Joshua in a while.” She winked at me. I laughed.
“Okay. Sleepover it is. It’s a school night though so we’ll have to be extra good.” She fluttered her eyelids innocently.
“I’m always good.”
“No you’re not!” I laughed.
Alex joined us and we made our way into class. I looked around the room but I couldn’t find Joshua. I frowned. It was unlike him to be late.
The teacher started the day’s lessons and I felt agitated. I just hoped everything was okay. By break time, he still hadn’t arrived. I was become anxious and quiet.
“What’s wrong?” asked Charlie.
“Nothing,” I replied absentmindedly.
“Yes there is. What is it?”
“Joshua hasn’t turned up for school.”
She looked at me and then looked around the playground. Alex approached us.
“Jocelyn, have you seen Joshua? The teachers want to know where he is,” he asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know, Alex. I saw him last night.”
“Okay. I’m sure he’s just sick.” I nodded. The rest of the day dragged on. I spent the afternoon with Charlie and we did a sleepover at mine. I wasn’t much fun though. I was distracted. She asked me about Joshua and I told her everything. I told her what it felt like to be around him and all the things we did together. I told her about the painting I did for him and our first kiss. I told her about him telling me he loved me. I didn’t leave out a single detail, I couldn’t. Every moment I’d spent with him had been precious and special in its own way, to leave any of them out would be an insult.
Charlie was fascinated by everything I had to say. She asked me so many questions and so quickly. It was difficult keeping up. By the time I’d finished telling her everything, I was feeling much better. The memories of his gentleness seemed to have put me in a better mood and I felt thoroughly relieved.
We played games for most of the evening such as Uno and other card games before finally turning in. I didn’t sleep very well that night.
I dreamt of demons and masked faces. Of haunted places and ghosts. Of all manner of creatures that I couldn’t even begin to describe. I tossed and turned all night and woke up delirious, thinking my dreams were real.
When I finally woke in the morning, I was exhausted. I had dark circles under my eyes and I couldn’t focus. Me and Charlie packed up her things, took Helen to school and arrived at our own school to find that Joshua was still missing.
The days passed and still I hadn’t heard anything from him. He didn’t come to school and he didn’t call by my house any more. I didn’t know what to do. I was going to go and call on his aunt but I knew that none of the family would understand me.
One day about a week after his disappearance, his name was removed from the register. I asked my teacher afterwards and she said that his aunt had called to say that he would no longer be attending this school. I felt broken.
I didn’t know what was worse. That he’d left without telling me why or that he left without saying goodbye.
Life went back to the way it was before I met Joshua. I didn’t think life was boring before him but now that he wasn’t around, I felt alone. He’d become such a big part of everything without me even realizing it.
Daddy noticed that I’d been down. Helen noticed it as well. Charlie came and stayed over almost every week in the hope that her company would improve my mood. I appreciated her trying and I made an effort to return to my old self.
I only managed this several weeks after he left. I’d tried so hard to remove him from my mind that I’d finally been able to block all the memories of my time with him. I don’t know how I managed it but I did. Everything went back to the way it was supposed to be. The way it used to be. I went to school, I hung out with Charlie and Alex, I helped Helen with her homework and told her more stories. Life settled back to the way it had always been.
I’d taken flowers to
“Okay. Sleepover it is. It’s a school night though so we’ll have to be extra good.” She fluttered her eyelids innocently.
“I’m always good.”
“No you’re not!” I laughed.
Alex joined us and we made our way into class. I looked around the room but I couldn’t find Joshua. I frowned. It was unlike him to be late.
The teacher started the day’s lessons and I felt agitated. I just hoped everything was okay. By break time, he still hadn’t arrived. I was become anxious and quiet.
“What’s wrong?” asked Charlie.
“Nothing,” I replied absentmindedly.
“Yes there is. What is it?”
“Joshua hasn’t turned up for school.”
She looked at me and then looked around the playground. Alex approached us.
“Jocelyn, have you seen Joshua? The teachers want to know where he is,” he asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know, Alex. I saw him last night.”
“Okay. I’m sure he’s just sick.” I nodded. The rest of the day dragged on. I spent the afternoon with Charlie and we did a sleepover at mine. I wasn’t much fun though. I was distracted. She asked me about Joshua and I told her everything. I told her what it felt like to be around him and all the things we did together. I told her about the painting I did for him and our first kiss. I told her about him telling me he loved me. I didn’t leave out a single detail, I couldn’t. Every moment I’d spent with him had been precious and special in its own way, to leave any of them out would be an insult.
Charlie was fascinated by everything I had to say. She asked me so many questions and so quickly. It was difficult keeping up. By the time I’d finished telling her everything, I was feeling much better. The memories of his gentleness seemed to have put me in a better mood and I felt thoroughly relieved.
We played games for most of the evening such as Uno and other card games before finally turning in. I didn’t sleep very well that night.
I dreamt of demons and masked faces. Of haunted places and ghosts. Of all manner of creatures that I couldn’t even begin to describe. I tossed and turned all night and woke up delirious, thinking my dreams were real.
When I finally woke in the morning, I was exhausted. I had dark circles under my eyes and I couldn’t focus. Me and Charlie packed up her things, took Helen to school and arrived at our own school to find that Joshua was still missing.
The days passed and still I hadn’t heard anything from him. He didn’t come to school and he didn’t call by my house any more. I didn’t know what to do. I was going to go and call on his aunt but I knew that none of the family would understand me.
One day about a week after his disappearance, his name was removed from the register. I asked my teacher afterwards and she said that his aunt had called to say that he would no longer be attending this school. I felt broken.
I didn’t know what was worse. That he’d left without telling me why or that he left without saying goodbye.
Life went back to the way it was before I met Joshua. I didn’t think life was boring before him but now that he wasn’t around, I felt alone. He’d become such a big part of everything without me even realizing it.
Daddy noticed that I’d been down. Helen noticed it as well. Charlie came and stayed over almost every week in the hope that her company would improve my mood. I appreciated her trying and I made an effort to return to my old self.
I only managed this several weeks after he left. I’d tried so hard to remove him from my mind that I’d finally been able to block all the memories of my time with him. I don’t know how I managed it but I did. Everything went back to the way it was supposed to be. The way it used to be. I went to school, I hung out with Charlie and Alex, I helped Helen with her homework and told her more stories. Life settled back to the way it had always been.
I’d taken flowers to
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