A life in the Dark

C h a p t e r T h i r t y F o u r

W e d n e s d a y 1 6 t h A p r i l
________

I woke up this morning to a vibration rippling through my mattress: a text message. Rubbing my eyes, I rolled over to face my phone and without thinking pressed the home button. The screen lit up in a flash and I dropped it and coiled away from the blinding light, hauling my duvet over me to get back into the warmth and darkness of my bed. Great start to the morning, I thought.

A minute or two later, when my alarm went off, I actually made an effort to get up. As I fell from the edge of the bed, I grabbed my phone from its charger and tried again to read the notification. It was from Finley:

Instagram
Finley1369: hey, wanted 2 talk 2 u l8r if thats ok?

I rolled my eyes. For one thing, it's less effort to just write 'to' instead of typing the number two and secondly, when don't we talk on a school day?

I swiped right to reply.

LetticexSummers: yeah of course you can, why?

Within seconds there came a reply.

Finley1369: nothing much, just a question.

LetticexSummers: what about? Can't you just text it?

Finley1369: nah

He didn't add anything else to that so I just rolled my eyes and began to get ready for the day ahead.

*****

It was quite a sunny day, ruined by a considerably strong wind that whipped around you and made you shiver as it went down the back of your shirt. At break I followed Finley out of the classroom and towards the cage, but not quite there; he stopped me behind a tree as if standing with limbs poking out from the trunk was more subtle and unsuspicious that just talking along the way.

"So, now that we're extremely well hidden from society," I began, "what would you like to talk about?"

"I wanted to ask you if you're busy in a week's time?" he asked, but you could tell from his voice that that wasn't all he wanted to say; he'd just cut it short as if he was embarrassed or afraid to reveal any more.

"Should be," I responded shortly. "Why?"

"Well I was planning on inviting you round? If you wanted to of course, it's just that it's my birthday and I wanted to spend it with-"

"Oui," I interrupted, saving him from rambling on any further. "Oui, je vais aller chez toi. But why couldn't you have just texted this earlier-?"

Before he could reply, a shrill scream of outrage broke out and the queen of mean herself came into view.

Jadyn was wrapped in a thick furry coat with the longest and most uncomfortable-looking fake nails on; her hair reflected the sun-and probably more flammable than the sun, for that matter. Around her, all her so-called friends were draped head to toe in contraband. Is it a requirement to be popular to be a pussy when it comes to the cold? I wondered as Jadyn stepped forward.

"Finleeeey," she drooled and I had to fight my natural instinct to gag. "Please say I misheard that and you don't mean to take her out for your birthday."

"Even I didn't think you'd go as low as eavesdropping, Jadyn. A little desperate, are we?" I sniped and she snorted in disgust.

"Oh, wow, that's original."

"That wasn't the question. And-newsflash-saying 'that's original' isn't original!"

"Oh shut up, I didn't come all this way just to argue with you-"

"Then why did you come all this way?" I enquired innocently. She gave my a death stare, but with the amount of make-up on her face making her look like an umpaloopa, I couldn't take her seriously.

She sauntered over to us, my eyes not moving from hers as I thought about what it would be like to disintegrate her right then and there. "Finleeey," she whined, slamming her hip into my side to get me out of the way before squeezing her arms around his like the snake she is. "I'm so much better than her."

He pulled his arm out from her grip, slightly disgusted. "Erm... Yeah. Sure Jadyn, but honestly I don't care. It's my choice who to hang out with."

"But Finleey!"

"Jadyn, it's not your choice. If I wanted to hang with you, I'd ask."

"But... But Finleey-" she complained, putting on a sickly sweet sad puppy face.

"Oh, fuck off," he snapped, shocking me and apparently all the others too. I've never heard Finley this annoyed! He's always so sweet and kind. At least Jadyn can recognise she's pushed too far, I guess. "What part of 'it's not your choice' don't you understand?" I smirked to myself. I couldn't help it. Seeing someone Jadyn explicitly likes stick it to her just makes my day. God, that makes me sound like such an asshole.

Jadyn's usually confident face fell, her eyes wide as she stepped back slightly. "Don't you like me?" she asked quietly, her voice displaying how genuinely hurt she felt. If I didn't hate her so much-and if she didn't remind me of a really clingy little sister-I might've actually felt bad for her. "Don't you care?"

"Honestly?" he began, looking at her with a bored expression. "I never really liked you that much. You have all the characteristics and aspects of stuck-up mean girls that I don't like. Sorry, but its true."

She made a sort of weird choking noise-a bit like a dolphin using it's echo tracking thing-turned and ran, her cronies freezing, rooted to the spot for a moment before following in pursuit of their leader.

Watching them I carefully walked up to my friend. "Damn..." I trailed off, trying to organise my thoughts.

"Sorry," he apologised, slouching and loosening his stance to look at the floor. "I didn't mean to snap, but-god-she pisses me off."

I chuckled. "Nah, it's no problem-I'd definitely do the same."

~~~~~~

Well, I'm back... Finally.

So sorry for the long wait but I was to busy revising for the science exams... I would lie. Really I was just playing video games.

Honestly want to write a different book but will try to finish this first because I know I won't come back to it. I'm also planning a sequel which I know will be bad but I'm really excited for it.

Also, WE NEED TO GET MORE PEOPLE SUBSCRIBING TO PEWDIEPIE. IT'S GETTING TOO CLOSE!

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