COUNTRY GIRL - The 7th summer

Chapter 1 - Kitty

If someone had told me 7 years ago, that I'll be looking forward every summer break to see Harrison, fell-off-the-roof, cat-killer, Osterfield, I would probably had stick out my tongue and call him silly. I was 10, at the time. Least is to say that my first encounter with Harrison was rather...deadly! But it did get better. Way better!

And look at me now, on this seventeenth of July, rushing inside my brand new car while Dad puts my Hello Kitty suitcase in the trunk. Yes, I'm 17 and I have a pink Hello Kitty suitcase, is there a problem with that? Actually, Kitty is Harrison's nickname for me - I'll let you figure out why...- so it's more like a private joke than me being a fan of the cartoon.

By brand new car, I just mean recently acquired of course. As my birthday present and as a reward for my driving licence and my 5 hopefully aced A-levels. I won't have the results until mid august but I'm trying not to freak out too much until then....My teachers are fairly confident I'll have A's and B's but you never know...

Anyway, back to my "new" car. The Chrysler is probably as old as my Dad...It doesn't even have electric windows! The only think that's cool about it is that it's a convertible. Yeah, that's sick, right? I hope I did ace my A-levels'...!

Dad is coming with me, even tho' I can drive alone now. It's a long road and I don't think he trusts me. Mom's suppose to join us later and pick him up. I'm so excited to see Harry - Harrison - that Dad tells me a hundred times to slow down on the way.

We have a rule, with Harry. Everything that happens in Clayton, stays in Clayton. There, we are the best friends in the world, but as soon as we go back home - he, in London, me in Bristol - we don't interact at all. Well, that is not entirely true, since I found his Instagram account four months ago and I may have kinda stalk him. But we don't call, don't text, nothing. We have our own friends and we don't blend. The only text we send to each other are the dates of our stays in Clayton. It feels kinda like having a secret identity sometimes.

I park the car on the alley and run inside to say hi to Granny. She hugs me and asks me about school and stuff, but I only give her quick answers. Don't get me wrong, I love my grandma and I'm always happy to see her, but right now, all I want is to go by the pond where Harry's supposed to be waiting for me...!

─ Can I go out, now?, I ask my Dad.

─ We just got here. What is so urgent?

─ I reckon it's more of a who, says Granny winking at me.

I make a face but ask again:

─ Please Daddy! I'll be back before Mom arrives, I promise!

He sights but allows me to go. I rush outside and storm to the pond.

─ Harry!, I yell as I'm nearly there.

But I stop dead as I see two shapes sitting at the picnic table, and the second one is not his sister Charlotte! Harrison has heard me and he waves at me but all I can see is that other guy right next to him. This is not how it works! This is supposed to be just the two of us! Who's this bloke?! What is he doing here? How can Harry do this to me? Especially after what happened last year...