Clopwyck River - revised version

Chapter Twenty

I woke up on Sunday morning, waiting for the normal dread of my life to come crashing on top of me in my bed, but the memory of my moment with Leo slapped a smile on my face that stayed there for the rest of the day. Andrew was completely unnerved by my good mood, and I every time I looked at him his eyes would flick back to what he was doing, but not before he could lower his bemused eyebrows.
I kept replaying Leo's kiss in my mind, over and over again, and having to re-start if I realised I'd missed out a significant detail, like something he said, or the way his fingers combed through my hair. Every time I saw Elliot I chased him and locked him in a cuddle, and I even asked Daria how her day was going. I was so happy I felt like bursting.
That was, until I walked past the front door and noticed an envelope sitting ominously in the hallway. I knew it was for me even though it was face down, and as I picked it up, I could feel the envelope suck the elation out of my body through my fingertips.
I ran up to my room, Andrew looking confused when he offered me a smile and I scowled at him, and opened the envelope expecting another threat to keep away from Ben. But this note was different.
This one was a warning to stay away from Leo.
***
I stare at the note tucked inside my book as the teacher drones on about the Treaty of Versailles. I stifle another yawn. Instead of lying awake thinking about Leo, I couldn't stop thinking about the note.
The bell rings, and chairs screech across the floor as everyone moves like sheep onto their next classes. I join the herd as it heads out of the door, and spot Ruby ducking into the toilets. I put my head down, and force my way towards her just as the door closes, ignoring the 'stay to the left' rule that teachers love to bellow as they stand guard in the corridors.
I walk into the white tiled room, and realise that it and the library seem to be where I spend most of my time socialising. Ruby sees me as she turns to brush the other side of her hair.
"Hey!" She pauses, mid-stroke, and frowns at me. "What's up? I thought you'd be walking around with a stupid smile on your face." Her shoulders slump. "Has Leo upset you already?"
The bell rings again, signalling that we're going to be late for the next class, and Ruby throws her brush in her bag. I back out of the door as she zips up her bag.
"No, he hasn't done anything. Just...I got another note. Can you hang out later? At mine?"
Ruby nods her head, her just brushed hair falling over her shoulders in waves. "Of course. I'll wait for you at the gate and we can walk to yours together." She checks her watch. "You better go. Don't you have Miss. Adkins next? She does not like late people."
​I roll my eyes, the fact that I have Maths next like the world's worst weather forecast. "Yeah. I'll see you later then."
I head out of the toilets and hurry down the corridor, and then realise that I'm going in the wrong direction. I spin around and slam right into someone, and too embarrassed to look at them, I dodge to the left and the right to try and get past.
"Desperate to get away from me?"
I look up, and thoughts of the note, of Ben, of anything else on this planet are swept away by the presence of Leo, who, if it's possible, looks better today than I've ever seen him looking. He must have just had PE as the aroma of freshly washed boy engulfs me, making my knees feel like rubber. His hair curls up around his neck where it's still a little damp from his shower. He's wearing a pair of grey jogger bottoms, and a white t-shirt that clings to his shoulders.
My lips curve into a smile as the memory of Saturday night replays itself in my mind's eye, until I realise he's speaking to me.
I shake my head, and blink a few times. "Sorry?"
"Uh, I said 'hey'?" He says.
"Oh." Great start, Demi. "Hey."
"How's it going?"
I shrug my shoulders. "Okay."
"Good." He bites his lip, and looks at the floor. "I was hoping I'd see you today."
My heart feels like it's trying to escape from my chest. "Really?"
"Yeah." He smiles a two dimple smile for a moment, then it drops from his chin. "Why? Weren't you....aren't you...did I...."
"No. I mean, yes. I mean, I was hoping to see you too."
"Good." The dimples are back.
Someone knocks into me from behind, and I look up as a boy from Leo's year claps a hand on Leo's shoulder and tells him they're going to be late, before he shoves Leo down the hall, away from me.
"I'll see you later?" He shouts over his shoulders as he stumbles along the corridor with a group of other friends.
I nod as he disappears around a corner. I look down at the grubby floor as I analyse every single word we just exchanged. My stomach turns inside out as the truth teases me, that I wasn't funny, sassy, or sexy, and only just remembered how to actually speak out loud.
I take a deep breath in, then breathe out, promising myself that I'll do better next time I see him. I straighten up and start to walk to my next class, then a warm cloud of anticipation wafts over me as Leo strides towards me down the corridor, a look of determination on his face.
I watch as he gets closer, people getting out of his way as he closes the gap between us, until he's standing right in front of me. Our eyes lock together and he gently puts his hand on my neck, caressing my skin with his thumb for a second. He leans down, and I close my eyes as he gives me the softest, sweetest kiss on the lips that anyone in the world has ever experienced.
He pulls away, his hand still on my neck, and blinks his long lashes softly.
"I couldn't see you and not do that. I've been thinking about it since the party." He says.
I can't speak.
"I'll see you around though? Maybe at lunch?"
"Yep." I manage.
He bites the inside of his cheek, but can't suppress his smile. "Okay. Yep."
He walks backwards down the hall, getting bumped and shoved as he goes, but he doesn't take his eyes off me, then disappears around the corner.
Once I have fully functioning limbs again, I make myself turn around, really needing to get to class now, and bump into Ruby who grabs my shoulders and spins me the other way.
"This way, Romeo." She drapes an arm across my shoulder as we walk down the hall, and glances at me. "There's that stupid smile I was talking about. Glad it's finally found you."
***
"Are you sure this is okay?" Ruby looks around the hallway as I close the door behind us.
"Course it is. Why? Don't tell me you've gone shy."
"No, I just...parents make me nervous."
"You are so weird. They're not my parents, remember? Besides, Daria is still at work and I bet Andrew is in his workshop."
"So what does he do exactly?"
"He has his own business. He's, like, a carpenter or designer or something. I think." I turn away from her, and shout down the cellar stairs. "Andrew! I'm home! We're going up to my room!"
There's a loud clang and then Andrew's voice wafts up the stairs. "Is 'we' you and a boy?"
Ruby waggles her eyebrows at me, and I roll my eyes as I shout back down the stairs. "No. It's just me and a friend."
"Well, okay then, but I'm sending my assistant up to check on you."
Footsteps make their way carefully up the stairs until a tiny hand clasps the doorframe, and Elliot peeps out at us.
"Hey, buddy. You helping Daddy downstairs?"
Elliot nods his head, then looks Ruby up and down, just as she pulls a funny face at him. It has the desired effect and Elliot giggles as he puts his arms around my leg.
"Who's up there then, buddy? Is it a big handsome rugby player?"
Elliot shakes his head, then shouts. "A girl."
"Well, okay then. Come back down here and leave them to talk about big handsome rugby players."
Elliot lets go of my legs, and toddles over to Ruby who kneels down to him.
​"What's your name?" He demands.
​"It's Ruby." She ruffles his hair and he smiles at her. "What's your name?"
​"Hulk."
​"Well, I'm very pleased to meet you, Hulk." Ruby grabs Elliot's tiny hand and shakes it. "Gosh, you're so strong, Hulk, you're crushing my hand!"
​Ruby collapses to the floor, nursing her hand, and Elliot looks up at me, uncertainty riddled across his face.
​"Don't worry, buddy, I think she's okay. What do you think we should do to wake her?"
​He looks at Ruby for a minute, then a grin spreads across his face. "Tickle her?"
​"I think you're right. Let's go!"
​We both fall onto our knees and tickle Ruby on the belly, then under her arms. She bites her lips together, and tries to keep still on the floor, but our tickle attack becomes too much for her and she erupts into full-on laughter.
​"Okay, okay, that's enough!" Ruby surrenders, and Elliot and I sit up straight, and grab her outstretched hands. "Help me up."
​"Go back and see Daddy now, buddy."
​"Kay. Bye-bye." He waves at us as he grips the stair rail and heads back down to Andrew.
​Ruby turns to me. "He's adorable! What a cutie."
​I shrug and gesture for her to follow me up the stairs. "He's okay I guess."
​"Oh you're so smitten and you know it."
​"Whatever."
​We walk up the stairs and into my room. I close my door, and watch Ruby as she moves around my room, picking up books and DVDs, then hovering in front of my drawers, picking up a couple of my perfumes and spraying them on each wrist.
​"Make yourself at home."
​"Thanks, I will." She smiles at me, kicks off her trainers and jumps on my bed, crossing her legs and grabbing a throw pillow to lean on. "Let me see this note then."
​I grab it from my drawer and sit next to her on the bed. I hand it to her and she takes a deep breath before she reads it out loud.
​"Leo will be the death of you." She blinks from the page to my face, and gently puts the paper down next to her like it's a poisonous snake. "Uh. I think this is the worst one. Why would someone be warning you off Leo? Although, I guess at least you can rule him out for definite now. Would be a bit weird if he told you stay away from himself. Who do you think it's from?"
​I fall back onto the bed and cover my eyes. "I have no idea! Who else knows that I kissed Leo?"
​"Um, anyone with eyes, Demi. You might have had some privacy at the party, but you were surrounded for your corridor moment. Everyone saw you. Could be anyone at school, but I still think it's Ciara."
​"So she wants Ben and Leo to herself?" I shake my head. "No, I don't think it's her."
​Ruby falls back so she's lying next to me. "Then who?"
​"I really don't know."
​"Maybe it's just someone having some fun. I mean, maybe we're taking these notes too seriously? Maybe someone's just messing with the new girl? You haven't exactly settled in quietly."
​"Maybe."
​We both sit up as someone's phone vibrates. I grab mine from my bag and frown at the screen.
​"What's up?"
​I frown and show her the screen. "I've got a message from a number I don't recognise."
​Ruby shuffles up next to me. "Read it then."
​I stare at the screen, looking at each of the digits and praying that it's not another message from my stalker. I swipe the screen and open the message, my shoulders relaxing when I see who it's from, then they knot together when I read the message.
​"It's from Leo's Dad."
​"Really?!"
​I nod. "He says he wants to meet with me. So we can talk."
​"Leo's Dad wants to meet with you?"
​"Uh-huh."
​"So you can talk."
​"Yeah."
​"Do you think he wants to like....you know...."
​"What?"
​"Seduce you?"
​I smack her with a pillow. "Ruby! Oh my God, no. Your mind, honestly."
​"I'm sorry but your new boyfriend's Dad texts you and says he wants to talk to you. What on earth can that be about?"
​I put my phone down and look at her, her face as confused and lost as I feel inside.
​"I guess there's only one way to find out."