AIM [FIRST DRAFT]

Chapter 8: Lemon and Blood

"I'm sure I'll be okay, it's only an arm cast," murmured Aimee.

"Are you serious?" Emma asked rhetorically. "You could have died. But you didn't so that's awesome," she said with a grin.

Aimee laughed at her reaction. Mrs Lincoln overheard the conversation.

"We're all very grateful that you are in one piece, but you shouldn't just wander off with Stefan after school," she said. "You hardly know him."

Aimee glared at Emma as she hid her head in her shoulders.

"Don't worry, I'd have done the same thing," whispered Mrs Lincoln with her hand cupped at her mouth.

She winked at the two and turned back in her seat. Emma and Aimee burst into soft laughter from Mrs Lincoln's remark. Soon, the car reversed onto the Griffiths' driveway. Aimee thanked everybody and let herself out. Emma hopped out to give her best friend a big hug and they wished each other goodnight. Emma climbed back into the vehicle. Aimee stood on the porch. She knocked on the front door and waited. About a minute later, Clifford unlocked the door and let Aimee in. They watched the Lincolns drive into the distance. Aimee immediately hid her casted arm behind her backpack.

"Where've you been, Aimee?" he worried. "Molly blames you not being here earlier on me and you know how scary she can be!"

"Sorry, Cliff," she hid in her shoulders. "I was at school. Coach wanted to see the team and discuss our performance on the field." she fibbed, and she was good at it.

"But Liam can't keep you at school until..." - he checked his watch - "twenty past four, that's crazy!"

"It wasn't my fault," she humbly said.

"I think I should have a chat with Mr Kirkwood," stated Clifford.

"Sure," gulped Aimee. "But there's no need, really."

Clifford walked away without another word to Aimee. He mumbled to himself quietly as he stepped into the living room, where Molly was watching television. Aimee quickly ran upstairs to her bedroom, dropped her bag and called her coach, admitting that she placed the whole situation on his head. Liam was extremely disappointed with Aimee and her irresponsible actions.

"I'm sorry, Coach," she said, "but please, just work with me here?"

He eventually settled to help her. Aimee took her cellphone to Clifford and Molly. To make sure they did not see her cast, she put her phone on loudspeaker. She did not have to stand very close to them.

Kirkwood did as he agreed and justified her. Her parents were not pleased, but all was forgiven for now. Once the call had ended, Clifford informed Aimee that he and Molly had grocery shopping to do. He proposed she come along, but Aimee kindly refused and returned to her room. She lounged on her bed and brought out her diary. As she reached the page of her last entry, Aimee heard the sound of her parents' Land Rover pulling out of the driveway. She peeped through her bay window and watched them depart, and then stared back at the blank page in her diary.

"Where do I start?" she asked herself.

Aimee looked at her wrist and slapped herself on the forehead with her left hand. How was she going to write with an arm cast? She would try to take it off, but she knew that would only enhance the pain. She had a better idea; she would record her words on her cellphone and - once she had her cast removed - rewrite it all. She recorded her voice over and over again until she got it right.

"Dear diary - Monday, March 11th

School was good... after school was better. Well, Clifford was late to fetch me - again - so I called Molly and she told me to wait for him, but Stefan Summers offered me a ride on his motorbike. How could I say no? <Sigh> on the way home we were hit by a truck. He injured his right leg badly and I hurt my right arm. We were rushed to the hospital by some paramedics from nearby. Now Stefan has stitches and we both have to wear casts. He kept saying to me that it was his fault we crashed, but it was obviously mine. The Lincolns took me home from there, but before I left, Stefan kissed me! On the mouth! I am not going to forget this any time soon! I'm at home now and I still taste his lemony, slightly bloody kiss."

Aimee ended the recording with a smile on her face. She shoved her phone into her pocket and dropped onto her bed. She lay down with her pillow over her cast. Her eyes opened and closed gradually until she fell asleep.