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  Once outside the chip shop, Kaden declared, “I’m starving! What are you having?”

  Cecily peered through the window and saw that their friends were already there and in the process of ordering their meals. Fen redirected her gaze from the menu on the wall to the window. Seeing Cecily, she waved enthusiastically. As Cecily and Kaden sauntered through the door of the shop, Cecily wondered why Fen even bothered looking at the menu at all. She would order the same dish as she ordered every time they went there. They all would.

  Fen was a vegetarian. She would have chips and mushy peas in a tray, only she would be in a quandary over whether to have gravy or not. If she decided on the gravy, she would punish herself over it for the next week for cheating her vegetarian diet, the gravy being made from beef dripping and all. Her boyfriend, Sol, was not a vegetarian. He would have steak and kidney pudding with lashings of gravy. Jedd was a fish man and he would order an extra-large cod with a large portion of chips and plenty of salt and vinegar. Kaden, too, would have the extra-large cod and chips, only he would top his dish with baked beans.

  As Cecily queued behind Kaden, she realised that she thought it strange that they never deferred from their food choices in the chip shop. Why did they never order anything different? It was as if they were afraid of change. Or did they just know what they liked? Cecily made a spontaneous decision. She was going to do it. Today, she was going to order something different. As she pondered over this revelation, Fen nudged her and Cecily saw that Graham, the rather unenthused owner of Good Cod, was waiting patiently to take her order.

  “The usual?” he asked Cecily in his colourless tone.

  Cecily lost her nerve and replied, “Yes please, Graham,” slightly annoyed with herself. Jumbo sausage and chips it was then. As Graham wrapped her fare in newspaper, she wondered if she knew her friends well or if they were simply predictable, like everything in Bramblegate. Then her mind drifted to the store at Bramble Hall and she realised that after today, nothing would be predictable again. And then the thought of change terrified her.

  The small group of friends decided to take their food to the vantage point, overlooking the valley. Although the day had now lost the warmth of the April sunshine, it was still a pleasant evening and they wanted to grasp the final views of the glorious scenery down in the valley before the night crept in. As they meandered down the High Street, cradling their warm newspaper packages, Cecily examined her friends carefully.

  She and Kaden first met Fen Aspey, Sol Forshaw and Jedd Benedict at the tender age of four years old, when they all started at the village primary together. The school was so small that there were only six students enrolled that year. The other student, Elisabeth, had moved away with her family some six months after starting. Cecily could barely remember her, only her tumbling raven curls. That left the five of them and it was only natural that they should stick together. By the time they went to secondary school, strong bonds of friendship had formed between them and so their gang continued to thrive.

  Cecily gazed fondly at Fen and Sol. They were two peas in a pod, as her grandmother would say. They had been boyfriend and girlfriend since the moment had they met. A classic case of love at first sight and the truth was, they were made for each other. They even looked alike, in perfect symmetry and harmony, at one. Fen was pretty, without a doubt. She had beautiful, silky, light brown hair which fell naturally about her face in a long bob. She was small in stature and had a slim, petite frame which complimented her delicate features, except for her eyes, which were big, brown and doe like. Sol had similar features and he also had big, brown eyes. Pale golden freckles dominated his face. He was of average height and build, but because Fen was small, he seemed to tower over her. Sol’s distinguishing feature was his thick tangle of curly brown hair, which was always wild and unruly. No amount of hair products could ever tame it. They both had sweet and patient characters and they were very wise for their years, Fen not yet eighteen. They had plans for the future. Both clever, they would finish their A levels, go to university and make something of their lives. Cecily envied their steadfastness, knowing exactly what they wanted out of life and aiming for it. Even Kaden had plans to go to university, although he was not as sure about his path. Cecily was not stupid. She knew she had the ability in her deep down, but then she thought about Purdey and the realisation struck that she was being left behind by her friends.

  Jedd, on the other hand, was completely different to the rest of them. Cecily doubted that he would have been friends with them at all if they had gone to a bigger school with more children. That said, he did have a close relationship with Kaden. Cecily knew that Jedd told Kaden things he did not disclose to the rest of the group, but Kaden was too kind to repeat them, even to Cecily. Therefore, she did not pry. Although what secrets Jedd could possibly have to confess, she did not know. He came from a good family with money. His parents were both doctors and well-respected. If he just went with the flow, he would have a trouble-free existence, but that was not Jedd’s nature. He was rebellious and did the exact opposite of what his parents wished for him. Instead of choosing college and university, he opted to work for a local construction company as a manual labourer. Kaden, Fen and Sol were intelligent, yes. But Jedd was more; he was brilliant. To Cecily, he was truly an enigma, a puzzle waiting to be figured out.

  He stood slightly taller than Kaden and his large, muscular build was aided by his labouring job. He had grey eyes the colour of stone which were always angry and his shaved head only made him appear more menacing. Growing up, Jedd could, on occasion, be a bit of a bully. Luckily for him, he had the calming influences of Kaden, Fen and Sol around him. Although he and Cecily were friends, she had always felt that he did not really like her, that he resented her in some way. When she became consciously aware of this feeling, she thought it was because of her close relationship with Kaden. So she duly backed off and gave them some space. However, as they grew, she could not shake the feeling that he disliked her. She frequently caught him looking at her out of the corner of his eye and if Cecily was perfectly honest with herself, she would admit that he frightened her a little. Not just because of his maverick actions, but because of something behind those steely eyes.

  It did not take them long to reach the vantage point. Once they were past the High Street, they entered into the small residential domain of Bramblegate, which consisted of five cul-de-sacs, full of stone cottages dating back to the sixteenth century. Monuments to the test of time, these weathered homes afforded views of the valley below, whilst the opposite side of the main road was covered by the dense, ancient woodland which surrounded the dell and Bramble Hall. They continued along the main road, out of the village, until they reached their destination. The vantage point was simply a lay by, where cars could stop and tourists could admire the majestic scenery.

  The friends remained silent while they carefully unwrapped their dinner, digesting the breathtaking sight across the valley. For miles, all Cecily could see were rolling fields and hills. During the hours of sunlight, the fields were like a patchwork quilt, coloured with magnificent tones of greens, browns and the odd splash of yellow owing to the corn fields. The hills, green and rocky, were dotted with grazing sheep and solitary trees. However, under the cover of dusk, the earthy tones of the valley were morphing, becoming shades of dark blues and purples under the growing shadow of night.

  Once their hungry mouths had sufficiently devoured enough of their food to satisfy their taste buds, Fen was the first to break the silence, with the usual enquiry about her friends’ day.

  “So, what did everyone get up to today?” she asked, cheerily. Cecily knew she would be pleased with herself for not succumbing to the temptation of the gravy.

  “Same old,” replied Jedd. “Some of us are not blessed with the luxury of Easter holidays.” Sarcasm laced his words.

  “Now, now, Jedd,” interjected Kaden. “You’re not the only one who has been working today. I got called into the Dairy this morn
ing because it was absolutely hammered. Isn’t that right, Cec?”

  “Erm, yes. We were really busy today. Tourists,” said Cecily, with a mouth full of chips.

  “What did you two do today?” Kaden said, directing his question at Fen and Sol.

  “Well,” said Fen, “something quite exciting happened!”

  All eyes were now on Fen and Sol. Something ‘quite exciting’ had obviously occurred because Fen was effervescent, bubbling over with excitement, like a champagne bottle that had just popped its cork.

  “You tell them, Sol,” she squeaked.

  Sol smiled lovingly at Fen and then turned to the others.

  “We had some great news today. We have both been offered provisional places at Cambridge, providing we get the grades, of course.”

  There was a moment of stunned silence while everyone processed the information, then it was gone, broken by the congratulatory hugs and handshakes offered by Kaden and Jedd. Cecily, however, just sat there. It is happening, she thought to herself. They are going away and leaving me. Cecily, who had been sat on a rock, rose to her feet. Before she could control herself, the words came tumbling out of her mouth, “You’re moving away?” It was both a question and a statement, her voice a whisper, barely audible over the buzzing excitement.

  “Hopefully!” said Fen, “Providing we get the grades in our final exams. Isn’t it great? We are going to have to study exceptionally hard…”

  Fen kept on talking at Cecily, but Sol, who was more sensitive, noticed the look of dismay on Cecily’s face. He moved over and stood beside her, gently taking her arm in his.

  “You knew this day would come, Cec. You are happy for us, aren’t you?”

  Cecily made a split-second decision to drag herself out of her own self-pity and she managed a weak smile.

  “Of course I am happy for you both. You deserve this.” And she too, hugged her old friends, possibly tighter than she would have done ordinarily.

  “And it might be Kaden next!” added Jedd, unsympathetically, widening the pit inside Cecily’s stomach.

  Kaden, who was not unsympathetic to Cecily’s feelings, replied awkwardly, “Well, I’m not sure yet. I haven’t made any decisions about the future. Hell, I’m just trying to get through the day!” He chuckled out loud at his own joke.

  But Cecily had to accept the inevitable. Kaden was going to go to university. What was there for him in Bramblegate? She certainly could not see him working at the Dairy full-time, like her. If she was lucky, he might opt to travel to the local university, but she knew she should not get her hopes up. Jedd was now standing next to Cecily. He woke her from her thoughts with a resounding slap on the back.

  “Never mind, Cec, you’ve got me. It will just be you and me here alone in good, old Bramblegate.”

  Something about the tone of his voice and the look in his eye unnerved Cecily, but before she had time to think about it, the feeling was washed over by Fen’s zealous conversation.

  “And there are always the holidays. We will be home then and just think all we will have to catch up on. Oh, and you can come and visit us in Cambridge! That would be wonderful! Please say you’ll come and visit, Cec?”

  But Cecily did not have the opportunity to answer as it seemed that Jedd had other ideas as to what the topic of conversation should now be.

  “Anything interesting happen to you today, Cecily?” he inquired loudly, fixing her with his steely, knowing stare.

  Cecily shifted her gaze from his to the valley below, which was now shrouded in darkness, but not before registering the anxious, wide-eyed looks of Kaden, Fen and Sol.

  “Nothing special,” mumbled Cecily, hoping they could not detect her indiscretion.

  “Well,” said Kaden slowly, swooping in to save the day, “she did get a good telling off from old Acantha for being late.” He let out a forced chuckle.

  “Late for work again, Cec?” questioned Sol.

  “Erm, yes. I’m just having a bit of trouble sleeping.”

  “Is it the dreams again?” asked Fen, carefully.

  Cecily’s dreams were no secret to her friends, only she had not confided their growing severity to any of them.

  “Yes, but you know, they are not that bad,” replied Cecily, trying to appear chirpy and carefree.

  As Cecily turned her back on the valley to face her friends, she was sure she saw a look pass between them, but before she could ponder this thought any longer, Sol said, “Well, our places at Cambridge won’t earn themselves! Fen and I are going home now to do some studying.”

  “But the exams are ages off yet,” said Jedd.

  “Not really, only a few months,” pointed out Fen. “We’ll see you guys later.”

  After they had said their goodbyes and Fen and Sol had taken their leave, Cecily, Kaden and Jedd decided to head to the Bramble Inn for a drink.

  “I suppose there is one advantage of Fen and Sol going home early,” Jedd joked, as he punched Kaden on the arm. As Fen was not eighteen until next month, she could not yet go to the pub, whereas the others could. Therefore, when she was not around, they took advantage of the situation.

  On the short walk back to the High Street, Kaden and Jedd messed around the whole way, shadow boxing and play fighting with each other. Cecily’s brain felt numb. She did not know which problem to mull over first. So much had happened that day. As the trio entered through the heavy wooden doors of the Bramble Inn, they were greeted by the smiling face of Joel Worthington, Cecily’s short-lived flame of three years ago. He attended the local university and worked nights and weekends behind the bar for extra cash.

  “Gosh, am I glad to see you three! It’s been slow so far tonight. I’m bored out of my mind!”

  As the friends each pulled up a bar stool, Cecily scanned the room for familiar faces. Joel was right, it was quiet tonight. However, it was a Monday and not yet eight o’clock. She noticed old Mr Jeffries sat at one end of the bar, carefully holding his pint of bitter in place as if it might run off at a moment’s notice. His dog, Alfred, lay loyally at the foot of the bar stool, snoozing loudly. She could also see into the old saloon from where she sat and she saw that there were a few locals playing pool. It sounded as if they were playing for money as every time a ball was potted, they erupted into cheers.

  The Bramble Inn was a traditional English pub. It had a long bar with brass mouldings, traditional ales on tap and endless bottles of spirits on optics along the mirrored wall at the back. Over the far side of the bar, there was a hatch which serviced the old saloon area, a separate room in which the regulars would gather to chat, watch sports and play pool. The main lounge area was a nice size, with plenty of tables and chairs made from the same dark coloured wood as the exposed floorboards. The décor was a bit drab, deep greens and burgundies, which made the inn seem dark no matter the time of day. However, there was a well-stocked jukebox, good home cooked food and a friendly landlord, all of which more than compensated for the less than pleasing aesthetics.

  After Joel had settled Kaden and Jedd with a pint of lager each and Cecily with a lemonade, he said with a wide grin on his face, “So what happened to you today, Cecily?”

  The words were barely out of his mouth when Jedd jumped in and said, “My thoughts exactly.”

  Cecily’s cheeks coloured red. She had not been expecting to have this conversation here, now.

  “What do you mean?” she retorted, defensively.

  “Well, I heard you took a swan dive off a ladder at Bramble Hall this afternoon,” replied Joel, unaware of Cecily’s awkward disposition.

  “It was nothing,” said Cecily, in an attempt to play down the situation.

  “That’s not what I heard,” goaded Joel. “I heard about the unexplained slamming of a door and the spirits of vicious hellhounds… wooooooo!” He laughed heartily as he did his best ghost impression, looking at Kaden and Jedd to back him in winding Cecily up.

  “Yeah, that’s funny, because I heard the same thing,” said Jedd mali
ciously, his eyes of stone set upon Cecily.

  “Look, it was nothing. I don’t really remember what happened. How do you know about it anyway?”

  “Oh, Millie Poole was in here earlier, regaling us with the heroic tales of Justin Short, how he broke down the door and gallantly rescued you from the pack of wolves!” Joel clearly found the whole situation highly amusing.

  “You know, I was in here earlier too, listening to Millie Poole’s gossip,” said Jedd, his intonation rising with anger. “Only I’m still waiting for my ‘friend’ to tell me about it.” He stressed the word ‘friend’ as if it had a sour taste.

  “Come on, Jedd, leave it,” said Kaden, calmly. “She’ll tell us when she’s ready.”

  Jedd’s eyes had not left Cecily for a moment and she was feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

  “Come to think of it, Cecily,” continued Jedd, completely ignoring Kaden, “there is always a drama with you, isn’t there? I daren’t even guess what caused you to faint. What was it this time? You had to make up a story that a pack of vicious ghost dogs were trying to eat you so you could get some attention? Did you hear Justin coming and pretend to faint?”

  Tears began to well up in Cecily’s eyes and she was trying desperately to hold them back. She did not understand why Jedd was behaving like this. What had she done to him?

  “Are you making up new stories now because the ones about your dreams are getting old?”

  “Jedd,” Kaden warned, slowly.

  “Well, I’m sorry, Kaden!” said Jedd, turning to face him. “I’m sick of it. She’s so self-obsessed and she doesn’t give a damn about anyone else. You saw her earlier, she couldn’t even be happy for Fen and Sol. She always has to have all the attention. She’s just like Purdey.”

  Jedd’s final words were a blow to Cecily. Jedd was being unfair. OK, Cecily had not mentioned the incident, but if anything, it was to avoid the attention. Also, she had not said anything to anyone about vicious ghost dogs; that was Justin’s interpretation, fuelled by Acantha. Jedd did not seem prepared to hear what Cecily had to say and he was intent on attacking her. She needed to get out of there.