Sweet Nothing

(Annabelle POV)

I was running. I didn't know where. Just away. As far away as I could manage before my body could give up and tear me apart. I couldn't believe she was back, after all this time, after all this mess. It'd been months and no word from her, no phone calls, no visits. Not even a damn email. And now she'd swanned her way back in like nothing had happened with her alluring ways and dark eyes, and that bloody smirk!

What was wrong with me? Why was it I could take a year's worth of strength and let it shatter under her stare in a second? I'd never hated myself more than I did in that short moment it took her to casually lean down and touch me. She always made me feel so weak around her, it wasn't fair.

I looked up and gazed around at the dark hockey pitch, amazed I'd actually brought myself out her. Was it lifes way of mocking me or had my brain finally decided that trying to forget just wasn't an option anymore? I looked around at the bleachers and dark scorched grass, my eyes starting to sting again while memories of her bubbled to the surface. I hadn't been out here in nearly a year, too scared to go near the place and the flashbacks it would bring. And now I was here I knew I'd been right to stay away.

I screwed my eyes up against the images of her, not wanting to see them but finding myself unable to stop my mind from throwing them at me. I could see her, walking towards me on the pitch in her hockey kit with a mischevious glint in her eyes while I watched her stare at me adoringly before turning her attention back to the game. I felt a proud smile work its way onto my face when she caught the ball and flicked it up on her stick before pelting the ball into the back of a Cheltenham player's head, smirking back at me to make me laugh.

No, I didn't want to remember any of it. I wanted to forget. To press erase and let everything Kelly related slip out of my head into the trash.

"What are you doing Fritton?" I mumbled to myself, taking a seat on the bleachers and twisting my fingers while a foggy sense of deja-vu rose in my mind.

I glanced sideways and looked down at the spot a metre or so away from where I was sat. The exact spot where I'd sat so patiently with that old friendly smile while the head girl dropped my hand and refused to meet my gaze...

"I've taken a job" Kelly mumbled, looking away at ground with an expressionless face.

I rolled my eyes and stretched a hand down to take hers, gently squeezing it and forcing a happy smile onto my face

"That's brilliant. I knew you'd find one you liked eventually" I told her while trying my best to stay optimistic for her. Inside I could feel myself starting to crack. Kelly accepting a job offer only meant one thing, she wouldn't be here. I looked up at her when she sighed, letting go of my hand again and finally meeting my eyes with those black spheres that cut straight into my soul

"Belle, honey..."

I waited for her to say it, to admit she had to go. She looked away for a couple of seconds before quickly swallowing and glancing back at me

"Spit it out Kel" I teased earning myself a tiny smirk from the head girl,

She ran a hand up her neck, ruffling her hair before turning to face me completely. I felt all my muscles tense while I braced myself

"Christ. Well the job I have...It's..uh.." she trailed off when I matched her gaze.

I waited for her to speak again, watching the truth burn in her onyx gaze even though she was finding it hard to verbalise

"You won't be here much?" I offered. I hated to see her struggle.

She looked down at the ground and nodded. Even though I'd known it was coming I hadn't been prepared for the stab in the chest it dealt me. I numbly felt Kelly pick my hand up and stroke a finger down my cheek with a sad smile

"We'll be okay" she whispered trying to make me feel better.

I couldn't help but detect a shot of uncertainty mingled in her voice. Or miss the way her eyes moved towards the school, looking at it like she was trying to memorise as much detail as possible before she had to leave. I let out a long breath and nodded, trying to fix what I hoped passed as a hopeful smile before looking up at her, feeling my heart sing at the sight of her. She always stole my breath, she was so beautiful. Just looking at her made my heart skip and my desire for her burn faster.

She looked back at me and smirked, obviously smug about catching me watch her

"It's rude to stare" she joked wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me against her.

I felt a shiver roll up my spine at her touch and rolled my eyes at her light chuckle. I lightly slapped her knee before tucking my head on her shoulder and joining in with her laughter

"Practice what you preach head girl"

She laughed again and pulled me tighter against her, leaning her mouth down to kiss the top of my head before tilting her face down to look at me with a roguish grin

"You love it really" she huskily muttered in a low seductive voice that made my mind go blank while my breath caught in my throat.

I slapped her knee again and ran my right hand up her chest, laying it balled up against her collarbone before sighing. She must've seen the brief flash of uncertainty pass over my face as I gazed out at the hockey pitch. I felt her take a deep breath, feeling her heart hammer under my hand, before her grip tightened around me. Her other hand came up to mine, uncurling my fingers and twisting hers through them on her chest

"We'll be okay Belle, I promise" she said in her fierce determined voice.

Although I knew she was only saying it to make me feel better a part of me couldn't help but think that maybe she was saying it more for her own benifit. I'd never seen Kelly scared, and when the day finally comes I'll know to leg it myself, but even under her cool hard expressionless facade I could see the girl behind the head girl mask, terrified and unsure about the future. I didn't want to see her fall apart. So I simply nodded and pressed all those fears to the back of my mind, focusing instead on leaning my face into her neck and kissing her throat before letting out a tired sigh...

I looked up when someone pressed a glass into my hand. Whiskey? Aunty had sought me out then. I sighed, only too aware of the life altering crap she was about to come out with. The older woman took a seat beside me, blocking off the view of the bleacher I'd been staring at and effectively snapping me back to reality with a soft thud as the bench took her weight.

"Now girly, I know you have sense enough to wear a cardigan outside in this weather..." I smiled up at her despite myself. She always knew what to say, "So what have you come out to catch pnuemonia for?"

I met her piercing stare and looked back at the school, somewhere inside Kelly was nursing a bloody lip and a beat up hand. I flexed my own hand out, frowning down at the strange pain as it crackled up my right wrist. I'd never hit anything besides a punchbag before. Ironic how it had to be Kelly

Stop thinking about it and focus Fritton!

"Thinking aunty..Miss!" I swore under my breath, I'd never stop doing that. I glanced up and gave her an apologetic smile while she tilted her head at me and grinned

"Annabelle it's two in the morning. Please call me aunty" I blinked, had I really been out here for three hours?!

"Yes Miss...Aunty!" She laughed girlishly and I frowned back embarassed

"Now then, want to tell me what's going on?" she asked patting my knee

I looked down at the the glass of scotch in my hand, glaring down at the pool of liquid. In the dark it held the same colour as Kelly's eyes and I had a sudden urge to fling it away from me. I raised it to my lips anyway and let the fiery liquid set blaze to my throat and mind, burning away any thoughts of the ex head girl.

Aunty patted my knee again, still waiting for an answer. I tipped the rest of the scotch back and set the glass down beside me on the bleacher before looking back at her. Could I lie? Probably not. Nothing got past aunty, drunk or sober she could see straight through a lie. She was the master of telling them after all. I decided instead to tell her the truth

"Bumped into an old...aqquaintance.."

I didn't mean to snarl but just thinking about Kelly was setting me on edge. And thinking about her as being nothing to me now stung. Aunty's eyes sparkled with amusement before she leant back and laughed

"Miss Jones paid a visit I see"

"Not exactly" I mumbled remembering how I'd been stood in the dorms discussing possible locations of the Fritton gold with Lucy when Celia had stormed in covered in slime and feathers, cussing viciously under her breath. It'd only taken a few minutes to find her downing red seretoning pills in the back of her Eco teepee and another ten for her to stop swearing long enough to finally tell me what had happened before I bolted from the dorm to the fifth floor.

"You went to see her? Annabelle Fritton you never cease to amaze me"

"Try my best" I muttered under my breath while she went into another giggle fit. I looked up when a flash of silver swept past the corner of my eye, raising my eyes level with the hipflask she held in her left hand

Bloody hell she's smashed! Perfect, just brilliant

I continued grumbling to myself as I reached over and gently extracted the flask from her grip. She let me have it, obviously expecting me to take a sip. I balanced it in my palm, frowning down at how light and empty it felt. Something clicked in my head while I ran my free hand over its scratched and weather beaten surface. Aunty didn't drink from hipflasks. She believed in showing your addictions and wearing them as proudly as you did your heart on your sleeve. She wouldn't be caught dead drinking from something that went against that belief. So who's was it?

My eyes hardened when understanding dawned over my shoulders and I flipped it over in my hand, reading the name that had been scratched into it some years ago. Beside me aunty started a fresh round of giggles. Maybe something about my scowling at an inanimate object amused her. I glanced up at her when they got ridiculously loud and decided it was time for her to call it a night.

"Come on aunty, let's get you to bed" I sighed standing up with the glass and flask in one hand while bending down to tug her up with the other.

She leapt to her feet and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a rib breaking hug and holding on tight when I tried to pull her off me so I could breathe

"You're my favourite niece Annabelle..." she slurred moving her face away from my neck to pat my cheek with a sloppy smile

"I'm your only niece Miss"

"...And my favourite head girl" she added.

I looked up at her surprised. Was she just saying that or did she mean it? I would never know. The woman had an amazing pokerface. She must have seen my eyes narrow because she let out another soft giggle before pulling me back to her.

"Kelly was amazing yes, but she's got nothing on you Annabelle Fritton"

I felt a swell of emotion at that. She'd never given me such a heartfelt honest compliment like that before. And being my only family now it meant alot. I couldn't help the small smile that rose on my lips while I thought about how Kelly would react to hearing that. She'd probably laugh it off before smirking at me with her "I told you so" smile. I rolled my eyes at the image and focused back on Aunty as she swayed dangerously on the spot. I would have returned the compliment with my own teary words had she not chosen the moment to slump against me. I felt my knees threaten to buckle when I took on all her weight, tilting her face up to see she'd passed out. I rolled my eyes and laughed at my own misfortune.

"Learn how to hold it kid" I muttered to no one in particular, wincing when I realised they were Kelly's words. I pulled her left arm across my shoulders and dragged her towards the school, cussing all the way when we frequently stumbled.

I have no idea how I managed to get us to her office but felt a little proud of myself as I gently guided her to the couch infront of her desk. I pulled a blanket over her and turned to her desk, eyeing the multiple bottles of alcohol sat on the table underneath the window. After a few minutes of arguing with myself I stepped up to them and grabbed a couple bottles of Jack Daniels, hooking them under my arm and walking out of the office with a small guilty smile at aunty's sleeping form. It was common knowledge that no one was allowed to help themselves to her stash but I reasoned my actions by telling myself she'd understand. And if not I'd buy her some more or give her the money to replace them. At the moment though I was more concerned with getting somewhere private so that I could relax.

The rooftop was my friend. I found myself sat with my legs dangling over the edge of the building while I stared out over the fields surrounding the school and drank shot after shot of whiskey until my fingers ached from cold and my throat burned from the strong drink. I didn't care though. Anything to distract me from thoughts of her.

"This year just got a whole lot more complicated" I sighed dumping myself on the couch and staring up at the stars with an exhausted smile, hearing a bottle roll across the rooftop and feeling myself lose consciousness.