Hanging By a Moment

“So that would make A what?” Mrs Lily stood in front of the white board; a white board that was full of complicated maths equations. I twirled a pen in my mouth and glanced out of the window, “Emma?” She asked and I looked back at her, caught off guard by her question.

“Huh?” I asked.

She sighed put down her board marker, crossed her arms and then fixed me with a glare, “For the first few lessons I have been excusing your lack of attention Emma, putting it down to the fact that you were still settling in but now you’ve had time to adjust and I am not prepared to put up with this anymore.” She shook her head, “Now turn your attention away from the window and to the board, it will be a lot more help to you.” Then she picked up her pen and turned back to the board, “Daniel? What is A?” She asked a boy sat on the front row.

“Sixty seven,”

“Correct,” She said, and I sighed and slumped in my seat.

**

It was raining again as I stepped out of the school gates at the end of the day, the light sort of rain that soaks you through worse than a torrential down pour. I cursed under my breath, and then waved goodbye to Charlie, the girl who sits beside me in my math class, and then headed out of the school gates.

I pulled the hood of my black jumper over my head, and wrapped my arms around myself against the cold. It was really getting very cold, even though it was only September.

As look would have it, the minute my hands started to get warm, hidden away in the depths of my jumper, my phone began ringing. I cursed, and then pulled it out of my pocket, immediately dropping it on the floor in my haste.

“Oh for fuck sake!” I snapped, bending over to pick it up. I clicked accept call, “Hey Mom,” I paused as she spoke, “Nope, I’ve just set off, nowhere near home yet,” I giggled slightly, “Shop...bread...right okay, if I don’t get lost then I’ll bring the break home safe and sound, I’ll see you later,” I paused as she spoke again, “I love you too, bye.” Then I hung up.

I stopped walking now and glanced around; to my right I could see an uphill street. I immediately turned away from it. I walked straight on, the way I would usually walk, but when I came to the street I usually walked down, I carried on straight past it and turned down the next.

**

A bell clinked as I pushed the door to the store open. I glanced around at the aisles, and then at the blonde boy behind the counter. He looked up and smiled; I smiled back and walked towards him.

“Good afternoon,” He said, “How can I help?” Wow, he had the most beautiful, blue eyes.

“My Mom sent me to buy some bread,” I replied and he raised his eyebrows, before glancing around the store at the rows of old records, CD’s and posters.

“Erm,” he chuckled, “Nope, we don’t sell that here I’m afraid.”

I nodded, mouthing a ‘yeah’ whilst my cheeks flushed slightly; I suddenly felt a bit embarrassed, “I guessed that, thanks,” I mumbled, “I just wondered if you could give me directions.”

“You’re not from here,” It was a statement, not a question.

“Manhattan?” I said, “Nope.”

“No, I mean New York in general, you’re not from here,” He said and I raised my eyebrows, “Texas, right?”

I blinked, “Yeah, how did you know?”

He shrugged, “Your accent, and...well I haven’t told anyone this before but I’m-” he paused, and summoned me forward with his fingers. I stepped closer to him and he bent down to whisper in my ear, “physic!”

I spluttered a laugh, “Yeah right, okay.”

“I am!” He laughed, “Well, that and I’m in your biology,” He admitted, and then held out his hand for me to shake, “Toby Hemingway; I sit at the back of the room and feel sorry for you,”

“Why is that?” I asked, taking my hand back.

“Anyone that has to endure Amber’s nonstop talking about herself deserves every ounce of sympathy I can give,” He shook his head and I chuckled, “So Emma, how come you moved to New York?”

“I feel really bad because you seem to know a lot about me and I don’t recall ever seeing you before,” I bit my lip and he shrugged. “Or should I just be afraid? You could be like a stalker or something,” I laughed.

He merely shrugged again, “You can never be sure in this city,” I raised my eyebrows and he hastily added, “But I will say that I am not a stalker, but it’s up to you whether or not you believe me,” He smirked and I found myself staring at his bright blue eyes, “Whilst you’re here, is there anything I can do for you? I can’t help you with the bread, though.”

I giggled, “I don’t suppose you sell transporters, do you?”

“Erm, nope,” He smirked, “Why?”

I sighed, pushing back the thoughts of Nick and the sadness that came with it; there would be plenty of time to miss him later, but not right now when I was actually laughing honestly for the first time since moving back. “It doesn’t matter,” I shook my head, “So what do you sell?” I asked and then we both glanced around the store, “That was a stupid question,” I concluded and he chuckled, nodding.

He stepped out from behind the counter and moved down the aisles, beckoning for me to follow him. He asked questions; what music was I into, how many shows I’d been to, if I played any instruments; and they’d he’d slag off the bands I was into and tell me who I should be listening too.

“In a cage fight between My Chemical Romance and Bullet For My Valentine,” He paused and handed me a CD, “Bullet win every time.”

I glanced down at the album in front of me, “October 27th 2007,” I said in response, “Birthday present from my best friend; it was the first gig I ever got an injury from,” I pushed the CD back into his grasp, “I also already have that album, thanks.” I smirked and he looked at me, wide eyed.

I stepped past him and continued down the aisles, looking aimlessly over the albums around me. He jogged up behind me, “You’ve seen Bullet?” He demanded; I just laughed, “What happened?”

“I was dragged into a mosh pit, Nick was clinging on to me but the rest of the crowd were stronger and we lost each other,” I shrugged, “I came home with a black eye and a bust lip,” I grinned at the memory, “My Mom almost stopped me seeing him, saying he was irresponsible for not looking after me,” I chuckled and Toby smirked.

“Who’s Nick?” He asked.

“My best friend,” I replied without thinking. ‘Shit,’ I thought, ‘Boyfriend, Emma, he’s not just your best friend anymore, he’s your boyfriend!’ But Toby was already talking, and I couldn’t correct myself.

“-it was pretty awesome,” He concluded, “Avenged Sevenfold are amazing live, you like them?” He asked.

I shrugged, “Never listened to them,” He gasped, and then turned around and stalked off. I considered calling him back, thinking I’d upset him by not knowing who this band was, but he paused a few steps away, pulled a CD off of one of the racks and then walked back, “Here, listen to it,”

“I don’t have enough money,” I said, trying to hand it back. He moved his hands out of the way, “Toby!”

“It’s on the house,” He argued.

I frowned, “Won’t you get in trouble?”

He smirked, and then shrugged, “I’m pretty sure I’ll be okay,” He laughed and I raised my eyebrows, but didn’t argue, instead just muttering ‘thanks’ and dropping the CD into my bag. As I was doing so, the bell above the door clinked again and a group of men, probably in the early twenties, wandered into the shop.

“I should get going,” I announced and he nodded, “Thanks for the CD,” I smiled.

“You’re welcome,” He grinned; his eyes really were beautiful. He walked me over to the door and then pulled it open for me, “It’s just up the street, by the way,”

I frowned, “Huh?”

He chuckled, “The general store; you needed bread, right?”

“Oh, right, yes,” I nodded, “Thanks,”

“I’ll see you at school,” He smiled, and then closed the door. I moved a couple of steps away, and then paused again in front of the window. He was talking to the men that had just entered and had his back to me. I smirked, and then looked up at the name of the shop; Hemingway’s Records.

‘Maybe he won’t get in trouble,’ I laughed to myself, and then headed up the street in search of the store, and bread for my Mother.

**

I pulled my purple dressing gown right around myself and stepped out onto the balcony of my bedroom. My baggy pyjama bottoms blew in the wind, but the rain had stopped. I sat down on the plastic deck chair.

I jumped as the balcony creaked, and my Grandad chuckled before sitting on the deck chair next to me, “What are you doing out here?” He asked, “It’s cold.”

I shrugged, “It’s not so bad,”

“Are you okay? Your Mom is concerned, she thinks you’re lonely,”

‘I am’ I thought, “I’m fine,” I replied, “Grandad, why do you have such a big house just for the two of you?”

He chuckled to himself, but didn’t reply immediately. I sat looking out over the New York buildings, and a minute later he spoke, “Your Nan always wanted a big house, her whole life she has, and we could never afford it,” He explained and I nodded, showing that I was following him, “I worked hard my entire life to do it but never could, then once we retired, we finally had enough money,” He shrugged and smiled at me, the moonlight twinkling in his old eyes, “I wouldn’t have ever been really happy unless I’d gotten her what she wanted.”

“That’s sweet Grandad,” I smiled. “But wouldn’t it have been like, all of your retirement money?”

“All I’ve ever wanted was for your Nan to be happy, honey, and whether it meant we didn’t even have a penny to spare, I was going to get this for her,” He reached over and patted my leg, “Love does that to people,” I smiled, “As it happens though, no it wasn’t all of our money. We still had enough to go to England the year we bought this house,” The wind suddenly picked up, and I shivered and pulled my dressing gown tighter around me, “Maybe you should come inside,” Grandad suggested, “I’ll make you a hot chocolate,”

I giggled, “How can I say no?” I asked, “I’ll follow you in,” I promised, and he kissed my cheek before stepping back through the patio doors into my bedroom. I sighed and leaned my head back against the plastic of the chair, looking up at the stars for a while until my phone beeping broke the silence I was enjoying so much.

Major crisis! I need you! Call me now! X Joe.

I jumped up quickly from the chair, my heart beat quickening in panic as I searched for his name in my phonebook.

‘Oh my god,’ I thought, ‘something has happened to Nick!’

“Hey!” His voice seemed chipper as he answered the phone.

“What is it?!” I demanded, “What’s happened?”

He sighed loudly, “Oh my god Emma it’s awful,”

“What?!” I demanded.

“I’ve been shopping all day and I don’t know what to get Nick for his birthday!” Joe complained, and I felt my shoulders relax, “What can I get him?”

I breathed in deeply to calm myself, “That’s it? That is your crisis? I was shitting myself here!” I snapped, Joe just laughed, “How am I supposed to know what to get him?”

Joe sighed as if it was obvious, “Because you’re his best friend and-” He paused after the and, and I held my breath, thinking Julia had told him we were dating, “-you know him better than anyone,”

I exhaled deeply, “Well I don’t know, I’m having the same problem.”

“You’re useless.”

“You’re his brother!” I argued, “You should know what he wants!” I shook my head and giggled, “I’ll figure something out and call you back, but right now there’s a hot chocolate downstairs with my name on it so I’ll speak to you later.”

Joe gasped on the other end of the line, and I raised my eyebrows as I stepped back through the patio doors, pulling them shut behind me, “Oh I see; hot chocolate is more important than me?”

“Of course,” I responded, giggling, “Bye Joe!” I smirked, then hung up, threw my phone on my bed and darted out of the room.