Louisa squealed as she darted out of the way of puddles. She was wearing her bright pink ballet pumps, which were definitely not rainproof.
‘Celeste,’ someone said from behind me, which caused both us to spin around.
Standing only a few houses away from the Prestons’ was the blonde-haired boy from last night. He was in the same grey top he’d been in the first time I’d seen him, only this time it was darkened from the rain, and once again he had his hands in his pockets.
‘Can we talk?’
‘Who is he, and why does he want to talk in the rain? Celeste, my feet are drenched. I’m going inside,’ Louisa said as she licked the rain off her lips and then scrunched up her face.
‘He’s just someone from school. Listen, I’ll be inside soon, okay?’
‘I’ve never seen him at school.’
‘Please Louisa, I’ll catch you up.’
‘Okay,’ she huffed out. ‘Come on, Alf, let’s go and get dry.’
I watched her walk up the road, careful not to say anything until she was out of sight and I could no longer hear the squelching of her shoes.
‘What do you want?’ I asked him, wary when he began to walk closer to me.
‘I just want to talk, that’s all.’
‘I don’t want to talk. You’ve got to stop following me. Whatever you think you saw, you were mistaken, okay? I don’t know who you are or what you want. I don’t even know what your name is. You just need to stop whatever it is you’re doing and leave me alone.’
‘My name’s Finn, and I can’t tell you much more about me, but you have to believe me when I say that I’m here to protect you.’
‘I don’t need protecting. I can look after myself.’ I started to walk.
‘Please, Celeste, you’re in danger. Meet me Monday morning at your school by the bike racks, and we can talk more then.’
I didn’t know what to say, so instead I just stood there staring at him. That was when I saw Terry walking up the street in his dark green waterproof jacket and black wellington boots.
‘Please, Celeste,’ Finn said, and he turned and walked off up the road before Terry reached us.
‘Is everything okay here?’ he asked as he stopped in front of me.
‘Yeah,’ I said, as I looked behind me at Finn’s back in the distance.
‘Who was that boy?’ He put emphasis on the word ‘boy’ as if it were a dirty word.
‘Just someone from school.’
‘Well, couldn’t he have waited till Monday to see you? This weather is far too horrendous to be standing out in the rain. Gloria and I were both worried sick about you and Louisa. Come on, let’s get you inside.’
I nodded my head in agreement as Terry gestured for me to follow him. I took one last look behind me, but Finn had gone.
***
Monday arrived, and I awoke to my school uniform neatly placed on the chair in my bedroom. I’d never had anyone lay my uniform out before. Not just that, but it was always freshly ironed and also smelt of fabric softener. I got dressed and then looked at myself in my bedroom mirror as I tied my hair into bunches.
I suppose that I looked as good as I could in my pleated grey school skirt, white blouse, and back cardigan, although I still thought that school uniforms were lame.
I didn’t want to go into school today; I didn’t want to face Leo. He was the only person in Oakwood besides
‘Celeste,’ someone said from behind me, which caused both us to spin around.
Standing only a few houses away from the Prestons’ was the blonde-haired boy from last night. He was in the same grey top he’d been in the first time I’d seen him, only this time it was darkened from the rain, and once again he had his hands in his pockets.
‘Can we talk?’
‘Who is he, and why does he want to talk in the rain? Celeste, my feet are drenched. I’m going inside,’ Louisa said as she licked the rain off her lips and then scrunched up her face.
‘He’s just someone from school. Listen, I’ll be inside soon, okay?’
‘I’ve never seen him at school.’
‘Please Louisa, I’ll catch you up.’
‘Okay,’ she huffed out. ‘Come on, Alf, let’s go and get dry.’
I watched her walk up the road, careful not to say anything until she was out of sight and I could no longer hear the squelching of her shoes.
‘What do you want?’ I asked him, wary when he began to walk closer to me.
‘I just want to talk, that’s all.’
‘I don’t want to talk. You’ve got to stop following me. Whatever you think you saw, you were mistaken, okay? I don’t know who you are or what you want. I don’t even know what your name is. You just need to stop whatever it is you’re doing and leave me alone.’
‘My name’s Finn, and I can’t tell you much more about me, but you have to believe me when I say that I’m here to protect you.’
‘I don’t need protecting. I can look after myself.’ I started to walk.
‘Please, Celeste, you’re in danger. Meet me Monday morning at your school by the bike racks, and we can talk more then.’
I didn’t know what to say, so instead I just stood there staring at him. That was when I saw Terry walking up the street in his dark green waterproof jacket and black wellington boots.
‘Please, Celeste,’ Finn said, and he turned and walked off up the road before Terry reached us.
‘Is everything okay here?’ he asked as he stopped in front of me.
‘Yeah,’ I said, as I looked behind me at Finn’s back in the distance.
‘Who was that boy?’ He put emphasis on the word ‘boy’ as if it were a dirty word.
‘Just someone from school.’
‘Well, couldn’t he have waited till Monday to see you? This weather is far too horrendous to be standing out in the rain. Gloria and I were both worried sick about you and Louisa. Come on, let’s get you inside.’
I nodded my head in agreement as Terry gestured for me to follow him. I took one last look behind me, but Finn had gone.
***
Monday arrived, and I awoke to my school uniform neatly placed on the chair in my bedroom. I’d never had anyone lay my uniform out before. Not just that, but it was always freshly ironed and also smelt of fabric softener. I got dressed and then looked at myself in my bedroom mirror as I tied my hair into bunches.
I suppose that I looked as good as I could in my pleated grey school skirt, white blouse, and back cardigan, although I still thought that school uniforms were lame.
I didn’t want to go into school today; I didn’t want to face Leo. He was the only person in Oakwood besides
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