Diana: 4 months in the UK

(9)

Song of the chapter: Breakeven by The Script

Great. Not only is she on the same exchange as me but she is in possibly the most relaxed part of the day. Just my poor luck. 

"Ashton. She's on the same exchange as us." I inform him. He is so infatuated by this person and he doesn't even realise. I'm sure she knows she's basically got him wrapped about her finger. 

"I know, I just wanted to make sure you both knew each other on a personal basis."  Ashton replies. His eyes still fixated on the fiery red-head. Putting on a brave face, I give her a weak smile for Ashton sake. She gives me one too only not as friendly. More of a "Don't even try to talk to me or I'll slap you again." 

"Let’s go sit down and study, Ashton." This is only directed at Ashton. I am not hurt or offended by her remark. I mean why would I want to sit with her and why would she want to sit with me. I haven't even known her for a good day and we have already developed a mutual hatred for each other. 

"Okay. Are you coming, Diana?" Ashton turns back to me. Shaye is giving me her signature pissed off look at me. She must expect me to reject his offer and to leave them be. She must think I'm a pawn in her game of chess and she gets to control me. Well newsflash honey, I'm up on the batting pitch. 

"Yeah, I'll come with you guys." I swear her eyes diluted and nearly popped out of their sockets. I give her an innocent smile while she still scowls at me. Ashton is completely oblivious to our soap opera which I am glad. 

We walk over to the study tables where I will spend the next hour with Ashton and the she-devil. Ashton places his things down and of course, Shaye sits next to him. Not wanting to sit next to her, I take a seat vertically opposite Ashton. Still not happy about my arrival, Shaye strikes up conversation with Ashton. I had some Biology notes I needed to still write down so I get stuck in. 

They talk about their music class and how their teacher had a hole in his T-Shirt. Her laugh is piercing my ears and rings constantly through the library. The librarian has had to tell them to quiet down their conversation. I simply ignore their happiness and continue with my work. 

"Ashton Irwin?" A teacher’s voice asks. Ashton's head shoots up. 

"Yes that's me." He raises his hands in the air. The teacher walks over to give him a small paper slip. 

"My first drum lesson!" He grabs his bag and shoves his books fiercely inside. Shaye looks beyond pissed and I can't blame her. Ashton is our halfway point and now that he's leaving anything could happen. "I'll meet you by the flagpole with the other boys?" Ashton assures me. I nod and he gives Shaye a small wave before scurrying off to his drum lesson. Shaye huffs loudly and decides to do some work for the first time in the whole hour we've been here. The rest is in silence. 

I finish my Biology notes ten minutes after Ashton had left. I sit twiddling my pen between my fingers and tapping it against my book. This must've of annoyed Shaye because she rips her gaze off her work and turns to me with her wild eyes. 

"Hey, some of us are trying to study so if you're done you can leave me be." She fires at me. Her eyes still blazing wild like a bush fire. 

"Well if you weren't shamelessly flirting with Ashton, you would've been done." I throw back. I'm not weak and inferior. 

"Excuse me?" She leans over the table. Even though she is sitting down, her height is still overpowering mine. 

"You heard me." My voice is shaky but I hide it well. Interrupting her in mid-sentence, the bell rings and students file out. 

"You better watch your back, Diana Miller." Her words trigger an old, forgotten moment of the past. Unable to fire back, I fall dormant as she escorts herself out. A sense of fear and vulnerability sinks in. Slowly regaining myself, I carefully place my books back in my bag and leave the library, weary of my whereabouts and who is around. 

The flagpole is only a few short steps from the library. I see all the boys waiting for me, leaning against the pole in their awkward ways. They all seem deep in conversation and I see that Ashton is chatting away with Shaye yet again. I shake off my irony for her and join them. 

"Now that everyone's here, we can go." He leads the way, dragging me with him since I'm the only one listening. The others soon realise that we have departed and follow. 

"Where are we going?" We turn right from the school gate instead of left to go back to Niall's. 

"We're going to the park. It's where we like to hang out and do random stuff." Niall explains. 

"Are we aloud to?" I ask. I've never stayed out after school.

"Yeah, of course! It's not like we're going to do illegal things. It’s just a few friends chilling after school." He says it like it's not a big deal. Anything could happen. I'd rather be safe and sound in my room with a few books and movies than out in the open eyes of social civilisation. 

"Okay." I trust Niall enough for nothing to happen so I push all my paranoia away and continuing walking. We arrive at a soccer pitch with a playground in view and a skate park. 

"We call it Home Base because we spend just as much time here as we do at home" He informs me. "No one comes here anymore so we usually have the place to ourselves." We wait for the others to catch up and when they do we organise each other’s whereabouts.  

"So just go wherever you want to and meet back here at about 5:30pm?" The time now is 4pm so we have an hour and a half to kill. Maybe I'll read a book or two. We all nod in unison before going our separate ways. Shaye, Bryar and Jak have managed to tag along too and sit secluded on a bank. I walk over to the playground alone. 

Red, Black and Grey are the primary colours with a hint of navy blue. A slide with graffiti is the centre of attention. Two wooden sea-saws are adjacent to it. A really washed out yellow is its paint. There is a flying fox with the handle broken off and a circle of monkey bars. A 7ft climbing wall with half of the rocks broken off or just holding on. Lastly there is a group of swings, situated on the outside of the whole complex. I decide to take a seat on one of them and look at the view. 

Niall, Danny, Ashton and Luke indulge in an intense match of soccer. Danny is really good and scores a goal. He and Luke scream with victory. Niall looks like he's going to hurt someone. He must not like losing. Shaye, Jak and Bryar are seated, watching the boys play and occasionally fan girling over their muscles. Michael and Josh are over by the skate park. From what it looks like, they seem to be getting along really well. Calum? Well he's walking towards the playground gate.