Don't Trust Them

Five

Mabel

The girl didn't approach me as I had expected, but walks straight past me and into a cubicle. I make a face, and check that I look all right when I here Marco calling me. I thought I told him to wait outside?

 "Coming!" I call back to him, winking at my reflection before heading out.

I find Marco leaning against the wall, an annoyed expression crossing his features. At first I think it's me until he looks around and quickly ushers me down the hall to where a fire exit lay.

 "Almost got caught. Can't go down to the South of the building, Whittaker's patrolling the area like a hawk," he whispers.

 "South of the building?" I muse. "Since when do we hang out at the South?"

 "Since, you know, before..." Marco tells me, trying to skirt around the subject of my grandfather, but I know he's not only skirting around that.

 "Oh! I get it now, since you found out that there's a perfect view of the window where you can see Roscoe Wiley doing P.E, that's it isn't it?"

 "Oh, shut up." He shakes his head.

 "You're terrible!" I laugh. "I didn't think he was your type anyway."

I walk backwards into the fire exit and push the metal bar with my back. The door opens out onto bright green field at the side of the building. Without waiting for Marco, I rush down the steep bank and find a spot to sit. The ground is pleasantly warmed by the sun and I'm greeted by the fresh scent of grass and summery air.

Marco runs down to meet me and almost falls over in the process. I fish around in my bag for the cardboard packet and throw it to him. He slides out two cigarettes from the pack before throwing them back, I take one from him and light them both. I take a deep inhale before blowing out the smoke, flowing out quick then making a gentle dance to the sky. It's a disgusting habit, but a habit it is.

 "So how're you holding up?" Marco asks, laying back onto the grass.

 "I'm doing all right, I get such pangs of sadness, though. My dad's coming at some point."

 "Your dad? Crikey."

 "I know, I'm frightened. He's to hoping he'll fuck off and gift me everything."

 "Here's to hoping," Marco repeats, lifting his cigarette, then sitting up slightly. "You haven't got anything to drink have you?"

 "Nope, sorry mate."

 "Shame, we could have toasted to it." He lays back, obviously disappointed.

I take a moment's silence, appreciating the moment right here.

 "What about you, are you okay?" I ask Marco, looking to him.

 "Yeah, it was nice to get a break from this God forsaken town, disappointing to be back."

 "But?" I add cheekily.

 "But it's wonderful because I get to see you."

 "Good boy!" I laugh, taking a drag. "Guess what I did today? Smacked myself right into a new girl, turns out she was in my history class, too, then I saw her in the bathroom. It's like something is pushing us together, my word."

 "That's what you get for being such a clutz," Marco teases.

 "What's what she gets for being such a clutz? Detention?"

I close my eyes in annoyance. The Scottish tones of none other than bloody Mr Peacock.

He walks down the bank and stands above us, arms folded. How the hell did he find us?

 "Lindsey, so nice of you to join us. Come sit," I motion to the area beside me. Marco tries not to laugh.

 "Don't try and be funny. Cigarette's out and back inside."

I huff a sigh and take the cigarette from my lips, dropping it onto the grass. Marco does the same and scrabbles up onto the bank.

 "Hasani, I believe you've a Science lesson to be attending?"

Marco winces his eyes and trudges back up, he'd have to go all the way around to the front door.

 "Up." Lindsey demands. I cover my eyes to block the sun.

 "Really rather wouldn't."

 "Get the hell up and get inside, you'll not get dention but I'm giving you a warning."

Sighing, I push myself into a sitting position, "Only if I don't have to go back to maths."

 "No."

 "Fine, I'll stay here."

 "Be glad you weren't caught by Mr Henry. Now get up."

He offers me a hand and I pull myself up.

 "Cigarettes."

I shoot up a glare before getting the packet from my bag. I shove it into his hand.

 "No maths today but you attend every other lesson."

 "Deal."

                                                                                         ***

After being made that girl Eliza's partner for the English project, I followed her to make sure she was going to actually work with me. I left her after we agreed to meet tomorrow, and began to walk back my way to where my...no my gr...no, my father's house.

I see a small blue Hyundai car parked outside the broken gate and brace myself. He already here.

I watch the building for a moment, trying to will myself to go in. I don't want to. The road is silent spare the few birds singing to each other in the distance, the air blows cool caresses across my face. What would come next? Would he not accept me? Will we argue? I start making my way to the front door, past the small gate, across the crooked paving stones and right up to the dark wooden door.

I slowly take the handle and open it with a gentle click. I don't see him when I first walk in, it's empty and quiet like I left it. But then he walks through. He isn't at all how I imagined.

He stares at me, and I wonder if he knows who I am, in his hand is a piece of paper. He's tall and skinny, you can see the adam's apple in his neck. His hair is strawberry-blonde in colour and very fine, I don't see the resemblance to me - apart from maybe his eyes.

 "So, Mabel, is it?"

 "Yup," I reply. The air is tense.

He nods and then looks around the room.

 "I've been trying to sort out some stuff, do you want any of this tat?"

Offended, I look him straight in the eyes, "Yes, I want all of it."

Tat? No. I walk right out of the room and head upstairs into my bedroom.

I switch on the light and look about. The walls the same old pale yellow, clothes lay here and there, a pile of notebooks by my bed, and old pink fairy-lights across one wall. I dump my bag by my wooden wardrobe, and kick of my shoes. He was no dad of mine. And, like I predicted, he was planning to throw everything away. At least nothing too bad happened yet.

                                                                                  ***

At some point, he puts a sandwich and glass of water outside my door. It's cheese. I was never fond on it, well, at least the red leister he has used. I ignore it and shut my door.

Tomorrow morning will no doubt be awkward. But maybe I can avoid him most of tomorrow by doing the project with the mysterious Eliza.