Alison sat next to Erica in their last class of the day on Monday. She had tried all day Sunday to call Erica and explain what had happened, but she kept getting shut down. It was annoying to say the least. After all, she had tried and tried to be friends with Erica, and it just didn't seem to work. They were supposed to be copying down what Miss Belmont had written up on the blackboard, but she couldn't concentrate. She felt bad, she had apologised several times, even though she hadn't really made a mistake or done anything that needed an apology. But, again, she wanted to try and make things right between the two of them.
"Thank you Erica, thank you Alison," said Miss Belmont as she collected their camp permission forms. Alison looked up, pulled from her thoughts, then looked over at Erica. "Please be aware that no electronic devices are permitted on camp, as they will be confiscated."
Alison ignored the rest of Miss Belmont's speech, something she wouldn't usually do. "Yuk, about what happened on Saturday, I..." she tried.
"What, you mean when you dogged me?" Erica asked sourly as the bell rang.
Alison sighed. She had tried, and she still couldn't get through, so she just tuned back in to the teacher.
"I hope you've all remembered to put in your forms. Remember, no forms, no camp." The top form in Miss Belmont's hands dropped to the floor, unnoticed until Erica found it and picked it up, smiling.
After school, and Barry headed to Alison's house. She had invited him over just to get to know him a little more, so that she could maybe be friends with him. They had been chatting and having a good time when a scream and a crash from outside got their attention. Alison slowly followed Barry out through the back door, surprised to see Erica laying on the ground, covered in dirt and surrounded by plants.
"Yurk, what are you doing here?" asked Barry, though he didn't sound too surprised by her appearance.
Ignoring Barry, Erica directed her words at Alison. "I'm gonna sue you. I was just innocently walking up your driveway when this wheelie bin shot out in front of me, which was unsecured..."
"Were you spying on us?" asked Alison suspiciously.
"How dare you? How dare you? No. No. The only reason I came was to give you your stupid form which you dropped at school."
"Alison? What on earth is going on down there?" shouted Mrs Ashley from upstairs.
Before Alison could answer, Barry ran off, making Alison feel confused. "Um, nothing. The bin just fell over. I'll clean it up!"
"Then who the hell is screaming and crashing about?"
"It's nobody, just get back to sleep. You've got work tonight." Alison turned back to Erica.
"Nobody, huh? Thanks a lot."
"I didn't mean it like that."
"No, I know what you meant. What I don't know is why I bother." Erica handed the form to Alison and stormed out, leaving Alison confused.
Ten minutes later, Alison had put the metal stand back up and had put the last of the plants back in the pot it had come out of. She replaced it on the shelf and then headed to the hose to clean up her hands and clothes. She just finished when the phone rang and she ran inside to answer it before it woke her mother again.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Ali, it's dad."
"Hey daddy," smiled Alison.
"How did you go with that girl today?"
"Not good. On Saturday, I went to her house and it started off okay, but then she got upset with me again. I tried to apologise for it at school but she wasn't listening. Then, twenty minutes ago, I found her in the backyard. I'm sure she was spying, but I don't care about that. I saved her from getting yelled at by mum, and she still doesn't appreciate it. I don't know what to do daddy."
"Do you really want to be friends with her?"
"Yes."
"Then try again. Sometimes, you have to be the big person and do what you don't want to do."
"I guess. Are you going to come and visit?"
"I wanted to talk to your mother about that. Is she around?"
"Sleeping."
"When should I call then?"
"You could try this time on Wednesday. She works in the morning so she'll be home and awake."
"Alright. Can you tell her that I'll call then so she doesn't go out?"
"Okay daddy. I love you."
"I love you too my sweet little girl. Don't forget to send me pictures while you're on camp."
"I will daddy. I promise."
"Alright, I'll let you go then. Goodnight baby."
"Night daddy." Alison hung up the phone and went to the kitchen to write a note for her mother before she went up to her room.
Alison was woken up two hours later by her mother screaming up the stairs that she was leaving for work. She put her pillow over her head and closed her eyes again, trying to ignore her mother until she left. Then Alison would get up and do her homework, before going back to sleep so she would be rested before she had to go to school in the morning.
The next morning, Alison was up early. She wanted to get out of the house before her mother got home so she wouldn't have to spend time listening to complaints about her mother's work. She couldn't be bothered to deal with that this morning. She just wanted to deal with her own issues for once. So she was out the door at seven am, heading to a little cafe she had found on Sunday that was near school.