One day (short story)

I woke up to the sound of my alarm piercing through the morning light. My arm slammed down on it and soon returned to the warm blankets which surrounded me like a cocoon. Starting to rise out of bed I soon felt the exhaustion kick in. It was only the first day back at school after christmas and my energy had already drained.

As I started to slowly clamber into my school uniform I felt a nauseating dizzying sensation wash over me. I sat down on my bed and let it past, putting it down to the lack of sleep and late night that had just passed.

When I stood up again a few moments later I was fine again and carried on my daily routine. I found it increasingly hard to find enthusiasm for school anymore. It was the first day back after christmas and also the first time I would see my friends since the accident.

The accident. The accident. That was all that had been floating through my mind for the past two weeks. I couldn't come to terms with it. The accident. The accident that had ended my brothers life. The accident that simultaneously killed four people. The accident that was because of me.

All the police reports say it had been caused by lack of concentration and that I shouldn't blame myself, but it was me and I will never forget it.

I realised I was drifting again and shook myself back to consciousness. I wouldn't let this situation get any worse. My parents were mourning the loss of my brother and had taken a trip to Ghoule to visit extra family. I had refused their offer to come on the grounds that I wanted some regularity in my life and a more normal routine, even if that involved school.

Slowly I continued to get ready, packing new stationery and homework into various bags. I picked up my phone just as I got a text.

'On my way, I'll be outside in 5'

I read Lian's text and the corners of my mouth turned up, I needed a chat to help clear my mind and I knew she was the one to understand.

I met Lian when we had first joined secondary school. We were in the same form group and our tutor had sat us next to each other. I rapidly became friends with her although it wasn't until year 10 that we became best friends.

She had moved into the village a couple of years back and ever sincs we have always met up in the mornings and caught the bus together. I needed to catch up with the social gossip after missing an extra week, however I knew most the gossip travelling round was about my family and the accident.

Putting the thoughts to the back of my mind I walked to the door, pulling it open just before the doorbell rang. I was greeted with a warm hug, worried eyes and a string of sympathetic greetings. I brushed off the wave of emotions that battled to rise within me.

'Hey you! How's your Christmas been?' I managed to say, sounded more normal than I'd hoped which relieved me.

'Not to bad, I'm back together with Nath' To which she broke into the largest grin. This string of chatter carried on as we walked through the brisk air down the hill and to the bus stop.

The bus stop was really just a wall facing a tiny river, however it was a brilliant meeting place. As we arrived I apologised to Alex, Sam and Chase who were already waiting in the frozen air. I was greeted by a series of 'You look like shit today' and other various none-committal welcomes. Talk about school resumed and the bus pulled round the corner with a squeal soon after.

The bus journey was quicker than expected, with some villages being missed out due to bad road conditons and I spent most of the journey staring out the window bleakly at the sparse landscape beyond me. The changing of songs allowed me enough silence to hear Lian filling the boys in on how I was doing and my 'normal routine' plan which I was excessively grateful for.

On the arrival at school I was jumped on by Natalie and Kate who also knew to avoid the touchy subject of the accident, however I could almost feel the tension and questions rising under their skin like a fire waiting to burn and explode.

The morning continued on as normal with the added chatter about Christmas presents and holidays buzzing around me. I received the news that there was a new girl arriving and also new Spanish teacher who had just finished university. I paid little attention to any of the gossip, concentrating on my new prep binder which had just broken.

After morning registration there was an hour long assembly which introduced the new staff and welcomed us all back from the break. As I got up to walk to the laboratories I made my excuses to my friends and de-toured to Mrs Adkins' office to collect a new ring binder. I heard the bell ring and immediately knew I was late.

Five minutes later when she had found the right colour and size, I was sprinting down the corridor. I slowed to a walk as I felt another wave of nausea pass through my and made a mental note to visit the doctors tonight. Just as I was beginning to recover a sharp pain struck through the back of my head leaving me motionless. I felt my knees buckle and I crumpled to the floor, clutching my head in my heads. I heard a shout and footsteps jogging towards me and by the time they had reached me the pain had left my head, leaving me sprawled across the floor with books littered all around me.

'Don't move, are you okay?' I heard an unfamiliar voice question behind me.

Shocked, my hands instantly went to brush my skirt down and make sure nothing was on show. On finding that I had not embarrassed myself in any way (apart from falling) I pushed myself into a sitting position, using the wall behind me for support.

I looked up to find a young man leaning over me, his dark hair styled in a quiff and facial hair standing bristly on his face. I sat there, still in shock from what had just happened before realising that he was talking to me.

'Yeah, I don't know what came over me' I mumbled at him, my head reeling.

'I'll go get a member of support staff' He said, sounding more worried than I expected.

'It's fine now, I think I was just a bit tired' I explained nervously, hoping he would get the hint and leave me alone'

'You could say that' He chuckled at me.

I pushed myself up to standing position, ignoring his orders for me to sit down or go to the medical room.

'I'm already late for class.. so if you don't mind I'll just..' I hinted at him, turning to walk down the long corridor to science. Before I could take a step he grabbed my arm and swung me round so I was facing him. Not expecting this, I felt the air leave my lungs in suprise.

'What?' I asked, rather too sharply. He said nothing but looked me in the eyes for a couple of moments. Feeling nothing but awkward in this trapped situated I pulled my arm back and continued walking, my brain whirring. He was moderatly young, looked to be about 23 and it was then I realised he was the new Spanish teacher everyone had been talking about. It struck me that everyone had been talking about how good looking he was, but I couldn't see it.