The Exchange Student, the Pop Prince and the Raffle Tickets

Chapter Forty: Unanswered Questions

Want to turn back the clock,

Run and scream down the road,

Turn them around back towards the door,

Lock the key,

They’ll never escape again.

That weekend I was back in Cornwall. I had found Pheobe’s grave only a weekend ago and now all I had to do was wait. I’m pretty sure that was all I had to do. I had been daydreaming staring up at the clouds thinking about the past, present and future. I don’t know why I had even gotten onto the subject of the past but my mind was flashing images of what could have happened if I had stayed in America. They were unanswered questions that would never be solved, only thought about.

I clambered up from where I was sitting on the bench wandering into space. I know I had said it once before but I was sure that this was it. I was giving up. I walked out of the cemetery looking back every two seconds, just in case.

I came back the next day. It was about to happen. I wanted to give up but something inside of me said that there was hope, and any day now, any second she was about to walk through those cemetery gates and I would see her again. You know when people say ‘it just happened’ and you always think to yourself, how does anything ‘just happen?’ Well, today I understood. I saw that face, the way they walked slowly, cautiously into the cemetery and I instantly knew. It just happened.

I crashed into her before she could realise who it was.

It was definitely Bindi, the eyes were the same. Her hair was an out-grown bob; she was a lot paler, dark circles under her eyes, jeans, a holey baggy jumper and the cigarette that had been in her mouth burning on the floor. She pulled me back forcefully. Her eyes grew wider as she realised who I was, her hands fell from my arms and without a word she walked off, the beautiful bright yellow flowers she had in her hands fell to the floor. I burst out crying.

I watched her walk out of the cemetery tears streaming down my eyes and without thinking, I ran after her. All the months that I spent looking for her, arguing with Jesse, Eli, Joseph, Sarah, all the money I had spent, people I had left behind. I had gone back to America after never wanting to see that family again. I found Grey and Braces again. I had come so far that for Bindi to just walk away... I caught up to Bindi quickly. I stood in front of her, tears still falling feeling incredibly angry.

I struck my hand across her face. It was quick, Bindi bent over in pain before I could even realise what I had done. I stared at her breathing heavily as she composed herself.

She went to talk, I smacked her again.

“It’s been nearly twelve months. A year! Since I got that email from Jesse Strachenburg saying that you had run away. I went back. I went to find you; to argue with everyone, confront everyone. I hated every minute of being back but I went back for you. I travel home to find you and when I do, you turn away and walk off! Did you really think that I would just shrug and walk in the opposite direction? Nearly twelve months my best friend has been missing. And thirty seconds ago, I found her.”

Bindi burst out into tears. Getting her breath back she screamed at me. “I didn’t want to be found!”

“Did you really think that I would just let you go missing? Did you really think that I didn’t give a shit?” I yelled back. Bindi glared at me. “Of course I cared Bindi you were; you still are my best friend. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.

If I had to go back to America and see Joseph and Sarah again I would. If I had to face the torment of looking at Eli every day I would. It was hard but I did it all for you. I don’t see how you could think so little of me.”