Everyone can believe in the idea of being innocent until proven guilty but when someone holds the evidence to prove your guilt, how long can you continue to run from your inevitable fate?
After moving to America in an attempt to escape her troubled...
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Chapter 31:
Walk
"Steven, have you got the cake?" I ask.
"Got it." He replies, carefully removing the extra chocolatey, fudge cake from his bag.
George's eyes glisten as the cake is handed over to me and then placed in the middle of the table.
The cafeteria starts to fill up with the lunchtime buzz of students, their questioning eyes skimming across our table; looking at all the goods.
Although Zac's birthday was yesterday, the group has decided that they want to do something special for him at school. Therefore, it's been left down to me, with Sophie glued to my hip as an assistant, to arrange a special surprise.
In the centre of the table sat the cake, lined with eighteen blue candles. We can't light the candles because of the fire alarms but we included them anyway. The edge of the table is covered in a multi coloured flag bunting. Tied to the back of Zac's usual seat is a small, green, foil balloon which says both 'happy birthday' and '18'.
And the cherry on top has been placed on the table in front of Zac's chair; a tiara, covered in pink feathers, which lights up to say 'birthday princess'. The tiara is courtesy of George, who says that Zac will love it but something tells me that this is simply for George's own entertainment as well as a photo opportunity that will then be plastered over social media.
"Did you all bring a card?" Sophie asks, ticking off the checklist on her phone, something which explained to me why it's always Sophie who's left in charge of planning things.
Everyone takes their birthday cards from their bags and places them in a ring around the cake. The table is finally complete and all that's left now is to wait for the belated birthday boy.
"When do you reckon they'll get here?" I turn, asking my question to Steven.
"As long as Blake and Kieran did actually manage to convince him to walk over to the football pitch, they'll be here any minute now. It would've taken them a few minutes to walk over there and then a few more to catch up with their coach. My guess is that they're on their way here now." Steven glances down at his watch.
The crowds of students in the cafeteria divide their attention between the group and the doors to the room, eagerly anticipating the arrival of Zac. Some already have their phones recording, ready to document the moment for the school feed. At times it feels like we are celebrities, constantly sat in the eye of the media. Sometimes I have to have a reality check and remind myself that I'm just an ordinary 17 year old girl.
Right on cue, Blake and Kieran enter the room with Zac trailing behind them. Everyone in the room focuses on him and we watch his eyes widen with shock as he looks down the main aisle to the decorated table.
