Only A Leap Ahead

4. Her and Him

I don't feel like eating. So I head to the big chestnut tree that lives in the grounds of the school. This is one of my favorite places. No one comes here because the boys are apparently interested in the open grounds for their games and girls...well most are scared of squirrels and the other insects here. I wonder how they would have reacted to 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'.

I search my bag for anything I can find. My hands fall on something, an old bar of chocolate, melted and sticky now. Well that's lunch for me. As I attempt to get my lunch out of my bag, my eyes fall on an envelope. It has a bit of chocolate on it. Licking the melted chocolate from my fingers, I take the envelope out. It's a simple one, with a cat doodled on it and my name written in the bottom right corner. 'To lettie', it read. Only Abigail calls me that.

My mind travels back to our last call. I rummage for my phone in my bag and immediately open the saved recordings. I'm shaking. Our last call. I hope it was recorded. I scroll down and it doesn't take me long to find the recorded call. I don't trust my memories. I have this vague feeling that Abigail said something about writing me a letter but I'm not sure.

I play the recording.

"Hey Abigail, Do you know calling in the middle of the night is an offensive crime?"

I hear my voice. I fast forward the recording a bit. I can hear her crying. I forward it again.

"Umm Lettie..."

I hear her voice.

"I actually wrote out a goodbye for you. I actually wrote it down"

I hear her again. I stop the recording. I realize my top is soaked and I feel my eyes getting heavy and blurry. How long has it been since I started crying? I shut my phone off and run my hands on my damp cheeks trying in vain to dry them because the tears just don't allow me to keep them dry. They keep falling.

Breathe Scarlette. You can handle this.

I close my eyes and breathe, slowly and cautiously.

The envelope, I suddenly remember and hastily search for it. I find it beside my bag. I take the envelope and put it to my chest. My heart feels burdened by these memories. I see the envelope. Yes, it's her handwriting. I turn it back. In small and neat cursive she had written, 'I'll give you till fall to get over me nitwit-'

I'll need more time than the fall idiot.

-and don't you dare forget Galette,' it continued.

I smile as a memory surfaces.

"Look at that one," Abigail squealed.

"Abbie! You are shouting in my ear!" I screamed.

She comes closer and screams even louder in my ear. "I'm sorry Lettie," she says in a sing-song voice.

"Abigail Flynn!" I shout but stop short. Abigail has picked up a small, orange-furred cat.

"Isn't he cute?" Abigail asked.

"Well they all are," I said taking the orange ball of fur from her "but this one is just-"

"Such a darling!" Abigail interrupted.

I laughed. "It sure is." I said.

"Hello Ginger, I'm Abigail Flynn and she is Scarlette Hebrew," Abigail explained to the cat who apparently had a name now. "She's also my best friend which means you have two mommies!" she added with one of her ear abusive screams.

"Ginger? I like that," I said stroking him.

"I think we need to name him properly. Ginger Flynn? Ooh that sounds nice." she said.

I glare at her.

She laughed. "Ok, since he is your baby too, oh I know, Ginger Galette?"

I chuckled. "Sweet"

A strong wind blows, bringing me back to the old chestnut.

"Galette as in 'ga' from Abigail and 'lette' from Scarlette," I say. "I think I should visit Ginger Galette today"

"Who is Ginger Galette?" A voice asks. A voice I don't want to hear. A voice I had been avoiding. I get up and don't even look at him. I pick my bag and start to walk away. I'm not ready to face him. Not yet.

"Scarlette," he calls. "Wait!"

I don't. I keep charging forward and inside the building towards the canteen where there is a lot of crowd.

"Wait," he says again.

I don't want to. I try to walk fast but I find my feet slowing down. I want to keep moving but I can't. He does this to me. I can't see him now, not when I still have feelings for him.

He catches up and grabs my arm. I jerk it off.

"Leave me alone Liam!" I half shout at him.

He loosens his grip on my arm but doesn't let go.

"We need to talk," he says and drags me out in the open. I follow obediently. Why didn't I say no?

"Shoot," I say when he brings us to the terrace, the place where he confessed.

He doesn't say anything. His eyes wander around the place, trying to find something, anything that can ease his mind. I've known him for a year. He does this when he is nervous. He looks at me and stares. I scoff. Of course.

"How have you been Carly?" he asks.

I know his concern is genuine but why would he call me that?

"It's Scarlette," I say in a deadpan voice.

He sighs. "How have you been Scarlette?"

"Never better," I lie.

"That's nice," he says.

Stop being so kind and let me hate you please! I feel compelled to ask my part of the 'how are you?'

"How are your bones?" I ask.

Shit! Why did I say bones? I could have asked how he had been doing or something like, are you fine? Great! Now I'll look like the bad guy.

He laughs. God! How I missed this laugh of his. Shut your stupid mouth or I'll break your jaw. I don't want to feel it all again. He stops laughing. Did he read my mind?

"That's a different way of phrasing your concern but I'll take it. My arm is better. It will take me some more time to adjust with this," he bends down and rolls his jeans up. A prosthetic. "I think they could tone down its color, don't you think so?" he says and looks up to where I am standing. I don't reply. Instead I run away.