The Book of Winshire

Chapter Eleven

The blokes looked at her, head to toe: her face with make-ups she had paid a professional to do; her flow-y dress blue, knee length; and her very high heels. She looked at Kyle, who was not giving the response (or any reflexive ones) she had expected.

‘Heard you like blondes, so I bought a wig that colour,’ she said.

 ‘Um, Edith.’

‘Guess it doesn’t work, huh?’ She sighed, gave Ian a nervous look, and then left.

Ian was perplexed. He was about to say something else, but she happened to look wonderful being like that, and she really left him wordless, blowing his mind away. He took an awkward glance of each his mates that were possibly thinking the same, before blinking to his thoughts again.

‘If that’s how she is for real, I’d definitely date her with no doubt,’ Zack joked to soothe the tense, and took a spot next to Kyle on the mattress. He smiled to himself and recalled the sight of her earlier at the door.

‘We didn’t gather at home today to cancel the dinner, Kyle,’ said Hughy. ‘We should’ve been out the whole day if you could just tell her that you and her aren’t going to happen. We’ve done a lot for a quick rejecting-moment like that.’

Kyle gave him a look of annoyance and turned his head to the door. Supposedly, the same sight didn’t leave him, either. Maybe he needn’t have to be such an arsehole to her, and let her in, instead.

Edith walked down The House just to see the man by the main counter. She nonchalantly stopped by him to ask who and what was he. The man, on the other hand, was staring at her intensely. She sighed and rolled her eyes at the impolite gesture.

‘Well good-evening to you, too,’ she scoffed.

‘Hi,’ he breathed. ‘Do I know you?’

‘No,’ she said. ‘Do I know you?’

‘No.’ He shook his head at his own ludicrousness, and held out his hand to her. ‘’M sorry, I’m—’ he nervously chuckled when she gave his palm a quick touch. ‘I’m Fievel.’

She raised her head and spun around in her heels. ‘My name is I’m Leaving.’

With disbelief upon his face, Fievel watched her swiping her dress with the back of her hand, real snotty. She strutted out the door and then gave him a side-glance, leaving him gaping to himself.

‘I don’t understand,’ Ian questioned. His palm was under his chin. ‘Weren’t you supposed to like her, too?’ Kyle frowned at him. Ian hesitated, but continued, ‘I mean, all of us saw the way you look at her, and how you treat her. So . . . why?’

‘‘Cos all of me loves all of Hugh,’ Henry sang to his pal. Hughy genuinely grinned and shook his head at how corny it was at the moment. Whilst for Henry, he thought what he did was going to balls-up the discussion, but Kyle just imitated the type of sigh she did, and leant his back against the wall comfortably.

‘I’m scared.’

A harmony of gasps emerged in the small lounge/hallway. With a hand on his chest, and his body taken aback, Ian cooed, ‘Why?’

Now Kyle was really disturbed with his mate’s question. He felt like this irritating echoes of why’s were closing the space around him. Being claustrophobic, he breathed in and out unevenly.

‘Kyle, you all right?’ Hughy had his hands on Kyle’s shoulder. ‘Calm down, you don’t have to answer him. Just. Calm down.’

Everyone started coming to the small blond-head, but kept their distances so that he wouldn’t feel even more trapped in the small area.