Silence || Blake Richardson (1)

01

chapter one

"I'm glad that's not you moving."

I sit up, looking out the window to the house across the street. It had been for sale for only a few weeks before this family took it.

"Me too. I'm tired of moving everywhere."

"Where were you born again?"

"Leeds, and then I moved to-"

"Birmingham before you were one, Liverpool when you were five, London when you were eight, Manchester when you were nine, and by the time you were fifteen you had moved here and now-"

"Carly?"

"And now you've been here in the wonderful city of Accrington for the past two years with an amazing best friend."

"And me!"

The sudden weight of another person's body on my bed causes me to bounce slightly.

"What are you doing here? I thought you had football practice."

"I did."

Carly groans. "That explains the smell."

Parker leans over, looking at my notebook.

"What are you working on?"

"Maths."

"Have you called Reece to help?" Carly asks.

She's always looking for an excuse to see the boys.

"Why would you call Reece?" Parker asks quietly.

He doesn't know I know, but Parker has a thing for Carly, and anytime she brings up one of the boys, he immediately becomes jealous.

"Reece is a maths genius."

"I could help."

"No offense, but you aren't the best at maths. Besides, who said I needed help?"

"Nobody?"

"Exactly. This is one of the only subjects I actually do get."

Carly laughs. "Lucky for you. I don't get this at all."

"I'm not in maths."

I hit Parker's arm. "That's because you graduated last year and you're taking the year off."

"I hate that you get to lay around all day and I have to go to school." Carly rolls off of my bed, grabbing her laptop and opening it up.

"Jessica!" I look out the window and see Reece in the front yard, a smile on his face. George was trailing behind him.

I quickly rush out of the house, wrapping them in my arms.

Reece and George had recently gone on a trip to London for a few days to go to a football game, and I missed them like crazy.