A Second Chance

Chapter 1

They were gone. All of them, and the memories gone with them. Susan refused now, more than ever to believe. Her brothers and sister were gone, killed in a train crash, along with her parents and cousin. If the so called "Aslan" was supposed to be watching over them, in this world as well, he wasn't doing a very good job of it. That's one of the reasons she didn't believe anymore.
Reality is what mattered though. Right now she was living in America, but it didn't feel right anymore. She needed a fresh start. So she decided to move back to Finchley. Yes, that was the town she and her siblings had grown up in, but she felt a sense of peace when she thought about it. Finchley would always be a place that felt like home, and right now home was exactly where she wanted to be.
So Susan packed up her belongings, which consisted of mostly dresses, nylons, and lipstick. As she was packing she came across the framed picture on her desk. It was the only one of her siblings she kept out anymore. Hurt hit her right in the heart as she tucked it away in the bottom of her suitcase.
Her plan was to take a train to New York City where she would ride aboard a passenger boat across the ocean to England where she would then take two more trains to Finchley. Once she arrived there it was just a matter of finding a place to live and a job.

Two months later

"Class dismissed." Susan said just as the last bell of the day was ringing. She had found a job as a fifth grade school teacher. It was a busy job what with all those papers and tests to grade, but she enjoyed the busy work. It helped keep her mind off of other things.
Susan did her usual afternoon routine: pick up the room, straighten the desks, and reorganize the books. She was indeed a very organized teacher. Then she paperclipped together a stack of papers that needed grading and stuffed them in her bag. After checking the room once more for an out of line desk or a stray pencil on the floor, she flicked off the lights and locked the door.
Susan clicked down the hallway in her heels. She was about to round the corner but then she heard someone call out from the classroom she had just passed.
"Phyllis?" The voice called. Susan looked around but no one else was in the hallway. She assumed the person had just confused her with another teacher and continued walking.
"Phyllis?" The voice said again. This time she turned around to see a teacher walking out of the classroom. He was tall and somewhat skinny with, though Susan wouldn't admit it to herself, a handsome, sturdy looking, face. He was dressed in a brown suit and striped tie and held a pair of glasses in his hand. He was young, probably in his mid twenties, about Susan's age.
"I'm sorry you must be mistaken." She said to him, wondering why in the world he thought her name was Phyllis.
"No I can't be." He said, taking a few steps closer to her. "I would never forget that face."
"I'm sorry but my name is not Phyllis." Susan protested.
"Well of course not. You only told me that to get me away from you."
"What are talking about?"
"Don't you remember me?"
"I'm sorry but you don't seem a bit familiar." Susan said.
"I'm Warren." He said then put on his circular shaped glasses and said "Do you go to Saint Francis? I go to Henden House, across the road. I've seen you, sitting by yourself. Yes, well, I prefer to be left alone." He took off his glasses, batted his eyelashes, and talked in a high pitched voice during the last sentence.
Susan opened her mouth but couldn't speak. She couldn't believe it. Right here was the nerdy school boy who had drooled over her during their first year of boarding school so long ago. She had met him just before her and her siblings had been transported to-no! She wasn't going to let her mind play those tricks on her again. None of that had ever happened. It was all just fun and games.
"Oh my goodness, Warren! You-you've changed!" She exclaimed.
"Really? I have?" He said sarcastically. "But you haven't changed one bit." He smiled. Oh no. He's still after me. Too much had happened in the past few months. Susan wasn't ready for love yet.
"So, what are you doing here in Finchley?" She asked, changing the subject.
"Well my brother and his family moved out here about the time I graduated. I didn't have any plans at the time so my brother invited me to live with them till I settled down. I decided I really liked Finchley and once I found a job and an apartment I don't know, I guess this just kinda became my home." He explained. "What about you? I thought you and your brother moved to America after high school." He asked.
"Yes we did. I actually just moved here a couple months ago." Warren nodded, wondering if there was anything more to the story. Susan didn't really want to talk about her siblings so she simply said "I just needed a fresh start."
Warren smiled understandingly.
"Well There's a stack of papers on my desk that won't grade themselves." He sighed. "Phyllis, what church do you go to?" He asked before turning back to his classroom.
"I don't really go to church. And just so you know my name is not actually Phyllis, it's Susan."
"I know." He winked at her. "Well I guess I won't see you till Monday then."
"No, probably not."
"It was nice catching up with you."
"You too." Susan said, still amazed at how much he had changed since high school.
"Bye." He whispered. Then he went back into his classroom.
Susan left the building feeling much more light hearted then she had in months.