Then and Now: Always yours

Chapter Four

Jackson - Then

I was sat in class daydreaming about the new girl who I'd met earlier that morning. Being the idiot I was I'd knocked into her and landed her backpack straight into a puddle. She seemed pretty shy at first but I had a feeling about her. The way she smiled at me when we said goodbye flashed into my head again. I think we were going to be friends.
"Hey Jackson did you hear there's a new girl starting today?" Finley asked beside me "apparently this is like her third school in two years, Sarah said she'd heard she was a bit of a weirdo"
His words got to me and I found myself feeling defensive if my new friend, if I could even call her that.
"She's not a weirdo. Maybe Sarah should get to know her before she starts spreading rumours" I snapped back earning myself a look of disapproval from my friend. I turned back to my work and ignored our little exchange. I didn't know why kids had to be so mean sometimes, it must be hard enough being the new girl at school without people talking about you behind your back before they'd even met you.
The door opened and I looked up to see Penny and Alice enter the class.
"Ah Penny you're back, and I see you've got our new classmate Alice with you" I watched as Alice nervously scanned the faces in the class as Penny went off and found her seat. There was only one empty desk in our class and it would mean she would be sat alone.
"Why don't you sit at this empty table Alice, I'll find someone to sit with you" Miss Baker gestured to the empty table I'd just been observing.
"I'll sit with her Miss" I spoke up as I grabbed my books and moved towards the empty desk.
"That's very kind Jackson" Miss Baker smiled over at us as Alice took a seat next to me and nervously opened her bag to retrieve her pencil case.
"Here you can share my workbook until you get your own one" I offered cheerfully as I pushed my book to the middle of the table.
"Thanks, it's nice to see a friendly face again" she smiled sweetly back at me and I noticed the rosey colour of her cheeks again.

*******
It was finally lunch time as the bell rang out and we packaged away our things. I watched as she nearly placed her pencil case back in his bag before zipping it up.
"So are you getting school dinners or do you have a packed lunch?" I asked brightly as we stood from the desk.
"Um, school dinners I think. My mum didn't have time to make my lunch today" her voice faltered slightly when she spoke and I noticed the redness in her cheeks return.
"Cool, I've got a packed lunch but we can still sit together if you like?" I smiled hoping to ease her nerves. I knew lunch time at a new school could be a bit intimidating.
"Um sure. I just need to use the bathroom first, I'll meet you in the lunch hall" her voice wavered again and she rushed past me to leave the class. I watched as she entered the girls toilets at the end of the hall and thought about heading on to the lunch hall but something made me want to wait for her.
Almost ten minutes passed and she still hadn't come out of the bathroom. No one else had gone in and out, I felt concerned, something was up. Maybe she wasn't feeling well. I took a deep breath and knocked lightly on the door to warn her I was coming in. I pushed the door ajar slightly and peeked inside.
"Alice" I called softly. I heard a small sob coming from inside.
"It's Jackson, I just wanted to check you were okay" I slowly edged further into the small room and could see four toilet stalls, the end one had the door closed.
"Alice are you okay?" I asked softly as I approached the final stall. The small sobs stopped and a shuffling noise signalled she was coming out. When she opened the door I could see she'd been crying. Her brown eyes were red and puffy and she clutched onto a tissue in her left hand.
"What is it Alice, did someone upset you?" I asked gently as she edged out of the stall with her head down.
"No...it's just. I can't come to lunch with you" she whispered shyly. Had I made her feel uncomfortable, maybe she didn't want to be my friend after all. I guess I'd kind of just thrown myself into the role without asking.
"Oh. Well you can always sit with someone else. Penny is pretty nice, I'm sure she'd be happy for you to sit with her" I offered trying to lighten her sad mood.
"No it's not that, what I meant to say is that although I'd like to have lunch with you, I can't. I don't have...umm I guess I forgot to pick up my lunch money" she immediately began to play with the tissue in her hand as we stood awkwardly in the girls bathroom. She didn't have lunch or any lunch money. It wasn't that she didn't want to sit with me. I smiled at her and let out a little chuckle
"What's so funny?" She asked in confusion.
"Nothing, it's just. You have no lunch and my dad always packs me way more than I can eat. Seems like we both have a problem that we can help each other out with" I giggled as a small smile returned to her face.
"Come on, we don't want to eat it in here, why don't we go and sit outside and get some fresh air...I hope you like tuna sandwiches by the way. They're my dad's specialty" I smiled over at her as we exited the bathroom and walked down the hall.
"Sounds delicious" she giggled.
Right then I knew there was something about this girl that was special. We were going to be great friends.