All Monsters are Human

Twelth Finality

Life is so strange, really. My life was very strange. My first week back was odd. Samuel had been framed for abducting me. Andy was never mentioned in any of the police interviews.

Detective Crane seemed to want it like that. He conducted all the interviews and his questions only focused on my time with Samuel. My parents were so relieved to have me back and for a week I stayed at home.

On the Tuesday of that week I was taken to the doctors to meet Dr Caplan. He was a kind man and he began discussing what happened to me. He also focused on the events with Samuel. I guessed those were the most traumatising.

The second week I begged Mum to allow me to go back to college and she finally relented. The condition was that she or Dad would drop me off and pick me. I wouldn't be allowed to walk to and from college on my own.

Whenthey dropped me off on Monday I was so happy. I was finally allowed to have some freedom and I savoured the walk inside. Once in the building I was met by the college head and my teacher, Mr Price.

We sat in the office before the first lesson and discussed everything. They assured me that I would be given extra time to catch up and could talk to any of the faculty whenever I had a problem.

I just managed to get to my first lesson and everyone stopped to stare at me. They were quickly reprimanded by Mr Price. He wanted me to feel like nothing had changed and that made me really happy.

Just before the lesson ended I walked to the window and peeked out, hoping to see a figure by the gates, but there was no one there. I moved back and sat down, feeling glum.
Imogen and Ricky were the first people to actually approach me.

"Hey, Flick. Would you want to sit with us at lunch?" Imogen asked.

"Yeah, that'd be great, thank you." I smiled.

Imogen looked pleased. I followed them to the canteen, no longer afraid of Brett and my former friends. This cycle continued everyday for the next three weeks.

At the beginning of the fourth week I was approached by Brett. I thought I'd be happier to see him, but I just didn't care anymore. I fell out of love with him a long time ago.

"Hey, Flick." He sighed.

"Hey." I managed to say.

I peeked past him and saw Lorna. She looked sullen and seemed to be sitting with a group of girls I didn't recognise. I looked back at Brett.

"Yeah, Lorna and I split up just after you got-" He trailed off, not knowing how to finish the sentence.

Sasha had been right when she said it wouldn't last and it didn't. I glanced at Lorna again to find that she was cuddling up to another guy. Typical Lorna. She always wanted what others had and got bored really easily.

"So, how are you?" Brett asked.

"I'm good, thanks." I replied.

I glanced round when someone said my name and saw Imogen standing behind me. She looked at Brett then ignored him. Ricky was glaring at him though with undisguised hostility.

"Look, if you're free sometime, maybe we could hang out." Brett rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Yeah, that sounds all right," I said, softly. "As friends."

His face fell somewhat at that and he walked away to join our old group of friends. I watched him go and walked towards Imogen and Ricky.

"He's such a twat." Ricky said, annoyance lacing his tone.

"He just wants to hang out." I laughed at Ricky.

"We know. He's been moping around since your disappearance." Imogen shook her head.

We got our food and sat down. It was the three of us and several others. Imogen and Ricky's friends were now my friends and I was happy.

After four weeks I still thought of Andy and what should have been stockholm syndrome was obviously something else and this left me feeling upset.

I had accepted that I would never see him again. Imogen had taken me to local gigs and had encouraged me to speak to guys, but none of them were the person I was looking for.

Two months after getting home I was finally allowed out on my own. I usually went into town and spent hours in the local book shop. This particular Saturday I was meeting Imogen in a half hour and had gone into the book shop to kill time.

I bought some books I had been waiting to read and left the shop. The book shop was near a busy road and I stood on the kerb, waiting to cross. When I thought it was clear I went to step out, only to be yanked back.

A sports car sped past, narrowly missing me. I watched it from my spot on the kerb. I whipped round to thank my saviour and got the shock of my life.

In three months I hadn't seen him and here he was. Andy was standing behind me. He was grinning at my dumbstruck expression. My mouth opened and closed. He looked the same as he had done three months ago.

His black hair was slightly longer and he had added a blond streak. His blue eyes were bright like usual. He was wearing that same leather jacket.

"You should be careful when you cross the road, kitten." He chuckled.

I rushed forward and embraced him. He did the same. I pulled back, wanting to ask where he had been and if he was all right. I wanted to know why he wasn't in America with his parents, but his lips met mine.

Everything faded and nothing else mattered. He was back and that was all that was important. I never wanted to be without him again. And never would be.

Notes

The end!!! I was toying with the idea of Flick never seeing Andy again, but decided that he had developed since the beginning of the story and the two of them should get a happy ending. I have two new story ideas, but dunno which to write first.

The first is a Jake/OC story that I've had for ages. Jake's a bad boy and he meets a girl one night, only to discover he went school with her and bullied her. She hates him and he likes her.
The second I thought of today and it involves a Andy again and a young lady that dislikes Juliet and it was quite different. Not that I hate Juliet. I actually adore her, but I thought this story would be funny.