nuts but in a good way.”
“And what about you?”
Jodie didn’t understand the question.
“What about me?”
“Good, but in a nuts way?” Sean smiled. Jodie didn’t smile back; instead she started to get up.
“Yeah, very funny. I’ve got to go.”
“Sure. Nice meeting you again.”
But Jodie was already on her feet, heading for the door, hoping to catch up with Mr. Peer as he left.
The plan was simple. She would just happen to be going the same direction, they would strike up a conversation about something incredibly intellectual and it would all go from there.
Alas, it wasn’t to be, as she suddenly heard Sean shout out to her.
“Jodie!”
Now she was pissed, and turned back to face him.
“What?!” she snapped. But she regretted it almost immediately, as she saw Sean approaching her carrying her bag.
“You forgot this,” he said, slightly hurt by her response but not showing it.
Jodie didn’t know what to say. She turned towards the door in time to see Mr. Peer leave.
She sighed and turned back to Sean. He handed her the bag.
“Thank you,” was all she could muster.
“No problem,” Sean replied. He smiled again, but Jodie just turned and quickly walked out of the lunch hall.
At the door, she stopped looking to her left and right, down the hallway.
Mr. Peer, however, was already gone.
ELEVEN
Brushwood Academy was only a five minute drive or a ten minute walk from Jodie’s house. Despite the fact that she was learning to drive and had had three driving lessons, all of which were with her mother, she desperately needed to clear her head after the day’s trauma, and therefore decided to walk home that day, slowly.
Her mind, however, raced ahead of her. As first days of term went, it hadn’t been the smoothest and although the day had brought more stress than she would have cared for in any given week, Jodie still felt a certain flurry of excitement.
It was a feeling that was new to her, a sensation that made her nervous, happy and confused all at once, along with a slight ache in her stomach. True, this could have been the lunch she had eaten in the cafeteria, but Jodie knew that something was up. She might have even put it down to puppy love, if she had ever felt such a feeling before. She had felt something similar just shortly after her first kiss, but was twelve when that had happened and the boy ran away rapidly after taking her by surprise. To this day, she never knew the boy’s name.
No, this was different. And while her mother had always taught her that it was better to be in complete control of your emotions, the trouble seemed to be that Jodie wasn’t able to put her finger on just what was causing such feelings in the first place.
Nevertheless, it was a feeling that followed her down the street that afternoon, a feeling that followed her all the way to her front door. It followed her inside and it would have followed her up the stairs to her bedroom, had she not been greeted by her mother in the hallway.
“We have new neighbors.”
Jodie nodded, not really interested.
“Really?”
Katy nodded,
“Really. How was your first day back?”
Jodie didn’t feel like re-counting the horrors of her day, instead responding with a simple
“Same old, same old. We have a new English teacher, Mr. Peer. What’s for tea?”
“I thought we’d order in tonight...my day was fine by the way.”
Katy’s words snapped Jodie out of her post-school stupor and she laughed apologetically at her mother.
“Sorry Mum. How was your day?”
“I told you, we have new neighbors,” Katy repeated herself, hoping for a little more enthusiasm from her daughter, but she was not exactly forthcoming.
“Okay,” was the best Jodie could do, distracted as she was by the small basket sitting at the bottom of the stairs. A large bow was tied around its handle, while the basket itself contained mixed fruit, a jar of marmalade, various cheeses and a bottle of wine.
“What’s that?”
“And what about you?”
Jodie didn’t understand the question.
“What about me?”
“Good, but in a nuts way?” Sean smiled. Jodie didn’t smile back; instead she started to get up.
“Yeah, very funny. I’ve got to go.”
“Sure. Nice meeting you again.”
But Jodie was already on her feet, heading for the door, hoping to catch up with Mr. Peer as he left.
The plan was simple. She would just happen to be going the same direction, they would strike up a conversation about something incredibly intellectual and it would all go from there.
Alas, it wasn’t to be, as she suddenly heard Sean shout out to her.
“Jodie!”
Now she was pissed, and turned back to face him.
“What?!” she snapped. But she regretted it almost immediately, as she saw Sean approaching her carrying her bag.
“You forgot this,” he said, slightly hurt by her response but not showing it.
Jodie didn’t know what to say. She turned towards the door in time to see Mr. Peer leave.
She sighed and turned back to Sean. He handed her the bag.
“Thank you,” was all she could muster.
“No problem,” Sean replied. He smiled again, but Jodie just turned and quickly walked out of the lunch hall.
At the door, she stopped looking to her left and right, down the hallway.
Mr. Peer, however, was already gone.
ELEVEN
Brushwood Academy was only a five minute drive or a ten minute walk from Jodie’s house. Despite the fact that she was learning to drive and had had three driving lessons, all of which were with her mother, she desperately needed to clear her head after the day’s trauma, and therefore decided to walk home that day, slowly.
Her mind, however, raced ahead of her. As first days of term went, it hadn’t been the smoothest and although the day had brought more stress than she would have cared for in any given week, Jodie still felt a certain flurry of excitement.
It was a feeling that was new to her, a sensation that made her nervous, happy and confused all at once, along with a slight ache in her stomach. True, this could have been the lunch she had eaten in the cafeteria, but Jodie knew that something was up. She might have even put it down to puppy love, if she had ever felt such a feeling before. She had felt something similar just shortly after her first kiss, but was twelve when that had happened and the boy ran away rapidly after taking her by surprise. To this day, she never knew the boy’s name.
No, this was different. And while her mother had always taught her that it was better to be in complete control of your emotions, the trouble seemed to be that Jodie wasn’t able to put her finger on just what was causing such feelings in the first place.
Nevertheless, it was a feeling that followed her down the street that afternoon, a feeling that followed her all the way to her front door. It followed her inside and it would have followed her up the stairs to her bedroom, had she not been greeted by her mother in the hallway.
“We have new neighbors.”
Jodie nodded, not really interested.
“Really?”
Katy nodded,
“Really. How was your first day back?”
Jodie didn’t feel like re-counting the horrors of her day, instead responding with a simple
“Same old, same old. We have a new English teacher, Mr. Peer. What’s for tea?”
“I thought we’d order in tonight...my day was fine by the way.”
Katy’s words snapped Jodie out of her post-school stupor and she laughed apologetically at her mother.
“Sorry Mum. How was your day?”
“I told you, we have new neighbors,” Katy repeated herself, hoping for a little more enthusiasm from her daughter, but she was not exactly forthcoming.
“Okay,” was the best Jodie could do, distracted as she was by the small basket sitting at the bottom of the stairs. A large bow was tied around its handle, while the basket itself contained mixed fruit, a jar of marmalade, various cheeses and a bottle of wine.
“What’s that?”
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