When Sydney Sherwood was thirteen, she fell in love. She was utterly enamoured with Carter Pearson - the cute, enigmatic, brilliant fourteen year old who lived across the street. But, after only a few months, Carter and his family disappeared, leavi...
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Christmas passed quickly and with little drama. I spent Christmas day in the same way as I had every year following my parents' divorce: at home with my Mum and her parents, exchanging presents, watching a bit too much television and eating way too much food. As per tradition, boxing day belonged to my Dad and his parents, and consisted of much the same as the previous day.
Throughout it all, I had fleeting thoughts about Carter, texting him every now and then to check up on him. But finally I was able to appreciate the time and space away from him.
So, when my Mum mentioned on the morning of the 27th that we'd been invited to Jenny's for coffee that afternoon, I grinned. The invitation itself was nothing unusual - Mum and I had spent countless hours at Jenny's house - but the other guests who would be there were.
"I'll take that as a yes then?" Mum said, clearly amused by my enthusiasm.
"When have I said no to coffee?" I replied. She laughed, both of us well aware that the coffee on offer was not what had piqued my interest.
Adam answered the door at Jenny's house, smiling directly at me. I flashed him a smile back, enjoying the mild butterflies in my stomach that came with small beginnings like this.
"We're just in the lounge," he said as he lead us through the house.
He looked essentially the same as when I met him: dark hair combed back, a plain grey button down shirt. Sure, he didn't make me feel like I'd forgotten how to breath when I looked at him like with Carter, but I felt comfortable around him, which was what I wanted.
"How was your Christmas, girls?" Jenny asked once we were settled on the sofa, cups of coffee in hand.
"It was lovely, thanks, Jen," Mum answered, then launched into a conversation with Sarah and Paul which I didn't feel a part of.
Turning to Adam, who was on an armchair just across from me, I figured that I should start working towards the rebound I was after. "Did you get up to much for Christmas?"
He shrugged. He was a little awkward, like he wasn't quite at ease in his own body, but it was endearing. "Not much. It was just the four of us here."
I was racking my brain for something to ask, realising that maybe conversation wouldn't flow with Adam like it did with Carter, when I heard my name in the adjacent conversation.
"What's that you're saying about me?"
Mum smiled over at me. "We were just talking about New Year's plans; Sarah says that Adam's not doing anything and I said that you don't have any plans either."
Way to be subtle, Mum. Although, in her defence, it was helpful; ten minutes later I'd somehow got plans to go to Adam's cousin's party for New Year's Eve.
***
My entire first year at university in London had not been enough for me to become the kind of person who enjoys house parties. This, I learned within the first half an hour of Adam's cousin's party. Every room was bustling with people; before we arrived I'd wondered if I would be out of place as someone totally unknown to the host and barely even known by Adam, but clearly the party wasn't very exclusive. I sipped a vodka and lemonade, though I was careful to not let myself get tipsy. After getting embarrassingly drunk with Carter, I didn't fancy letting loose like that again in front of a load of strangers, especially without the safety of Carter there to look after me.
