Meet Me Under The Cherry Tree

Chapter 1

Alex sat at the back of the class, alone, his head bent down as he doodled on his notebook. All of Alex’s notebooks were covered in doodles of everything and anything. He loved to draw, it helped him escape the name calling, the slagging. Everything he did was made fun of. When he was drawing he was in a different world. He could be anywhere he wanted to be at the tip of his pencil. He was lost in his drawing when a knock on the classroom door woke him out of his trance. In walked the principal, Ms. Robinson, followed by a girl, she had long brown hair that framed her face beautifully and her green eyes sparkled. She wore a blue blouse and black skinny jeans with a pair of black high top converse.

Alex was star struck, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. “This is Amy, she is new here and I hope everybody will make her feel at home”, Ms. Robinson said in her usual kind voice. “Of course we will, won't we class”, replied Ms. Murphy, Alex’s teacher. “Yes miss” everybody replied sleepily. The only seats left were at the back of the room. Amy walked slowly to the back of the room as everybody watched her. She sat in the seat next to Alex and took her history book out of her green shoulder bag. Alex turned slightly away. “Hi, what’s your name?” Amy tried to make conversation. “Alex”, he replied avoiding making eye contact, nobody ever talked to him. He was afraid of making a fool of himself. Amy was about to say something when the bell went.

Alex rushed out the door. It was lunch time, Alex found a safe spot at the back door of the school. He sat down against the wall and took out his packed lunch, a ham sandwich. He was just about to tuck in when there was a loud clatter from around the corner. Alex peeped around the corner, Amy had been pushed into a pile of rubbish. She slowly walked around the corner to find Alex sitting against the wall. “Oh, sorry”, she said as she almost crashed into him. “Mind if I sit”, she asked. Alex waved his hand to beckon her to sit next to him. “Are you alright?” Alex asked as he removed a piece of rubbish from her hair. “Yeah, I’m alright”, she replied with a hint of embarrassment. Alex began to tuck into his sandwich. Amy took her lunch out and they ate in silence.

The rest of the day went by pretty fast. Everyone queued to climb aboard the bus. As Alex climbed aboard he received the warm smile he always gets from Tess, the bus driver, he sat in the seat 4th from the front. Amy followed and sat in the seat behind him. Alex took out his sketch pad and began to work on a drawing. Amy peeped over his shoulder. “That’s amazing!” She blurted out before she could stop herself. Alex jumped closing his sketch pad in the process. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry” she said embarrassed.  She sat back, her head bent low. Alex turned around to say something but retreated. The first stop approached, Alex’s stop. Alex packed his bag. The doors of the bus opened and Alex hopped out, followed by Amy. Alex looked back surprised but kept walking forward. “Hey, Alex wait”, Amy called After Alex.

Alex stopped and turned around, “I didn’t know you moved in around here”, he said. “Yeah, I moved in on Saturday, actually I moved in here”, she replied as she pointed towards her house right on the corner of the street. A big house painted cream with orange and red bricks at the bottom half. “So..... What did you want?” questioned Alex. “Oh yeah, sorry, eh I was just wondering maybe we could be friends, If em that’s ok with you” her head bent low. “Yeah, maybe” Alex replied, who would want to be friends with me he thought, especially someone like Amy she seems way to kind. He waved goodbye and continued walking up the path. He walked up his garden looking at all of the daffodils growing in the garden. He stopped at his door, put the key in the lock and twisted it. He took a deep breath and entered his empty house. His parents were always working and his nineteen year old sister, Rachel was either at college or out with her friends. He set his bag on the floor of the hall and strolled into the kitchen, he took a cup from the press and poured himself a class of fizzy water.  He sat on a chair at the wooden kitchen table, he gazed into mid air.

The clock struck four and Alex snapped out of his trance, he took out his homework and got to work. He finished at half five and still the house was empty. He stood up and strolled around the house looking for something to do.  He eventually gave up grabbed his keys and headed out the door. The sun was beating down on him. There was a beautiful forest not five minutes away. He liked to walk there to clear his head. Alex headed straight along to forest trail used by many people. He was lost in pensive thought when somebody tapped his shoulder. It was Amy. She asked to join him and the two of them walked together in silence. “It’s beautiful out here”, Amy whispered trying not to disturb the beauty of the silence. They walk and walked, somehow they drifted away from the trail.