Once upon a story

Chapter Six

I felt Georgie poking my side but I just ignored her. I was sure that the guy wasn’t real, that I had just created him mentally but apparently not. Slowly I began to think back and wonder if I had ever seen him before and then I just happened to dream about him, I try to think about all of the times I’ve seen Kallum but not once do I remember seeing him in that car or with those people which suggests it must be a new thing. I’m over thinking it, it’s purely a coincidence that’s all and there is no need for me to think about it any longer as after all I need to focus on school but more importantly finding information for the story.

"Hello, Earth to Faith, hey that sounds weird, Earth to Faith"  Fingers are snapped and waves in front of my eyes but it’s when Sam1 full on slaps my face that I am finally brings me out of my thoughts

"And we have a reaction" Sam1 sits back down into her seat and grins evilly as I massage my now stinging red check and poke out my tongue in her general direction. Sam2 and Josh are man-giggling behind me now so they also receive a death glare which, pleasingly, shuts them both up.  Georgie has returned her attention to the group out by the car so I turn to face her, contemplating whether I ask her what I want to know. I give in

"Who was the blonde guy driving the car?" I ask Georgie causing her to spin round and face me directly but she only shrugs before answering

“Erm, I dunno?!?!" She replies and continues to try to get a better view out of the window. I slump back down in my seat and turn my back on the window, it’s weird enough that he exists I may as well not sit there staring at him

"Oooo I know, the one with the bright eyes, he is called Tiff or Toff, something like that" Sam1 literally jumps up and down at the fact that she knows something that Georgie doesn’t,

"Ok" I laugh pushing her into the chair "but who is he?" 

"he's a friend of Kallum's" from the look on my face she figured that I knew that much "he always gives him and the others a lift to and from school, There's a rumour that they all live together, like all on the same estate and are all really close. Like really close. Why do you ask? Do you like, like him" she teased emphasising both ‘likes’

"No, I just recognize him”

My thoughts revolved around HIM for the remainder of Lunch and the last lesson. This caused my teacher to become annoyed as I answered anything she asked with ‘what?’ where as I am normally a pretty good student. In her class at least. What made it all worse was how I was seated by the window that showed the forest so I knew I just ended up staring in to the trees. When I bell went I decided that I wasn't going to look for him, it was just be a coincidence and he was not the boy from my dream. It’s a shame that this ideas didn’t seem to sit well with my stomach, the butterflies having a rave in there made me feel that if it wasn't him I would be disappointed and as I walked into the corridor I felt myself searching for him.

Shaking off my weird feelings I headed in the direction of the forest, I usually just walked around the edge and not stray into the restricted section, this is my normal walk home. I was also purposely not remembering what had happened two nights ago but doing so was taking up a lot of my concentration. Georgie and Sam1 attacked me with hugs as I left the school building but I only saw the back of Josh as he headed down to the hockey pitch for another pointless session of physical harm under the title of sport.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kallum's car turn up. Like the rest of the school I turned to watch the nice ride pull into a space and watch the group of teenagers get in. Instead of staring at those getting in I looked for the blonde hair and green eyes. It didn't take long to find them, they were in the driving seat; he sat there, looking directly at me, those bright green eyes locking with my storm sky ones. The confusion, recognition and surprise that formed across my face was mirrored in his. Suddenly I longed to go and talk to him. Shaking my head and laughing at my thoughts I broke the eye contact but it made me feel dizzy and weird. I turned away from the boy who was filling my mind and ran straight into the forest.

The forest was a welcoming change from the noise of the school but even the cool leaves couldn't get the picture of the boy out of my head. It scared me how, although in the amount of detail I saw his face from across the car-park, I still wanted to be closer to him. It was like I was no longer in control of my body I was sure I even took the smallest of steps in his direction before I broke eye contact and ran. It’s funny really, Jack always used to say that I ran away from my problems and I just ran, I ran far. I continue to walk into the forest until I found myself on the route I take when exploring and not just when heading home, I didn’t want to come back this way. I stop in my tracks, look around and touch my leg; where there is not even a mark to prove I wasn’t dreaming. I feel my breathing become laboured and my heart beat faster, I pulled my arms inwards in order to calm myself but it didn’t work. Quickly I took out my headphones and plugged them in, as songs washed over me I felt myself calm down. Over reacting to nothing. With music playing steadily I continued my walk through the forest and I could even have considered it quite pleasant even if my school shoes began to create blisters on the back of each foot after a while.

Although I kept trying to change the topic my mind kept coming back to Toff or Tiff, the guy that I can’t get out of my head. Each time that I pictured the emotions that ran across his face a while ago I get so confused and annoyed, I want answers but I need to focus. It was just a coincidence but why was I getting so upset about a coincidence. Sooner than I thought possible my time in the forest was almost up and I could even see the path leading to the fence as it finished. The past couple of times I have come into the forest something weird has happened but I still come back I really am starting to spend more and more time here.

"Faith stop." The voice came from all around me, emitting from each side, I screamed and I'm sure that I head a laugh be shushed from my right.

"Don't come back here" the same voice said again even louder than the last. I felt my throat dry up and I was unable to form a reply

"Why not?" I found my voice at last

"Why not?" I repeated louder "why not?" There was still no reply but I knew whoever had spoken to me was still there as I could feel their eyes staring at me. I spin suddenly on the spot in hope to catch them out but am only rewarded with a muffled laugh and the flicker of bright green eyes. I pull my blazer tighter around me; it feels as if the temperature as suddenly dropped in the last few seconds as a result of the voice. As I continue to walk home I think about what I have learnt: there is defiantly something living in this forest as well as someone, they are dangerous but also communicate, regardless of what the voice says I need to gather more information. I will return to the forest.