Colliding Into You

Our Bench

At break time, I left science out the back door which leads to the field. The field is meant to be shut because it's damp and muddy, making it a deserted wasteland. Doritos packets and wrappers of chocolate whirled around my feet like hurricanes along with rotting leaves and crumbling, frosty mud. I walked around the science block and towards the bench we visit daily. We christened it "Our Bench" since we always went to sit by it since year 7. The group of the trees behind it would shear its leaves in autumn, stick bald in winter, bloom berries in spring and shade us in the summer. There was a bench next to it, about 10 feet away  which we'd also like to recruit into our tiny patch of paradise. Christian, Joel and Jaden always sat by it, three boys in our year. It was always those three. And my three? Amber was already sitting there, on Our Bench. She grinned manically when she saw me and leapt out of her seat. As she shuffled over with flapping hands her silk scarf and shoulder length hair whisked behind her, flapping in the wind. She stumbled a bit in her heeled boots but still made it to me for a welcoming hug. Her hoop earing pressed against my cheek, it felt cold against my flustered skin.

'Hiya, you okay?' She linked her bejeweled fingers around my slim wrist like a tight bangle and led me too the bench. Her hot pink backpack, denim jacket and a romance book, half open and pressed onto the damp wood of the bench with a deep crease down the spine were scattered over Our Bench.

'Yeah, not too bad, I went to Rochelle's party last night,' I said softly, knowing it would burst into a conversation.

Amber pulled her stuff together and sat on the bench like she just finished a marathon. 'How was it? Sorry I couldn't go, you know what my Mum is like.'

'Don't feel too hard about it, my Mum wasn't too thrilled with me going either, I wish I didn't anyway,' I delved through my bag to get to my lunchbox and pull out a granola bar.

'Was it that bad?' Amber looked at me with her sympathetic know-it-all face, like one you'd see on a fortune teller after you told them their prediction for your future was correct.

I raised my eyebrows and pursed my lips. She giggled got out and bit in to an apple so ferociously some of the juice dripped down her chin. We laughed together as I bit deeply into my own granola bar and my mouth was filled with what I needed, a sweet burst of energy after a late night the night before.

'So? How is The Moonlit Love?' I tapped her book, pressing the pages into the wood. She held the apple in her mouth with her teeth and picked it up.

'It's so good, I'm on chapter 17 and... urgh,' she stressed the word "so" to highlight just how good it is. When she groaned I giggled. She also snorted with laughter as she tried to speak through the apple (which failed).

'I know, Charlotte is so close to discovering the murderer when Edward comes in and they start kissing and it's so hot, but now I'm starting to think he is the murderer,' I retracing the chapter through my head and picking up the story line.

'Sh sh sh, don't say anything you could spoil it,' she flapped her hands at me once again which shut me up.

'Okay, I won't,' I raising my hands in front of myself to try and calm her.

'Where's Christian? usually he's here by now,' she shaded her eyes from the sun and peered around the clearing. She just saw Rochelle swaggering up to us, then gave her signature hand flap to gesture she wants a hug.

'Oh my God, I can't wait for the play,' Rochelle put her bag down and did a little dance with excitement. My stomach fizzed with energy and I leaped up.

'Me neither, it's so close! Two weeks!' I joined in with her dance. Then Amber leapt up, determined not to miss out on group happiness.

'Oh yeah, guess what?' Amber squealed and joined in with the dance.

'What?' Me and Rochelle pleaded simultaneously.

'My Mum says I can come and watch!' She threw her arms around us. Amber may be a strong 16 year old girl, but her mum's barriers make her seem constantly pulled down, like a spring, waiting to be let go and bounce around uncontrollably. At that moment I felt really bad for her. As Rochelle parted from the hug I stayed hanging, holding onto Amber like a baby in my arms.

As break went on I heard the same usual jokes, the same usual excitement and love stories and tales and dates from the same five people. I loved the company, the warmth, the laughter, but I wanted way more to my life, I wanted to have a love story.