Forged in the Flames

LA

here at my new school, Central City Elementary School. I like it, it’s a lot bigger than my last school and a lot prettier too. Since I’m super early, I decide to take a proper walk around before other kids arrive. I honestly don’t want to run into them. I mean those mean girls fr

She’s dressed in a pretty off the shoulder top and I have no idea what she paired it with. Her pretty dark hair is fully a

form a small full and pink shape as she says ‘Oh, um. I guess her voice is pretty

her and yet again. She loo

hair behind my ears and look closely at her. It takes her a minute to see it then her pretty

r name i

Nala, let’s be friend

I didn’t like it. I think you’re pretty and your hair too. It smells like str

Dad said the

goes off so I quickly a

table. That feeling sucks, everybody keeps staring and whispering “who is she?" “Is she the new kid?” like I can’t hear them. Right on cue, a redheaded boy whispers ‘Hey Tom, t

M

only came to sit with me today because Tanya and her friends were mean to me yesterday and that I’ll be alone again after today or that she’ll not like me as much as I like her. She’

d like that? ‘Nala, I just wanted to ask if we could be friends. We met just today but I think you’re nice and fun and I want to be friends if you want t

’m so happy.’ She hugs me back ‘I think you’re cool to Amby…’ I smile at the nickname ‘…and you didn’t cry when those girls were mean to you yesterd

start to squirm but I take her hand instead. ‘Let’s go. I’m not sure

he links her hand through min

W

ecially at night.’ I have to raise my voice to get their attention. ‘And since the premises itself is beautiful and well-kept, it’s even more beautiful. You can have a romantic candle lit dinner here, it’s wide enough to even have an outdoor movie night if you decide not to use the cinema downstairs or you really just and enjoy nature while readi

looks of them; the man is tall and has an amazing build, blonde hair and blue eyes. Very nice facial features and bone structure too, the type that would make women swoon. The woman is an equal match in beauty to the man. S

ou’ll be taking the house Mr McQueen

cour

lead them back downstairs to

to? I hear Carmel is safe but that doesn’t mean that everybody around here is a good person. I screech to a stop and hop down from my car. I’m about to run over when another child, about the same age as Nala joins them. She goes straight into the man’s embrace and after saying something to both the man and then to Nala, she takes his hand, waves at Nala and pulls the man away. It’s only at this point that my brain processes the fact that that was probably a new friend of Nala’s and her father. I look in the direction of the man and girl. She’s dark headed an

who were you talking to?’ I glance towards them just in time to see the father look our w

her dad. Amber i

owards my own car, ‘The one y

she gently pushes my hand away and fastens it herself, ‘

r. As I turn into the driveway, I ask

. She smells like strawberries and has really dark hair. She likes purple and doll babies. O

ed when talking about a friend. It makes me glad to know she’s not all alone. ‘I wa

am? Yay!’ I laugh as she doe

er and since we moved, we haven’t visited any of the nic

rent flavours and

better one’ I tease

best taste in ice cream

the better ice cream flavour ge

ea

T

amiliar yet I’m certain that I haven’t met her before. So why is she hovering in my head and causing me to be distracted. Distraction causes me to be unproductive and unproductivity causes me to be irritable

much as I think marriage is a ridiculous waste of time and money, I like his fiancée Tori and I

er Ty still takes her anywhere but home with him. When Tori is around Ty, charges go off and it’s super hard for her to get herself under control. She’s besotted and everyone can see how hard it is for her to keep her h

good inv

at and surrounding estates have a good chance at appreciating massively in the near future. Her credentials a

's a great man.’ I take another sip. Whe

han? You seem

ath then continue. ‘I saw somebody today. She seemed so f

a wo

odd feeling and I can’t seem to concentrate. I need to rememb

what’s to happen. Until then, have a drink and relax. Do some work, maybe you’ll

ight. Tha

’s why I’m your

Some friends are crazy fucks. I hang up, down the rest of my wine and go to work. Force? Yes, because the one thing I didn’t tell T

h this feeling that I won’t like to be at

Week

cretary Lowen poke her

r girl’s school by 12

etely forgotten.

ou need

o I can take her home.’

ng has not left my bones. I shake the

W

ust there. Yeah.’ I pul

ok at her with amused surprise

’m meeting.’ She unfastens her seatb

You’re seeing a tattoo artist.’ She snaps he

bout it later, okay?’ she leans over to kiss my cheek and hug me and I take a deep breath so I c

un. Be

I watch her walk into the tattoo shop a

a mum. Even to my b

hs to avoid a full on panic attack. Deep breaths, deep breaths, deep breaths Gwen. I continue this mental chant until

nd even before I see them I know. He’s here. That man is here. The playground is crowded, there are kids and parents at every corner so I do a small scan to find my daughter and that’s when my eyes land on his back. He’s standing supporting Nala who’s hanging upside down on a climber. I can hear her squeal as he carries her down and places her safely on the ground. I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding. He has