Saviour

Free

“I can’t believe we’ve finished school.” Cecilia yelled, trying to be heard over the thudding music.

“I know!” I shouted. “Wanna go somewhere quieter?”

We threaded our way through the packed bodies, all jumping and sweaty. I fairly gagged a few times. When we finally got off of the dance floor, some twenty year old guy grabbed Cecilia’s arm. 

“Not interested.” She snarled, slapping him away. She then proceeded to tow me outside. I sighed. Cecilia always got guys hitting on her, she was beautiful. I couldn’t quite believe that a girl like her would want to be friends with someone like me. I was just so plain. Brown eyes, wavy dark brown hair, skinny -not in a good way- and pale skin that just didn’t belong in L.A. But when you room with someone for six years, you can’t help being friends. 

“I hate guys. All of them.” Cecilia muttered as we started walking home. 

I laughed. “What did you expect in a club, Cecil? That guys wouldn’t look at a hot girl like you?” 

Cecilia grimaced, then brightened. I quickly looked away from her. Harry did that. He had such mood swings. 

No. No more Harry. I chided myself. That was just one night. And we were twelve. He doesn’t think of me as anything more than a friend. Focus on Josh. 

“Jenna? You zoned out again.” Cecilia was saying, waving her hand in front of my face.

“Sorry.” I mumbled.

She glanced at me, but kept talking. “So I was thinking, now that we’re legally free to roam the world, what are you going to do tomorrow?”

I grinned. “I am going to start packing for Australia.” 

Cecilia groaned. “Ever heard of getting your hopes up?”

“Cecilia. I am going to get into James Cook University. I have the best grades in the school!”

“I know, you little genius. But it’s in Australia.” She whined.

I stopped walking and crossed my arms. “And you can visit me whenever you want! I know you have the money!”

She laughed and pulled me into a hug, then kept walking with our arms intertwined. “Ok, babe. But I’ll still miss you heaps! I mean, I’m going to London. Wouldn’t you prefer to come back to your home country?”

I crinkled my nose in distaste. “Too many memories. No thanks.”

We turned the corner and I laughed. Some of our fellow graduates had gotten a bit excited, and completely trashed the boarding school. There was toilet paper draped over every tree and the front of the school. Plastic cups and plates were strewn all over the lawn, and food remnants were being stolen by birds. 

“I’m glad we went to the club.” Cecilia said, carefully picking her way through the mess to the big front doors. We were blasted by sound when she opened a door. It seemed as though the party had been moved inside, and the mess was equal to that outside. 

“I forgot how soundproof those doors are!” I shouted to Cecilia. She nodded and then pushed her way to the foot of the huge staircase. I followed closely behind, carefully avoiding my drunken friends. We finally made it to the top of the staircase, where Cecilia turned around and faced the packed lobby. 

“Seriously guys!” She yelled. “It like, eleven at night! The younger girls are trying to sleep! Go party somewhere else!” 

“I don’t think anyone cares!” I shouted at her. 

She shrugged. “I tried.”

I followed her to our room, laughing. 

I shut the door behind me and everything went quiet again. Cecilia dropped her bag on our little dining table and flopped onto the sofa. 

“What do you want to watch?” She asked, flicking on the small TV. 

“Anything.” I shrugged. “I’m probably going to fall asleep anyways.”

Cecilia rolled her eyes at me and skimmed through the channels. I went over to the tiny kitchen and started making hot chocolate when I heard Cecilia squeal from the couch. 

“What is it?” I called to her.

“Oh my gosh oh my gosh come here right now!” She yelled back.

I sighed, putting my mug in the microwave. “I’m coming, I’m coming.”

I perched on the arm of the sofa. “What?”

Cecilia grabbed my chin and turned it towards the TV. 

“Cecil!” I protested, until I saw what was on the news. 

Cecilia watched me smugly as my jaw dropped open in shock.