The first day back at school, I always feel a little like a deflated balloon. That feeling as you lie there, sleep-deprived and depressed, and you wonder why you wasted all that precious holiday time.
Moping done, I get out of bed, and jump onto Nina’s sleeping form. She has one arm up above her head, and seems to be quite peaceful, but as soon as I cannonball into her, that arm starts whacking me around the head.
‘Ow! Ow! Okay, okay, I give in! Good morning to you too.’
She relents, sitting up. ‘Ugh, I was having a really good dream as well.’
‘Let me guess: it was about Jake Kewley?’
It takes a moment for her sleep-fuddled brain to understand my wit, but as soon as she does, I have to dodge out of the door as a pillow comes flying my way. Nina and I get changed into our school uniform, marvel at the comparative lengths of our skirts (despite the fact that her skirt is longer than mine, it reaches almost an inch higher than mine when she is wearing it, due to her abnormally long model-like legs) and decide how to tackle Jessica.
She’s scrunched up into a little ball, her head barely poking out of the sleeping bag.
‘So, what shall we inflict upon Sleeping Beauty?’ says Nina, raising her eyebrows at me archly.
‘Row the boat?’ I suggest, choosing a technique that my brothers have inflicted upon me many a time.
We each take an end of her air bed, and on the count of three, hoist it into the air, swinging it from left to right whilst loudly proclaiming ‘Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream! Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream!’
By the time we reach the second merrily, Jess is showing signs of life. By the time we reach dream, she has sat up, causing us to promptly drop her.
Nina and I collapse into giggles as Jess rolls out of bed, groaning about her coccyx.
Breakfast is a hectic affair, with three boys and three girls all trying to leave the house by eight in the morning. It’s pretty much first come first served, because by the time Quinn and Jessica make it downstairs, all the coffee and bacon has gone, and they are left with some cold toast. Mum shakes her head when she sees the guest munching on such paltry food, but Jessica doesn’t seem to mind.
When we get to school, I forget all my bad feeling. It’s great to see Louis again, after a week apart, and Jasper gives me a massive hug the moment he sees me. I notice the collar of his shirt doesn’t quite cover his plaster.
‘You alright?’ I ask him.
He tugs his collar up. ‘Hm? Yeah, I’m fine.’
I notice that he’s watching the cars arrive anxiously. ‘Have you seen Nate today?’
‘Not yet, why?’
‘Nisha won’t answer her phone. Has Nate said anything to you?’
‘No, nothing,’
He shrugs. ‘I’m sure it’s nothing. Maybe she’s lost it.’
I pat him on the back awkwardly. ‘Yeah, probably. I’ll ask Nate when I see him.’
But when I get out my phone, I see a text from Nate:
From: Nate<3 To: Rue
Going to be late, tell Mr White x
I sigh, annoyed. But just as I am punching in a reply, someone comes up and hugs me, picking me up off the floor and swinging me around. When I finally reach solid ground again, I look up and see it is Sander, beaming at me. Uh hoh.
YOU ARE READING
Safety is Relative
Teen FictionSafety is Relative, my Dad once told me. It depends on how you look at it. For example, many more people have a fear of flying than a fear of driving. Why? Cars are familiar, and we see them every day. Most people don't crash their cars. Planes, how...
