Felicity

Chapter 2

FIVE PAST TEN

They finally left me alone with her, I have a whole night ahead of me, and I won't waste a single moment of it. I shan't sleep it away, I won't dream it away either. I mustn't, because every moment of it will be far too precious.
I want to try to remember everything, just as it was, just as it happened. I've nearly had eighteen years of yesterdays and tomorrows, and tonight I must remember as many of them as I can. I want tonight to be long, as long as my life, not filled with fleeting dreams that rush me on towards dawn.
Tonight, more than any other night of my life, I want to feel alive.
                                                                                       ***

I'm leading her by her hand, because I know she doesn't want to go. Her cries filled the night, as she begged her mother not to go. The sympathy I felt for her made my heart feel heavy. I told her often how terrible school is: About Mr Smyth and his raging tempers and the long whipping cane he hangs on the wall above his desk. They were illegal now, but he paid plenty of people to keep it quiet. I only knew of this information because of my eavesdropping habits.

I noticed her hesitantly looking back every minute or so, her eyes were full of tears. "Piggyback?" I smiled at her when she nodded enthusiastically.
I'm three years older than her, so I've done everything and know everything. I'm strong, too, and very good at piggbacks.

Strutting along the pavement, I tried to lighten the mood, suddenly motivated to making her feel better. "You won't be the only one, first day's always the worst though Lissie. Anyways, I'll look after you"
Her cheeks felt bigger on my neck, I knew she was smiling behind those tears. 
Walking into the school yard, I let her climb down and then I introduced her to some of my friends, including Jessie, Ben and Alfie. They all shook her hand as if they were grown men, which was the very opposite of their personal. 

The bell suddenly rang and I motioned for her to line up in a different line, but she wouldn't let go of my hand. "I'm scared, Dakota" she mumbled and I told her she'd be fine. She shuffled along into the other line and I gave her a big thumbs up, which she laughed at. Then I winked at her, she blinked back. She did this because she could not wink properly yet, I found it amusing to watch her struggle.

My bootlaces are undone, I can't tie laces. Felicity can, but she's not here. "I made new seating arrangements" Mr Smyth clasped his hands together, instantly I groaned. He looked me up and down then pointed a finger at me. "Young man, your laces are undone. Tie them. I don't want to ever see them like that again. Not ever. Or else."

"But I can't"

"Excuse me?"

"Sir, I can't"

"In that case, you shan't be sitting next to Alfie. You'll be moving next to Violet in the far corner. She'll help you"

After mumbling something under my breath, my feet carried my body towards her desk. Violet kneels down in front of me and does up my laces. She ties very differently from Lissie, more delicately. She didn't look up at me the whole time, I wish she would. She had long plaited blonde hair, all the way down to her back. I wanted to reach out and touch it, suddenly she looked up and smiled at me. I no longer felt grouchy and wanted to stay her with Violet.

In Playtime, In the school yard, I want to go over and talk to her, but I can't because she's always surrounded by a gaggle of giggling girls. They keep looking at me over their shoulders and laughing. I look for Felicity, only to find her on a tree stump doing her laces, then re-doing them. Then repeating this. I sat down next to her.

"Whatcha doin' Lissie?"

"Shh"

"Huh?"

"Miss Oval said my boot laces were messy...For me to learn how to do them neatly, properly." She looked over at my boots and pointed at them "Like yours. Wait, you can't tie shoe laces, how are they so neat?" Scratching the back of my head, I admitted "Well my friend Violet did them up for me-"

"Of course" She grumbled.

"What?"

"You never do things yourself"

"Are you jealous?"

"Of what? A little girl doing your laces 'oh so neatly'" I laughed at her stubbornness. She always came out with amusing things to say, considering her age.

I keeled over and tried to do her laces exactly like Violet had done mine and failed almost immediately. Violet appeared out of nowhere and did Lissie's laces and stood up proudly. Felicity crossed her arms and looked the other way. "I could do it anyway" she hissed.
Completly ignoring her I waved at Violet. "Hey. Where did you learn to do that?"

"My father taught me" she beamed
. _____________________________________________________________________________

Everything became really blurry I began to cough, using my hands to guide myself through the darkness. "Daddy?..." I choked out, the smoke engulfing my young lungs. "Daddy where are you?" I called again, this time more desperately. I was so scared.

Everything became black.
I woke up to a worried Felicity, sitting on the edge of my bed staring at me, the fear devouring her face. 

_____________________________________________________________________________

I felt somebody jab me in the side, I instantly lifted up. "Oww..." I moaned, clutching the side of my head. "I THOUGHT YOU DIED OH MY GOD" Lissie cried. "He fainted you idiot." Violet scowled at her. "I'm fine..." I gritted my teeth. "You could of caught me though"....

Hand in hand, they walked along the pavement, heading home. Felicity stared at me from under her long eyelashes, "Why were you avoiding me?". I was taken aback, suddenly offeneded. For her age, her maturity ruled out everything. She could see straight through me, it fascinated me a lot.
"What? No, I wasn't." I insisted, hoping she's believe my little white lie.
"Don't lie to me, I can tell by the way you twitch your nose." She snapped.

"Jessie wanted to meet you, he was excited to see the little girl he'd heard so many stories about. However, I was not" I confessed, by this point, there wasn't much point in lying to the little genius.
"I am not little" She groaned.
"Yes, yes you are. You will always be little to me, Lissie"
"And you will always be big, big and smarter than me, like a smelly adult" I laughed at her reply and tousled her hair,

Lissie paced ahead of me as we got closer to her house. "What are you excited for?" I asked, confused.

"Mother said she had a surprise" She giggled, like her mother was telepathically connected to her she walked out of her doorway with a puppy in her arms and Lissie squealed.
I stood there grinning like an idiot. It was always a pleasure to see Felicity happy, it wasn't always you'd see it. In fact, it was very rare. I loved her big smile, the way her eyes smiled aswell. It made my heart beat so quick and fast, I thought it would come out of my chest.

Lissie held the fragile animal in her arms, telling it how'd she'd look after it. I slowly walked towards her, stopping right in front of her. "Do you like it?" I asked intrigued for her reaction. "I love it" she beamed, tears forming in her eyes from joy. I felt like I could cry myself.

Her mother glanced at me and embraced me into a motherly-like hug. I enjoyed it, her mother always smelt of lemons because of the washing liquid she used. It smelt lovely though. 
"Do't cry, Dakota. You'll only make me blub too, I do not know how you have that affect on her but you need to teach me" She whispered through her tears, only loud enough for me to hear. I pulled back holding her shoulders, "She's the best thing that ever happened to me" She cried out again. I smiled at her. Since Felicity's father's death, her mother was very sensitive.

"Ditto" I quietly whispered, and I meant it as well. 

Lissie passed me a strawberry lace and I thanked her, then giving her a tight hug, I carried on my walk home, where my own surprise awaited.

                                                                               ***
AUTHORS NOTE

OOOOOOH CLIFFHANGER, TELL ME WHATCHA THINK AND SHOULD I CARRY ON OR NAH LMAO

-COMMENT VOTE AND FAVORITE-