School Days - Chapter 14
Amy is just living her life, getting by with little of any of consequence happening. That all changes when Jake moves to town...
Here's the next chapter - enjoy! :)
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Having failed to get anything else out of Ella before she practically sprinted from the maths room saying something mainly incoherent but definitely including the word 'Butler' Amy barely paid attention through her last lesson of the day. Unfortunately, her last lesson of the day was French and the one she most needed to pay attention in.
However, it turned out to be something of a blessing as her absentmindedness negatively affected her answers to the point where Mme. Girard even gave up asking her for contributions. After the final bell of the day had rung, Billy had to nudge her to rouse her.
"Look, are you okay?" he queried before she'd had the chance to wander off and contemplate some more. "It's just that you've been a bit out of it today, more so than usual that is," he grinned, trying to lighten the mood somewhat.
Amy smiled back at him a little. "Yeah, I'm alright thanks." While appreciating the sentiment, she didn't know Billy anywhere near well enough to confide in him everything that was going on in her life, or her head. Instead she settled for assuring him that it was simply because there was a lot of stuff going on in her life at the moment.
"Kinda guessed it might be something like that," Billy replied as he shrugged his bag onto his shoulder, shaking his dark hair out of his eyes as he did so. "I noticed you were off yesterday and someone mentioned something had happened in your family. You were so out of it just now, I just thought I'd check." He smiled at her again.
Amy found herself looking at Billy for the first time. They had known each other for years and it had reached a point where she pretty much took him for granted. He was attractive enough, with lightly curling black hair which matched his eyes. From all the times he had helped her out in class she knew he was kind, and the thought briefly entered her head that a relationship with him would be so much easier.
"Well, thank you so much for asking," Amy smiled in reply, trying to show the full extend of her gratitude and sincerity in that one simple sentence. It was nice to know that people other than her family, Tina and Ella worried about her. "Have a good weekend!" she said over her shoulder as she made her way to the classroom door.
Upon arriving home she found her mother in a much happier mood than she had been in the past couple of days.
"You're grandfather's doing much better, sweetie," she said into Amy's hair as she hugged her hello. Amy went and hugged the twins hello, cooing over them a little and enjoying watching their tiny fingers wrap around her own. She ruffled Andy's blonde hair before kissing them both on the forehead and retiring to her room.
Unpacking her bag slowly, she began mentally planning her weekend, trying to factor in visiting the hospital, schoolwork, the weekly gathering at Ella's, as well as time to try to work out her novel. Momentarily distracted by the latter, still trying to work out the last plot twist, she didn't hear the telephone ring.
Her mum shouted up to her that there was a phone call and Amy's heart leaped at the thought that it might be Jake fulfilling his promise to talk to her soon. As she made her way downstairs, she grinned slightly at the thought of what her mum would say about a boy calling. She could almost imagine her teasing when the phone call was done, and what her dad would add to this when he found out.
Amy bounded into the kitchen, not caring and just happy about getting to talk to Jake. "Hello?" she stated having taken the phone from her mother.
"Amy!" exclaimed an excited voice. Amy's heart sank a little as she realized it was not Jake but her best friend.
"Ella!" she replied, trying to mask her disappointment both from Ella and her mother. She slipped into the living room and curled up into one of the sofas. "What's gotten you so excited in the two hours since I last saw you?" she questioned, slightly mockingly. Ella's dramatic tendencies infiltrated her life and she often over-reacted to the slightest stimulus.
"Oh my gosh, you will not believe it!" gushed Ella. "So, instead of watching a film tomorrow night how would you like to go to the theater and see an actual show! My dad got us all tickets as an early birthday present so we're all going to go into Manchester and we're going to the Palace Theater and we're going to see Abba Mania and it's going to be amazing and you have to come because you can't come and we get to stay in a hotel overnight and everything and I can't wait!" Ella exclaimed without taking a breath. Amy was actually a little she might pass out from lack of oxygen.
Laughing, Amy started to reply, but Ella interrupted her before she had really begun. "We'll go early and dad's driving up tonight and he'll collect us all and then take us to Manchester, and we'll get to spend the day shopping then we get to go to the hotel and get ready, and Amy it's this amazing hotel right near the theater so even if the weather's horrid it won't matter. It's called The Bloomsbury and it's gorgeous and I really can't wait and it's for my birthday so you have to be there, please say you'll be there?" Ella finished, a little breathless.
Pausing for a heartbeat to make sure she really had finished, Amy replied. "Of course I'll be there! Well, provided it's okay with my parents but I'm sure they'll be fine with it. Just hang on a second and let me check."
Amy put the phone down and bounced into the kitchen; she couldn't help it, so infectious was Ella's excitement. She filled her mum in on the details who said that she would have to check with her father, but it was fine with her. "You deserve something nice after the week you've had," she said a little sadly, smiling down at her daughter.
A moment of guilt pricked Amy's conscience but she quashed it a little before it managed to take hold. Yes, the past couple of days had been tough on her parents, but her not being here for a couple of days wouldn't make that much difference.
She skipped back into the living room and said to Ella that she should be able to come but would give her a call later to confirm. Ella said a few more words to sell her on it before saying she had to go and call Tina to ask her to come as well.
After a quick goodbye, Amy retreated to her room to get as much school work done as she could so as not to have it hanging over her head the next day. She was determined to thoroughly enjoy the trip and determined ahead of time that she wouldn't let any boys invade her thoughts for the entire weekend. She was also fairly confident that with some clever planning she and Tina would be able to get the truth out of Ella regarding what she had remembered earlier that day.
Her dad returned home soon after, and over dinner he said it was fine with him that she go away. He had been friends with Ella's dad when they were at school together some 25 years previously and so trusted him to look after his daughter.
Soon after the end of the meal Amy called Ella to tell her that she was going - at which point she was mildly deafened so piercing was the shriek that came out of the phone - and confirm times. They were leaving at around 9:30, hoping to get into the city center in time for a late lunch. This would leave the afternoon free for exploration before they headed out for an early dinner and then on to the theater.
Having ended this call, Amy next phoned Tina to start their plotting for the next day. Tina agreed that this was the perfect opportunity, and they soon devised a plan designed to get Ella to give in and tell the truth. Flattery was almost always the best way to make an impression on Ella.
"Amy!" her mother shouted up the stairs. "Are you done with this letter? Can I throw it away?"
Amy's head jerked up with the realization that she still hadn't read it. "No!" she yelled down. "I'll be right down!" Taking the phone with her, Amy nearly sprinted down the stairs and into the kitchen, almost falling over a toy train left about by one of the boys.
Catching her balance on the counter, she dropped the phone and picked up the envelope. Pulling the letter out from inside, she barely paused before unfolding it, remembering the many interruptions when she had attempted this the previous night.
Her eyes scanned down the page barely believing what she was reading. Her mouth dropped open and she had a little trouble catching her breath. She slid into the chair next to her and took a couple of deep breaths.
"Mum, dad!" she shouted through to the living room. Her mother popped her head round the kitchen door a couple of seconds later.
"Yes dear?"
Amy took another steadying breath. "You're not going to believe this."
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Having failed to get anything else out of Ella before she practically sprinted from the maths room saying something mainly incoherent but definitely including the word 'Butler' Amy barely paid attention through her last lesson of the day. Unfortunately, her last lesson of the day was French and the one she most needed to pay attention in.
However, it turned out to be something of a blessing as her absentmindedness negatively affected her answers to the point where Mme. Girard even gave up asking her for contributions. After the final bell of the day had rung, Billy had to nudge her to rouse her.
"Look, are you okay?" he queried before she'd had the chance to wander off and contemplate some more. "It's just that you've been a bit out of it today, more so than usual that is," he grinned, trying to lighten the mood somewhat.
Amy smiled back at him a little. "Yeah, I'm alright thanks." While appreciating the sentiment, she didn't know Billy anywhere near well enough to confide in him everything that was going on in her life, or her head. Instead she settled for assuring him that it was simply because there was a lot of stuff going on in her life at the moment.
"Kinda guessed it might be something like that," Billy replied as he shrugged his bag onto his shoulder, shaking his dark hair out of his eyes as he did so. "I noticed you were off yesterday and someone mentioned something had happened in your family. You were so out of it just now, I just thought I'd check." He smiled at her again.
Amy found herself looking at Billy for the first time. They had known each other for years and it had reached a point where she pretty much took him for granted. He was attractive enough, with lightly curling black hair which matched his eyes. From all the times he had helped her out in class she knew he was kind, and the thought briefly entered her head that a relationship with him would be so much easier.
"Well, thank you so much for asking," Amy smiled in reply, trying to show the full extend of her gratitude and sincerity in that one simple sentence. It was nice to know that people other than her family, Tina and Ella worried about her. "Have a good weekend!" she said over her shoulder as she made her way to the classroom door.
Upon arriving home she found her mother in a much happier mood than she had been in the past couple of days.
"You're grandfather's doing much better, sweetie," she said into Amy's hair as she hugged her hello. Amy went and hugged the twins hello, cooing over them a little and enjoying watching their tiny fingers wrap around her own. She ruffled Andy's blonde hair before kissing them both on the forehead and retiring to her room.
Unpacking her bag slowly, she began mentally planning her weekend, trying to factor in visiting the hospital, schoolwork, the weekly gathering at Ella's, as well as time to try to work out her novel. Momentarily distracted by the latter, still trying to work out the last plot twist, she didn't hear the telephone ring.
Her mum shouted up to her that there was a phone call and Amy's heart leaped at the thought that it might be Jake fulfilling his promise to talk to her soon. As she made her way downstairs, she grinned slightly at the thought of what her mum would say about a boy calling. She could almost imagine her teasing when the phone call was done, and what her dad would add to this when he found out.
Amy bounded into the kitchen, not caring and just happy about getting to talk to Jake. "Hello?" she stated having taken the phone from her mother.
"Amy!" exclaimed an excited voice. Amy's heart sank a little as she realized it was not Jake but her best friend.
"Ella!" she replied, trying to mask her disappointment both from Ella and her mother. She slipped into the living room and curled up into one of the sofas. "What's gotten you so excited in the two hours since I last saw you?" she questioned, slightly mockingly. Ella's dramatic tendencies infiltrated her life and she often over-reacted to the slightest stimulus.
"Oh my gosh, you will not believe it!" gushed Ella. "So, instead of watching a film tomorrow night how would you like to go to the theater and see an actual show! My dad got us all tickets as an early birthday present so we're all going to go into Manchester and we're going to the Palace Theater and we're going to see Abba Mania and it's going to be amazing and you have to come because you can't come and we get to stay in a hotel overnight and everything and I can't wait!" Ella exclaimed without taking a breath. Amy was actually a little she might pass out from lack of oxygen.
Laughing, Amy started to reply, but Ella interrupted her before she had really begun. "We'll go early and dad's driving up tonight and he'll collect us all and then take us to Manchester, and we'll get to spend the day shopping then we get to go to the hotel and get ready, and Amy it's this amazing hotel right near the theater so even if the weather's horrid it won't matter. It's called The Bloomsbury and it's gorgeous and I really can't wait and it's for my birthday so you have to be there, please say you'll be there?" Ella finished, a little breathless.
Pausing for a heartbeat to make sure she really had finished, Amy replied. "Of course I'll be there! Well, provided it's okay with my parents but I'm sure they'll be fine with it. Just hang on a second and let me check."
Amy put the phone down and bounced into the kitchen; she couldn't help it, so infectious was Ella's excitement. She filled her mum in on the details who said that she would have to check with her father, but it was fine with her. "You deserve something nice after the week you've had," she said a little sadly, smiling down at her daughter.
A moment of guilt pricked Amy's conscience but she quashed it a little before it managed to take hold. Yes, the past couple of days had been tough on her parents, but her not being here for a couple of days wouldn't make that much difference.
She skipped back into the living room and said to Ella that she should be able to come but would give her a call later to confirm. Ella said a few more words to sell her on it before saying she had to go and call Tina to ask her to come as well.
After a quick goodbye, Amy retreated to her room to get as much school work done as she could so as not to have it hanging over her head the next day. She was determined to thoroughly enjoy the trip and determined ahead of time that she wouldn't let any boys invade her thoughts for the entire weekend. She was also fairly confident that with some clever planning she and Tina would be able to get the truth out of Ella regarding what she had remembered earlier that day.
Her dad returned home soon after, and over dinner he said it was fine with him that she go away. He had been friends with Ella's dad when they were at school together some 25 years previously and so trusted him to look after his daughter.
Soon after the end of the meal Amy called Ella to tell her that she was going - at which point she was mildly deafened so piercing was the shriek that came out of the phone - and confirm times. They were leaving at around 9:30, hoping to get into the city center in time for a late lunch. This would leave the afternoon free for exploration before they headed out for an early dinner and then on to the theater.
Having ended this call, Amy next phoned Tina to start their plotting for the next day. Tina agreed that this was the perfect opportunity, and they soon devised a plan designed to get Ella to give in and tell the truth. Flattery was almost always the best way to make an impression on Ella.
"Amy!" her mother shouted up the stairs. "Are you done with this letter? Can I throw it away?"
Amy's head jerked up with the realization that she still hadn't read it. "No!" she yelled down. "I'll be right down!" Taking the phone with her, Amy nearly sprinted down the stairs and into the kitchen, almost falling over a toy train left about by one of the boys.
Catching her balance on the counter, she dropped the phone and picked up the envelope. Pulling the letter out from inside, she barely paused before unfolding it, remembering the many interruptions when she had attempted this the previous night.
Her eyes scanned down the page barely believing what she was reading. Her mouth dropped open and she had a little trouble catching her breath. She slid into the chair next to her and took a couple of deep breaths.
"Mum, dad!" she shouted through to the living room. Her mother popped her head round the kitchen door a couple of seconds later.
"Yes dear?"
Amy took another steadying breath. "You're not going to believe this."
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