Hidden Footprints

I'd never noticed until now, how beautiful the sky was as the sun slowly began to set on a Winter afternoon. The colours were something magical. Reds, oranges, yellows, pinks. Pink tinted every cloud in the sky, outlining each one with a perfect amount, and making the clouds stand out more than they had ever before.

I wasn't one to notice normally, but since I was staring out my bedroom window, it was hard to ignore. Perched on the windowsill, my body slouched back against the side frame whilst my legs were pulled up being held by my arms to my chest. I watched the frost covered trees sway in the wind, and my next door neighbour chase his husky around the frosty fields that our houses backed on to.

He looked up at my window briefly, but it was just enough time for our eyes to lock. He whistled his husky dog over to him before looking back up at me and gesturing for me to come outside. He placed both his hands on either side of his mouth for a make shift megaphone and called up at me and surprisingly I heard him.

"You coming out? It's cold but I could do with some company." He asked me and I nodded before jumping down from my windowsill grabbing my jacket, a scarf and some gloves. I threw them on as I quietly made my way downstairs, rummaging around in the cupboard under the stairs for my trainers. I found them and after sliding them on, I made my way to the back door of my house.

As I exited my house the cold air almost smacked me in the face. I knew it was cold but I wasn't expecting it to be this cold. I shut the back door behind me and walked over to sound of a teenage boy casually playing with the husky puppy he'd only been given two weeks ago. I tried to act 'cool' but instead the puppy attacked my legs, leading me to stumble and trip, before I face planted the grass with a thud.

"Smooth." I mumbled to myself before hearing the sounds of footprints making that crispy sound as shoes trampled over the frost.

"Hey Francis. You okay dude?" I heard as I got up brushing away the white dust from my pants and jacket. I nodded and shrugged it off. Acting 'cool' was not my forte. I looked down at where I had fallen to see a few drops of dark red ruining the thin white coat. I moved my fingers over the corner of my forehead for them to be covered with more red.

"For God's Sake, I'm bleeding." I let out with a sigh.

"I'll take you to mine, if you'd like. It was my fault anyway, I should have kept Willow-" He began but I cut him off.

"It's okay, don't worry. I'll just go back to mine and get cleaned up." I explained but he insisted that I let him help me. "Fine, c'mon I don't wanna bleed to death, or freeze to death either."

"Don't be melodramatic." He mumbled just loud enough for me to hear as he led the way. Once he got to his back garden gate he whistled causing the dog to sprint over to him and sit beside his foot. "Good boy." He enthusiastically told the dog as he petted his wet nose before feeding him a dog biscuit that he took out from his jacket pocket. As he did this I placed my fingers over my cut as an attempt to stop it bleeding. He took this as a hint and walked into his house through the back door with Willow following then I followed suit.

When we entered the room, the kitchen to be precise, was completely immaculate. Everything had been put away accordingly and the floor which was laminate flooring was spotlessly clean, something which my house lacked - cleanliness.

"Sit down, Francis." He said, directing me to a stool that was tucked into the island in the middle of the room. He pulled it out and I jumped up onto the seat, thanking him.

"How do you know my name?" I asked curiously, since I didn't know his name despite him being my next door neighbour.

"School mainly, and I can also hear your mum shouting your name through the walls." He explained, as he stepped up on the counter to reach a shelf to grab the first aid kit. He did it with ease, taking out some antiseptic cream and a plaster. "It's hard to ignore, I'm not being a stalker.." He walked back over to me as I blushed ever so slightly, being slightly embarrassed. I didn't think my mum was that loud but evidently I was wrong.

He squirted a pea size amount of antiseptic cream on his finger and moved it towards the cut. I moved my hand away warily and bit my lip a little as I knew it would sting. I was right, it really did sting. He took the plaster from the packet and gently placed it on my head.

"There all done." He told me causing me to smile softly.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, now you're gonna have to go home. I can hear your mum calling you." He announced, and as I listened carefully it became apparent that he was right, except it was only slightly that I could hear her shouting my name.

"Yeah, I can hear her too." I said as I got up from the stool. "Well thanks for this, uhh.."

"Toby."

"Thank you Toby. I'm gonna have to go now though." I told him as I walked over to the back door. I opened it, ran out and headed towards my house, which was only a matter of seconds.

I sneaked in and took off my jacket, my gloves and my scarf throwing them down in a pile before sliding my shoes off beside the pile I had just created. I could still hear my mum's shouts as they echoed around the whole house. I went upstairs and into her room to find her lying on her bed with her head up against the headboard.

"Francis! There you are- Oh god! What happened to your head? And where have you been? I was worried sick because you weren't answering me." She bombarded me with questions, and eventually once she stopped I began to answer.

"I was playing in the snow and I tripped-" I tried to begin explaining but she interrupted once more.

"What were you doing in the snow on your own? You could have got kidnapped!"

"I wasn't on my own." I admitted knowing what her next question would be.

"Who was with you? Do you have a secret girlfriend you're not telling me about, Francis? Who is she? Do I know her?" Another four questions left her mouth within five seconds.

"No mum. It was our next door neighbour." I explained, leading her to become intrigued, and for once I could finish what I had to say. "I went outside to play with his dog with him but I tripped on it and fell, hitting my head. I went round to his because he said he wanted to put a plaster on my head to stop it bleeding. That's all that happened."

"Okay Francis. Well I need you to go to the doctors for me. I've run out of medication. Take your new friend from next door too if you want, the doctor will be able to give you what I need even though you're only little." She told me and I grabbed her purse from the bedside cabinet.

"I'm ten Mum, that's not that little. Do you need anything else whilst I'm gone?"

"Check in the fridge but I don't think so." She said.

"Okay Mum, I won't be long." I told her as I leaned over and kissed her cheek. I walked out of her room and went down to the kitchen, where I looked in the fridge to see if we were missing anything. Milk, yogurts, butter and bread. I grabbed my shoes and jacket and slid them both on as I made my way to the front door. Should I ask Toby if he wants to come or just go on my own?

I opened the front door, closed it quietly behind me and contemplated what I should do. I braved it, walking over to next door and knocking nervously. Barking began before the door opened a little and a woman opened it.

"Hi, is Toby there?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'll just go get him." She told me before putting the door slightly ajar and shouting for Toby. He came downstairs within seconds and came to the door as his mum walked off.

"Hey Francis."

"Hi. So I need to go to the shop and I wondered whether you wanted to come with me?" I asked him and he nodded.

"Yeah that would be great. Just wait here for a minute whilst I ask my Mum." He explained as he shot off into his house. A minute later he was back, with his jacket, shoes and gloves on. "She said I can go. We need some fries for dinner anyway." He smiled and I returned it, before he stepped outside into the cold and we began the walk to the shop via the doctors.

Who knew this was the beginning of a great friendship? We sure didn't.