Burning Willow

Chapter 1

The drive back to school was quieter than I was used to. I fidgeted in my seat until we got there. When the car stopped I immediately reached for the seatbelt to release it.

“Siobhan,” my mother said breaking the silence. “Please try to stay out of trouble. This is your last chance.”

“I can’t promise anything.” She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. I would’ve apologised. But what’s the point of apologising when you’re not sorry?

I swiftly unbuckled my seatbelt and slid out of the car before she could say anything more.

I was a couple of steps away from the car when I was ambushed by a tall blur rushing towards me.

I yelped in surprise.

“SHIV!” the person squealed.

“Yes,” I said cautiously.

“You’re back!” I thought about this for a moment.

“Bex?” Her face fell slightly and a frown didn’t suit her.

“You forgot about me?”

“No,” I answered simply. She seemed satisfied with my answer and looped and arm through mine and I stiffened at the contact; but Bex didn’t seem to notice as she dragged me through the crowds.

I missed being here sometimes after all the time I’d spent away. I shook those thoughts from my mind. I didn’t need that now. As we walked the rest of the way through the car park we collected too many stares for my liking.

“Why are they staring?” I mumbled. Bex shrugged. I prodded her in the ribs and she yelped and stared at me.

“I don’t know!” she sighed, exasperated.

She pushed through the double doors of the main building and continued to stride down the hall confidently. Boys wolf whistled as I followed her with quick, short steps. I watched my feet and made sure I didn’t fall flat on my face.

Bex stopped suddenly and I walked into her back.

“Watch it!” she snapped. Guilt flooded through me as I stepped backwards. She saw the frightened expression on my face and apologised immediately. “Shiv! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it!” I nodded once and looked back towards the ground.

She gripped my arm again and dragged me towards our first class without hesitation.

It had been ages since I had last been in a classroom so I quickly scanned the room but my eyes stopped on one person in particular.

It wasn’t so much him but the guitar in his hands. I looked at his face then, he had dark blonde hair which wasn’t long or short and his eyes were the most shocking blue I’d ever seen and my breath caught in my throat just looking at him.

He saw me watching him and smirked before looking down at the guitar again.

I felt my cheeks warm up and Bex poked me in the shoulder hard.

“Got a crush already?” she giggled.

“NO!” I squealed as my cheeks turned a shade redder.

“Course not,” she winked at me as she sat down in the seat two down from him and waved towards the desk between the two of them.

I felt my cheeks burning again as I shook my head furiously. Bex sighed and got up to drag me to the desk.

She pushed me towards it and I stumbled, knocking his desk as I sat down.

He looked up at me with an unreadable expression before muttering something inaudible and turning back to his guitar.

I glared at Bex and she grinned widely.