BEFORE
It was summer and his school trousers clung to his legs. The heat of the sun bore down on him and he could feel it burning the back of his neck – there would be a nasty patch of sunburn there by evening and Mum would tell him off for not wearing his sun cream. His face was drenched in a mixture of his own sweat and cool water that James had splashed all over him just minutes ago. Water fights were banned at school but what did that stop them?
"Adam!" He could hear James yelling for him from somewhere in the school field. Adam felt a little dizzy now. He would've gladly stopped playing but that'd only give James another chance to tease him for being a little pussy. James thought he was really clever, using swear words like that because his older brother did too, but Adam found it uncomfortable. He wasn't entirely sure what the word 'pussy' meant anyway. Ten year olds aren't really supposed to, he thought.
He stalked across the field – it was quite big, for a Primary school – and it had a huge oak tree at the very edge, where the field ended. The oak tree used to scare him when he was younger because it towered over him like a giant troll – he'd read about tree trolls once and he'd seen pictures and that had been enough to make him steer well clear of it.
But it was so hot today. So hot. Adam's legs ached, his feet were scratchy and he was sure he was seeing everything in double vision. The oak tree was the closest thing to shade right now and, trolls or not, he needed to get away from the sun. Just get away.
Adam only noticed the small figure already sitting there when he reached it, panting slightly.
"Matt," he said, surprised at himself for remembering the boy's name. He wasn't in his class but Adam had seen him around.
The boy looked up and Adam could see that he'd been reading something – a book. He wrinkled his nose distastefully. Matt wrinkled his nose back at him and clamped it shut with his hands.
"Need something?"
He was so rude. Adam didn't expect that.
"I – no." Adam shrugged. "It's just hot."
"Okay," Matt replied and then he opened his book again and looked down at it. Adam felt affronted. The other boys were always so...so...well they never spoke to him like that. They always seemed pleased to talk to him – well, mostly to James, but they liked him well enough.
Adam knew he should've just stalked off to find James again but he found that his feet were rooted to the spot, as if they'd decided on their own that they were going to stay right here, watching a mousy-haired kid read a book.
"What book is it?" Adam asked. Matt looked up again, looking faintly irritated.
"Harry Potter," he replied shortly.
"Oh yeah?" Then Adam sat down beside Matt who then edged away when he did so. Ignoring him, Adam leaned in closer to look at the book. "Aren't there like a dozen of these you've got to read?"
"Six more actually."
"That's loads," Adam breathed. "How could you do that?"
"It's just reading," Matt snapped back. "Anyway, I've already read all of them. I'm just re-reading."
"Why?" Adam asked, not believing his own ears.
"Because they're excellent books," the other boy replied and Adam giggled at him. "What's so funny?" Matt demanded.
"You're so posh."
"I am not."
"You talk posh."
"No I don't!" Matt cried back as the tip of his ears grew scarlet. Adam laughed at him. "Go away," Matt said when Adam wouldn't stop.
"Alright, alright." He got up and dusted some grass off his pants. "You should come play Water Chase with us sometime," Adam said as he began to walk away, more as an afterthought than anything else.
"No thank you!" Matt called back. Adam smirked and shoved his hands into his pockets.
He'd come around soon enough.
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"You're back again," Matt groaned when Adam settled down next to him under the oak tree the very next day. Adam chuckled.
"Is it because I smell?" he asked jokingly. Matt rolled his eyes at him.
"I finally realized why I remembered your name you know," Adam said after a small pause in which Matt had resumed reading his book. Matt looked up and clucked his tongue impatiently.
"I'm flattered."
"What's that mean?"
Matt sighed. "Never mind."
"Anyway," Adam said while he began to pick on some grass. Mum always said that was a nasty habit of his. "You wrote a poem for that newspaper some months back," he continued. "Our local newspaper. I read it. It was good."
That got Matt's interest and for the first time Adam saw his eyes soften a little.
"You liked it?" Matt inquired and he sounded really serious, like he really wanted it to be true.
"Yeah!" Adam nodded enthusiastically, somewhat relieved that the other boy had lost some of the hostility in his voice. "It was about moving to a new home, right?"
"Yeah." Matt looked down. "We lived in Oxford before."
Adam grinned. "Posh."
Matt's lips twitched a little but he didn't respond.
"What was it like then?" Adam leaned his head against the oak tree. "Oxford," he whispered to himself. It sounded like a magical place, somewhere faraway and unreal. It always would be to him. This little town, Yieldfarm, had always been the only place he'd always known. It seemed strange to think that there were other places other than just here.
"Loads of trees where we lived," Matt said. "Sort of like here but it wasn't – it didn't smell like cows."
Adam laughed at that. "I like cows," he said. "I've always wanted one but Mum says we don't have space at home for one." He closed his eyes, then. "Tell me more."
"Dad worked at the University," Matt said. "You know Oxford University? He was the engineer and sometimes I could go with him. He's friends with some of the people that run the place and they'd let me hang around the library sometimes, if I promised to be quiet."
"That must've been hard work for you," Adam joked, opening an eye to look at Matt who then gave him a hard, long stare. "Sorry," he laughed. "Go on."
"That's all there's to it, really," Matt said. "We didn't live in a big house or anything. We're not rich. But it was nice." He sighed and stared into the distance. "Really...nice."
Adam sat up and looked at Matt. "You don't like it here?" he asked.
Matt shrugged. "We've only been here a few months," he said after a moment. "Can't say for sure."
"You don't like it here."
"No, I guess not."
"Well at least you've got friends," Adam said reassuringly. "That's something, right?"
Matt snorted. "No I haven't."
"Hey!" Adam poked the brown-haired boy sharply. "I thought I was your friend!"
"You don't even know me!" Matt exclaimed, his eyes wide and surprised.
"Sure I do." Adam smiled. "You lived in Oxford and your dad was an engineer. You like to read. And you're posh," he added with a grin.
Matt didn't bother to argue against him.
"But I don't know anything about you," he responded.
"You know I liked your poem," Adam said. "That's a start."
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