Chapter 2

The sound of a ringing sensation pulsating through ear drums woke Summer Brooke from her peaceful daydream.  As her eyes finally began to focus, the masses of her clueless classmates stood from their weathered lecture seats, and started to shuffle out of the lecture theatre.  Her professor, a middle aged woman, plump and short stared venomously at her.

“Miss Brooke, can you come here please, I need to speak to you before you leave” her voice bellowed.

Summer knew what this was about, that she had not completed any of her psychology study project or work expereince for the past 3 weeks.  How possibly could she?  Her mum needed her more now then ever since the covid pandemic and losing her job. Her mum had spiralled into a deep sadness that no matter how hard she tried to make her laugh or do things for her, it always resulted in her mums depression returning. Summer's younger sister did not quite help or support the situation. Spending herself locked in her room on social media and Tik Tok meant her mum was more lonely now then ever.

“Now Miss Brooke” the woman cried.

Summer rose from her seat, slowly packed her gel pens in the side of her black red or dead shoulder bag, and shuffled like a zombie to the angered woman, who was now standing.  As she made it to her wooden, pristine desk, the plump woman gestured for her to take the seat opposite to hers.  As they sat in slow motion, summer caught a glimpse of movement from the classroom door. Trying not to be too noticeable she edged her face sideways to finally see her best friends, and beloved boyfriend waving hysterically and ducking when they thought ‘the dragon’ was just about to turn her head towards them.

Hilarious She thought

“Miss Brooke, I am deeply concerned about the standard of your work and your attendance to to your placements”.  Her voice sounded, bringing Summer’s attention back to the situation.  Her teacher’s gaze was unmoving as she waited for an answer. Summer could understand that her teacher felt some obligation to help and support her, but right at this moment it took every ounce of concentration not to burst out laughing.  It felt like an age had passed until Summer thought of what to say, ignoring the faces at the glass paned door, she said quietly;

“Miss Thump”

She inhaled deeply, this was either going to be one of her best excuses or the lamest.

“I am having a really hard time at the moment…my mum has currently lost her job, and im having a difficult time to support her. I havent done that much studying especially this psychological analysis, and as for my attendance, i feel that i cant leave her. The loss of her job has just sent her into such a dark place. I havent seen that since..." Summer looked to the floor and sighed

"Since my dad disappeared" She whispered

She thought she sounded desperate and to be honest thats how she felt. Her laughing and bubbly personality was a mask for how she really felt. Lonely, scared.... she had always felt that something was missing....

Miss Thump the plump stared at her. The venom in her brown eyes had been replaced with concern.  Summer’s face frowned as she concentrated on her teacher’s response.  As her lips began to move slight muffles of laughter started to penetrate through the door.  At this, Miss Thump twisted her head to the pane of glass, to catch her familiar students making faces, with their tongues stuck out and eyes propelled to the sides of their eye sockets.  A noise of disgust slipped from her lips, as she turned back to face Summer who had tried to stifle her laugh.

“It seems to me Miss Brooke, that not only was that poor performance a way to get out of your difficult situation that you yourself have put yourself in, but to try and manipulate me in front of your fellow peers…. Stop following the crowd summer, start becoming independent.  As it seems to me that your friends are making your decisions for you”.  She paused slightly reflecting on what she had just said, she continued;

“You mentioned right at the beginning of this course that you were taking these modules due to something that you had experienced when you were younger. You wanted to understand why people act the way they do. Why people make decisions that could lead to thier own harm"

Summer's head dropped 

"The reason why my dad left. I want to understand the working of the mind"

Miss Thump sighed and waved her hand dismissing summer out of her sight.  As summer made it to the glass paned door, her friends had momentarily disappeared to escape the wrath of Miss Thump the plump.  She pushed the purple door open into the corridor, and hurried down it making sure she walked briskly past her friends who had crouched by the lockers undetected by the passing caretakers.

“Oy!” Shouted a familiar voice,

“Where ya going!?”

Summer twisted on her heels to face Jake.  Her boyfriend stared at her smiling wolfishly, whilst her friends, who had just escaped from their dingy locker place, appeared behind him. 

Who would have thought it possible that Summer Brooke would be dating the most popular boy on thier course? 

Jake Hillmoore The name echoed within her mind.

She smiled to herself.  He was so vain and openly admitted it to anyone and everyone.

The complete opposite to her 

“What did the old hag have to say then?  I bet it was a load of old crap…don’t listen to her, she’s delusional!” Jake said laughing confidently.

“Yeah silly cow…don’t worry Sum, we shall get really drunk tonight, just to forget her!”

That comment was made by Hattie, Jake’s twin sister who was slightly hyperactive for Summer’s taste.  But of course that comment was followed by a mimic of Jake’s laugh until the chorus of laughter erupted in the corridor.

Summer’s eyes came to Mary who just stood and smiled.  Her delicate, small bony hands pulled at her red fiery hair a telling sign that she wasn't listening.

Summer had always been painfully envious of Mary.  Her long shocking red hair was always immaculately crimped and twisted down to her hips.  Summer’s appearance was a major contrast.  Her blond straight hair had become boring and unkept; her short, athletic figure was like a prison, where her spirit was trapped.  Her skin colour had always been an ivory shade although on the rare occasion when the sun decided to come out she was fortunate to get a tan; all that she was truly proud of was her eyes.  Luscious green, her fathers eyes.

But something still didnt feel right.

“Heelloo?  Earth calling Brooke?” said Jake sarcastically, his ever more Californian, blond hair, blue eyes appearance seemed to win her over. That fact she could never explain but he had the power to persuade her into anything.  In reflection Summer felt like a doormat to his wants and tantrums.  The one thing that irritated her about Jake is his ability to control the people around him.  If he liked a certain band then so must everyone else.  His popularity status made sure that he was never contested or threatened by other opinions. 

He commands and people obey. 

They of course had met at a local town festival, when Summer and her family had first moved after her dads disapperence.  Jake and her friends were there already as a click that everyone respected.  Summer was shy and insecure but her mother had always said that she had an enigmatic force that drew people to her. Summer was indeed beautiful, but that beauty was untamed. Summer had always felt a weight on her shoulders, that something was coming on the horizon that she should be preparing for... but could never quite understand what it was.

“God sorry” She replied, slapping her forehead in a dumb gesture.

 “I don’t seem to be all there today”. This was the ultimate truth.

“Yeah…I would agree with that!  So stuff for tonight, we meeting at my house?  Go to that wicked little pub that serves everything and anything, that does all the cheap booze, and then go wherever the night takes us, what you think? Yes!?  Nice one, see you at mine at 6, we’ll all meet there!”  And with that, the dictator left the building, followed closely by his clone Hattie.  Mary was left standing silently shifting her gaze slowly from summer to where Jake and Hattie had just left.  Unexpectantly she turned to her.

“You don’t have to come Sum, if you don’t want to…you know Jake…blasts out orders and expects everyone to follow”, she said rather annoyingly.

“Ummm” Summer replied not truly understanding the intent behind the statement. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, she said goodbye and left swiftly through the massive double doors, out into the few remaining hours of sunlight.

Summer knew that her mum would be at home pacing the living room floor with concern, so trying to persuade her that she wasn’t sleeping at Jakes’s house alone, was a task in itself.  Her mum had changed massively since her fathers disappearence. She had became incredibly overprotective, secretive and wanted to know Summer's every move.  After repeating the entire structure of tonight’s ‘programme’, her mum resided asking her about it, giving Summer the chance to escape off to her bedroom.

Summer loved her bedroom, cream walls, with a dark purple carpet.  She had loved the innocence of the room, and still very much did.  It was a safe haven, for her to lie down, and think her most precious thoughts.  Opposite her bed, on a plain wall, hanged a silver cross, with the vision of Jesus nailed there.  She hated this thing on her wall, she felt that he was watching her every night, but her mum insisted that it should be there to warn off anything dark and evil.  But summer didn’t truly believe in god, Or anything for that matter.  This had surely come to a head when she asked her mum as a little girl, who the devil was.  It was innocent enough….overhearing her friends at school talk about it,  it stuck in her mind all the way home, until this secret knowledge that she had required was let out.

“Summer!”  Her mum had cried and ran over to her, clutching frantically at her shoulders,

“The devil is a bad man, a prince of lies!  He corrupts us, and tells us bad things.  God didn’t want him anymore in heaven, as he was a nasty angel, so he was kicked out and sent to hell, with all the other nasty things!  Just believe in the goodness of god summer, he will protect us and love us”.  Looking back, summer hadn’t quite understood why her mum had reacted in such a way.  It was just a young child asking what it was.  Not justifying why not to believe or think about the devil.  Summer mostly put it down to the disappearance of her father.  Her mum had never really coped with it, thus the reason why summer never asked about it.  Of course having her mum all to herself was great, she had her undivided attention.

            She stood suddenly and briskly walked to her wardrobe, flinging open the pine doors, she studied every part of clothing.  Eventually after an entire hour of sighing, pulling at the clothes she thought she quite liked, she chose dark blue jeans, and a white top with a sun and  logo on.  She sat in front of her dressing table and brushed her hair, finally deciding to have the ‘half up, half down’ hairdo that her mum so often had.  Light eyeshadow, black thick mascara, and dark pink lipstick finished off the ‘Barbie’ look completely.  As she walked to her door, she hesitated.  White shoes?  Now where were they?

She turned on her bare feet and studied her room, there lying on the bottom of her bed, was her white pumps.  She stumbled over, snatched them up and pushed them onto her feet.  With everything done, she took a last minute glance at how she looked.  Not too bad.  She glanced at the clock.  5:30. Better get moving, she lifted her bag onto her shoulder and walked out her bedroom door.   As she made her way down the stairs, her mum appeared by the front door.  She looked wide eyed, and distressed. 

Summer stopped suddenly.

“Are you alright mum”? She said concerned.

“Y…yes?  Why wouldn’t I!?  Im just checking that your ready that’s all.  And have a great time.  Be safe though, and watch out for any....you know strangers”.  She cut off.

Summer smiled widely

“Mum im nearly nineteen, im sure that I will be fine, anyway everyone else is gonna be there so I doubt anything will happen!”

Her mum smiled and stretched her arms toward her.  As she finally made it to the last step, her mum pulled her shoulders toward her own, and embraced her.  It was a tight, strange cuddle. 

It felt almost final.

Summer pushed carefully away and smiled, she swiftly manoeuvred around her mum and opened the front door, never truly realizing that when she hit the evening air, how relieved she had felt to escape her home.  Her thoughts didn’t last long though, as the bus to Ecklemoore Village was approaching the end of her road, and without further delay, summer made a run for it.