Runaway

Gaskarth

*beep beep* Elle's alarm sounds causing her to wake up with a snap. She yawns and stretches her arms out to reach for her phone, stopping the beeps whilst unlocking it. She opens up Snapchat to see what she could have missed whilst she was asleep, tapping through stories she sees most of them being photocopies with the majority with captions saying 'School, won't reply' etc. Then she comes to Josh's - her best friend for around two years - which has a video of Max Johnson, head of the football team, who was playing with a lighter and saying things which Elle couldn't make out. But at the end of the video the camera turned around and showed Josh's face, he was laughing. Elle smiles and switches her phone off to climb out of bed.
After changing into her outfit for the day - black skinny jeans with three rose gold buttons paired with a dark pink cropped jumper with the word 'cliché' on it. In the kitchen she grabs a breakfast bar from her cupboard. Expecting her mom had a long night at work, she decides to not wake her. Picking up her phone in one hand a throwing her bag round one shoulder, Elle walks out the door quietly. She lives in a small bungalow with her mom on one side of Gaskarth - a small town where nothing really happens. School is on the other side of town so on her way to school she can pick up a coffee! As Elle is queuing, her phone starts vibrating and she see's josh's name on her screen, she smiles and slides the bar to answer.
"Hey!" She begins
"Hey Elle, I was just wondering bc it's Monday I wanna meet you before school so we can prepare for another week in hell, or as society likes to call it, school." Josh speaks with the same charm that everyone in school knows an loves.
"I'm in leone's café, where are you?" Elle replies with a clear smile on her face.
"See you in 5." Josh ends the call abruptly.
Putting her phone down, Elle laughs and conveniently is now at the front of the queue.
After collecting her normal order, an iced latte, Elle sits in the corner of the quiet café waiting for a certain someone to join her.
2 minutes later a familiar smile turns round the corner with a drink in hand.
"Hey Elle, long time no see!"
"Hey Josh, we saw each other yesterday in this exact coffee shop." Elle laughs. The two of them come to Leone's on a regular as their meet up to complain about the struggles of school and fitting in to stereotypes etc.
"I know but I seems like foreeeever" josh over pronounces.
"Stop flirting" Elle replies jokingly. Josh's friends usually tease their friendship but they're a group of footballers who don't understand the meaning of 'platonic friendship'.
"You excited for Monday morning?" Josh asks sarcastically.
"No, I was contemplating whether it was worth getting out of bed or not this morning if I'm being totally honest." Elle replies truthfully.
"So clearly you're very excited but if we don't go now we are going to be late and I don't know about you but I don't feel like detention on a Monday" Josh states. Elle nods and they both get up to leave.
"So how's the devil?" Josh asks referring to Elle's anxiety.
"Well I haven't had a panic attack in over a week so we're doing great!" Elle laughs sarcastically.
"Well its an improvement, baby steps Elle, baby steps." Elle nods in agreement.
"How's being popular?" Elle teases, " I saw you were having a drinking sesh with max last night"
"Yeah good thanks" Josh replies going along with her mock, "it was just him drinking, I don't have it before school because unlike him I would actually like a future!"
Elle laughs and begins to think to herself as they walk, that's why she likes josh, he is so understanding and not a complete idiot! He's just the kind of person who is so easy to talk to.
At the school gates they both split of to the seperate wings, there's the East Wing and the West Wing, it's just a fancy way of splitting the school in half. Josh is a year above Elle so they don't have classes together.
"Bye sugar" josh jokes,
"Bye josh" Elle laughs back.
She slides her headphones on and turns up the volume, listening to 21 pilots - hometown.
After 4 periods which seemed longer, Elle walked to the normal meeting point by the hall where she found Josh waiting.
"You were let out early I'm guessing?" She questions as it is 5 minutes until lunch starts.
"Yes, and so were you I see, aren't we lucky!" They sarcastically laugh and set off towards the hall. They both buy a sandwich and head out to the orchard. No one eats there because you're not actually allowed but there are never any teachers checking so the two use the quiet area to their advantage.
"Is your mum still working nights?" Josh asks,
"Yeah but I'm kind of using it to my advantage because now I don't have to speak to her much and I basically have the house to myself most of the time, she leaves for work at 6:30 pm so it's easy." Elle smiles
"Yeah you're lucky, my parents are always there. I sneak out most of the time, they don't notice though, they're too busy on their studies or whatever"
Both of josh's parents work as psychologist's and they each have their own practice so they work extremely hard on their jobs.
After finishing eating, they walked to 5th period together, they're lucky because their classes are next to each other 5th.
"See you later then?" Elle smiles,
"Yeah, sooner than you think" josh winks subtly and steps into his class.
What was that about Elle thinks to herself, oh well it's probably nothing.
Finally after 5th and 6th period, she begins to walk home and her phone vibrates,
Josh: hey, I need to tell you something but I need to say it in person
Elle: why didn't you just tell me today?
Josh: idk but I'll tell you soon okay?
Elle: ouch my anxiety
Josh: sorryyy hahah