Freckles and Constellations

Chapter 1

I lay there. Scared. In the field behind my house, under was a big willow tree. Today, 15th of November, my birthday. I was laying under the stars with my best friend, Layton. It could've been the last time I ever saw him. He was moving to Silla Secondary School for The Gifted whereas I was stuck in Hichford.

We lay there looking into the stars and counting all of them and sighing when the other put us off when suddenly, Layton sat up. I felt him staring at me but I looked upward to the stars, my favourite thing, ever.

"You know all them constellations you go on about?" He asked.

"Yes?" I replied, suddenly intrigued.

"I can see them in your freckles." He smiled and laid back down next to me.

"Lay, my freckles aren't stars." I sighed and continued my counting.

"I'm really going to miss you Zo. I don't want to go."

"Listen, we will see each other again."

"But that's not the same as 'see you tomorrow'." He lay next to me and I could tell he wasn't happy about going. He never was. But it was my job to make sure he was going to have fun.

"Layton, you are going to the best music college ever. You are going to study all the boring lessons then ace your music exams and then you will have to come back to me in boring Hichford and be will be 18 and so cool and we can get drunk and do all the things my big sister does. Lay, it will be okay." I sat up and smiled at him.

"That would be wicked! I could drive a way cool sports car that goes 120 mph and we can get drunk every night and nobody can tell us no." He sat up opposite me and returned the smile.

"Promise me, when we are 18, 7 years from now, and cool enough to do anything we want, you will come back to this tree and see me again?"

"Zoe, I promise."

"I'm going to miss you, Layton"

"I'll miss you and your freckles too."

I smiled and engulfed him into the biggest hug I had ever been in. When we pulled apart, we were both ready to cry but neither of us did until we took the 10 minuet walk back to my house and Layton left.

I cried. And cried. And cried.

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No matter what, that memory of Layton and I, would always be the one I thought of to put me in a good mood. And as I sat in the edge of my bed, I did just that. Reminded myself of the best and worst day of my life and smiled to myself.

I had turned 17 a week earlier. The 6 year anniversary of that night. Just 1 more year of living in this hell hole and going to this shitty school then I could be free. Free to travel the world with Layton. Maybe that thought would be enough to pull me through this year.

I got up and waltzed to my shower. I began running the water I heard a familiar tap on the door.

"Zo, hurry up, I need to borrow your bathroom!" My big sister, Lesley took a break from her new lawyer job for a weekend before flying off on some massive case with her colleagues. Then she was back for the Christmas break.

"Les, I need to shower for school. Your fault you moved out and I got your bathroom." I replied as I tested the water.

"Zoe, I swear, hurry your little backside before I have to leave for breakfast with Ollie!" She whined.

"19 and still whining like a 9 year old. Huh, and who's this Ollie? I thought you were seeing Mickey?" I asked whilst jumping into the shower.

"No, I left Mickey after he went on at me for accepting the case. Zo, I think Ollie is the one. Now hurry up before I end up being late!" I quickly scrubbed my body and washed my hair before wrapping a towel around me and opening the door.

"There, but if you dare use my expensive-"

"Too late!" She had already shut the door and the taps were again running. I rolled my eyes and walked back into my room. I opened my wardrobe and flicked through my clothes until finding some skinnies and a long sleeved top. I threw them on and rushed my hair into a braid down my shoulder. I lightly fixed makeup onto my face and wondered downstairs to the kitchen.

"Morning, my little Astrophysicist!" Came the deep yet cheery voice of my father.

"Dad, I'm not an astrophysicist yet. I still need to take my astrophysics exam at the end of this year. Physics is all good and passed, as is maths and all the other un-necessary crap." I smiled.

"You are so smart, You'll do amazing."

"Thanks, dad." I beamed and pulled out a breakfast bar just as Lesley walked in.

"What's all this smart nonsense?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Dad was congratulating me on being intellectual! Unlike my big sister." I pouted, jokily.

"Hey, I passed law at the best college around and my law course first try!" She pouted back.

"Sorry, I forgot to listen, you're boring me." I joked.

"Girls, Lesley hasn't even been back for more than a weekend and already it's like old times... I love it." He smiled and pulled us into a bear hug.

"Alrighty, dad, Les, I have to go. The depths of hell call me." I sighed whilst pulling my bag on and opening the door.

Time for a day in hell.