You Watched Me Fall {A Novella}

VI: The Girl with the Red Hair

Copyright © M.T.Wilson 2012- All Rights Reserved

This chapter is really short I'm afraid, I didn't intend to end it where I did but it just feels right to end it there. I might go back and edit it later though.

VI: The Girl with the Red Hair

    I could see him clear as day, as if he was there in front of me. His dark hair falling into his eyes, eyes so brown they were almost black. He held his hand out to me, his pale skin was smooth and completely unmarked. That’s when I realised something wasn’t right. He didn’t have such perfect hands, his were scarred not soft to the touch when he slid his hand into mine.

    “Isa.”

    My eyes fluttered open, the voice breaking me out of my reverie. The shingles by the lake dug into my bare feet and a soft wind stirred the surface of the water so slightly. Cohen stood next to me, his brows furrowed.

    “Are you alright?”

    I smiled faintly. “I was just…deep in thought.”

    Cohen nodded absently before swinging his rucksack off his shoulder and pulling out a sandwich bag and a couple of packets of crisps. “Lunch,” he grinned.

    We sat down on the shingles and tucked into our midday meal, it was Saturday so Cohen had been able to come to the lake for lunch and was planning on staying until evening. I was wearing the old clothes Luceen had reluctantly let me borrow and couldn’t help but fiddle with a frayed spot on the knee of the crops. Cohen seemed to notice.

    “Are you…anxious…or something?” he asked.

    “What?” I looked down to where my hand was, pulling on a loose thread. “Oh, um, I don’t know. I didn’t really notice I was doing it, to be honest.”

    Cohen looked like he was about to reply but there was the sound of footsteps on the shingles and we both spun around, Cohen leaping to his feet. The red haired girl was walking towards us and she smirked when she saw our shocked and alert expressions.

    “Maya,” Cohen said defensively. “What are you doing here?”

    She smiled as she came to a stop just in front of us and shrugged. “Can’t a girl be curious?”

    “Curious about what?” Cohen was on edge, his whole body tense.

    Maya looked past him to where I was still sat by the lake and I rose to my feet, coming to stand at Cohen’s shoulder.

    “I know something’s going on here, I was just curious as to what.”

    Cohen didn’t have a reply and glared at her silently.

    “I just wanted to be friendly,” she said, rolling her eyes, “no need to be so hostile.”

    “You’re friends with Ollie,” Cohen said, “that’s reason enough.”

    Something flashed in Maya’s eyes. “Not by choice.”

    Cohen’s gaze was level and unyielding. “You still hang around with him.”

    She sighed. “That’s personal.”

    “So?”

    “Just because I’m friends with him doesn’t mean I’m like him,” she said, folding her arms across her chest. She presented herself as full of confidence but I could see that it was only a mask.