The Girl who Writes and the Boy who Likes her (Now Published So Sample Only)

Chapter 7

© 2013 Sandra Corton

Journal Entry 5 Book 2

Dear God it's this week, his anniversary is this week. I've already told Mum I'm taking the day of school and she agreed. She won't let me go and see him though.

She hasn't for the last few years since we moved here. She wants me to get over things. He's my Dad though and I don't think he can be 'got over' as easily as she thinks. I'm always going to miss him and I'm always going to love him. Nothing changes that, ever.

Chapter 7

Zach took a deep breath and knocked on Emily's bedroom door. He hadn't exactly told her parents what he was doing here. His Mum had said she would explain it to June. He had a detailed note prepared, so if necessary they could yell at him about it later.

There was no answer, so he turned the door knob and let himself in. The room was dark but he could see a lump under the bed clothes and presumed it was her.

He could almost feel the sadness rolling out towards him. This was her most down day and he knew that. It was also his chance to try and right things, to make her feel better.

"Hey Em." He called out to her and the lump in the bed wriggled the tiniest bit "Um look I know it's a school day...."

"Go away Zach." Her words sounded tortured as he crept closer.

He sat down next to the bed so he could look at her. He let out a sigh at her red blotchy face and wondered how to say what he needed her to hear. She looked so depressed, as though she would never see the light of day again.

"I wanted to take you to see your Dad today if you wanted." Zach blurted out and for a moment her eyes remained dead looking before a twinge of hope filled them.

"Really?" She croaked out, never in a million years expecting him to say that to her.

"Of course really. I know today's a bad day but if you get up and have a shower we could be there by lunch." He coaxed her. 

A hundred different questions flooded her mind that she wanted to ask him. How did he know about today, was the main one. The thing was he knew so much about her now.

Last week when he took her to get tablets in the sick bay was one example. She had never expected that he knew about her medication. She always tried to avoid taking it but her mother had informed the school of her problems.

Coming back from a panic attack and seeing his face had made everything that much better. She was starting to depend on him always being there when she needed him. She had begun to need his presence around far more than she dared to question herself about

She still couldn't believe that Alyssa had been suspended either. It was only a three day suspension but Alyssa had come back rather subdued. She hadn't said anything to Zach or Emily since she had been back which Emily was immensely grateful for.

She glanced back towards Zach only to find him watching her. She knew she would look terrible. She had been crying for most of the night and had hardly any sleep. She felt so stuffed up in the head while she couldn't contain her distress about this day.

Another year had passed by without her father’s presence. Another year without his solid, good natured persona that always kept her so calm and happy.

"Breathe Em." She heard Zach say as he pushed the strands of hair back from her face. She followed his instructions and found she could focus on him beyond the crushing pain that gripped her "We need to head off so we can get there and back before dark."

At that she tried to push herself out of bed. She could see her father today, but she had to let go of her grief a little to be able to move. She forced herself into the shower before getting dressed. She tried to hurry herself along but it was like she was moving in a thick syrup of depression that was determined to keep her down.

She thought of her mother as she was about to leave. She felt that her mother deserved to know what was going on, even if she would protest. She pushed the bedroom door open to her mother’s room and quickly shut it again when she heard some moaning. That was definitely something she didn't need to see or hear.