Summer with The Bad Boy

Chapter 23

"So what are we doing today?" Addie asks. 

"Archery," Josh replies, his mouth full of food. He swallows.

Archery again. That's when I first met Josh. And that's when I first wanted Jack desperately. Ew. 

Riley and Addie start talking. Josh catches my eye. We smile at each other. 

"You know Scarlett, we are a couple, you could kiss me anytime you want," he grins. 

I laugh. 

"Alright then, in a couple of hours, or days," I joke. 

His grin disappears and I laugh at him. I lean across the table and give him a quick kiss on his soft lips. I felt his grin come back. 

I sit back in my seat and finish off my breakfast. We sit there for about ten more minutes before everyone leaves for their groups. 

Damn it. We have classes first. Then archery. Archery is in the middle of the day, since we can't have it in the afternoon, or it will be too dark. But another group is using it while our group has maths. We just learn about Pi and all these other algebra sums. I hate it in high school, meaning I hate it now. The page is like reading another language. Maths is another language. I find no purpose for it. I'm sure everyone can count to ten. One hundreds even better. . .but what's the point of all these sphere diameter calculation and all these algebra factorising stuff? I can count. . .isn't that good enough. Riley is good at maths. He's really smart with it actually. Addie is good too. Josh does some parts of it but it otherwise drawing ugly faces all over the paper. I sigh. This maths class seems to be going all day. 

I'm glad to say it is finished. All that pressure of algebra is gone and now the pressure of food for my stomach is on. We're just having a quick morning tea. Some snacks and a drink before we go off to archery. Together, we make a plate of biscuits, fruit and cake and get a jug of chocolate milk. I felt like a kid again. 

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After about twenty minutes or so, we pack up and leave the food hall for the archery fields, down the back. I link arms with Josh, telling him I still have to protect him incase he trips and breaks his jaw again. Its just an excuse to help him again. 

We sit on the grass once we're down at the archery targets. The four of us sits in a line and we wait for the safety instructions to be read through again. We're dismissed and we each go to our own target. Once again, our group is together. We're all lined up next to each other at our own target. And we can start. I find that the best way to make a great shoot is to pretend that my target is Jack's face. I have my bow in position but quickly drop it, horrified. I sound like a murderer! As much as I hated Jack, I couldn't think things like that! Meh, I just pretend it's his face this one time and release the arrow, sending it soaring straight through the air. I drop my bow to my side. Hmm, not directly at the centre but just off to the side. It would have slid right through it cheek. A clean shoot. 

"Well done Scarlett," Michael praises from behind me.

I whirl my head around and smile. 

"Ever done it before Cormac?" He asks. 

"Hm, only on school camps," I reply. 

He smiles and nods, walking past to check how Josh is going. I watch. Bulls eye yet again! Well, he does get a lot of practice, being here for months. I turn back around, getting my bow ready and shooting again. 

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An hour later, we're walking back up to the food hall for lunch. I have my arm linked with Josh's again. I peer over at Addie and Riley. They seem to enjoy each other's company. They'd make a great couple! 

Josh opens the door for us all once we're there. We head off for the food table. I spot a wrap and salad deal, so I get that. Josh gets the same. Addie has soup again and Riley has a pie. We take a seat at a table in the corner of the food hall, right near an exit door. 

"Dig in," Josh laughs, stuffing half of his wrap in his mouth. 

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Josh is almost crying with laughter. We all are. We were talking about some funny story and I can't even remember how we got onto this topic. Josh's face is red and I can see the muscles clenching in his jaw. He holds the rest of his wrap in one hand. 

"S-so anyway," he speaks through fits of laughter, "he says, h-he goes. . ."   

But the fits of laughter are dying out like a candle in the wind. Josh is the first one to stop and we catch on once it goes quieter. Josh. . his expression is unexplainable. He's looking off behind me. Is he worried? Scared? A mixture of those very two. 

"Josh?" I say, finally regaining myself. 

He swears under his breath. His voice is shaky. 

I turn around and try to spot whatever he's looking at. I spot a man with a slick, thin hair that is disappearing as the days go on. He is wearing a ratty looking coat with old jeans and a plain shirt underneath. His eyes are hard as they scan the food hall. They lock with Josh's. And that's when I hear the screech of the chair legs and the burst of the exit door. I spin back around to see Josh gone and, whoever was at the door, bursts through the crowds of kids, following through the exit door after Josh, and then he too is gone. I stand up myself, horrified and shocked from what I just saw. 

"Josh," I scream, pushing the other chair aside and running through the door after him and the mysterious man. "JOSH!"

I hear Addie and staff members screaming for me to come back but I can't stop now. The look on Josh's face scared me to death. I never want to see that again, but I was going after him. I want to hug him and care for him like I had down last week. He was in danger. Who was that man?

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