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A Trees Touch

By Alice Daniell Rudd and Jamie Boyer.
Chapter one: moment of truth

I waited in line getting more and more nervous by the second, my mouth was drier than the Sahara, I could feel my heart pulsating through my chest, with a force that made me feel like it was trying to rip its way out of my chest. My palms felt like they were melting the sweat making them sickly slick and more so as I edged closer to the desk with the initial of my last name printed on the front that would decide my future, weather I could go to college, weather my parents would be slightly happy or angry.
These results would change my life forever, and they would decide my future, weather it would be decided by me or my controlling mother and father. I hoped and prayed to god that I passed everything, well not everything. I didn't want to pass my physics, to be honest I didn't even want to do physics in the first place because it wasn't even my idea to take the course, my mum and dad forced me like all of my courses that I took this last 2 years.

I wanted more than anything in my very life, my heart, my very soul to get in to Lords College this would be the ultimate for me. And get away from the strangled environment of my parents house. Yes I loved them I would always respect and love them, they are my parents. But they controlled my life like everything else depended on it. If all went well after the summer I would be of to lords college and doing my degree in medieval history, especially the warfare and weapons, this was my real passion in life, what was driving me forward to achieve.
It was finally my turn to step up to the desk.
I couldn't move. My legs felt like marble and my feet felt like they were been nailed to the floor. Shaking and sweating I felt the moisture on the back of my neck drip in to my t-shirt sending a shiver down my spine. The person behind me nudged my shoulder and I stumbled up to the desk.
"Name." stated the Blonde receptionist, without looking up. I must admit she was hot. No more than twenty four. But holy Mary mother of god, If I was going to be with someone I wanted them to have a bit of a brain and at least some interest in what I was interested in. still a man can dream can't he?
"Henry Laddermiister" I stated back. My hands fumbling for the pen to sign my name on the paper in front of her, I could never remember where I put that flaming thing, it was always going missing when it wasnt in my bag. The scent of her sickly sweet perfume filled my nose as she handed me the envelope knocking me back my senses out of power for a moment, her smell seemed to make my heart float, it was magical. Shaking my head to clear it I took the flimsy envelope from her hands and walked away quickly.
"You, Laddy, whatchya get?" Called a voice cried from across the the other side of the hall, causing heads to turn and look in both our directions. Seeley Embala. My best friend for 14 years and the man who has always been there when I needed him. 6Ft2 and lanky you couldnt miss him if you tried. He walked across the hall dodging in and out of people gossiping and gaggling over their results. Cries of joy and happiness filled the hall as more and more people felt the relief of finally getting the results they had waited all summer for it was becoming nearly impossible to hear yourself think in the mist of all this chaos. Just as Seeley reached my side I was starting to get annoyed with the paper. I ended up ripping the envelope open. I looked down at the almost crumpled piece of paper and a wave of relief and bliss hit me.
The letter read.
Mr Laddermiister has achieved:
Chemistry C
Food C
Media C
Resistant materials C
Biology B
Business A
English A
Maths A
History A*
Physics A*
Congratulations.
Yours sincerely
Albert Weller.
Headmaster of Ewe Tree High school.
Phew I got my history, I had a feeling that I wouldnt get it as the final exam was seriously hard. I looked at the little A* and my heart rate went back to normal and the spinning in my head ceased. I was going to Lords, where I could finally go where I wanted to go and do what I wanted and not what other people wanted me to do. My heart leaped.
"I knew you'd ace the history." Seeley said ruffling my hair. "and Mummy and Daddy will be pleased about your other A*.

"I don't care if there pleased, I wanted to fail physics then they might have laid off of me and let me make my own choice about what course to take at lords." I replied.

"Yeah you're right," I mumbled folding up the paper and stuffing it in my pocket, turning towards him I grinned "So what did you get?"
His face dropped, I chuckled.
"Well my little geek, I didn't pass all ten but they are decent enough to get me in to Lords with you, just not on the coarse I was hoping."

"Why not? You were the smart one out of us two."

"Obviously my brain doesn't like exams because when I sat down at my desk to start them, my head just went blank and all of a sudden I knew nothing what so ever haha!" Seeley laughed
I grabbed his head and rubbed my knuckles on the top of it. This was quite hard he was very tall but I got him in the end, I had to jump and hoped my weight would force him down, luckily it did.
"We can get a flat together, if you let go now." Seeley struggled under my grasp.
I let go and dragged him out of the hall and through towards the exit of school, and then through to the park. I could hardly believe that this was the last time I would be coming here as a student again, I can't say I wasnt a little sad as I had gone through so much there, well me and Seeley had but mostly, but I was glad that that chapter in my life was over and a new one was just about to begin.

I didn't look at the crumpled, folded piece of paper in my pocket all afternoon whilst Seeley and I rambled through the park and town. All we could think and talk about was what was going to happen next to us, weither we would still be friends while at college, weither we were going to be friends after college and what was going to happen to use when we had finished. We were laying on the grass by the banks of the river that flowed through our small quaint town, it was calm today and all you could hear from it was a faint trickle, it almost seemed like the river was miles away rather than just 5 feet away. It was nice to think for a few hours we are free from our controlling parents. At least Seeley liked what his parents would make him do. Sports! Seeley has always been sporty since the first time we met, his main one had to be football though I remember seeing him play for our high school team as a striker and ripping the oppositions defence apart, I've never seen someone move as fast as he could when he had the ball and his height gave him a real advantage when he had to jump for the ball, he also had the record amount of goals in our year back in high school.. Lords only had a small sports department as it only focused on English and history. Plus his parents were more than likely going to make him go to Loughborough. He has a legacy, as both his mum and his dad went there, but they understood that where he went was his decision. Thats what I loved about his parents, all they would do was advise him and leave the decision down to him. Not like my parents, they dictated my whole life and I didn't have any say in it what so ever. As we layed on the grass staring up at the clouds they started to take shapes.
"See," I murmured and turned towards him on the grass.
"Yeah," he kept on looking at the few clouds in the sky. I waited for him to turn my heart pounding not knowing how to ask anything. Finally he turned his head. "What is it mate, you've not been this quite since you got that D in your first history test."
"What if I have to go to Sheffield and you have to go to Loughborough? I don't know what I'd do if I didn't know or have anyone, especially my best mate." I paused waiting for his response, I felt my throat getting dry again and as he pondered on what he was going to say next I started to get the feeling I had said something out of term, I hoped more than anything that where ever we were we would always stay friends. I had already decided he was going to be my best man if I ever got married. He would be a godfather to one of my children as well, if I ever had any.
"Don't get soppy on me H," he grinned, " you know I'm going to stay in touch not matter where we go, its impossible for you to get rid of me." He flopped to go on his back and folded his arms behind his head.
"Sorry, I just wondered you know, you know how pushy my parents are, they might think we're a bad influence on each other, that we need space." I turned to sit up and pulled my legs up to my chin. "I just don't want to go through the process of having to find a best mate again. It was hard enough last time-"
"But this time you can find someone who is really interested in what you are and me for my interests, but like I said, you aren't going to get rid of me that easy. I don't want to go through it but if I have to we will still have Facebook and MSN, and all that to chat on, plus you always know I'm on the end of my phone, just make sure I'm not in an exam like last time or we would both be in trouble." we laughed. I remembered. It was in year ten and Seeley, had to go up for his physical exam. I had called him because I needed some help in getting something down from the top self in a cupboard. I called him. And he failed. I have never felt like more of an idiot. And more sorry for him.
"Sorry, again about that. So what happens when you've won your meddles at the Olympics and the commonwealth games?" I asked with a slight chuckled. His dream was to represent his country in the Olympic and commonwealth games, in football of coarse. I grinned at the thought of my best friend doing something like that.
"Do them all again." He replied with a slightly louder chuckle and carried on. "There's no point in winning all the golds one year and then not four years later is there." he stated the sentence, it sounded wrong.
"Yes you're right." I stated back.
"So what are you going to do after you have your doctorate in medieval history and are one boring person then?" he asked laughing. He would always make fun of me for my interest in history but I knew he knew it was what I wanted to do and he supported me through it all, so I didn't take what he said as an insult.

"Make something of my life" I answered calmly.
"Oh," he replied. "cool."
"Lets go back to mine," I said getting up and wiping the grass of my shorts. "You can stay for dinner, I will more than likely get it if no one else is there." I muttered. Feeling more and more insignificant, I dont know how they did it but my perents always found new ways to make me feel like I wasnt doing the right thing. but I was, I was doing what I wanted to do and I wasnt hurting anyone so it was the right thing that I was doing.
"Oh come on mate, cheer up, your parents should be pleased with your results, hey you got two A*'s they should be thrilled." he got up and grabbed my head. "come on H, I'm starving what do you think your mums making?" he pulled on my neck to keep me walking forward. It hurt but I was able to keep up with my lanky friend. We always messed and joked about, I remember I few years ago when we were in English, Seeley went to the bathroom and while he was gone I hid his book on the shelf behind us, he was looking forever to find it. He did get me back though, a few days later, he whacked a woopy cushion on my chair, I was so tired I didn't even notice, right in front of the class I was soo embarrassed.
It didn't take us that long to get back to mine. It hit me when we reached the end of the street. The nerves. I didn't want to tell my parents just yet I wanted to wait until I was ready because I knew what there reaction would be,they wouldnt care about any grade apart from one, physics! Bloody physics I hated it with a passion but my parents made me take it as a course. My mum and dad both work for the government in a science lab which is where i'm assuming they got the idea of me studying it at lords. But this wasnt what I wanted, my passion was in medieval history, especially the military and the weapons. I've been obsessed with them since I was a small boy, to me it was a time when men were real men and had to get up close and personal and to look in the eyes of the people you were killing, when the hearts of men were pushed to the very limit of what they could endure. Seeley had other ideas obviously.

Once we reached my door I let us in and as soon as the door was open my dog Rufus jumped up and started licking my face.
"Hey Rue." I laughed pushing him down and going though the living room to open the doors out on to the patio for rufus; to go out in to yard and run around. This was a daily routine for me, rufus was my dog according to my mum so I had to take care of him, walking, feeding and to buy toys for him, I even had to give up some of my pocket money so that my sister would walk him when I was at school.
"Mum! Dad! Rubes!" I called out walking back through the clean and tidy living room and in to the kitchen. Nothing. Where where they? It was four pm, they said they would be back aound three.
I turned out of the kitchen and ran up the stairs. I crossed the landing and in to my for once tidy room. There they were all three of them. My Mum, my Dad and Ruby my little sister beeming at me.
"Have you found them yet?" See called up the stairs.
"Yeah they are up here. Come to my room." I called back. I knew why they were here waiting for me in my room.
"So Henry, lets see your piece of paper then," My mum stood up and walked towards me. I took the crumpled piece of paper out of my back pocket and passed it to her inwardly cringing as she unfolded it. Ruby came towards me and held out her arms. Her long brown hair slipping over her shoulders on to her back as her graceful skip reached me.
"Hey Rubes. I'm guessing this was your idea." I bent down to hug her.
"I hope you didn't get to worried about us" she whispered giggleing in to my ear. Starting to pull away again she looked up at our mother who was crying.
"Mum, what is it?" I asked getting worried again.
"Oh Henry, I'm so proud of you." She cried grabbing me and pulling me in to a hug. I was speechless. I really didn't know what to say. The last time I had seen her cry much less hug me was when my granddad died 4 years ago, I always thought she was too proud to cry. She always seemed the type of woman that prefers to keep her emotions hidden deep down where no one could see them.
"Petunia? Let me see." My dad finally got up off the bed and walked over to us holding his hand out for the piece of paper. As my mother let go of me sniffing I felt See's pressence behind me. He had two cokes in his hands, I grabbed one and shot it down. I startd to get the feeling of the Sahra desert in my throat again and grabbed the drink in his other hand and drank the as well. I grinned at him and we walked down stairs taking Ruby with us.
We plonked our selves in front of the TV with drinks and a packet of crisps flicking throught the channels, nothing on again as normal at this time of day, nothing but antic and talk shows, we continued to flick the channels for what must have been 10 minutes until my parents walked in beeming, I swallowed the mouthfull of coke and stood up. I was expecting the worse but there faces said otherwise. My heart was in my mouth as I waited for them to speak.
"Henry," Dad said moving towards me holding out his hand, I took it shaking it hard and looking in to his face to trying to read his hard expresstion. My dad was always a hard person to read, he always seemed to have the same expression. The only way you could tell what mood he was in was by his voice, even though they were only suttle changes but if you knew him well enough you could pick up on these changes. "Well done son. Ten GCSE's. No one in our family has ever gotten so many. And an A* in physics," I inwardly groaned, but I would not argue, not with Ruby and Seeley present, I had more respect for them than that.

"We are so proud of you son." he smiled.
Mum made us lasanguia and chocolate pudding for dinner. It wasnt until she had served pudding that she mentioned the results again.
"So you will be going to sheffeld then Henry, like you wanted." She looked a me from the head of the table. I just shuffled in my seat and stired the pudding. I knew where this was going to end up but I didnt want to while Ruby and Seeley was here, and not at the table, that was the big no no for me here.
"I don't want to talk about it mum, not now, can we discuss it once certain people have gone." I looked over at her and then at Ruby. Ruby hated the arguments me and our parents fought. She pleaded with me with her expressions not to argue with our mum. I tried to give her an apologetic expression and ate my pudding. Seeley knew what I was going on about and just looked at me, I looked back at him with a sorry look on my face. Seeley looked back and me, smiled alittle, nodded and went back to eating his food.