Keeping Love

Chapter 6

The Christmas holidays soon came to an end and we were back in school.

I walked into my first day of school after the Christmas break thinking how strange school was going to be now. I used to go to every class with Olivia by my side. We had every class together from the day we first met.

I sat down in registration next to Aaron.

We were used to being left alone during registration and chatting but as soon as everyone was sat down the teacher got our attention.

"For those of you planning to attend university next year this is an important announcement." She started.

"Not me!" James shouted out proudly.

"Thank you Mr Smith." The teacher said. She didn't seem amused by him. "As I was saying. The deadline for your applications is in two weeks. You should really be looking at getting everything together and submitting those applications soon."

"Have you submitted anything yet?" Aaron asked me.

I shook my head. I'd stopped thinking about it when Olivia went away. I hadn't realised it was so close.

"Good." Aaron sighed, "me neither. You still going for Birmingham?"

I nodded. That had been the plan. Olivia and I were both going to go to Birmingham University and study accounting and finance. Our grades would easily be good enough. She hadn't told me if her plans had changed.

"I think I am too you know." Aaron said, "but not accounting. That sounds so boring. Dad says I have to do something that will get me a job though. He wants me to do law. Says I'll be good at it! He says law or medicine and there's no way I'm doing medicine!"

"Well I can't see you as a doctor." I shook my head.

"Exactly." He nodded, "and I don't know what I want to do anyway so maybe law wouldn't be so bad."

"Yeah sounds alright." I nodded.

"What about you?" Aaron asked Joanne.

"I'm going to London." She grinned, "to study the arts."

"The arts?" I asked, "all of them?"

"No you idiot." She laughed, "a degree at the university of arts in London. I just haven't decided which one yet."

"Well you had better decide. Two week." James pretended to tap a watch on his wrist. I briefly wondered if he didn't want her to go.

Then the bell went and I headed off to my maths class by myself.

After school I had a shift at the garage then I went home.

I phoned Olivia.

Her mum answered the phone and I asked for her.

"She's at the hospital." She told me, "my dad had a fall. It seemed he fainted. They're keeping him in to monitor his heart. You know what Olivia's like she won't leave his side until she's made to."

I didn't know what to say, "I'm sorry to hear that. I hope he's ok. Can you ask Olivia to phone me when she gets back?"

She tell me she will and hangs up.

I don't hear from Olivia until late in the evening.

"Where you in the hospital this whole time?" I asked her gently.

"They made me leave when visiting hours were over." She said bitterly.

"You aren't a patient."

"I'm worried about him." She admitted, "he just passed out from nowhere. He was totally fine and then he passed out."