Let Me Open Your Eyes

Chapter 9 - As Cold As Ice Cream But Not As Sweet

{"Do not look for healing 

                at the feet of those who broke you"}

Megan Drake must have had the world's greatest lung capacity for the amount of time she could talk without stopping. Paisley usually zoned in and out of her rants about a new boyfriend or about her parents constantly arguing. She waved her hands around her face with emphasis and drew out her words with overly long syllables. Paisley had learnt to nod and smile at the right time or to sigh along with her.

"But I mean, who doesn't hook up at parties? Half of my bodyweight would have been made up with cherry sours so I clearly wasn't in the right frame of mind to decide how attractive he was!"

She nodded obediently.

"Leaving a rose outside my door? How old fashioned! Why do boys seem to think that flowers always win a girl over? I would rather be run over by a bus instead of getting a bouquet of carnations and roses!"

Paisley nodded once more and sent her friend a small smile.

"I guess it is nice to have someone admire you that much that they turn desperate, but he asked me out today! To go see a movie! That is literally the worst date idea ever and everyone knows it!"

Aria and Veronica murmured their agreement under their breath.

"Anyway, we can go to the ice cream shop after school, right?" Megan asked pleadingly, looking around at each of us individually.

"Sorry Meg, I have a family thing" Veronica sighed grumpily. "I tried to get out if it but my mum won't budge."

"I can't go either. I had to change my piano lesson because Mr Stevens was ill last week. Sorry, Megan" Aria smiled sympathetically and Megan's shoulders dropped slightly with disappointment.

"Well..you'll come! Won't you, Paise?" Megan turned to me with a desperate tone in her voice.

As I was about to turn her down, the swing set came to my mind.

My first day of school was going just as terrible as I thought it would. Here I was, sat alone next to an old rusty red swing set. The wind caused it to sway slightly and it squeaked, making me curl up into a tighter ball on the grass.

Mummy and Daddy were right. Kids are mean.

"Why don't you get on?" a new voice came from behind me. There stood a little girl with dark hair tied into two perfect curly ponytails secured with blue ribbon. Her royal blue dress matched, white frilly little socks a contrast to her olive skin tone.

Her smile was kind.

"I'm too scared" I mumbled under my breath and she walked closer to me, crossing her arms in front of her.

"There's no need to be scared! I'll push you so that it is easier!" she smiled even wider and I simply looked down, still too afraid.

"I'm okay just sitting here."

"Come on, I'll help you! They used to scare me last year when I was five but my mummy helped me to swing higher!" she insisted excitedly.

"I don't want to go high" I panicked suddenly as she tried to pull me up gently by the arm.

"Okay, how about this?" she suggested kindly. "I push you gently and if you want me to slow down or stop, just tell me!"

"I don't know..I don't even know you" I chewed on my lip gently as my own messy plaits swayed behind me.