All to Escape

Chapter 1 - Continued

I became friends with Eve in year seven. Her mum and dad are those liberal types who believe the best way for a kid to grow up is on their own. Eve lets me sleep around her house all the time. Her brother is 7 years older than her and moved out so his old room is always free. I even have a set of pyjamas in the top drawer of his dresser.

Eve's room was on the top floor and if you opened the window you could climb out onto the slightly sloped roof. We often talked in the dew of the morning for hours and hours. We talked about our futures. What we envisioned our lives would be like in five years. We made a lot of plans for the future. We envisioned the places we would go together and the types of people we would become. I could always imagine her face in forty years. Her dyed blonde hair would be more thin and damaged than it already is and her bold eyes would be draped in loose skin. However, for some reason, my face always stayed the same. No matter how old she got, my loose smile and chipped eyes already remained as they were. I think the reason we always stayed up all night was so it felt like time never moved. When the sun rose, it didn't feel like a new day had dawned. And we could just laugh and tit around and pretend we weren't growing older.

"Are you sure you're not staying tonight? Mum says you're more than welcome to. Dad's not gonna be home til this Friday anyways." Eve said as she rolled over on her bed to look down at me lying on her floor.

"Yeah, I don't think I can push my luck with my Mum and stay an extra night," I replied. "She's already pissed I haven't been home for the last two days."

"Next time we should stay around yours, then she won't get so mad."

"You don't want to stay around mine," I laughed. I hadn't told Eve about my Mum. She thought she was controlling and strict, but I couldn't bring myself to tell her what she was really like. I didn't want her to look down on me.

"Ahh, come on," she protested, "I've barely even seen your house or spoke to your mum. Maybe if she knew me more she wouldn't kick up such a fuss at you for staying around mine."

"Yeah that's like trying to convince a lion not to eat meat, honestly save your breath," I tried to brush off her comments, but all I wanted to do was move on.

"Is she really thast strict?"

"Yup."

"Damn I'm sorry but how do you fucking live like that?" Eve laughed, "I don't know what I'd do with a Mum like that."

"Well thank god I have you to help me through it," I laughed back trying not to think too much into what she just said.

"No, but for real, like do you want my Mum to talk to her or anything? Like she is worrying for no reason."

NO! I wanted to shout out. "Nah, tell her to save her breath too. I promise you trying to get through to her is like trying to crack a safe it's just fucking impossible. Do you think if I could I would've?"
"Why is she so strict anyways?" Eve rolled onto her back so we were both facing the ceiling.

"Honestly, I couldn't tell you." I sighed.

"Well it's shit. I wanted you to stay longer, the craziest thing happened to me today."

"Yeah?"

"You know Rachel and Felix?" Eve said slyly.

"Obviously," I perked up.

Rachel and NAME were these two people in another class of upper sixth. Everyone is pretty sure they're dating even if no ones ever seen them do anything. They hang off each other. Every morning they walk in together, eat lunch together and then go home after school too or to the chippy near the estate where I often walk past them when coming home late from band practice. I think the main reason anyone gives a shit about them is because they're attractive. It's a known fact that Rachel would give it away for a penny. I think every man in the school has claimed they have done bits with her. I don't know if Felix knows her reputation or simply doesn't care or maybe even he thinks he has won the lottery by claiming her out of all the other men who want to. Felix himself has a similar reputation, yet runs the classic cliche where for someone who seems to be running it about the block, no girl in our school has yet to be successful. Of course not including Rachel, but if anyone were to "win" him over so to say it is no surprise it is her.

Rachel is beautiful. She is so beautiful you can't help but hate her in a deep dark part of yourself. It's like your innate sense of reproduction knows she is the ultimate enemy that any man would choose her over you. She has long brown hair, a slender frame and deep full lips. She doesn't carry a backpack to school but opts for a deep purple leather tote bag that a small beaded charm hangs from and clicks around her everytime she walks like a windchime. Felix's vibe complements her in its entirety. His hair was too brown and long, it flops over his brows when he talks. They are both extremely tall. Rachel had to be 5 '10 or 5' 11 and Felix stands considerably taller than that. Of all the people in our sixth form, I don't know of one person more spoken about than Rachel. And adding NAME is the icing on the cake.

"Well I saw them today, they were walking around the park not too far from the overpass."

"Were they doing anything?" I asked, eager to know.

"No, it didn't look like it, but don't you think it's weird?"

"Not really," I answered honestly.

"What?" Eve spun around to face me again, "You don't?"

"I mean two people dating spending time together I don't think is too weird, no" I sarcastically said as I sat up aligning my head with hers.

"Huh, I guess you're right. But I still think they spend too much time together," she chimed playfully. "Just because you're going out doesn't mean you have to rub it in our faces."

"For real, I'm actually starting to hate happy people in love," I laughed.

"FOR REAL," Eve playfully shouted, "go be happy out of my sightline."

"No, actually," I laughed as I stood up. "Anyways, I'm gonna have to dip, it's already 8. If I stay much later my mum is gonna kill me."

"Damn, next time we have to stay round yours then," Eve sighed, resting her head on her hands as she watched me grab my bag from her desk chair.

"Yeah, we can try," I said, knowing full well I would never let that happen. "Anyways, I love you, see you tomorrow."

"I love you too," Eve blew kisses from her bed, "byeee, miss you already".

"Yeah, haha, byebye," I said into the gap between the door before I closed it and walked down the stairs. I popped into the kitchen to say bye to Mrs. Milner before leaving.