The cold November air was crisp and sharp. Leaves that had already been shaken off by the never-green trees were fantastic shades of orange, yellow, golden ochre and cadmium gold. My breath came out in little white puffs that sparkled in the tree-strung fairy lights. All around me I could hear people singing and laughing, dancing around the raging bonfire in the middle of the clearing. I had left thirty minutes earlier, desperate to get away from the fray and incoherent calls of my fellow partygoers. It was nice here in the woods, lonely yes, but very peaceful. There was something strangely calming about being far enough away from people to not have to feel their constant buzz of energy but close enough to never feel alone, and here on this big rock I had achieved just that.
I was cold. I was chilled to the bone, but pleased for an excuse to wear baggy clothes, thick jumpers and long sleeves again. I was also pleased to be out of the tourist infested hype of summer; where thousands of day-trippers swarmed the beaches of my hometown, making the city choke with August haze. No, November was the best month. You had clear blue skies flecked with one or two perfect clouds; you had dark nights where you could huddle up by the fire or snuggle in bed and best of all you had space. In autumn centimetres feel like miles and seconds can feel like bliss filled hours, there is something very peaceful about autumn that I couldn’t explain and I probably never would.
However time for reflection is short and scares and it seemed mine was coming to a close when I heard the tell-tale crunching of leaves that meat someone was approaching.
“Lisa!” sang the voice of my best friend “There you are, I was totally missing you!” With my back to her Mini couldn’t see the face of horror that I had pulled.
“Oh hi Min!” I answered with fake enthusiasm “I was just chilling here for a bit, The Rangers were pissing me off.” I could hear her giggle and nudge someone next to her. The Rangers was the title we had given the pathetic teenaged boys who tried to flirt with girls who were way out of their league. They were the sleazballs that oozed lynx body spray and listened to Eminem rap but still wore their hair in Justin Bieber styles but said they were hardcore. Twats, that was the word for them.
“I knew they would give you a hard time tonight Lis!” she said in consolatory tones. “They always go for the pretty ones!”
I turned around to stare at her then. Mini was clueless, but not completely, she must know that there was more to their constant harassing than just my ‘being pretty’, which I wasn’t even.
“No no! They harass you because you’re stunning and me because- because I’m weak and fat and worthless and stupid and insecure and because I shouldn’t be on this Earth- because they think that if they get with me then they might get you to look at them!” Mini shook her head incredulously, her eyes as wide as dinner plates.
“Actually Lisa; you haven’t spoken to anyone all evening.” A soft voice said from Mini’s side. I hadn’t noticed him before but Charlie was standing next to Mini wearing an oversized parka and grinning slightly. I didn’t know what it was but Charlie always set me on edge, every encounter I had ever had with him had ended with me having such frazzled nerves that I would practically bite everyone’s heads off if they even looked at me. So seeing Charlie here, in the woods, in my calm place gave me the shivers. I stared at Charlie, willing him to go back to the party but no; he stayed right by Mini’s side.
“Can I- can we sit down?” Mini asked timidly, seeing the looks that Charlie and I were sharing. I jumped; I had completely forgotten she was there I had been so busy staring daggers at Charlie.
“Sure,” I said with a sickly sweet smile on my face (for Charlie’s benefit) “Just jump on up!”
Mini reached up to my hands and grasped my cold numbed fingers in her even colder ones.
