It's eight pm by the time that Aunt Beth decides everyone needs to start making tracks, swayed by the fact it's a school night for me and Zach. Zach and I assist her by cleaning up for a few minutes, and packing up the donated food in a couple of plastic bags we found shoved into one of the kitchen drawers. By the time Beth's hurried round the house, checking all the lights and plug sockets are switched off, Zach and I are quickly bundled outside, our hands full with shopping bags. The thin layer of snow crackles under my boots as I inhale a lungful of crisp winter air laced with the scent of pine needles. The night sky is peppered with wisps of dull grey cloud, making any stars or constellations invisible. I load the flimsy bags heaving with food into the boot of the car then wander over to the side of the garden, the plants illuminated by the pool of yellow light beaming from the still-open front door. I reach forwards and pinch the leaf of a prickly shrub and feel the sensation of coldness leaching through my fingertips as the ice melts against my skin.
"C'mon, Elle, we've gotta get back." Aunt Beth says softly, coaxing me into the back seat of the car. I wipe the remainders of the ice onto my jeans and click my seatbelt into place. Sucking in one last breath of fresh night air before I shut my door, my throat is swiftly replaced with the sickly scent of Beth's dolphin-shaped air freshener dangling above the dashboard. I watch from the window as the house grows further and further away, my breath leaving condensation on the pane of glass. I trace tiny hearts with the nail of my little finger into the misty layer, and then smear through them with my hand; observing luminescent McDonald's signs and groups of teenagers whizzing past the window, into the night.
☼
It doesn't take me long at all to unpack my boxes, considering I'm already half settled into my new room. I peel off my clothes and quickly change into a comfy sleep shirt and shorts, taking a moment to slot my Mum's ring safely back into my jewellery box. Shoving my frozen toes into a pair of woollen socks, I traipse downstairs to prepare myself another snack: I slather a few slices of bread with chocolate spread and return back up to my room (although it's more of an igloo in mid-January). I tuck myself under a mound of duvets and fluffy blankets and take a huge bite of chocolate-covered bread, smiling smugly to myself. I'm just trying to get the jittery radiator to turn up its heat when a loud clanging sound at my window makes me jump, chocolate spread now smudged onto my face. The pattering continues as I huffily hoist up my blinds and swing open the window. One last tiny pebble is flicked upwards and strikes my arm, leaving my skin stinging.
"Ow. Who's there?" I half-shout, peering into the swirling blackness.
"It's me. You sure you don't wanna hang out with us for a bit Elle?" Zach calls up, his face partially hidden in the shadows.
"Nah, I'm gonna try and get some sleep." I say with the most hushed voice I can muster.
"We're only gonna be out for half an hour." Another voice chips in, and I instantly blush to witness my cousin's friend, Finn, step into the smattering of light shining through my bedroom window, the rays of light picking out the golden streaks in his hair. Damnit Armelle, pull yourself together. You're acting like every other smitten girl in your entire school, I scold myself as I feel a raspberry tinge creep to my cheeks. I wipe awkwardly at the chocolate stains left at the side of my mouth.
"I'll leave it for tonight, thanks anyway though." I burble, turning to readjust my blinds once again as they plunge off into the darkness. I shove the remainder of my forgotten snack into my mouth and settle back down under my covers. I yank my iPad out of my bedside table and turn straight to Spotify, putting on some music as I sink down into my mattress. These days I have to listen to music before I fall asleep, just because I crave something to fill up the empty silence. A number of relaxing, chill songs lull me into a false sense of security as sleep cocoons my mind in a hazy blanket of peace. However, it's not long before the painful dreams begin to whirr away.
YOU ARE READING
Every Cloud
Romansa"Every cloud has a silver lining." That's all Armelle's been hearing for the past few weeks. Once being admitted to a local counsellor after the tragic accident involving both her mother and a drunk driver, Elle locks eyes with a troubled boy named...
