scuttled out of the room as quick as I could. He was always strict on time-keeping, hence why I had chosen to keep Jack’s involvement in my life until the last minute.
I wanted to discuss it with him, but I also knew how he’d react, so I only mentioned it when I knew he had to let me go. Still, I’d only delayed the inevitable for a single week. I’d be back there again soon, and I’m sure we would be talking a whole lot about the boy.
“How did it go?” my mother asked as I got in the car and put my feet on the dashboard.
“Same old, same old,” I said, and she laughed. She knew I didn’t want to be there.
“And how was his moustache today?” she asked, giving me a sideways glance.
“It has a life of its own. Besides, he’s only in his forties, it’s not right to have one like that at his age. I bet its crawling with lice.”
“Don’t let your father hear you saying that,” she warned me. “You know he’s been trying to grow one for years.”
“He’s also been trying to grow a beard, and it’s so bloody patchy. Can’t you just tell him to shave it all off and stick with his baby face?”
“You know your father, sweetie. It’s unlikely he’ll listen to me.”
Our conversation was cut short by someone blocking my mum from leaving the car parking space, and he only backed up to let us out when he saw the furious look she was giving him.
I love my mum, I really do. There’s not a bad bone in her body. Same with Dad really, but his job keeps him away most of the time. I only see him a couple of evenings a week, but he always makes the effort to take me bowling on a Saturday night. It’s a favourite past time of ours, and I love the fact that he takes me every week, but I wish he’d just quit his job and get something more suited to him.
He’s a builder, and he builds a lot. His name actually is Bob, but that’s just a coincidence. And when he’s not building, he’s locked in his office making plans for the next architectural structure. He’s become even more distant the past two years, so I rely on Mum for support nowadays. I think they both still love each other, but it wouldn’t surprise me if divorce was a reality soon. The things they’ve been through these past years can really mess a person up.
My mum’s name is Janice, and she’s the waitress at a little American café down the road. They do the best bacon and egg breakfast. I think I’d be happy to have it every day and never get bored. I often went to the café before school and, now that I’m starting college, I might have to return it to my schedule.
“Don’t wake your father up please, Daisy,” my mum said as we were pulling up to the parking space outside my house. “He was late going to bed last night and it’s in your best interest that he isn’t cranky this evening. If you’re lucky, he might even take you to the pub for that drink you like.”
“How responsible, mother,” I joked. “Condoning under-age drinking. I’m disgraced.”
“I just know that you’ll be responsible with it, that’s all, darling. Besides, if I didn’t let you drink, you’d do it behind our backs. We’re not that stupid. Now you go on inside and chill for a bit. You deserve it. I’m popping to the shops for a while.”
I kissed my mum’s cheek for a goodbye, and hopped out of the car. Drawing the keys from my pocket, I let myself in, being sure not to make too much noise.
I threw my keys in the fruit bowl and was about to head upstairs when something stopped me. Something wasn’t right. I could feel it.
There was a letter stamped with big official letters warning me that it was private and confidential, but it looked like my mum had already opened it this morning. I quickly swiped it off the work top and fumbled it. I almost put it back, figuring it couldn’t be bad; she wouldn’t have left something horrible lying around for me to find, but then I figured that my mum didn’t think I would go through her post, and that made me feel even worse.
But nothing, not even what happened on June 2nd 2015, could have prepared me for the horror I would find when I opened the letter and my eyes scanned the blank ink. Numb from shock, I placed the letter back on the work top, and began to cry.
Chapter Four
I have never in my life seen someone look so torn up. Daisy appeared heartbroken and miserable and, to be frank, was as pale as a ghost for the whole of the following week. I tried to talk to her a few times and she smiled when she saw me, but she didn’t say much and shook her head vigorously every time I tried to ask her what was wrong.
After the third time of attempting to get her to talk, I left in a huff but parted with the message, “Talk to me whenever you need to, OK?” to which she nodded.
She may have given me a nod, but I knew Daisy would never tell me what was going on in her life. At least not yet, not until she was ready, but that was alright. I’d give her some space, hang out with my other friends for a while, and see if she came to me.
It was two weeks before Daisy even muttered anything in what could be considered a happy tone. By that time, some of the colour had returned to her face. I could hear the teachers discussing Daisy amongst themselves, and she had spent an absurd amount of time with the headmaster of late. But, just when I was giving up hope, towards the middle of May, I felt an arm around my back as Daisy came up behind me.
Scooter was with me at this point, and we were waiting for Vince and Tom to come out of the college so we could go home. Despite living nowhere near each other, we almost always left the college grounds together and headed in the general direction of the main town, before splintering off and going our separate ways.
I was shocked to see Daisy’s face next to mine, and I think Scooter was as well. He just stared at her for a few seconds, but I was glad. I was beginning to think she would never perk up.
“Are you alright?” I asked, a concerned look on my face.
She didn’t speak, but rested her face on my shoulder and gave a childish sigh. Then, removing herself from my body, she dragged me over to the blue entry sign for the college and sat down. There weren’t as many scribbles on this sign as there had been on the slide in the park, but there was one that had been prominently written in black ink.
“A and T,” Daisy muttered, “I wonder who they are. Reckon they go to our college?”
“Nah,” I said in response. “They’d have probably got their asses kicked if they were caught doing that to college property. Must have been some kids passing by.”
Daisy nodded, just as Vince and Tom appeared next to us. They didn’t see Daisy around the college as much as Scooter and I did, but I’d told them about Daisy’s strange behaviour, and they were equally as shocked as I’d been to see her sitting there.
“Hey guys,” Tom gasped, out of breath.
“Have you been running?” Daisy asked, confused as to why he would be out of breath just from leaving college.
“No,” Vince said, answering for him. “But he’s incapable of moving at a normal speed. He walks like a snail but I made him hurry his ass up, hence why he’s out of breath.”
“I’ll go to the gym one day,” Tom promised, clutching his sides. “Just let me get me get my breath back.”
“How was your day?” Vince asked, addressing both Daisy and I.
“Not bad,” I nodded. “Yours?”
“Pretty sweet,” he grinned. “I had Maths with Mrs Clover and oh… my… god…”
“Let me stop you there,” I said quickly. “I’m sure Daisy doesn’t want to hear your wild fantasies about Mrs Clover.”
Daisy frowned at Vince, and urged him, “Go on. Do tell.”
Vince opened his mouth again, but fortunately Tom stopped him by saying, “Alright, I should be good to go,” but let out a very unconvincing groan as he straightened up.
Tom needed to lose weight, there was no question about it, but he wasn’t overly obese. He was ‘cuddly’ as he so often liked to put it, but some of us were starting to wonder if he had something serious going on with his body. His breathing problems would come and go; sometimes he would get out of breath so easily and other times he’d be able to run a marathon.
Vince, on the other hand, would probably jump at the chance of a marathon. He often went out running
the streets with his dad, his curly brown hair rustling in the breeze. It honestly looked like a bird had chosen the top of Vince’s head to build a nest, a thought that made me smirk every time I imagined him combing his thick hair to find a robin nestled between the strands.
Tom’s short hair and large cheeks were quite the opposite to Vince’s physique, and I often wondered how I’d ended up with two friends that were complete polar opposites to one another. Scooter was more on the side of Vince, thin and muscular, with wavy blonde hair and blue eyes to match. He had two dimples when he smiled, something that girls seemed to like, on the extremely rare circumstance that he actually ended up talking to one.
Then there’s me. Slim, brown hair, a cute smile, a few freckles dotted on both of my cheeks. Similar to Daisy now that I think about it. I hoped no one thought we were related. This isn’t Star Wars or Game of Thrones, but, as you’ll come to see, there are enough gut punches in this story that it might as well have been.
“Are you alright, Jack?” a soft voice asked me and I snapped back to reality. It wasn’t until then that I realised my thoughts had drifted off.
“Yeah, fine,” I nodded.
“Can you settle a debate between me and Tom please, mate?” Vince asked. “We’re trying to decide who would win in a fight between Batman and Superman. I reckon Superman because he has laser eyes and can do basically anything. But Tom reckons Batman could kick his ass.”
“Haven’t they already had this fight?” Daisy chimed in, stealing the words from my mouth. “And Batman won, didn’t he?”