The Other Side Of Fear[1]

Chapter 7

Hope ya'll love the first Cal header^^^

So my Dad grounded me – again. I was to go to school and come straight home and he was contacting the principal everyday to make sure I had been in school. My Dad had been so furious it was the maddest I had ever seen him. Mom had told me that one of my teachers had told her I wasn't in class and she asked the principal to monitor the rest of them that day to which he noticed I wasn't in any of them and called home. Of course Mom's first day of her new teacher job had to land on the day I had the most perfect date with Archie. Her being a teacher at my school was already starting to make my life difficult.

I did what I was told. I went to school the next day, stayed in all my classes and came home. I did the same thing the day after. I didn't see Archie at all on those days, but I also didn't have biology so didn't really have a reason to see him. Dad was happy that I was attending and I promised him I would never skip school again. I really meant it. I knew I couldn't afford to miss out anymore when I had dreams of going to Columbia. Archie might have been the hottest guy I had been out with in a long time but I still had plans for going back to New York and I couldn't mess it up.

After a couple of days of behaving myself, Dad eased off a bit and allowed me to have my laptop back. I managed to get some time to chat to my friends back home who all stated they missed me so dearly and totally denied having any fun without me. I smiled at their attempts to make me feel better but told them about my new love interest and this soon got us back to the place we used to be in; just a bunch of girls gossiping in a group chat about a hot guy like nothing else was the matter.

I also managed to convince my Dad to let me be free from the house. My parents had never really been strict and I knew they were just feeling unsettled in the new town. My grounded status soon calmed down and Dad said I could go for a walk, clearly feeling bad about grounding me now.

'I don't want to find out you've went to spend time with that Archie boy,' he told me, as I pulled on my shoes.

'Dad, I haven't spoken to Archie for days,' I said, my heart sinking a little at the truth of my sentence. 'I literally just want to go for a walk.'

He nodded and I set off out of our neighbourhood and into town. This place was so boring. I only really got to spend time with my new friends in school and Archie seemed like he was beginning to be quite unreliable as someone who I could count on spending time with. I wandered around the little square and gazed in the shop windows of the same stores I had browsed in on my first day here.

Eventually, as I was pacing along the street, a sign caught my eye. It was an advertisement for staff and I looked up to see it was a little outdoors store. I stepped inside and roamed the aisles. It was as expected; tools, outerwear, tents and sleeping bags, surfboards and bikes. I circled the store, which was empty, and moved to the till to greet the store owner; a little man looking around aged 50 and a friendly expression on his face.

'Hi,' I smiled.

'Hello...' he studied me with a curious expression.

I didn't expect many young girls came in here so he was definitely right in being confused.

'I'm here about the job,' I told him.

He eyed me for a moment and I presumed he was waiting for the punchline. I picked up the staff wanted sign he also had on the counter and he started to frown.

'Do you know where you are?' he asked.

'Of course,' I frowned back.

'Well, have you worked in this type of place before?' he asked.