Two:
"I'm telling you Jinx –he's the most arrogant sleaze-face I have ever met. Just the thought of him makes me want to vom. And he's obsessed with his appearance! I wish he'd just do one. Do you reckon he could be gay? At least that would put an end to their ridiculous relationship," April McCabe laughed at the thought. Serena's face would be a picture.
Jinx on the other hand was pretty sure that Serena would go ahead and marry Gavin Johnson even if he was gay. As long as money was on offer Serena McCabe would turn a blind eye.
"Well if you ask me, whatever gets Serena off your back can't be a bad thing April. She smothers you and constantly relies on you for everything," Jinx had told April time and time again but knew as usual, her words would be lost on her. "Serena is getting married, doing the house wife thing and living her dream - even though personally, I couldn't think of anything worse. But after all that, what about your dreams? What about them, hey? You've supported her through all the engagement plans with Gavin from dress choices to name places for Christ's sake, but she hasn't once asked you about Uni has she? Well?"
The two girls stopped walking as Jinx looked at her best friend in distress. Maybe she shouldn't have gone off on one about Serena again. She always had a way of putting her foot in it. Awkwardly she lit a Marlboro Light and puffed on it quickly as the autumn wind blew her blue streaked hair in all directions and caused her eyes to water, her black eye liner smudging at the corners and her blue nose piercing tickling from a sneeze about to come.
April studied her best friend. She was so individual, so outspoken and so down to earth that at times she wished she could be more like her. She wished she could speak out to Serena and tell her what she thought about Gavin and their sham of a marriage and how much she wanted to go to University, but she just couldn't. All she was - April McCabe... was a push-over. Well she was sick of doing Serena's running around, complying to her every command. Maybe the time had come to be selfish.
Jinx Garcia watched the changing expressions on April's face and smiled nervously. April McCabe, with her extra long bright red hair and kindness, with her piercing green eyes and milky white skin, with her dainty nose and overwhelming loyalty, was becoming brave.
"I got the acceptance letter from the Uni of Manchester you know," April continued shyly as the two friends began to walk, both aware of each-others feelings without speaking them out loud.
"You're kidding! That's brill mate! Well done, have you told Serena yet?" Jinx's face lit up but she knew what her friend was going to say.
"No not yet. I've not quite decided how to word it, you know - it's difficult..." April remarked awkwardly as she saw Hilltop Green High School in the distance and felt a lurch in her stomach. She hated school more than anything, from the grey and pea green uniform to the teachers and the subjects. She couldn't wait to leave for Uni, now more than ever.
"Talk to my Mum about it tonight if you'd like? She told me she wants to speak to you about something anyway, say's its important. Knowing Mother it could be anything, you know what she's like," Jinx added in a bored-like tone. Her Mother didn't half get on her nerves at times. Like the night before for example, forcing her to do a tarot reading and then going off on one and taking the cards off her as soon as she'd made a prediction. If that woman wasn't crazy then the Pope wasn't Catholic.
As the two girls laughed and made their way to school, neither of them noticed the hooded man following closely behind.
*****
YOU ARE READING
The Circle
Teen FictionPart 1 of The Aurora Trilogy... Against a backdrop of emotional family turmoil, April McCabe must rise above her fears and face a past that threatens to drown her sanity and destroy the world as she knows it. Surrounded by loyal friends Jinx Garcia...