Chim - Lights Out

Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

The weeks past at school and me and the girls tried our best to get Kimberley back to her old self. She was slowly getting better and slowly getting over him, I don’t know what it was but him doing that really did break her, even though she could do a million times better then him. Me and Kim now had a bedtime routine, she liked comfort especially at night, so we would get in our respective beds, wait till we heard Sarah’s soft snores and then I would jump in with her, I just wanted to protect her. It was a cold Wednesday afternoon, just before half term, where we got to go home.  I had just had a dance lesson and was going back up to the dorm to get changed before a Science lesson. I opened the door to find the room empty, but the door to the bathroom was shut, so someone was obviously in. I got changed quickly hoping whoever was in there wouldn’t come out and catch me, thankfully they didn’t – me in a sweaty mess, not a good look. I was just beginning to gather my stuff together into my school bag when Kimberley came out of the bathroom, her eyes were puffy and red, she had been obviously crying, she looked surprised to see me in the room.

“Kimberley! What’s wrong?” I thought she was getting over it all.

“Nothing don’t worry about it, I’m just being silly,” she made her way to her bed, attempting to grab her bag, before I gripped her wrists tightly and made her look at me.

“Kimberley, this is me, what’s going on?” I said seriously.

She paused for a bit, regaining her composure, “ He’s going out with her now,” I immediately knew who she was talking about.

“How do you know babe?” I said softly. She held up her phone to show me a text from Martin which read,

I’m with jasmine now, you missed your chance. I would of got back with you if you hadn’t of been so stubborn about things, maybe me with someone else will make you realise what your missing M x

“Oh my *Ducking* god, the cheek of it. Oh Kimberley please just ignore this, delete it. This just proves how lucky you are to have got rid of him.” I said boring into her watery eyes.

“But how could he move on so quickly, its only been a few weeks,”

“Because he’s doing it to make you jealous, he basically said it himself.” I wrapped my arms around her, trying to make her feel at least a little better.

“Cheryl?”

“Yes babe,” I answered, still clinging to her.

“Are you going to stay here now? Like at school?” She asked softly over my shoulder.

I hesitated for a second, I hadn’t really thought about it properly, but I couldn’t leave Kimberley I just couldn’t,

“Cheryl?” she asked again after my silence.

I pulled away from the hug and looked at her, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, “Of course I’m going to stay, got to look after you ain’t I?”

She smiled, pulling me back in for another hug. “I guess we better get to Science,” She said after a short while.

“I guess we should, Head girl can’t be late now can she?” I giggled.

*******************************   

“Walsh, I’m going to ask you one more time, what is the chemical compound of Hydrochloric Acid!” Our science teacher yelled at her. Kim didn’t need this today,

“I don’t know what it is Sir,” Kimberley struggled to say. Of course she wouldn’t know she had been day dreaming all lesson, well not so much day dreaming, day nightmare might be a better way to put it.

“For a Head Girl I expec-“ I cut the twat off.

“Oi! If she says she doesn’t know then she doesn’t know alright sir,” The whole class gasped and fell silent.

“Cheryl don’t do this, there’s no need,” Kimberley whispered under her breath.

Once Sir had contemplated what I had said he shouted at me, “What gives you the right to tell me how to teach or treat my pupils,” He spat, going a very purple colour, I was good at making teachers faces change colour.

“I don’t want the right, I just think you should leave her alone, she doesn’t know the answer so there’s no point making her feel bad about it,” My own blood boiling at the thought of him pestering Kim.

“Get out of my classroom.” He shouted, “Your out for the night do you hear me? Never in my teaching profession have I come across someone so rude, how you got here is a wonder. I will make sure you are in the room next door to Miss Way tonight. Go on get up,” He manhandled me and grabbed my arm.

“Get off me,” I shouted at him, pulling his arm away.

“Sir please don’t, she was just trying to help me,” Kimberley pleaded with him.

“Miss Walsh, maybe she is the reason for this mess in the first place, if I were you Miss Walsh, I would choose my friends very carefully, especially as your setting an example to every younger year girl in this school.”

I didn’t need to be dragged out the room anymore; I went off my own accord. Those words stung, I didn’t want to hold Kim back; I didn’t think I was, but maybe he is right. I only mouthed off so it would save her the slack and now I wouldn’t even be able to talk to her about this, because I wasn’t allowed in the dorm tonight, again I had let her down, she liked having someone at night and now I wouldn’t be there. I am such a twat.  I marched back to the dorm quickly  before the message got to the head and found some paper, where I scribbled a note for her,

Kimberley,

I’m sorry, I only did that because I didn’t like him having ago at you and now I can’t be here tonight   I’m sorry if I let you down and please don’t believe his words, I would never want to hold you back.

Text me! Il have my phone in the dorm of doom, I don’t think you have my number so here it is.....

C xxxxx

I left the note under her pillow, resting on her pyjamas, somewhere I knew she would find them.  As soon as I had done it there was a knock on the door that startled me, “Miss Tweedy!?” The heads familiar voice could be heard from behind the door.

“Yes Miss?” I asked, innocently.

“I hear you have a sleeping arrangement next to my office tonight,”

I sighed, grabbed some night things and made my way out of the dorm. Ready for one of the longest, loneliest nights ever.