School drags the next day. I spend all my time avoiding Taylor and just trying to finish the day without her getting the better of me again. I completely immerse myself into my work and end up with pages and pages full of notes, despite it being the relaxed period of school without exams.
By the time the final bell rings, I'm in my car with my keys in the ignition and ready to go. It's not until I hear a tap on the window that I decide to actually pay attention to the people around me.
"Did you forget? I'm coming to yours tonight to do that bio project." Elsie's voice brings me to the reality that people still exist.
"Sorry, El. It's just been a long day. Get in. And it's a physics project, twit." I throw her a smile and she slides in next to me.
"Are you feeling any better?" She asks as I pull onto the main road.
"Huh?" I reply suddenly confused. I start to think through my day. What could've been so suspicious that she knows I'm not well?
"You were off sick yesterday. Are you feeling okay?" She shakes her head and smiles.
"Oh yeah, I'm great. Just a little tired." My stomach clenches at the thought of everything that happened yesterday.
"You sure?" She raises an eyebrow.
"Course. Now, what are we doing for this project?" I ask, trying to change the subject.
"Some sort of physics shit. It's your place of work. Something about the movement of the stars." She sighed.
"You do the modelling, I do the writing?" I ask.
"You know it." She laughs.
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"Okay but I don't see it." Elsie sighs, whilst falling dramatically onto my bed.
"It's pretty clear, El. This star is Altair and it connects to all of these ones," I say pointing to a series of star models payed out on my floor. "To make Aquila the eagle." I smile as I put the drawn outline of the flying eagle to match where the stars were placed.
"It doesn't look like an eagle." She sighs and sits up but begins adding the wire to the stars to keep them connected.
"Well it is. I'm almost done the explanation and essay so I can help you paint the background. Wait, I might need to pop to the shop to buy the paint." I stand up.
"Well, bring us back some food, I'm starving. And by the way, how can you love this stuff?" She retorts.
"All part of wanting to be as astrophysicist." I shrug and pick up a jacket. "Be back in about 20 minuets, chill?"
"Chill."
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It isn't long before I find myself staring at the hundreds of paint cans all lined up neatly against the store wall. I look for the blue/black section and begin a thorough look for the perfect colour for a night sky.
"Can I help you?" I spun around to see an only lady with a sweet smile, standing with her arms crossed behind me.
"Oh I'm just looking for paint that would look like the night sky." I smile, awkwardly.
" Try 'Satin Sky' or 'Behind the Stars'. They're very pretty colours. Why do you need this colour?" She asked.
"School project. I want to be an astrophysicist and study space and stars so it's a physics project." I blabber.
"That's so nice, I used to love space." She laughed.
"I fell in love with it when my best-friend told me he could see all the constellations in my freckles." I blush and begin to wonder why I'm telling this to a stranger.
"I have a coworker in another branch who says her son is always moaning at her to see his old best-friend. All he ever tells her is that she's the one with the freckles." She raises an eyebrow. I suddenly get curious and wonder if it's Layton trying to find me.
"Do you ever see her son?" I ask, probably sounding crazy.
"All the time, he's ever so sweet, he always asks for me to come see him." She smiles.
"I wonder if it's him. See, I lost contact with La-... this boy, when he left for a new school. 6 years ago. A long time. Probably not the same person." I suddenly loose hope.
"Sweetie, never give up. Do you want me to find his number? I'll try to see if it's you're long lost boyfriend." She smirks.
"Oh! No he's not-"
"I know love when I see it. Now, choose a paint and whatever else do I can get out of here and play matchmaker." She smiles and helps me around the shop until I've found some pot noodles and got a small tin of paint. I also pick up some white, silver and gold glitter pen pains to complete the project.
At the checkout, the lady bags my items and when I hand the money over she puts it in the machine and looks at me.
"You're a very pretty young lady. If this is the young boy then he will be the luckiest man. Ever. I'm Effie. Come back here in a few days. I work Wednesdays and Saturdays. Ooh! Come back in Saturday as I get off early and you can take an old bat for a coffee. I want to hear about this astronomy stuffs!" She gives me a big smile and claps my change in my hand.
"I'll be here around 3. I'm Zoe. Thank you." I smile and leave the shop.
I slide into my car and lean back into the leather seats. Only I could make friends with a shop assistant, make arrangements to take her for coffee and then get my hopes up about finding my long lost best friend.
What a day.
YOU ARE READING
Freckles and Constellations
Roman pour Adolescents"Promise me, when we are 18 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." Zoe and Layton have been friends for the...
