Getting over Gabe

C H A P T E R 21

C H A P T E R    21

We left at quarter to two in the end. Cam didn’t go to sleep once that night I don’t think, but still he lost track of the time, and didn’t wake me till half past. It was a horrid, clammy night, and it was raining outside, I could hear it on the window panes and the roof. The darkness enveloped me. Cam crept into my room and turned on the light.

I groaned, the sudden brightness hurting my eyes even behind their lids. I blinked, my eyes bleary, and rubbed them.

‘Get up, and don’t make any noise!’ Cam whispered. ‘I assume you’ve got everything?’

‘Um… yeah.’

I was dressed, and ready; I went to sleep in my clothes, so I could wake later. I was especially glad now, because I was late enough as it was. I picked up my rucksack and slung it over my shoulder. It contained a bottle of water for the journey, a book, and some spare clothes, along with a sleeping bag.  

‘Coming.’ I said.

‘Okay, well, I’ll be waiting outside. We need to get going, so hurry up.’

‘It’s not my fault you woke me up late!’

‘Be quiet!’

‘Whatever.’ He left the room, and went down the stairs. Once his muffled steps started to fade I relaxed a little. I looked back at my room, shoulders tensed. And then, at the last minute I grabbed Gran’s scarf, and walked down the stairs.

He was waiting at the door, holding it open, a torch in his hand.

‘Come on then, if you’re really sure about this.’

‘I really am.’ I replied.

‘Then let’s do this.’

And we stepped out the door, dark surrounding us, and we walked up the driveway of the massive house, down the small lane, and onto a street full of normal sized houses and flats.

Streetlamps light the road with a sort of orangey yellow light, so we had no more use for the torch just then, thought I was sure we would need it again later.

‘Cam?’

‘Yeah?’

‘When do we get to the main road?’

‘Few minutes, then we carry on till we get to the motorway. We’ll probably get to the motorway in twenty minutes. Cars aren’t going to be common at this time, even less common are ones that are willing to give us a ride.’

‘Oh. But we will get a ride, right?’

‘I don’t know, it depends. If we’re lucky we might.’

I was silent after that, my spirits were low, and the rain was soaking even my raincoat through.

Cam pulled out an umbrella, and pulled my in close so we could both fit under it.

And we walked, his arm around my shoulder, both of us looking straight ahead. Every now and then I’d glance up at him, taking in his sharp angular jaw, green eyes, black beanie, dark hair.

And then he’d glance down at me, and I’d have to look quickly away.

That’s how the journey went. It was silent, most of the time, but a nice sort of silent, and every now and again he’d squeeze me a bit closer to him, you know just so I didn’t start being rained on again.

We ended up at the motorway earlier than he’d thought; we’d only walked for a quarter of an hour. We carried on walking, though, and he said we’d stop as soon as we saw a car come, and put our hand out.