SHIFTED.✔

26

I woke up on Monday morning feeling pretty good. Katie noticed the change in my mood. I thought maybe I should try to flirt a bit. I wasn't sure how to go about it.

We had Phys. Ed first period. I thought maybe I could do something then but Katie tripped over going up the stairs in front of Chris Hyatt. He helped her up. I noticed a connection. Katie smiled a little more than normal. I concentrated on how things went between them through the lesson to see if I could pick up some pointers. Mr. Cristaudo ripped it into me for not paying attention in class. I got stuck with a lunchtime detention. The first one I'd ever had. I felt pretty pissed off by the end of the lesson and decided, stuff trying to learn to flirt.

In Biology Gordon Rice made a smart arse comment about my detention.

"God, Charlie you're such a straight bitch. How are you going to handle a detention?"

I ignored him but noticed Keean was grinning as if he agreed. I figured I'd definitely forget about trying to flirt. I had even considered apologising for saying he was a moody prick but after seeing the way he grinned I thought 'no, bugger it'. We hadn't spoken since that day in Chemistry.

Mr. Cristaudo was away for Tuesday's double Phys. Ed. The relief teacher let us do what we wanted. I noticed Keean went into the gym with some of the others so I stayed on the court and practised shooting goals.

We were going on our History excursion on Friday. By then my mood was back in black.

The four History classes came together so there were a lot of kids. We were divided into two buses. Katie ended up on the other bus. It was pretty stuffy which made me feel worse. We had to travel up a windy range. I'm prone to carsickness but the bus was going so slow it didn't seem to affect me. Half way up the winding road the bus chugged to a halt beside one of the cliff faces. The driver shrugged his shoulders at Mr. Hayman then turned the key in the ignition. A loud explosion sounded and gave the bus a shake. Everyone screamed. I could see the looks of panic on the other student's faces.

"Looks like that's it Mr. 'H'...she ain't going anywhere," the driver said.

Mr. Hayman sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "How far behind is the other bus do you think?"

The driver shrugged his shoulders again. "Maybe five minutes?"

Mr. Hayman nodded his head in thought. "Lance...! Lance Seattle, get out and stand on the road. When you see the other bus coming wave it down." Lance nodded and jumped off the bus then Mr. Hayman yelled at the rest of us.

"Okay, Okay! Listen up...enough! He waved his hands up and down. The noise quietened. I was sitting in the mid-section with Terry so I could hear him clearly. Mr. Hayman's voice boomed down the aisle. "The bus has broken down. The other bus shouldn't be very far away. Gordon Rice! Shut it!" Mr. Hayman's finger stabbed accusingly towards Gordon who had continued to talk. "The deal is we wait for the other bus and get on board. A lot of you will have to stand up in the aisle."

A groan ran throughout the bus.

"For those who don't like that idea I suggest you start walking." He held out his hands towards us with his palms facing upward. More groans erupted. Mr. Hayman grinned. "So any takers for the walk? Only forty kilometres left." He looked this way and that. "No...didn't think so. Keep your chatter quiet while we wait. Any loud outbursts and that person or persons will be walking. Got it?" Everyone nodded.

"Good," he said then sat down in his seat.

It didn't take long until the other bus was pulling up beside us. Mr. Hayman went to talk to the other driver and teachers. When he came back he shouted. "Okay everybody out!"

We hurried into the waiting bus. Some of us were lucky enough to get a seat or could squeeze in beside a friend. I got separated from Terry and had to stand. As more people climbed aboard the little space I had disappeared. I felt like an asparagus in a can. Because I was short I couldn't reach the overhead railing or any of the small hand rails on the edge of the seats. People were pushing passed me. When the shuffling finally finished I noticed Joe Barushy was in front of me. His body mass taking up the width of the aisle. Gordon Rice and Nick Harrison, who were much taller than I, were jammed on either side of me. I seemed to be stuck in their space. They kept shoving me between the two of them. I didn't know who was behind me. I guessed it was another boy because their body felt hard against my back. I felt very intimidated with so many elbows, arms, legs, chests and whatever else was being pressed against me. There wasn't much I could do about it. I figured these boys didn't even know I was standing there. The only thing I could see was Joe Barushy's back. Male body odour mingled with a hint of deodorant engulfed me. I couldn't hold on to anything. The bus roared to a start. I off balanced and whacked my face against Joe Barushy's shoulder blade.

When the bus changed into the next gear I swayed backwards. Someone slipped an arm around my waist. I gasped. The bus changed into the next gear. I was swung around in the pocket of space that was created by the shifting of body's as the buses jerky gear change shuffled us all around.

I looked up at who had turned me around and instinctively tried to take a step backwards but to no avail.

Keean Crone stared down at me, his blue eyes intense and serious. He let go of me and was now holding onto the handrails above his head with both hands.

"Hold on to my jacket," his deep voice commanded.

I didn't do it. I was completely taken aback he had actually spoken to me. While I tried to clear my head the bus lunged once more. I rocked forward then backwards. Gordon Rice staggered too. He grabbed for the railing above his head and smashed my cheekbone with his elbow. Pain seared through me as my head was thrust forward into Keean Crone's body. I looked up at him, out of breath, trying to stop the tears I could feel, erupt from my eyes. He shrugged and cocked his head to one side as if to say 'I told you so'. I quickly looked away embarrassed and took hold of the open edges of his jacket. I held on tight. The other bodies pushed me harder into his broad chest. I stood as still as I could afraid any movement of my body against his might be interpreted as me enjoying being where I was.

I wasn't game to let go of his jacket in case the bus jerked again. He didn't speak to me and I was too embarrassed to look up. I tried to focus on the excursion. Going over the history of the First World War we had covered already but my mind wouldn't let me block out the nearness of Keean Crone. I was so close I could hear his heart beating and feel his chest rise and fall with each breath he took. It was his deodorant I could smell. I couldn't pick the brand but I liked it. I felt like I was standing on the very edge of an abyss. My senses were ignited. I found it hard to breathe. I didn't know if it was my imagination playing tricks on me but I felt like he was looking down on me because I felt his warm breath in my hair. I had the weirdest feeling he was smelling its perfume.

Copyright © 2017 by Donna Fieldhouse. All rights reserved.

Stay calm, Charlie.  Stay calm :)

Thanks so much for reading.  xoxo