Shouting and laughing. Hundreds of students just shouting and laughing.
Among them was Amber Cardwell, a 16 year old living in Hove on the south coast of England.
Amber sat down with her tray of food: Mac and Cheese and a carton of orange juice. As she dropped her tray onto the table, Chester screamed, "Amber what the hell is that."
Amber furrowed her brow, poutin, "shut up. I'm gonna cry."
Lily pulled her phone up from under the table, snapping a quick picture of the tray.
Amber smacked her hand down on the table, "leave my school shit alone"
"No."
A voice spoke over the school speaker system, "the list of students going on the trip has just been completed. The following year 11 girls are invited to our school's annual trip to Paris: Amelia Jon, Paisley Storey, Louisa Sara, Eren Johnson, Orla Placid, Mia Davids, Maisie Donaldson, Lucia Hitch, Summer Holly,"
As the list continued, the three friends looked at eachother.
"Lily Sanchez, Aurora Maryweather, Amber Cardwell, Samantha Cooper and Ellie Stone."
Lily and Amber screamed, "we're. Going. To. Paris!"
Chester rolled his eyes, "what about the lads?"
Amber furrowed her brow once more, "didn't they say it would finish after?"
Moments later, the speaker continued, "the following year 11 boys are invited to our school's annual trip to Paris: Luke Foreman, Mickey Thornaby, Chester Parker," he raised his hands in celebration, "Joseph Dunajewski, James Quinn, Billy Davison, Joshua Turner, Alex Turin, Calum Dobson."
Amelia flicked the pasta off her fork, "wheyy, we're all going."
The voice over the speaker continued, "please be at the entrance to Brighton City College where the buses will pick you up and take you to the Channel Tunnel at 9:45PM tomorrow. We will spend the weekend there and return on Tuesday, so make sure someone is able to pick you up. Or you can alternatively take the school transport."
Amelia ate some of her Mac and Cheese, starting to talk despite the food still being in her mouth, "Ellie Stone is going. That absolute turnip."
Lily nodded, "yeah. That absolute tit needs to be put in her place," taking a bite of her own food, "I mean that in," taking another bite of her food, "the nicest way possible."
Chester's eyes widened as he began to nod slowly, agreeing with something he didn't fully fully understand, "yeah..."
The school bus stopped up the road from Amber's house. Lily was also getting off at her stop, as she lived just up the path.
Amber pulled her backpack off, now only two doors from her house, "are you still coming over?"
Lily smiled, "yeah I'll be round tomorrow at like 11 cos we need some fresh outfits for France."
Amber sighed, "finally we get to leave the country again. Covid fuckin' wrecked us all the last few years."
The girls hugged as Amber pulled her front gate open, "bye bye!"
YOU ARE READING
Hiraeth: Cities To Embers
Bilim Kurgu'It came from outer space' or 'it was a bioweapon gone awry' The day a commercial airliner departs from London and a group of school students return from a trip to Paris, is also the day a disaster of biblical proportions begins to wipe out both hum...
