In the school parking lot, Abel kicked around pebbles, waiting for his mother to pick him up. It was four o'clock, and the last of his classmates had long been taken away by their parents or sent off to after-school care. He didn't mind waiting for his mum, who always brought left-over pastries from work as a treat. As long as he didn't get caught by a teacher, he could stay there in peaceful solitude, unbothered by rowdy sixth graders.
"Are you waiting for your mum?"
He looked up, warily. But it was his classmate, Evie, who trotted up to him. Smiling so broadly that her dimples appeared, she held out a bag of sour straps.
"Want one?"
Abel shook his head. She shrugged, causing her neat plaits to flick playfully at her shoulders, and pulled out a rainbow strip of candy, dangling it above her mouth like she was going fishing.
Trying to ignore her, Abel sat on the curb and pulled out his book. It was usually his best defence against the other children, who tended to leave him alone out of boredom him when he read quietly.
"What are you reading?" Evie crouched down and her face appeared in his line of vision. Sighing, Abel put his book down and glared at her.
"Why are you here?" He asked back. He wasn't sure what to make of the girl before him, who was always chattering away cheerfully in class and a little too loud for his liking.
Unperturbed, Evie shrugged and plopped down next to him on the curb. Her bright yellow bag, almost the size of her body, pulled her backwards. She giggled as she regained her balance.
"I'm waiting to be picked up too."
Abel looked at her suspiciously.
Still chewing loudly on her sour straps, Evie peered over to see what book he was reading.
"I love that book too!"
"...You've read it?"
"Yeah! It was my favourite in the whole series!" She was smiling widely now, looking up at him with bright, shining eyes.
"I really like it too," he mumbled.
Evie stuck out her bag of sour straps once again. She shook it encouragingly. Unable to resist, he took one. He wasn't sure how long they sat together waiting, but he thought he rather enjoyed her joyful chatter as he flicked through his book.
"Abel! Over here!" From outside the school gates, Anna Moon waved at her son, standing next to her blue beat-up Corolla. She was still young and quite beautiful, with shining black hair. But behind her circular glasses, there was a hint of tiredness in her eyes.
"My mum's here," Abel said, getting up from the curb and wiping sugar crystals off his trousers.
Evie beamed, "Ok! See you tomorrow!"
Abel swung his backpack onto his shoulders and walked towards the gates. As he got into his car, he saw Evie skip towards the other end of the car park, yellow bag swinging behind her. As she reached a glistening black sedan, a man in an expensive suit opened the back seat for her. She chatted happily with him as she hopped into the back seat.
"Was that your friend, darling?" Abel looked at his mother in the rearview mirror.
"That's Evie."
YOU ARE READING
Growing Pains
Romance"You left me. You. left. me. You ran away. How do I know that you won't do it again the next time something goes wrong?" As kids, Evie, Tommy and Abel were best friends. Kind-hearted Evie brought Tommy and Abel under her wing. Until one horrible da...
