Almost Home

Chapter Seven

'Where are you?' I'm racing through our den, peering stealthily behind trees and searching in bushes, trying to find any clues to the whereabouts of the elusive Jamie. He was so good at hide-and-seek, it was infuriating.

I'd left Tom in the treehouse where I'd found him after only a few minutes of looking. He wasn't really one for joining in with my "childish games" anymore, telling me he'd grown out of them. Let him be a bore, it makes no difference to me.

But where was Jay?

I delve further into the woods and try to avoid looking at the eerie shadows lurking between the trees, the darkness playing tricks on my scared fourteen-year-old mind, making me believe they were ghosts waiting to pounce. Calling out Jamie's name once more, I swear I hear the whispered echo of laughter.

Maybe I should just make my way back to Tom. I was further out than I usually was and it was getting darker by the minute...

A branch snaps behind me and I spin on the spot, glad to have finally caught Jamie out, but as I scan the area there was no one to be seen.

Okay, now I'm definitely frightened.

'GOTCHA!' Two hands grab me by the waist and I let out a blood-curdling scream, made all the more alarming by the sounds of hundreds of birds frantically flapping their wings as they take flight all around us.

This is it...this is how I'm going to die.

But if I am dying, why can I hear someone howling with laughter behind me?

I open my eyes just a peep and turn around, afraid to see who my captor could be, to find Jamie on his hands and knees in the dirt, tears streaming down his face as he clutches his side in hysterics.

So it was him scaring the living daylights out of me!

What an idiot! He nearly gave me a freaking heart attack!

I wait impatiently for his laughter to subside, scowling down at him as he wipes his face with the back of his hands, only for a fresh wave of hysterics to erupt from him when he sees how furious I still was.

'I'm so sorry, I had to! It was too good an opportunity. You looked SO scared!' He hauls himself up to standing and tries to cup my face with his hands, but I bat him away in temper. 'Oh, don't be mardy M&M! Come here.' He pulls me into his embrace before I could scold him and I inadvertantly inhale, breathing in a mixture of mint and cedarwood from his intoxicating aftershave.

I lean back, scowling at him and it suddenly occurs to me that he's probably got another girl on the go, by the smell of him and I can't help shaking my head. The tart.

He looks sheepish, checking my face to see if he was forgiven and I try my best not to smile at him. I'll admit, I could finally see the funny side now that my heartbeat has returned to normal but I wasn't going to let him get away with it that easily. I think I might let him suffer some more. It was kind of fun being this-

'What the HELL Emma?! I thought you'd been bloody murdered!' Tom is panting as he stomps into the clearing, looking around for the cause of my distress and clocking us immediately. 'What are you two doing?'

We realise we're still hugging and jump apart like we'd been electrocuted, both mumbling an apology as Tom continues his torrent of rage.

'We need to get home, quick. It's late and I'm not in the mood for mum to flip her lid at me so hurry up, both of you!'

I skirt past Tom and start marching through the woods towards home, afraid of irritating him further and do my best to avoid looking at Jamie who, from what I could see out of the corner of my eye, was desperately trying to catch my attention.