Emerald Tulip

Chapter 2 Ilah's speaking

Chapter 2-- Ilah's speaking

My alarm went off at half past six and I rolled over and groaned, burying my face into the pillow. I pulled the blankets off and sat up, then my bladder decided that it was time to go to the bathroom and I jumped up out of bed and ran to the bathroom across the lounge room. I got my school uniform out of the dryer and fixed my curly, long, brown hair into a quick ponytail all within five minutes and walked out of the bathroom and slugged over to the kitchen bench and made my weetbix.

By the time I was ready, at half past seven, my mum was up and awake and saying goodbye as I unlocked the door, stepped out and hopped down the steps.

I opened the door to a cold blast to my face, my nose and cheeks instantly going numb, I shut the door quick behind me after yelling out "I love you" and started walking to the bus stop, but not before noticing the small, blue car across the street again.

I stood there for a few minutes, when Emerald ( my nickname for him considering I don't know his real name) stepped out.

I quickly got myself together and started walking again. I could see through the corner of my eye that he came out with the elderly couple again, kissed them on their cheeks and skipped down the stairs of the front porch.

I risked a glance over to that direction only to find that he was sitting in his car, starting it up, looking directly at me with no guilt at all.

I looked hastily away and walked ahead. I started feeling that burn on my arm where I had cut the night before. If anyone ever saw I would be named the attention whore, but, really, I don't do it for attention I do it because I'd rather feel the physical pain than the emotional pain. My emotions hurt so darn bad sometimes that I have to forget about it, I have to tell myself I don't care. I turned the corner and started to run. Drop my bag. Run fast. Run away from everything. I made the decision to go to the little theatre that this little town has; it was my favourite place. It just held meaning to me. When I didn't have anywhere else to go. Something about that place that just makes me feel better. I ran and ran until I was almost there. I saw that small, blue car at the corner of my eye and I jerked my head up to see those emerald eyes staring through the ebony fringe.

I hastily wiped at the tears that ran down my face.

He slowed his car down and pulled over.

I was a little creeped out by this behaviour and backed up.

"Aren't you going to school?" He asked, though it was clear that wasn't the question, the question that it masked was "WHY aren't you going to school?".

"I just don't feel like going today... Why are you here?"

Evidently he saw the fear he was causing me in my face and he shrugged and said, "I'm not here to hurt you, don't worry... Don't be scared of me," he added with a little thought as to how to approach me.

"Why, then?" I asked curiously.

He answered straight up with no lies, straight up and out with it. "The old couple across the road told me to look out for you," he said and then added, "supposedly you've done this other than today."

I stared at him for a while and asked without holding back in the slightest, "why were you there?

He laughed and I wondered what was so funny.

"Because they're my grandparents," he said, chest quivering from laughter.

I held my head down, not looking at his eyes.

"They know your mum and apparently she was concerned. She told them and they told me."

I glared at him and started to round on him, furious that anyone should be poking around in my business. "And who are you to spy on me? You don't know me, just leave me alone!" Like a child I ran away. I ran across the green, round show ground field to the theatre building across the road and didn't look behind me, I don't know why but the tears were streaming down my face again. No one knows who I really am. No one. Not even Tyler, my best friend, I don't know what's up with me... I really don't. Before I could reach the stairs that led up to the top of the theatre, I felt a long, warm hand land on my shoulder that pulled me around.