Distraction: The Distraction Trilogy #1 (18 page)

Eloise

I arrive at the school at nine. I decided to let Hayley sleep in, mostly because she wouldn’t wake up and also because I’m a good friend like that.

On sluggish and aching legs that don’t seem to have recovered from last night’s school scare, I make my way towards the school, annoyed when I see only a handful of people inside tidying.

“I’m guessing nobody showed up for the boring bits then?” I comment dryly and grab a bag.

Mr Price Senior wants everything packed away properly so that it can be reused one day.

“Maybe more will come when it’s past ten,” Mr Price Senior says around a large yawn.

“Where’s Judith?” I look around for the sweet woman, expecting to see her in her chair attempting to help.

Mr Price glances around the small group and says quietly, “She’s been appointed a carer, so I left them alone to get acquainted.”

I wince along with him. “How’s she taking that?”

He gives me a look and he doesn’t need to respond for me to know she’s not taking it well.

“Where’s Isaac?” I speak his actual name without thinking and the look Mr Price gives me is to be expected. “Sorry… Mr Price Junior… I meant…”

He doesn’t comment and only shrugs. “Probably sleeping in like the rest of them. They did have a long night. I’m surprised you’re here. I wouldn’t blame you for taking the morning off.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to sleep if I tried. I’m like my dad in that way. If there’s something to be done, I can’t just sit back and watch.”

“Definitely a trait you should be proud of.” He winks at me and moves away when his name is called.

The taking down is a lot easier than the putting up and we have the entrance done in little to no time. It’s the rest of the school that proves to be a pain.

Only Hayley shows up at noon, along with Wesley, but nobody else bothers. Not even Mr Diplock or Isaac. I’ll be telling them what I think about that when school starts again on Monday. Arseholes… leaving me to do all of the work.

“So we’ll be making an announcement when school reopens on the amount of money that has been made for our chosen charity,” Mr Price says as we sweep the floor side by side. “But I thought you’d want to know before then.”

“I don’t mind waiting…”

“Just under five thousand, and that’s after we take away the money that Crystal sponsored the night with.”

My mouth drops open and suddenly my aches and pains vanish, only to be replaced with glee. “Are you serious?”

“Yep. Deadly. I can trust you to give her this?” He holds out a brown envelope with Crystal’s name written on the front.

I nod and stuff it into the inside pocket of my jacket. “I’ll take it to her as soon as we’re done here.”

“That’s okay, you go. I’ll have the janitors finish up tomorrow.”

I don’t argue with him. I’m too eager to share the amazing news with Crystal.

“See you Monday,” I call happily and skip out of the school with a beaming smile on my face.

As I’m rushing along the path I text Hayley and tell her I’ll meet her at mine in an hour. I need coffee and Crystal to celebrate.

I don’t think I’ve ever jogged anywhere in my life. That just changed. The money is making me paranoid. I’m worried I’ll get mugged or lose it, so I keep a hand over my jacket where the envelope is hidden.

The café is open when I arrive, as I knew it would be, and I find Crystal sat in the back room with her feet up and a mug of tea between her hands.

I drop the envelope on her lap, startling her slightly. “What’s this?”

My smile widens as I drop into the seat beside her. “Have a look.”

She peels open the envelope after handing me her cup and runs her fingers over the notes inside. For a long moment she doesn’t speak, she only stares into the envelope with a glazed look in her eyes. “How much?”

“They made just under five thousand. That’s after they took away the money you spent.”

Her eyes glisten and so do mine. “This is excellent! I never expected them to be able to pay me back.”

“I know, me neither,” I admit sheepishly, sipping from her cup before handing it back to her. “We should celebrate.”

“Irish coffee?” She suggests.

“Hell yeah! You sit; I’ll make.”

“Good lass.” Her hand grabs my wrist as I go to stand and her warm eyes find my own. “I’m so proud of you, of all of you. You’ve done a good thing.”

“Not without you.” I clear my throat in hopes it’ll remove the lump there. “I think I need that Irish coffee now.”

“Good lass,” she says again, smiling softly. “I know you’re probably exhausted, but we close up soon. Would you mind helping the girls? Then you can bring the coffee through.”

“Of course.” I am exhausted, but I can see Crystal looks worse than I am and at her age she shouldn’t be pushing herself. I’ll recover; I’m not sure that she will.

I wave to the girls as they serve the last few customers and get to work loading the dishwasher and cleaning the sides down.

We work together cleaning the tables and emptying the machines with mild and tired chatter. Every step I take just feels like one step too much, but I keep going, yawning every few seconds.

The bell above the door jingles, but I don’t look up. “I’m sorry, but we’re closing.”

“Actually I came to speak to you.”

I spin and look at the handsome male wearing a white shirt and dark jeans. His blond hair is my favourite part about him; it touches the top of his collar, curling slightly on the ends. Not many men could pull off a longer hairdo, but he’s one of those that definitely can pull it off.

“Hey,” I breathe, standing with a rag in one hand and a bottle of spray in the other.

“I am so sorry I didn’t make it today. I overslept.”

I check the clock on the wall and quirk my brow at him. “Until six at night?”

His teeth sink into his lower lip and his eyes scan the girls as they pull on their coats and grab their bags ready to leave. “Until two, but I had a few things to do when I woke up.”

I turn back to the table I was cleaning and lift a chair to rest it upside down on the surface.

A firm chest presses against my back as arms come around me and help my shaking, weary arms guide the chair to the table. I stop breathing and tense when his jaw skims against my ear. It’s smooth and soft; he’s shaven and he smells divine.

I can’t tell if I imagine it, but his body seems to linger against mine and his jaw seems to rub against my ear. I’m certain I hear him inhale and that thought alone causes a shiver to run through my body.

“I know it was your birthday yesterday,” he says quietly and his breath fans through my hair.

He steps away, leaving me weak, wobbling and cold. “Yeah, I didn’t make a big deal out of it.”

“I know…” He lifts the next chair and turns it over, resting it on the table. “I… I…” I’ve never seen him look so nervous. His hand reaches into his back pocket and fumbles with something. “I should go.” He rips his hand away and runs it through his hair. “I just wanted to apologise for not helping today; it was wrong of me.”

“It’s okay.” I’m not lying. Shit happens. I’m hardly going to hold it against him. “You weren’t the only one who didn’t show up. We got it done though, so it’s all good.”

“Do you need any help now? With anything?”

I look around the clean café and shake my head. “No, I’m going to enjoy an Irish coffee with Crystal and then I’m going home.”

He looks shocked for a moment. “Irish coffee? The one with Baileys?”

“Yep.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?”

I’m not really sure what he means. “I’m eighteen; it’s totally legal now. Besides, it’s not like I’m doing shots of hard liquor.”

“No…” He scratches his head and looks up to the ceiling as if searching for an answer. “I know.”

Huh? “You know what?”

He gives me a look that I don’t understand. “No, I mean that I
know
.”

Blink. “You know what?”

“Don’t play coy; you know what I’m talking about.” Why the hell is he getting frustrated?

“I’m not being coy. I genuinely don’t have a clue what you’re talking ab…”

“I know that you’re pregnant.” He blurts, the words coming out in a jumbled mess, but not so jumbled that I don’t understand him. “I didn’t want to say anything; it’s your business…”

“Wait…” I hold up my hand to silence him as a nervous giggle escapes me and my heart breaks slowly into a thousand pieces. “Is that the reason you’ve been nice to me this entire time? The lunch time study sessions, the rides home, the inviting me to your parents… it’s because you think I’m pregnant?”

His stern face falters. “Well…”

Oh my god, I’ve been so damn stupid. “I’m not pregnant!” I throw the rag on the table. “Who the hell told you I was pregnant?”

He opens and closes his mouth before finally answering. “I overheard a conversation in class between you and Hayley. It’s okay, Elle… I’m not judging you.”

“Holy fuck,” I choke out and rub my temples with my fingertips. “I’m not fucking pregnant.”

“If you terminated, I completely understand…”

A rush of air leaves me. I can’t believe we’re having this conversation. “Stop, just stop. I’m not, nor have I ever been, bloody pregnant!”

“But I heard…”

“You heard wrong! I’m not even sure what you heard to make you assume that I’m pregnant or ever have been!” I know I’m shouting, but I’m embarrassed and extremely angry. More so at myself for thinking that maybe he enjoyed my company a little more than he should. “God. I can’t believe this…”

Isaac winces and scratches at his neck. I’ve noticed that this is something he does when he’s feeling uncomfortable. “If you were, you know that you could tell me… right?”

“Oh god, please… just stop trying to relate to me. This is so weird on so many levels.” I drop the spray by the rag and move to the door. “I think you should go.”

“Elle…”

“No, please. This has been mortifying enough. I really…” A thought comes to mind. “Did you tell anybody?” When he doesn’t answer, my entire spine straightens and stiffens. I turn to him, directing my anger at him. “Whoever you told, you better un-tell right now! Okay?”

“Of course.” He mutters and moves to the door. “I am so sorry. I should have just spoken to you first. I just didn’t know how to handle it.”

I lower my head and close my eyes, needing for him to be gone when I reopen them. “Please just go, please.”

“Right.” The bell jingles as the door opens, but I still don’t open my eyes. “I’m really sorry, Eloise.”

I lock the door behind him and close the shutters before finally making the coffee. I’m surprised Crystal didn’t come and see what the commotion was.

I step into the back with two cups of Irish coffee in my hands, still feeling annoyed and embarrassed at myself for ever letting myself believe that Isaac might have liked me as more than just his student.

“You will never guess what just happened,” I say as I place the cups on the table in front of the couch.

I turn to Crystal, ready to give Isaac a piece of my mind through her, but find her slumped forward in her seat, her forehead against her arm. Her other arm rests limply by her side.

“Crystal?” What an awkward position to sleep in. I smile and push her shoulder back.

Her head lolls and my heart stops beating.

“Crystal?” I whisper, my hands shaking frantically as I push her silver hair from her wrinkled forehead. She doesn’t stir. She doesn’t move. My hand flies to my mouth and tears blur my vision. “Crystal, no… no.” No… No… Not now. “Crystal, please…” I drop to my knees before her and shake her shoulder once more.

She’s so still, so calm. Her lips are parted but no air passes through them and her eyelids, which usually flutter when she naps, remain closed and still.

I let out a sob and scramble to find my phone in my pocket. I don’t know what to do.

Tears burn trails down my cold cheeks and my thumb slips over my screen, struggling to press the appropriate numbers.

“I… need an ambulance.”

Isaac

I sit with my head against the steering wheel, feeling extremely moronic. I should go back and apologise again. How stupid of me. I humiliated the poor girl.

Going back will only make it worse.

I’m jolted from my thoughts when the sound of sirens pierces the silence and an ambulance blurs past me with a police car on its tail.

A feeling of dread overcomes me and I just know… I don’t know how, but I feel it. I know where it’s going. I watch it in the rear-view mirror and pray that it doesn’t turn left. If it turns left… I dread to think.

My heart melts when it makes the turn I prayed it wouldn’t.

I pull out of my parking space and spin the car around. I’ve never chased an ambulance before, but this feeling I have inside… I just know something isn’t right.