Ever since head girl Kelly Jones interrupted my shower the night after the hockey match, witnessed my tears and kissed me, I thought…well I don't know what I thought. I was confused as to her reasons, motives behind it. At first, I thought she'd done it just to stop me from crying, to calm me down and help me relax. But then. There were things that just didn't add up. We became a little closer after that. She still called me Fritton, which was expected, as usual. I still saw her around the school. Not as much as I apparently wanted to though, according to my hormones.
I kept thinking, thinking about that night. In drenched clothing I stood under the shower, tears streaming down my face. She stood there, inching closer, trying to get my attention whilst I was babbling on and on about my time at Cheltenham. In the end, her strawberry scented lips met mine and not only did I relax and was slightly confused and stunned but I gathered I could get used to it. Going by her comment afterwards, she thought the same thing.
Kelly Jones. Not the kind of person you'd assume to be caring, but underneath her tough exterior, there's a soft heart. Apparently, I'm the one to bring out that side. She didn't have to comfort me after hockey. But she did. Nor did she have to care when my father told Auntie that he didn't believe I was his and more or less gave up on me, the school and his family. But she did. In that weird, weird way, she did. I saw it in her eyes. Even if her comment made it sound like she had given up on me. I saw that tough exterior when woken up in the middle of the night for a 'make over' start to crack. Slowly.
Today is the day The Heist is to go into action and I can't help but worry. If anything goes wrong and they get caught, they're in big trouble. Kelly could even lose her chance to be a spy and we could all spend a bit of time in prison. Glancing at my watch, then back to the stage, the girls of St Trinian's, Kelly's girls, burst into applause to cover the sound of the wire being shot at the wall. Sighing inwardly, I knew I had nothing to worry about and turned my attention back to the quiz.
Our girls were going alright, until the cord was disconnected, disrupting communications to the van outside. Verity's father was onto us and slipped out the door. One look at my Aunt and she followed him out the door.
But then Twaites Jr's eyes looked up, following the wire up to the ceiling. The wire that should be attached to the wall. Kelly…I thought, as I saw her stranded on the other side. With my Aunt busy, that left me. Verity made her way out the door and like my Aunt before me, I followed.
"Verity" I yelled. She babbled on about stopping St Trinian's once and for all. But I stopped her. "You were wrong. Back then and on the hockey pitch. About me. Being Annabelle the Cannibal." "Who cares about the past? Nothing matters right now, other then stopping you and your school from whatever it is you're doing and getting that hell-hole shut done for good." She went to run, but with the help of a hockey stick, I managed to knock her out.
Staring at her face, looking into those eyes, I told her. "That was for, well not only me and my past. But for my Aunt and St Trinian's. You call it a hell hole? You're far from right. It mightn't have been like Cheltenham, no sir, but at least there are people there who look out for you and care. You made Cheltenham a hell-hole. Now if you don't mind, I have someone who needs saving."
My feet thundered up the staircase, and towards the ledge. The discarded crossbow was to the side, loaded with a bolt connected to a wire. Picking up the crossbow, I mumbled "I'll show you." But who it was directed at, I entirely don't know. My father perhaps, Verity, my Auntie. Maybe even Kelly. Aiming the crossbow, I fired and the bolt embedded itself in the ceiling. Without a glance down, I took the wire in my hand and swung, landing next to Kelly, the girl I loved, ever since that day, possibly beforehand.
Using words that slightly mocked her own, I said "Get stuck did we silly? That's something I'd usually do." She half smiled but it grew quickly into a grin. "And when did you become so daring Fritton?" I looked at my toes and I knew I'd stumble on my words. "I umm…well…long story…you see…it…" Stuff it Fritton, just save the girl and get it done and over with. I thought. "I'll explain," I paused, glad I got the ability to speak back, "Once we get away with this heist."
We found an alternate exit, thanks to schematics of the art gallery, through a couple of doorways, that led us straight back to the hole we had created in the floor panel that would lead us to the tunnels and straight back to the van. Talk about ingenious. We passed the painting up into the van and Kelly was about to climb into it, but I stopped her. "I have stuff to explain. In private. Remember?" I passed the video camera up through the hole and dragged her back down the tunnel and pushed her up against the wall.
"So. You saved me." She said matter of factly. "Better believe it de…" I nearly slipped up and called her dear. She noticed. "Were you about to call me de…" Stuff it, I thought and I kissed her strawberry scented lips. Revenge is sweet. As sweet as strawberries. When I finished, I asked. "Now then, let's say we get you back to school and out of those muddy clothes?" She grinned and slipped an arm around my waist. "Sounds like a date Fritton." With emphasis on the word date.
As I sat there on the bus next to her, her arms snaked tightly around my shoulders and waist, I couldn't help but think. Daring? She thought I was daring? Quiet, sad, shy little Annabelle Fritton? Turns out we bring out the opposite in each other. For better or for worse.