Title: “The Other”
Completed: August 13, 2004


The silence hung heavy and think between them. Even as they stood on the front stoop of her family flat, the neighbourhood noise failed to fill their gap.
“So, I’m not allowed t’go then?” Amie fought the stinging of her eyes as she forced the words from her throat. She was already dressed and incautiously anticipating seeing him play.
“No,” John replied simply, resting his guitar case against the banister.
She turned away, unable to look at him and still hide her disappointment. He had told her she wasn't allowed to go to the Church-Fete, long after figuring she could and would be going. “I just…I thought…since we…” her disappointment prevented her from finishing the thought.
“Wot did you think?” a cruel grin appeared on his face, Did you think that because we’ave shagged you’re it?” He batted his eye-lashes to mock her.

Amie let out a squeak of painful surprise. She squeezed her face together tightly, desperate to hold all the emotion together and in. She was desperate not to crack, “I…I thought there wasn’t…that we was together.” Tears slipped from her eyes against all protest, and she sniffled.
John shifted form one foot to the other, letting out a huffed breath, “Nothing is real, and nothing to get hung about.”
She looked up at him, her eyes tinted red and wet, unceremoniously she wiped under her nose with the back of her hand. “It’s all nothin’?” her voice was harsh and accusing.
He shrugged in his cool, detached manner. Nothing would touch him, he wouldn’t let it.
She gave a bitter and short snort, “There’s the cool detached John. Back again then…”
“Always know sometimes think it’s me,” he muttered, now staring at his booted feet and fuming, “But you know I know and it’s a dream.”
“Wot?” she prodded into him, leaning into his space.
His head shot up, his own features fighting against their emotions and simply shook his head in reply.

They had hit another stalemate of silence. The neighbour hood could do nothing to fill the deepening space of their silence, nor could the summer wind warm them.
“So, who is she?” suddenly Amie spoke, her arms crossed protectively over her chest, and her stance the image of impatience.
“W’o?” he glared back at her without question but accusation. He looked as if he were caught.
“The other girl…” she was quiet and now calm, “there’s obviously another one, and you don’t want me to ruin that by showing up.” She had fallen numb and logical, even if her eyes were red and puffy, and her heart was breaking with the idea. They had never actually discussed what, if anything, their relationship was, but she did let romantic possibilities fill her head. She should have known better with John. Nothing about him, or them, spoke of classic romanticism. He wasn’t a knight in shinning armour, and she was no fairy princess. It was her fault for assuming.
“I never said there wasn’t,” he replied almost shyly. Carefully and cautiously. Despite all his outer shells, and chipped shoulders, he never set out to hurt other people, he was always running away from getting hurt. “But I should’ve said there was?”
She gave him a half smile, “I guess one’ve many is better than none’ve all.” She let herself fall forward, into a hug John didn’t know he was offering.
“I really like the time with ‘ou,” he spoke into her hair, the sound of his voice muffled only slightly.
“Me too,” she let herself drink in the feeling of his body before pushing her own body upright. She let her hands slide across the soft feel of his leather jacket, “So…” she cleared her throat, “tomorrow in the church-yard?” She knew she shouldn’t, but couldn’t bring herself to walk away. She doubted there would ever be anything this boy could do to make him unloved.
A broad smile broke on his face before he could contain it, “Really?”
She nodded, chewing her bottom lip, but smiling.
“Alright luv,” he gave her a peck on her raw lips, “Wish me luck then?” he said, picking up his guitar.
“All the lucky Johnny,” she watched him scamper off, undoubtedly into the arms of another. But he was someone you shared with the world.