Chapter 6

For two weeks life continued, it was different - getting up, getting ready and going to work instead of school- but it went on, and it was slowly becoming my new normal. But on this particular Wednesday afternoon I'd taken my hour-and-a-half-long break late and at home. I had just started on my coffee (a newly acquired taste of mine) when I heard a knock at the door. I put the steaming mug down with a clatter and hissed a little as some of the hot brown liquid sloshed over the jade green coloured side.

"Rai? Hold on, I'm coming!" or was it Leigha? I checked my wrist watch and decided that it was too early for Leigha to be back from her doctor's visit.

The door opened to reveal none other than April McKenzie. Oh. Hell. No. Just no, seriously. "Got lost or something?" was the first thing I said. I looked over the top of her blonde head, wishing she would just turn around and walk away.

"Um, hi, Nicholas," she said smiling. Yes, smiling - that thing one tends to do around friends or people one actually likes.

I exhaled. "Oh gee, I'm really busy so..." I started closing the door. At the last minute she stuck out her leg.

"No, I really need to talk to you," she persisted. I let up just enough to avoid putting too much pressure on her frail legs, but remained out of view, behind the door.

"Oh c'mon Nicholas, this is ridiculous," April said after a beat. I wouldn't admit it but she was right. I stepped away from the door completely and went to take another gulp of coffee.

I heard the door close. "So," she began while waking towards me, " how are you doing?" she finally finished, as she sat in the chair across from me. As if she cared.

"Great, thanks," I answered with a sickly sweet smile. Can I just say that I don't want to talk to her? So, maybe just maybe my dislike for this girl is a little personal but besides that I just haven't really been in the mood to talk to anyone from school since I left.

She cleared her throat and tried again, "How's Leigha?"

"Pregnant. Look, I should really go -" I pushed the chair away from the table and got up. Excuse me if I had been running on three hours of sleep, bad coffee and would otherwise, still not want anything to do with the perfect (read: perfect -ly annoying) April McKenzie.

Just then my mother opened the front door, "Hm. Hi," she said looking up from the groceries in her hand. I went over to help her.

"Who's this?" my mother asked.

"I'm April," she volunteered before I could say anything, "and I'm here just to check on how Leigha and Nicholas are adjusting - I'm the junior counsellor at school and our senior counsellor Mrs. Murdock thought it would be a good idea if I visited."

My mother nodded and gave a little smile. I could not believe that she wanted her here! Well, actually I could, but I was really hoping that she wouldn't be in the mood for a visitor today. I deposited the groceries on the kitchen counter, my empty mug in the sink and returned to the table to get my keys and my phone.

"So, are you ready to talk now?" April asked.

Her fake happiness was beginning to annoy me. "No. I'm actually leaving."

"Nikki! Don't be rude, this girl came all the way here and she's just being nice!",of course my mother heard that. I rolled my eyes and sat down.

"So?" she prodded. I was seriously contemplating not responding but then I had an idea. I'd try and beat her at her own game - if she was prepared to come around here and act like she actually cared about Leigha and me (probably just to annoy me) then I would beat her at her own game. I'd be the difficult patient.