SHIFTED.✔

27

The boys around us started jostling with impatience pushing me so hard against Keean it made it uncomfortable to breathe. He neither moved nor shoved back. When one of them stood on my foot. I jerked in agony and felt the vibration of his deep voice as it rumbled in his chest.

"Harrison, stand still. You're not the only one jammed on this bus."

Harrison's reply was a little shaky, "Yeah sure, Crone...no worries."

I wondered why Keean Crone never acknowledged me. Why he didn't like me? I don't think I'd ever done anything to make him dislike me except the comment to Victoria but he hadn't liked me before that had happened. Then I thought if he didn't like me why had he even bothered to help me by letting me hold on to his jacket. If he hadn't turned me around and let me do this perhaps I'd be pushed up hard against Joe Barushy and clinging to his back, my nose shoved under his armpit. Ugh! What a thought. I grinned. Oh...so much better to be pushed up against Keean. I blushed with embarrassment as a panicked thought struck me. What if Keean Crone knew I thought he was the hottest guy I'd ever seen and that's why he had turned me around? To embarrass me.

Oh. My. God.

Surely he wouldn't know?

Maybe my La La moment in Phys. Ed had triggered some knowledge.

Maybe given him the idea I did like him.

I hardly looked at him because every time I had he'd catch my gaze. His eyes darkened and his face became intense with disapproval. Katie had also said Keean Crone thought he was too good for everyone at school. He didn't mix much with anyone in particular. She reckoned he was stuck up. More stuck up than Victoria Carter so she had given up her resolution of doing it with him. I honestly thought her decision on that score was more to do with Chris Hyatt.

I felt myself stiffen with anger at the thought he was purposely making me uncomfortable when he wrapped his arm tightly around my waist then lifted me up so my feet no longer touched the floor of the bus. It happened so suddenly that I grabbed tightly to his neck in panic. As our eyes met the bus bounced hard, lifting people off their seats. Joe Barushy and the others slammed into each other then jostled backwards so the pressure of their body's against my back pushed the air from my lungs. I gasped. Keean let go of the rail and shoved the boys forward freeing up a small pocket of space. He reached up and took hold of the rail again and then placed me back on my feet.

"Speed bump," he said. His voice was soothing and apologetic. Keean smiled warmly down at me with amusement in his eyes. In my panic I quickly turned my face to stare at his shirt and took a deep breath. I felt my skin burn with shame. I needed to get out of the bus, to get away from him as fast as I could. I resolved then and there that I would die if I didn't.

The bus pulled up. I bolted as quickly as I could from it. I found Katie and the rest of them inside the museum. Keean Crone was nowhere to be seen. I relaxed and tried to forget about that last look he'd given me as he'd let go of me.

The museum wasn't what I expected. There was a lot of machinery, old tanks, trucks, guns and stuff. There were boards with soldier's names on and occasionally some information about them.

"What do we do now, are we supposed to take any notes? It's more about machinery than facts and dates."

Katie looked around. "I'm not sure but someone will know."

Peter Ember heard what we said and stepped closer to us. He imitated Mr. Hayman's voice. "Now, now girls, the idea is to learn as much as you can about every area of the war. That includes the equipment which was used." Peter wagged his finger and continued in a gruffer voice, "The war wasn't just fought by strangers. Those soldiers were someone's son or brother, your great grandfathers and uncles perhaps."

Other students had come to watch his interpretation of Mr. Hayman. He continued flapping his hands as if shoeing a flock of birds away from a picnic table.

"Off you go now. Look in the registers to see if you can find a name you recognise or like the sound of. When you choose a name we'll look for some facts about that person. Pick a piece of war machinery and we'll research it too."

Most of the students watching were in fits of laughter. Not because Peter was funny but because Mr. Hayman was standing right behind him.

"Well, Mr. Ember I'm glad to know at least one of you has taken notice of my instructions."

Peter froze. The look on his face was enough to get us all laughing hysterically.

While we were sitting outside on the lawns of the museum, eating lunch, Mr. Hayman announced a new bus was on its way. He was sorry that we'd had to cram on the bus earlier. Everyone cheered, especially me. When we were lining up I saw the back of Keean Crone's head in the line in front of me. I was sure he would end up on the first bus so I told Katie I'd forgotten something and moved to the back of the line. I wanted to be on the second bus. As far from him as was possible.

Copyright © 2017 by Donna Fieldhouse. All rights reserved.

I don't think Keean hates Charlie.  What do you think? 

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