Lost Souls

13

The early evening had turned cooler, and Katie wished she'd brought along her jacket. Sitting outside the library, on the steps leading up into the building, she sat with her knees pulled up towards her chest, with her chin resting on them, as she tried to make herself as small a target as possible for the winds icy fingers that had started to prod at her body.

​As she surveyed the passers-by, she spotted Jimmy across the street. He looked younger again, and his hair was shorter and perhaps a shade darker, just like it had been when she'd caught sight of him from her fathers car the previous day. He was wearing a pair of black trousers, a pink loose fitting t-shirt, over which he'd pulled a light summer dark green jumper. He looked smart, and she had to admit, very handsome.

​Quickly, she uncurled, and jumped to her feet.

Looking both ways along the busy road, filled with harassed drivers hurrying home from work, she waited impatiently for a gap in the traffic to appear, and when a slice opened up in the moving metalwork, she sprinted across the carriageway, hoping she'd catch Jimmy, before he did one of his very annoying vanishing acts again. She couldn't explain why, but she felt strongly that Jimmy knew something important about Dovecot Manor that he wasn't telling her, and she intended to find out just what that was.

​Having made it safely across the road, Katie stood on the pavement peering through the throng of bustling shoppers, and tried to pick Jimmy out. It was like trying to find a white marble in a large bag full of multi coloured ones. She knew he was there, but couldn't spot him in the swirling sea of moving arms and legs.

​She decided to run in the direction she'd seen him walking, maybe she'd catch him up before she lost him for the night.

​Katie, ran round the first corner and barged straight into Jimmy, who'd been leaning against a shop window. Both crashed to the ground. Katie was the first to climb back to her feet, jumping up to avoid as much embarrassment as she could.

Jimmy hauled himself up slowly, clearly winded by the collision.
​"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he scolded.

​Katie opened her mouth to apologise, then slammed it shut so quickly she cracked her teeth so hard that the resulting crunch reverberated through her jaw and head. Instead of speaking, she stood with her eyes wide, and her face contorted in confusion.

​"Who are you?" Jimmy asked, still fuming that he'd been knocked down.

​Katie shook her head, trying to remove the feeling that someone had stuffed candy floss into her skull. "Who...am...I" she finally stammered. "Who are you?"

​My name's Christopher Scott, although why I'm telling you anything is a bit out there, seeing as it was you who knocked me over."

​For the first time, Katie noticed the subtle differences between Jimmy and the teenager before her. Christopher had a fuller face, darker eyes, and a small scar above his right eyes. He was also a couple of inches shorter than Jimmy, and Katie guessed, a stone or so heavier. "I'm so sorry," she began, as the awkwardness of the situation threatened to drown her. "I thought you were a friend of mine."

​Christopher laughed heartily. It was so infectious, that Katie found herself joining in.

​"Do you always wrestle your friends to the ground?" he asked, as his laughter was replaced by the odd giggle.

​"Only the best ones," Katie joked.

​"Maybe, I could start at the bottom and work my way up then?" Christopher suggested, as he moved closer to Katie and held out his hand.

​Katie felt a warm glow spreading over her face, and knew she'd be turning tomato red shortly. She always did when boys were nice to her. "That would be a good idea," she managed to reply, as she took hold of Christopher's hand and felt him squeeze gently.

​"That's great," Christopher beamed. "Your accent isn't Scottish , so I'm guessing you're either here on holiday, or you're at the University?"

​"Wrong on both counts."

​"Never!"

​"Forever," Katie said, and then wanted the ground to open up and swallow her for giving such a silly response.

​"So, tell me," Christopher prompted.

​Katie's face was burning, so she took a calming breathe before she spoke. "I've just moved up from London. My dad's got a new job in Inverness, so we've rented a house near Auchdermuir."

​"Cool. How many of you are there? Enough for a rugby team maybe?!

​"The rest of the family aren't as clumsy," Katie said, feeling more relaxed in Christopher's company the longer they stood chatting.

​"Probably not a bad thing," he joked.

​"Hmm."

​"So, do you fancy coming to the pub tonight?" Christopher suddenly blurted out, taking Katie by surprise.

​"I'm only sixteen," she muttered, feeling as nervous as she had felt on her first day at secondary school.

​"Great. You can drink coke. Save me money that will," Christopher joked, without breaking his stride.

​Katie grinned sheepishly. "I have to go. My parents don't know where I am."

​She turned to leave, but Christopher grabbed her arm. "Hey! What about tonight. You coming?"

​Katie shook her head. She would've loved to meet Christopher, but knew that there was no way her parents would drive her back into Inverness later that night, especially to go to a pub with a guy she'd just met. "Maybe we can go to the pictures or something another time. I won't be out tonight," she said, looking down at the hand holding her still.

​Christopher released his grip and smiled, "Oh well, at least you've not blown me out completely," he said teasingly.

​"I'll see you another time," Katie promised, and started to walk away. She'd barely walked a dozen steps when she heard him call out.

​"Hey, wait up. What's your name?"

​"Katie. Katie Rusk," she answered, without turning around. She didn't want him to see the huge smile lighting up her face.