Ello! Just wanted to say sorry for my irregular updating at the moment, I’m being rather lazy … also need to say sorry cos this chapter is very short and kind of boring!  Thanks for sticking with this – is very near the end now!

 

Chapter 31

 

I was feeling fine, I was pretty and confident and most importantly single, I didn’t need anyone else in my life I was fine by myself.

 

I looked into the mirror and applied a small amount of lip gloss.

 

“Any sign?” I asked Rena as I hastily put on some mascara.

 

“All’s clear,” she replied, her head popping round the door.

 

I may be pretty and confident but I certainly wasn’t brave, I had managed to go an entire day without bumping into Kelly and her gang and I certainly was going to do anything I could to avoid them.

 

“Today is a new day,” I said cheerily to my friends as we left the toilets and made our way down the hall to the cloakrooms.

 

“You sure you’re OK?” Jemma asked.

 

“I am fine; I am not going to let some arrogant bastard ruin my last year at school.”

 

Accepting my words my friends went off in the direction of the football field and I reached the pegs alone.  Quickly skimming the area and noticing it was safe I began to dig in my bag for my technology apron.  I knew that I had put it in earlier this morning yet I couldn’t seem to find it anywhere.

 

“You lost something?” a quiet voice asked.

 

I looked up.

 

“Simon!”

 

“Hey,” he greeted me shyly.

 

“I’m looking for my apron,” I explained, hiding my face back in my bag, “I put it in this morning and now it’s gone missing.”

 

“It’s here,” he remarked, and looking up I saw he had the white apron in his hands.

 

Taking it off him I climbed into it gratefully and began to absent mindidly fiddle with the tie at the back.

 

“You been OK?” I asked

 

“Yeah, you?” he asked.

 

I smiled at him, we had been friends for years, yet suddenly we were forced to speak like strangers, like we had never met before.

 

“I’m good.”

 

There was an awkward silence, during which I continued to tie up the apron, pulling it harder into a double bow.

 

“I’m sorry,” he finally broke, “I’ve been an idiot.”

 

“No,” I replied firmly, “I have.”

 

We both smiled at each other, and that second we reached an understanding.  I wanted to tell him how much I loved him, how much I’d missed him and how I regretted what I had done, yet I didn’t need to, it was all there for him to see.

 

Coming towards me he pulled me into a hug and I relaxed straight into his arms.

 

“We never should have done what we did.” He spoke into my hair, “we were never meant to be more than just friends.”

 

“I know,” I confirmed.

 

“I always knew you loved Ben.”

 

I shuddered at the mention of the name and then cursed myself for letting myself feel that way.

 

“It’s big isn’t it?” he asked.

 

“What?”

 

“What you and Ben have,”

 

“It’s over,” I announced, “I hate him.”

 

“You don’t hate him Kim,” he said softly, “I only have to mention his name and I can feel your whole body move.”

 

I pulled away from him quickly, horrified that he could read my body language so well.

 

“I hate him,” I said again firmly.

 

He shrugged his shoulders and I quickly changed the subject.

 

“What made you come and find me?”

 

“I noticed you weren’t at school,” he said simply, “and then I realised that I was really worried about you and that I missed you.”

 

“I’ve missed you,” I admitted.

 

“We won’t fight ever again,” he announced firmly and held his hand out to me so we could shake on the agreement.  Smiling I took his hand immediately and squeezed it gently.  I then saw his whole body relax and we continued conversation easily.

 

“You been ill then?” he asked.

 

I nodded, not wanting to admit that I had been sucked in by Ben and that he had treated me so badly.

 

“You’d best get off to your class,” he smiled and both a little happier than we had been in a long time we went our separate ways.

 

The day was suddenly going amazingly, after making up with Simon I had a permanent smile on my face, I had never realised how much I missed his friendship until it had gone.

 

My wonderful mood lasted only up until lunchtime, when after daydreaming and not paying attention to where I was going I ran into Kelly.  I had been thinking about my weekend plans with Simon when I walked straight in to her, I turned quickly to leave but it was too late.

 

“Where do you think you are running off to?” she asked as she followed me.

 

“Nowhere,” I muttered, picking up my pace and walking quicker away from her.

 

“Stop running away you stupid cow.”

 

I ignored her and carried on, trying very hard to whistle a happy tune to myself to block out the sound of her awful voice.

 

“Look at that, she’s running away,” I could hear her saying loudly to her friends as they continued to follow me.

 

I muttered under my breath, not daring to say anything out loud in case they heard me.

 

“You’re a lying bitch Kimberly White!” she screeched after me, “you’re ugly and worthless.”

 

I still ignored her, reminding myself over and over again that I shouldn’t listen to her, it was a huge relief when a few minutes later the bell sounded and I was safe back inside the school. 

 

I wasn’t always going to be that lucky though – sooner or later I knew she’d catch up with me.