"Distance Brings Fondness" They Said

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Me and the group walked into Jericho wearing fancy clothing. Enid had forced Xavier and me to wear a little party hat for our birthday surprise. Seen as our birthday was two days apart we had to have a joint party, it was a must. "Where exactly are we going?" He asked "You'll see" Enid squealed in excitement leading the way. We were all walking towards the edge of the woods instead of into the actual Jericho town. In a clearing not too far into the woods were fairy lights and banners, a huge mat with a little fold out table filled with snacks and drinks. "Who catered?" Xavier smirked "Tyler did. I tortured him with pleasantries until he gave in and decided to help" Wednesday looked displeased with herself "She had to charm him into thinking he was doing it for her so she's not the happiest" Enid whispered to us "happiness is a doorway to eternal despair, I'd rather be fully in despair than lingering in the doorway". After Wednesday's deep speech we sat and ate food, Enid being in charge of music on a little speaker she'd brought until Ajax pulled something out of his backpack he'd brought, "Who wants one" He had pulled out a tin of ready rolled Joints, we all took one each and began smoking and dancing under the moon and stars to the worst cheesy music ever but it was still one of the best nights yet.

Once we had all chilled out a bit we heard cracks of sticks and leaves. I started to my feet grabbing Ajax and Xavier "What?" Ajax spoke in a confused manner looking at Xavier who whispered to everyone "No I heard it too. We need to leave as quietly as possible" Enid stopped the music  and we began walking back leaving everything there. We had just reached the road when I saw it, about 8 feet tall and ugly as fuck with huge eyes, it came running towards us taking a swipe at Xavier, catching his arm with it's talons, but it stopped, it looked at me then to Wednesday and it fled off back into the woods. We grabbed Xavier and helped him up as we ran all the way back to Nevermore.

When we got back to Xavier's room I used my small knowledge on First-Aid to clean and bandage the wound before leaving to go to Marilyn's room. On the way there I had noticed the blood on my white shirt but it was too late I was nearly at her door my eyes were stinging, I was still shaking, but when I knocked on her door  there was no answer, I knocked again, no answer, I took a deep breath and walked away going back to my dorm to clean up. I couldn't sleep that night, the others didn't seem too phased like this was there normal, Yoko was asleep Ms Thornhill wouldn't let me in and Xavier nearly died I was absolutely traumatised.

Yoko woke me up the next day at around Ten I had only had a few hours sleep but I still got up and we went to see Xavier. "How are we going to explain what we were doing in the woods late at night you know what she'll just say" Ajax huffed "I did warn you" Xavier mocked Principle Weems as best he could we all laughed even though one of us could've died last night  "Why don't you say it was another one of your drawings?" Xavier looked at Ajax "Oh what a great idea, be locked up for aggressive drawings again. I'd be put away!" Ajax nodded in an apologetic way "I could say it was mine" "No, Keira I'm not letting you get put away for something that's happened to me" "If you do decide to tell the truth leave me out of it I'm on my last straw with Weems" We all looked at Wednesday with a look that says, You care? "I don't care about being expelled but I do love the fact that there's a monster running around and I don't want to miss it" "You care a little" Enid smiled "I know you do". We all agreed to tell the truth but leave Wednesday and Tyler out of it seen as Tyler's a Normie and Wednesday is on her last legs with Weems, oh and obviously miss out the part where we were high for most of it". So Me, Xavier, Yoko, Ajax and Enid went to Weems to tell her about our late night party in the woods and Xavier was right "I did warn you" she sighed looking up at us, but when she saw Xavier's bandaged red arm she stood up and walked round her desk to us "Why didn't you lead with the fact you were hurt?" She looked in horror at the bandage "You need to change that, I admire whoever did this though, they did a great job" I smiled "Of course, Miss Thorpe family is very important. You may all leave, Xavier I'm going to change your bandage then You can be on your way as well. I will contact the police department after you've all left" We all nodded and said in unison "Yes principle Weems" and left leaving Xavier to be tended to. Walking down the corridor I saw Ms Thornhill walking towards us I bowed my head and walked straight past her I could feel her watching me in disappointment, but she was late to the party, I was already upset that she wasn't there when I needed her the most.

We all separated to go to our rooms and Monday couldn't come any slower. I was sat in my room with Yoko staring at the end of my bed remembering how Marilyn had came to comfort me and told me I could call her Marilyn just a few weeks before, or the time we had made out before Xavier butted in just a few days previously. I couldn't help but feel guilty, maybe it was me that left her waiting and she ended up falling asleep all alone, maybe if I'd stayed with her instead of going to the party we would've been ok, but yet If I hadn't have gone to that party I would've let down all my friends for some fling I have with a teacher that is most likely not to last and is probably over now. I feel like everything is my fault I've let down my friends, the person I love and I feel horrible. Yoko looked over to me and read me like a book, sometimes I feel like she can read minds, "It's not your fault" I cut off my long stare into space to look at her stunned "What?" "You have that look of, what have I done, on your face. You know you couldn't have helped Xavier anymore, in fact if you weren't there who knows what would have happened" This made me feel better and worse all at the same time, so in short it didn't help, but the fact she tried shows that she cares, it shows that she cares more than Marilyn maybe.

The next day, Monday, we had Botanical first and I really wanted to speak to her but walking in and seeing her happy teaching I thought it best not to so I answered no questions and just did my work, that was until she asked me about a Tribulus flower and I had major flashbacks to my first lesson, "So, Keira, what is a Tribulus' uses?" she smiled at me but I felt like crying "A Tribulus is used for Viagra" I nodded looking at my desk "In a more scientific way?" she giggled so I looked up at her "The Tribulus increases Hormone production which gives you a high sex drive" she smirked at me "Good girl, someone's been studying" and she carried on with the lesson. That was very directed, I thought. I wanted to go and talk to her after class but Yoko dragged me away from the idea by reminding me I had art next so I just left trying not to look back, but I did, and I saw Marilyn's face look upset as she watched me leave. All through art I really wasn't in the mood. "I want you all to capture the inner essence of being" Mr Gibbins stated to the class, I had no idea what that meant so I just drew a silhouette of me and Thornhill  dancing and brought it to life. everyone watched in aw as these two small silhouette people danced around my table, as they kissed they disappeared into a cloud of pencil dust and heartache. I sat for a bit after they had disappeared staring at the place they had been before grabbing my stuff and leaving the classroom. My eyes began to sting as I began to walk, I had no idea where my feet were taking me but I had trust in where I was going, or I did trust them until I found myself walking into the Greenhouse and up to Marilyn. She turned to look at me, we locked traumatised eyes and she opened her arms, I ran to her and wrapped myself in them as every one of my worries vanished on the spot.

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