Three

Three

It had been a week since my little science incident, a really uneventful week as well, I hadn't done much. I mean a girl like me actually having things to do, snort, not a chance.

The day after my little breakdown, I had found out my mum had gone to summerset to stay with our Aunt Dorsey, I haven't heard anything from her, I know Harry has I could hear him on the phone to her at night. Mostly there conversations were the normal husband wife stuff, but on occasion, usually towards the end of the phone call there would be a whispered mention on my name and probably a long winded account of my mental state. I stop listening after my name is mentioned, so that was a guess, I can't imagine I'm that far off.

Thankfully it hasn't rained so far, so that is a plus, I mean coupling nothing to do with rain. I would cringe.

During the week I had done almost every chore imaginable in the house, cleaning, dusting, hovering, polishing you name it. And so that's how I find myself standing out side in our front garden, doing what else, but gardening.

Our front garden was in a bad case of neglect, and I mean in a big way, I can't remember if there were ever flowers in here or not. It was overgrown with thorn, weed, and my personal hate, nettle.

I sighed and looked around. In our equally neglected back garden, in our equally neglected shed, buried at the bottom of who knows what I found a shabby old gardening kit. It included; hand held spade, fork, rake, weed killer (which looked horrifically out of date) a few other things, but no gloves.

I carried it out into the front and sat it on the wall I had sat on the previous week. It looked like it was going to be a nice enough day to day.

I looked at my clothing and decided to change, some how I didn't think that a white strap top with matching hoodie and jeans would cut it, at all.

I skidded into my room and crashed to a stop on my dresser, ah yes, I polished the floor. I groaned as I stood strait, and carefully opened my wardrobe door. It would probably be best for me to ware dark cloths considering I'm going to be in the dirt, so… the black halter top, hoodie and dark blue jeans. If the sun came out any stronger today I know I'm going to be regretting my choice in dark clothing, but I think I would prefer to sweat a little rather than patch up my white clothing with mud, I'm sure anyone would agree.

After getting changed I, carefully this time, walked out of my room and down the stairs into the kitchen. I pulled out a water filter I had found and cleaned yesterday and filled it with water to filter whilst I was out in the garden.

I liked this, being home, alone.

I'm sure most people would disagree, in today's world, alone just didn't exist anymore. But what I liked the most was the fact that I had nobody behind my back saying you're doing that wrong.

It was strange granted not having mum around, I mean we didn't get along, but on the rare days we had together even though we were in separate rooms she was there, and now she's not.

I didn't think on it for to long, I was having a good day, a free day so I wasn't going to ruin it. I pulled out a hair band and put my hair up into a quick messy bun, I never wore my hair up so it felt strange at first, but once again it would make it easier to work with out it in my eyes.

The water filter hummed on the side as I rooted around under the kitchen sink for a pair of gardening gloves, however unlikely it was that I was going to find any, as evident by the half rusty gardening equipment. It was a stroke of luck that I even found them.

I stood up and grumbled I was so not going to stick my hands into thorn bushes, and nettles, not on my life I won't.

I would have to go out and get some, not something I particularly wanted to do, as it was pointless to walk down to the shops just for a pair of gardening gloves.

Well if I had to go I would have to go, I might as well see if the house needed anything, just to make the trip a little less meaningless.

I opened the fridge to see what we needed in there, milk, which was it. I knew we needed peas, carrots and a few more cans of beans. I'm not sure if there was anything else, I would just give it a guess, as I'm not used to the whole shopping lark.

I was so glad it was a nice day, I couldn't see myself getting out of bed if it wasn't; guess I'm just lazy like that.

I took a deep breath of the almost summer air, it was clear and clean, like my feelings today. It was really, really nice, this freedom. The last week particularly last night, had really made me think, cleared my head a little.

I could use this time really well, get my life sorted, and find a direction. Look at me I'm thinking like a forty year old, perhaps that's why I never fit in anywhere? Not that it really mattered, I liked my solitude, and if anyone had a problem with that well, sod 'em.

I looked about the house, it was a nice sized home, big, four bedrooms. Each bedroom big enough to sleep three people, we hadn't decorated since we had moved in all those years ago, and I suspected the same of the owners before us. The out side of the house, as well as the decoration inside, had a combination of Victorian and early nineties theme.

It wasn't over impressive, but it was home, I just felt lucky to have one. Even if my mum and mines relationship was rocky, the relationship between me and my brother was almost none existent, and every evening it felt like WW2 was back and bigger (not including this last week) I had a home more than I could say for most people.

I walked to the door to double cheek the weather, still sunny, oh yeah! I didn't bother with a jacket; the hoodie was good enough, as it wasn't going to rain anyway.

Before I left the house I phoned Harry to let him know I was taking some shopping money out of the lion pot in the front lounge, I got his voice mail so I left him a message, then I carefully made my was over to the pot and took thirty quid from it. Then I walked extra carefully back, I had polished in there too, no wood was safe from me.

On my way out I stopped and patted my pockets, yup, I have the keys. I grabbed my bag and stuffed the notes into my purse, the letters that were sent to me were still in there, I had completely forgotten about them. And my ten pound note was still lying at the bottom as well, re-esult, I grabbed the letters and gave them a quick inspection.

I gave out a happy whoop when I saw the first, a letter from Tina; it had been ages since we had last written. The other looked like it was a more professional letter, probably some bank trying to sell me a credit card, not important. I shoved it back and went to work on opening my letter; I closed the door tightly behind me and locked it, looking away from the letter I glanced from side to side. Walk or buss? Walk.

The smell of apples hit me immediately when I opened the glued flap on the letter; an instant smile appeared on my lips. Tina had sworn adamantly that she would spray her perfume on my letters so I wouldn't forget what she smelled like. It was sweet in a, we were seven at the time, kind of way.

It wasn't very thick, which was just like Tina, she wasn't a very literate kind of girl. I was amazed if her letters were double sided, but that was no matter, she had a way about her.

I set off in the direction of Tesco, ASDA was nearer, but seeing as the weather was nice I wanted to make the most of it.

Keeping one eye on the floor as I walked lest I fall flat on my face I began to read Tina's letter.

Hey girl!

So after my initial disappointment at my best friend not travelling up to see me on my birthday, I decided to send her a note of thanks for the amazing gift sent, which I may scream was TOTTLY HOT!

No I mean it, the earrings were just so me! Ga, girl, how do you do that? Kevin wanted to, like always, see me in the immediately. Only them if you get me!

But still. So after your last letter I was amazed you had lasted so long in this school of yours, and the fact you had made and kept a friend, no offence intended. I know it's hard to make friends after knowing somebody as awesome as me! So I want an update, you been given the boot yet??

Kevin's reading over my shoulder, creep!

Ouch I got hit for that. Anyway, give me an update ASAP.

Mums fine, dads still in jail, I'm super. Kevin's still Kevin, his folks are still hanging tight, schools crap as always. A-levels are so damn hard.

Write back now. I mean it now as in yesterday.

C'yah tots.

Tina xxx

I folded the letter carefully and put it into my bag; I had a smile in place that would put the Cheshire cat to shame. I love that girl.

She must have some fore sight or something; I got the 'boot' as she would say the same day the letter had turned up, lucky guess.

I was a little amazed she hadn't explained her latest trip to the hair dressers, the last I had herd was she had gone blond with electric blue underneath. Which would absolutely not suit a single person I know except her, It was Tina's mission in life to find the perfect hair stile, well I take my hat off to her, the most creative I get is adding mayonnaise to spaghetti bolognaise.

The sun just seemed to be getting hotter and hotter; I stopped and balanced my bag on a wall as I slipped my hoodie off, and tied it around my waist.

Grabbing my bag I slung it on my shoulder and walked on a little bounce in my step.

The air con in Tesco was most welcome when I stepped through the doors. I let out the biggest sigh of relief. Sometimes I hated English weather. It was probably going to pore down tomorrow.

I pulled a basket out of the rack and started up the first isle; I would double back afterwards and take a look at the clothes up stairs. I would end up buying a CD though, I knew that, but it didn't hurt to look.

The milk was about half way down the store, frozen just after that, tea coffee and that just after. I headed for fresh foods first. A salad would be nice for dinner, it was simple and easy, I wasn't much of a cook. Maybe a nice bit of fruit for the bowl in the kitchen as well, bring some colour to the drab room, I could do some fresh fruit and cream for pudding.

I was just grabbing the lettuce off of the shelf/bucket thing when I had the chill of the century, it was as if my entire body had gone cold, the feeling was so strong I had to gasp.

It wasn't unusual for it to happen to me, not that it happened to me all the time, but it happened on occasion. It was like my very own built in spider sense, it usually happened when somebody I didn't like to a horrific degree was near, or something dangerous was going to happen perhaps even somebody dangerous was near.

It was stupid to think it really, I mean come on I was strange enough as it is, now I dream up delusions of knowing when dangerous things were about. I mean I'm one step away of shouting out to the world 'I believe in vampires bring on the padded room,' it would be funny if my chills didn't usually end up being right.

I dropped the food into the basket, and put that down onto the floor; I pulled my hoodie off my waist and put it on. It wasn't going to help I knew that much, but it was the method of it that I wanted, a moment to channel my thoughts. I concentrated on pulling each arm through the right holes, and then I pulled the zip around to hug my stomach, like I said I wasn't exactly slim the hoodie fit but snugly, it did make my breasts look sizable though.

I picked up the basket and started walking again, I had all the fresh foods I needed, and I began to walk towards the milk.

I couldn't shake the feeling I was being followed, that or something nasty was in the shop with me, either one I didn't like over much.

I was in my own little world as I walked down the isle, I was almost to the milk section, I didn't pay attention to what was either side of me I would just end up buying any old crap If I did.

I rounded the corner with out looking.

I ended up flat on my back side almost. I was being held just above the laminated floor by my waist, two strong arms had circled me, and it was like flooding warmth was being pushed inside of me. the chill I felt was completely obliterated, warmth surged into me as fast as anything, then as quick as that it was gone a tingling sensation was all that was left.

"You okay?" a strong, familiar, accented voice asked.

"Oh jeez, I am so sorry," I mumbled out still very aware that Sam's arms were still firmly planted around me. I had completely dropped the basket it sat forgotten at our feet. I looked up into his amused mocha eyes.

He let go slowly making sure I had my balance, I felt the cool of the store air con immediately, and I must be blushing like embers to a flame.

He lent down, his thickly muscled arms scooped up my basket, I hadn't really taken the time to really look at him the last time, and I was loath to this time, as he was watching me with quite some amusement.

"Nah no problem." There went his little finger sign.

I took in a deep breath and sighed. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately, at least I knew my wind pipe was clear, it was stupid the things that went through my head when I was standing with a highly attractive male.

I watched Sam out of the corner of my eye as I straightened my self out, he stood as if on guard, a concentrated look on his face as he scanned the shopping isle. He was looking speculatively at each person that walked past him. It was almost as if I had interrupted him as he was looking for somebody.

I went to take the basket from his hand gently, his attention snapped back to me almost instantly, the smile back on his face.

"How are you feeling?" he asked me with a shrug, he flipped the basket from one hand to the other, I could see he had no intention of handing it back. I didn't think much of it; the thing was going to get heavy adding milk and cans to it.

We began to walk in sink down to the milk.

"Much better thank you." I said with a smile because for the most part it was true. I was feeling a lot better. "And yourself, how are you?" being polite obviously, it had nothing to do with the fact I was mildly attracted to him, or because I wanted his company, no I'm not like that at all.

"Very well thank you." He looked about once more in an almost undetectable way; I just felt that he was looking for somebody, perhaps he was only being polite by walking with me.

"Am I keeping you from some thing, 'coz If I am, just let me know and I'll be more that happy… well not that it would make me happy that… no that's not right… what I mean to say is…"

Much to my embarrassment, Sam began to laugh; it was a strong rich sound. It seemed I could feel his amusement to the core.

My face went as red as Rudolph's nose on Christmas Eve. I can't remember a time I had ever felt this mortified, now I really know why I don't hang around with many people, I hate feeling like this.

"Nah… I was just doing some shopping, I needed some trousers, so I thought cheep and cheerful as they say."

"But you're standing by the milk." I could have sworn I saw him flinch a little, it was the briefest of moments but it was almost as if he lost all expression, like the other week when he just grew. It was just simple logic, if he wanted trousers then he should be upstairs not half way down the store with the milk, I can't be the only one to have seen that. As fast as a second, and he was all, happy go lucky once more.

"I thought that I would get some for my foster family, we were very low when I left this morning, I thought it would help Mandy out." He flashed a grin at me, his teeth were so white I felt as if he belonged on a tooth past advert, I was momentarily lost for words.

"Oh… oh I'm sorry if that sounded rude." I managed a half smile my cheeks still felt aflame.

"Nah no problem, so where too boss?" he smiled down again. There was something off about him, some thing different from last week, he seemed like he was preoccupied with something and was trying to stay focused on me.

I stopped across from the milk and looked, there was no six pint semi skinned left, darn it. I reached across and grabbed a four pint, it would do, plus I'm carrying it home.

I consulted my mental shopping list, salad check, milk check, cans. I made a one eighty turn and began to walk to the cans, peas, carrots, beans I think that'll do it.

"So how has your week been?" I asked cautiously well aware that I could have insulted him a few times already.

"Not too bad, school is the same really, the system over here is quite different in many ways to the one we have back home, harder. Home is as good as can be expected in a strangers home, I may have been here almost eight months, but they don't really know me I understand. They want a family dinner on Wednesday, I am not sure if it includes Me." he shrugged, his muscled shoulders straining the seams slightly, he was built big. "And your week how was it?"

"Quiet for the most part." I smiled at him while I took the corner to the caned goods carefully this time. "I've cleaned for the majority of the time, listened to a lot of music; I was going to do some gardening to day but we didn't have any gloves." I picked up two cans of each thing we needed and thought to my list again. I had reminded my self of the gardening gloves, talking to Sam had made me forget. "so that's why I'm here, I thought I would get some shopping done seeing as I'm out, not a lively week in retrospect."

"Actually it sounds nice, relaxing; I would trade a week any day." He looked so wistful I could almost believe him.

"Glad you approve."

Another flash of those perly whites, "So, macho man, you have a clue where they keep the gardening stuff?"

"I think at the front, the isles by the books, down that way." He looked like he was considering something. "I thought you had lived here ten years, and you don't know your was around a shop, I find that quite amusing."

I flushed red again. "Well it was mum and Harry that usually done all the shopping, we didn't shop in Tesco's nether, we've never really had the money to be able to afford it, so this is like my first trip out on my little lonesome." I turned my head away from his look, pretending to flick my hair over my shoulder, which didn't quite work seeing as it was still up.

"Ah."

"What?"

"nothing." He smiled slightly.

"What?"

"nothing." He repeated his smile growing even more.

"Seriously what?" what was he smiling at?

"Nothing," His face broke out in to one of his flashing grins I had been privy to earlier.

I playfully slapped him on the shoulder and picked up the pace a little, it would have been a great fake tantrum, if he hadn't have matched my pace.

"You were supposed to follow me saying sorry you know?"

"Yeah I know." He reached his hand out and snagged a pair of gardening gloves, his movement had my heart beating a little faster that usual, he had put his arm near enough around me again.

"Thank you."

"No problem." he seemed to be watching me with interest. I shook it off, its Danielle's boy friend, sure he's being nice but I sure as hell am not getting my self into this one. I had read enough books to see the trouble you get from it. Besides he's going back to America in like two years, why go through all the trouble for somebody who's going to leave you, nah huh I am not going to me one of them.

I turned around to double back to the lifts; I still wanted to take a look, hopefully clear my head.

We were up looking at the clothes, or he was anyway, like I had said I had dropped back to the CD's. There were a few good ones out, not many that would really grab my attention. It was all this R and B stuff. Not really my cupper. Not that it was all bad; it just didn't do anything for me, even with my weird taste in music.

Tesco had some deal on some of there older CD's, two for one, it wasn't bad considering that most of the CD's were priced at seven fifty.

"Found anything you like?" Sam's voice had made me jump; I had almost forgotten he was with me. Looking at him now he seemed to have relaxed completely, something must have put him on guard earlier, I just wondered what.

"Might have, you?"

"yeah." He held up a bag with some trousers in it. He must have already paid up here.

"Seriously Sam, I must be keeping you from something, you've been with me for like an hour and a half now."

"Look if it makes you feel any better, I have absolutely no plans for to day, I'm a completely free agent," that made me feel so much better.

"Well, in that case, you want to come back to my place, I wont be doing anything interesting just gardening but your more than welcome."

"I had every intention of."

We were at the check out near the exit of the store when the chill spread through me once again, it seemed so much stronger than the one I had earlier, and I had to close my eyes from the force of it. What the hell was going on?

When I opened my eyes again, Sam was staring hostilely at somebody's retreating back, the force of hate I could feel radiating from Sam almost scared me.

The man's back was broad, or from this distance I assumed so, he was wearing a black jacket which appeared to be leaver, his jeans were faded blue and swinging at his hips. If anything else he was attractive. Nobody with a walk that self assured could be ugly, it just didn't happen, I could see a partial of his face as he turned to leave the store. His gaze landed on Sam first, there seemed to be sparks flying between them, the stranger was returning the heated gaze full force and some. It was a wonder nobody else could feel it.

Then his eyes travelled to me, in the brief moment it took for him to leave the store, my skin seemed to come alive with the cold.

It wasn't like any chill I had ever had before, this was new, and it was like my skin was alive with a cold fire. His glance seemed startled, shocked even, then he was gone. I wanted to go after him, find out who he was, and why he made my skin dance like that with only a glance. I took a step forward.

"Excuse me madam, you need to pay now, thank you."