The Foils

Chapter two

 CHAPTER2

I was sitting on the yoga mat mum had given me last year because she thought I would do yoga to get rid of ‘bad energy’ I sighed staring at my phone. I had eight messages and I hadn’t responded most of them from Mike or Greg. It buzzed in my hand and after five seconds I pressed the green answer button:

‘Hello?’ I said monotone, ‘Hey Pip. You ok? I have been texting you a ton.’ Greg said worried, ‘Yeah I’m fine,’ I said deadpan, ‘Mike is really worried he wants to talk to you.’ I sighed, ‘ok,’ I heard a shuffling noise then a distressed Mike, ‘Pip, Pip you had me so worried I thought you were going to ignore me forever, let me come over. Please? Or even you could stay here with Greg and I, we can just play Xbox or practice fencing or something.’ I stared at the phone as his voice rushed out, ‘No I’m fine, I just need some space.’ I hung up. ‘Rose honey? Someone is at the door.’ I didn’t move, just sat there thinking about Kelly. ‘Rose?’ This time it was a guys voice but not Greg’s or Mike’s. I turned my head a bit, to see a tanned thin brown haired Philip. ‘I didn’t see you at practice.’ He said coming to sit with me, ‘It was really shit without you. But I can understand why you didn’t show. I’m not going to give you petty but I am going to say everyone misses you at school. I miss you.’ I hadn’t said anything and even when I opened my mouth no words came out. ‘It’s Pip.’ I finally breathed. ‘Sorry, Rose.’ He said I sighed. ‘Would you like to, talk about it?’ I shook my head there was nothing to talk about. He nodded solemnly. ‘I think you should go Philip.’ I said after a moment watching him wait for me to say something. He didn’t move. I stood hearing my back crack and opened my door, ‘See this is the door besides your girl friend is probably wondering where you are,’ I hissed the last part, ‘I’m sick of Hanna.’ He replied still sitting down. ‘So? I don’t want anyone here Philip, I just need space I’m fine F-I-N-E I am sick of people caring about how I feel, people should be trying to find the asshole who murdered Kelly, not throwing flowers at my door, I hate flowers anyway. So please leave, now.’ He finally got up gave me a pat on the shoulder and left. I just stood there for a while. Why in my locker? Why would someone behead and why wasn’t anyone doing anything? I decided that I would be the one who was going to find out. I grabbed my leather coat and wrapped a slick black scarf around my neck before I left my room, house and street. Turning to the town nearby where the police station was situated I quickened my pace.  ‘Pip! Pip!’ I hadn’t noticed but someone had been calling my name and now they were next to me. I whipped around, ‘What?!’ I asked rudely, ‘it’s me,’ Mike gave a confused look at me, ‘please talk to me. Running away won’t solve any-’

‘You think I’m running!? I see you underestimate my huge bag and map,’ I said sarcastically, ‘Oh.’ He said with a grunt wincing at my tone, ‘I’m going to see if they have done anything about... About Kelly.’

‘You shouldn’t worry she wasn’t anyone close and I’m sure they would have started searching for the killer and investigating the case, she has nothing to do with you.’

‘You’re right she has nothing to do with me, but it was in my locker there must have been reason behind it I have every right to worry Michael.’ He stopped walking, ‘whole name? Harsh. Look leave it to the professionals it’s not like being part of it will make anything better, shit Pip if anything it will make it worse you don’t want to draw attention, play cool you’re good at that.’ I growled, ‘Leave me alone if you aren’t going to help.’ He paused then kept following, I ignored him. ‘Stop letting your anger out on me Pip I’m your best friend not the press.’

‘Then stop acting like the press,’ I had to admit I was being harsh and maybe a bit bitchy but he didn’t have to keep throwing stuff in my face I had had enough of it from Philip. ‘Guess who came over.’ I said when we reached the town, ‘who?’ he sounded upset, ‘Oh don’t worry about it,’ I sighed pushing the glass door open. ‘who?’ He said threw gritted teeth, ‘Philip,’ I said then left him standing at the door.                               

‘Listen to me! I was there! You can’t ignore me because I’m not “eighteen”’ I yelled at the oversized whale, doughnut eating, so called policeman. ‘I’m sorry Miss Piping but the case is closed for now not enough evidence and even if there was I wouldn’t give anymore than that to you.’ I narrowed my eyes. ‘Well,’ I looked at his tag, ‘Mr Phar, I have every right to know what is going on it was practically a warning, or a threat, or something!’ He munched on another brown topped doughnut before rolling his eyes, ‘look you are just distressed I can understand how the situation might seem but we have it all under control and the only thing you should worry about is having a low profile, and I can assure you miss that yelling at an officer is not the best way.’ I huffed, ‘Bullshit!’ I raised my arms in defeat and walked out. Mike was leaning on the wall with his left leg tucked up slightly, ‘so it didn’t go as planned?’ He said as I passed with no word, ‘nope,’ we continued walking but I wasn’t sure where to, it had begun to snow and small flakes had started landing in Mikes soft brown hair that he had streaked with blood red and blue. He pulled me toward him gently, ‘you should watch out Pip the ice beneath us isn’t very thick.’ He said, I hadn’t noticed I was slipping a bit or that the ice we had walked on, it had small cracks in it. ‘Yeah, hey? Do you think you could practice fencing with me?’ I hadn’t gone back for two months, hadn’t eaten much or talked to anyone until today. My stomach was drawn in more than usual and my skin had grown pail; but after Philip arriving I had a stronger will again not as strong as to maybe joke about Hanna but strong enough. ‘Really?’ I nodded, ‘Ok sounds good.’ Mike grinned unevenly. We stopped at my house first and then got the bus to the closest stadium.

‘Wow I have got to keep up with this stuff, my muscles are killing me that hasn’t happened for ages.’ I panted pulling off the mask and downing some water, ‘yeah I got to admit I actually won one of those games’ Mike rolled his eyes sarcastically, I choked up a laugh and smiled, ‘Well we better head back I said starting to strip, ‘hey get changed in the toilets unless you want to give me a show?’ Mike said raising his eyebrow I froze, ‘Oh fuck, sorry hey I’ll just turn around.’ Mike said realising why I wasn’t keen on going to get changed by myself. I quickly slid my jacket on and clapped making him jump, ‘done,’ He nodded and started walking off to the guys toilets. I waited playing with a loose thread on my mask. ‘Come on,’ He finally said walking out in a band shirt and baggy jeans.