Touchy

Chapter 3

I've just decided to go with the flow and post whenever. It's not like anyone's reading anyway, so it's more for me. One day, one day someone will read this.

Outside it's raining so we're inside for P.E today, meaning I can get away with more layered clothes as I won't have to be running around, panting like a dog in the park. Inside when it's wet out, we usually either play dodge ball, badminton or have to induce the beep test – utter death. Thankfully today, there is no beeping machine and my silent spell with Phoebe has also washed away.

Yesterday morning when I arrived, she was already there, waiting for me to walk into school with. She was normal. Everything was as if the day before hadn't happened. I thought it might have been too good to be true, but it's Thursday now and nothing's changed. Her mood is as perky as it was yesterday and Tuesday's frozenness seems to have melted completely without a trace of meltwater. It's all been evaporated; I just hope the cycle doesn't continue.

"I'm telling you she's pregnant," Phoebe whispers into my ear, eyes zooming in and out of Miss Peters.

I roll my eyes and face her, taking a step back, having not realised just how close she was stood to me. "If she wanted us to know, she'd tell us. Don't you think?" I say, not really caring about the topic. Babies are all good and cute until they start pooping; puking and keeping you awake all night with their crying. Yeah, they sound fantastic. "Come on, I want to play," I moan, swinging my badminton racket around in my right hand. When Phoebe doesn't move, I realise she's still staring transfixed at Miss Peters. "Do not tell me you want a child." This grabs her attention as she swivels round to me almost instantly.

"No, I don't want a child," she says, finally readying up to play, shuttlecock poised in her hand. "It would be nice to look after one. You know, for a few hours or a day. A short amount of time at first otherwise I would not cope well."

"What are you two talking about?" An all too familiar voice asks. Joanne is advancing over to my side of the court whilst Lexi is moving round to Phoebe's.

"Nothing for your ears," Phoebe bluntly informs her with a tone of sass that I'm very pleased to hear. She serves the shuttlecock over the net to me only for Joanne to intercept it from me immediately, her racket harshly slamming the feathers down to the ground as if to make a kill.

"Well, seeing as we've been told to move up here I think that anything that's said is for the whole court to hear," Joanne's venomous voice replies. She's so snide she makes me want to drive the racket somewhere I never would to anyone else.

I share a look with Phoebe and can't help but give a tempered glare of my eyes at her, in annoyance of the malicious Joanne. Reaching down for the shuttlecock, I make the mistake of meeting her questioning eyes on the way up. "Whatever. Me and Phoebs are going to play our game whilst you can play yours," I say giving Phoebe a nod to get ready. I serve her the shuttlecock. Phoebe hits and passes it back to me only for Joanne to hit it back to Phoebe instead who catches it in her hand, ending the short rally we had.