Maple Ridge

Chapter 3

A/N- I needed to edit the previous chapter but I am too lazy right now.

So basically the change is that- Fiona is 17 years old right now and is going to Maple Ridge to complete her last year, not 16 years old and going for her 2nd last year.

Have great day :)

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Fiona Anderson

"How you doing honey?" Olivia asks me, rubbing my shoulder.

I am at her house today. To tell her that I am moving away. Tomorrow. I don't know how she will react. I don't even want to tell her.

"I am okay" I say dully.

"So when are you returning to school? It's been more than 2 weeks now" she asks me. "Everyone is talking about you"

I look sideways at her and say, "Precisely why I don't want to go" I take a pause and continue, "About that, I need to tell you something."

Olivia sighs and says, "You have got to face them sometime though right?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I don't." Olivia looks at me questioningly and so I continue, "that is what I have to tell you. I am moving away."

Olivia jumps up from the bed I surprise, "What!? When?"

I look down and slowly say, "Tomorrow"

Olivia grabs my shoulders and says, "And you are telling me this now!?"

"I am sorry. I am sorry. It just all happened so quickly, I didn't have any time to tell you"

"Where are you going to go?" Olivia asks me, with a sad voice.

"To a boarding school. In the Appalachian Mountains. Dad says that it will be good for me to leave this place behind"

Suddenly, Olivia says, "Oh! That's what it is about!"

"What is what about?" I ask her, not following.

She just gives me a sheepish glance and says, "Oh nothing, just something I remembered"

Olivia looks at the clock and sees that it is 5 PM in the evening. She gasps and says, "You should go now. It will take you a lot of time to reach home as you are taking the bus"

She pushes me out of the door, handing me my bag. She is acting very weird. Isn't this the last time I will get to see her before I go?

I still get out and start walking to the bus stop. The stop is 5 minutes away from her home, if you are walking.

I walk along the pathway, looking around at the little children playing in their gardens, and old couples sitting in chairs on their veranda.

Suddenly a chill goes up my spine. I turn around to look if someone is behind me, but no one is there. I feel like someone is following me.

It reminds me of that day at the party. My instinct telling me that I shouldn't have left mom alone. I start to walk faster.

I look back once again, feeling eyes on my back. The children have stopped playing and are looking at their garden bush.

By now, I have almost started jogging. I am almost there now, I can see it in the distance.

I reach the bus stop and take a seat at the cold bench and rub my arms to make them warm. I look around to see if anyone is there. But, I only see an elderly man walking toward the bus stop.