The Girl With a Guitar

3. The Day the Moon Stopped Following the Earth

(The title refers to the 'simile'? in the 1st chapter, Audrey's the Moon revolving around the Earth - Abigail and Lilith, which is revolving around the Sun - Katrina)

I woke up to my alarm on Friday, the second day of school as 7, 11 & 12 returned Wednesday and the rest returned the next day.

I roll out of bed and get ready for school, and grab some breakfast before flinging Olivia a quick text telling her I'm heading to the bus stop soon and that she'd need to hurry up if she's going to make it on the first bus.

I figure I've got enough time before the bus arrives so I can eat my breakfast and play a quick song before walking to the stop. Mum was at work, she's a chef and she makes sure we know it, and Dad was on a business trip to Taree for the weekend.

I finish my breakfast and head to my room after feeding our German Shepard, Axel. He's part of the reason Olivia is over practically every day. I grab my electric guitar out because why not? My amp is already plugged in so I connect the lead to my guitar and turn the amp on, waiting for the lead to warm up so the sound will come through.

I try practising Under the Bridge by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and I keep putting my fingers on the wrong frets and plucking the wrong strings, I guess I'm still kind of tired. I decide that I'll grab a coffee at the Shopping Centre basically right next to the school with Liv when we get off the bus because of course she'll want a coffee too.

I turn the amp off and unplug the lead and put it back in the little compartment in the amp and put my guitar back on its cute little stand and walk down the stairs and say goodbye to Axel, then grab my keys and lock the door and head to the bus stop, checking my phone, I've got 6 minutes to get to the bus stop, I can make that.

I pick up the pace just in case, and run into a tree as I try and pick some music to play through my headphones that I pull out of my pocket.

After looking around to see if anyone saw that and confirming that no one did, I kept walking and plugged my headphones in and played my liked songs.

Surely enough, I make it to the bus stop in time and just a few seconds later, I see Olivia coming up the path and decide I'll keep my headphones in and try and read her lips which I often do, but it doesn't always end too well....

Just after she walks up to me, the bus comes around the corner and pulls up to the little blue sign. I didn't see Grace and James so I figure they're catching the later bus, or their dad is dropping them off.

We hop on the bus and see that the bus has a window out the back and that seat is vacant so as if we read each other's minds, we both walk straight to the back, the bus speeding off when we're almost there, throwing us into the seat. We adjust our positions and put our bags on the floor at almost the same time, it's eerie.

5SOS's 'She's kinda hot' plays through my headphones and I tap my fingers on the seat along with the beat, scoring me an odd look from Olivia. "What? You've never heard of a beat? Quit staring, weirdo. I mean I know I'm irresistible but get a grip" to which she replies with a "really?" stare before she states that she'd gladly cut her fingers off before falling for me, which I heard through the silence of the songs changing. "Ouch, Liv, that hurt me, right here.." I pout while placing my hand on my heart, earning me a famous eye roll from my sassy best friend.

The bus pulls up at the bus bay as my 4th song starts playing and we get up and tap off, or at least try to, because my opal card keeps declining, I guess you'd say. After 7 tries, it finally works and I apologise to the driver for the trouble, before thanking her. I grab Olivia's arm as she begins the walk towards school and pull her to the shops and say "we're getting coffee, my treat"
And she lights up at those words. I laugh and we walk into the shops and get the precious drinks.