Chapter Six

The birds cooed gaily not minding the whiter, foamier and more inviting snow that fell peacefully from the bluish sky. 

Perfection and high-spiritedness filled Fairford Overlook. Christmas flutes, fireworks and “Fairforders” teemed the streets – a few adults dressed in Santa's costumes while the kids that really did look like they had just arrived from the North Pole were dressed in green; Santa's elves, sharing gifts to all houses. 

Now! That was the kind of aura I loved waking up to meet after spending half my night wrapping gifts; a chevron necklace and a trinket dish for Madison, a Virtual Reality headset for Mason, a moonlight pyjamas for my mum and a wine subscription for my dad and even something for Sal, my best friend; a Phone Wooden Docking Station and AirPods leather case. It was a perfect Christmas but little did I know that it was to be a very horrible new year with tons of...

**

4 MONTHS LATER

A lot of things had happened in the last four months. Christmas had gone and winter, too. School had resumed and I had broken up with Amaya. 

She'd suddenly flared up and called the relationship off then went on to have sex with all my friends. At least, except Sal. Unless was there something I didn't know.

Not that it really bothered me that she did break up with me, I was going to do the break up if she didn’t because of what happened with Maisie. I couldn’t live with the guilt.

I became an extremely moody person and my parents were nosing up my business trying to figure out why I was no longer with Amaya. I was much of a loner now especially when Sal wasn't with me and unfortunately, I lost Maisie's contact too about a week after the new year. 

Other than that, nothing much had happened. Maisie and Madison were in the 13th grade, mum had gotten a really nice contract that took her out of town very often, dad's business was going well... I guess and Sal had gotten himself a girl, Yaritza, a Brazilian with long, jet black hair that reached her waist with a fine brown body.

**

The sun was pretty bright as I walked on the brown, parched leaves that gave way with a simple pop as my weight rested on it.

Leaves had gone dry, pretty flowers had wilted. The sky was dull too and the wind was a little dusty as I strolled into the "Commercial" building with my lacy, black and red backpack. The air conditioner enveloped me in itself as I walked through the long illuminated hallway that was filled with other students some in huddles, others walking to their classes too and a few distinctive persons like Tain, the tallest dude in school.

As I made my way to my business class, I became extremely tense just like I always was when I knew that I'll have a close contact with Amaya.

As I came in contact with the door knob, the bells rang that signalled the beginning of the new class and despite my tenseness, I couldn't help but grin and be proud of myself, at least, Mr. Markel will know that I loved his classes.

As I turned the door knob, the first sight I saw was that of a blonde girl with attractive pink lips that wore a neon green Bardot top - off shoulder top and footed leggings. It was Amaya. I pretend like I didn't notice her presence as I walked to a seat on the front row. As I moved to the front, I lost concentration and hit a blue desk so hard I could've sworn that I had gotten a fractured bone. Way to go Amaya! A broken heart and now a fractured bone.

"Sorry darling"

Was what Amaya said back to me with a giggle. I shot an angry look at her and she winked and waved her painted fingers at me. I heard her two best friends chuckle at this and it just made me more infuriated.

I sat on the chair closest to me to nurse my knee, it was hurting really bad and I knew I had to go see a doctor as soon as school was over. 

Other students had come in, some making a cacophony as they came in groups and others, alone. Our fat, pot bellied teacher that had a small spectacle hung comfortably on his huge nose was settled already and ready to teach. 

Other random students had taken up almost the entire space including where I wanted so I just sat where I was and sulked on the ill luck that came upon me. After a little while, I forgot my misery and drifted off into an unblemished trance where flowers danced with fluffy, white clouds, where the snow fell in colours of the rainbow and where other impossible stuffs happened like me dancing with Maisie on a sea shore as blue dolphins popped in and out of the sea.

"... Mr Rhett! Would you please explain to the class why you aren't paying attention?"

Mr. Markel's face had turned bright red from anger and every student knew he had an awful temper. And I was curious to know if it'll at least, cause changes in a thermometer.

I stammered out words that didn't make sense. My head was hurting again and I felt dizzy. My knee was still throbbing impenitently and I felt terrible but I couldn't tell him because it'd have seemed like a lie because of the situation I was in and besides, that wasn't even the reason why I wasn't paying attention.

I heard Amaya whisper somethings and the whole class burst into laughter before Mr. Markel gained control over the class. 

******************************

"Your knee hurt real bad but in about three days of consistent use of the meds, you should be good"

My family doctor said as he used his pointy finger to push his glasses up his nose that was well lubricated with sweat. 

I took a look at the knee and patted it while mustering "you'll be fine". 

"Were you doing some kind of sport?" 

He asked again which was no surprise to me. He was a good old man but he never knew when to zip up his mouth and I knew it'll put him in some trouble some day. There was even a time after a thorough check up on mum, he asked her why she didn't go into the porn industry. Mum was infuriated and it took shouts, breaking stuffs and dad calming her down for weeks straight before she could get herself again.

I pretended like I didn't hear the question as I stood up from where I was seated, put my bag on and left the hospital with the unhidden stares from the nurses digging into my skin. Yeah! A 19 year old rude ass.

**

I never really enjoyed the twins' presence on our way home from school. They could argue, hurl things at one another and spit out spiteful words against each other and the next minute, have each other’s back against me or my mum and dad or anyone at all. But as much as I didn’t like them together, I missed those chatterboxes as I sat in the comfortable space of my Hyundai Elantra, listening to one of Lindsey Sterling’s many instrumentals and waiting for the congested traffic to unclog itself. 

My phone beeped and a call came in, Amaya?

“What do you want Amaya?” I asked, her name appearing on my phone's screen immediately draining up the excitement poor Lindsey’s instrumentals had been building up for minutes.

“How’s your knee?” She asked but I knew better than that. Amaya didn’t care about my knee. She didn’t care about anybody but herself. She was “Amaya”.

“What do you have to say?” I asked instinctively resting my elbow on my dashboard already exasperated from the traffic and her voice.

“Why can’t I ask about my ex's knee?” She asked before a pop sound went off in her mouth. She was a chewing a gum. “Well, I wanted you to know that Starglint is uhm, getting a new student, y’know, from a country in Europe… Belgium, I think, and I’ve been told to give him a tour…”

I cut the call off, the traffic had miraculously disappeared and I didn’t want to spend another second wasting my life on Amaya. Besides, nothing connected me and a Belgian dude unless, he dated Amaya, my ex.

I turned up the volume of Lindsey's music and sped home, a long trail of cars behind me doing the same.