Right that’s everything,” I say to myself as I close the lid on the box. I take a handkerchief and clean my glasses until the lenses sparkle. I stand in front of the mirror, the blurry shape of my body and the hazy lines of my facial features sharpen as I put my glasses back on. I take my hat and carefully place it on my head, tucking in any stray hairs. I smile, absolutely satisfied before throwing my rucksack over my shoulder and picking up the box, all ready and raring to go. Just as I am about to lock the flat door, my pocket of my coat vibrates. I take out my phone and read the freshly received text. “Hey Elliot, I’m at da Dog wit Kris. R u comin soon? Tb Zoe xxx” “I’m just leavin,” I smile as I write my reply, “Be der in 10 mins. Cya soon x” I walk down the empty college corridors with my head held up high, pride and happiness rushing through my body. This is it! I am going to see him! I am finally going to see my Dad! As I round the corner I see a young pretty woman, tall with dark brown flowing tresses walking down the corridor. “Sarah?” I call out as I walk over to her. “Oh hiya,” she waves as she recognises me. “What are you up to?” she asks me, smiling her brilliant smile that makes my heart skips a beat. Her smile always make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. “Going down the Dog for a drink with Zoe,” I reply and then a thought pops into my head, “why don’t you come?” “Ur I don’t think so,” Sarah’s happy face turns into one of doubt. “Oh go on,” I persevere, “she’d really like that.” Zoe would like her to come, but not as much as myself. I really, really wanted her to come. “Elliot, I know what you are trying to do,” Sarah raises a perfectly plucked eyebrow wryly, “but I have got plans already.” “Well you look nice,” my cheeks blush as I try to pay her a compliment. Calling Sarah Barnes ‘nice’ is certainly an understatement. She is an absolute vision, beauty personified, as beautiful as the Aurora Borealis. As I am about to ask where she is going we hear a noise behind us and we turn round. “Arr, stupid damn door!” I hear the unmistakable voice of my physics professor, Roger Kiddle. “Oh sorry,” he apologises when he notices Sarah and me, “it’s been a long day.” “Locked out you?” I ask him. “Yeah! Bang there goes the Nobel Prize!” Professor Kiddle sighs and gives a weary smile, “suppose to be burning the midnight oils.” “Well you can use my room if you like,” I instantly offer, anything to help my fellow academic. “Oh I don’t want to impose,” Professor Kiddle politely declines, pushing off a stand brown hair off his face. “No I insist,” I remain firm, “I’m out for hours anyway.” “Well in that case, I’ll take up your offer then,” Roger smiles gratefully, “thanks.” “It’s no trouble at all,” I beam brightly, “well I better dash, can’t keep Zoe waiting. Are you sure you don’t want to come?” I ask Sarah, praying that she will reconsider. “I can’t,” Sarah smiles an apologetic smile, “I’m meeting Hannah and we haven’t had a girly night in ages. Have a fab night though, yeah.” I feel butterflies in my stomach and a rush down my spine as she lightly rubs my shoulder with her hand. As I walk away, I give her a little wave and she waves back, smiling her sweet smile. Even though she cannot come, it doesn’t matter. Nothing can disheartened me, nothing can spoil tonight.

I push the door open and enter the quiet and almost empty pub. “Right well I need my sleep,” Kris grumbles as I approach the bar, “so I’m locking up.” “Err no you don’t! Elliot needs a drink!” Zoe objects, taking no for an answer, “this is important, Elliot’s meeting his dad tonight.” She gives me a kind smile and pats an empty stool and I sit beside her. “What are you doing meeting him at this time of night!” Kris asks me groggily as he leans on the counter, “what is he, some sort of vampire?” I have to let a little smile, despite being exhausted from a 10k run and clearly hung over, Kris has not lost his dry Irish wit. “Well he is an astronomer,” I reply happily as Zoe leans on my shoulder, “we can chat and watch the skies. What better time to meet up!” “Well if you two are having a drink, then I’m having one,” Kris replies, managing to give me a tired smile. “Er excuse me!” Zoe laughs as she shoves him a pint glass filled with water, “all you’re drinking tonight is H₂0 mister!” “What can I get you Elliot?” Kris ignores Zoe’s teasing and turns to me. “Half a lager and lime and packet of dry roasted,” I reply whilst Kris rolls his eyes to heaven and goes to make up the drinks. “I always get a bit peckish when I am nervous,” I say to Zoe as I sip at my drink whilst we share my packet of peanuts, “can’t meet my dad completely bladdered can I!” “So what’s in the box Pandora?” Kris asks drily as he passes Zoe a Corona with lime. “Far from the evils of mankind I can assure you,” I joke as I take off the lid, “they are things that I’ve collected over the years, so he won’t feel like he has missed out.” “Aww that’s so sweet,” Zoe coos as I show them both my collection, a collection of precious memories, hopes and dreams. But now my one dream is going to come true tonight, I am finally going to see my dad. “Oh no!” I suddenly what cry as I come to the end of my presentation, “my photo with Professor Sherlock at the Young Scientist Awards is missing!” “Elliot, your collection is lovely,” Zoe tries to reassure me as I rifle through again just to double check, “it is perfectly fine without it.” “I have to show it!” I cry in frustration, “it is my best one! It is important!” I grab the tin, shove everything back in it and race out of the pub, not stopping to say goodbye. I rush back to HCC, running as fast as I can and taking all the shortcuts. I open the front door carefully and walk into the flat. As I head over to the bedrooms, I stop as I nearly tread on something. A bouquet of flowers, orchids laying on the floor as if they have been carelessly dropped. As I place them carefully on the sofa, I hear giggles and low whispers coming from my bedroom. I carefully creep over to the door and lean against it. Again more giggles, and it is definitely one of a woman, not of Professor Kiddle. Someone is in my room, someone has broken into my room! I switch on my torch and fling open the door. I see something in my bed and shine the torch at it. My eyes widen in horror at what the beam of light reveals. “Elliot!” Sarah gasps like a deer caught in the headlights, as she and Kiddle, Professor Kiddle quickly pull apart from each other. “What are you doing?” I demand even I know exactly what they were doing.“I’m so sorry Elliot,” she looks pleadingly at me as she tries to cover herself with my Transformers duvet.

“That’s my bed,” my voice chokes on the huge lump in my throat, “you said that you were going out.” I cannot stop staring at them, together in my bed. “It was just a spur of the moment thing Elliot,” Professor Kiddle explains to me calmly, “bit cheeky I know, but no harm done.” He smiles innocently at me, but I know he is no innocent. I may be younger than him but I am no fool. I know that he is lying, I know that they tricked me so they could use my room, my bed. “Right, I’m so sorry,” I feel my voice wavering and tears pricking in my eyes, “I forgot my photograph.” I bend down and pick it, slightly crumpled from being trodden on. As I go towards the door, I take one last look at her. Her and Kiddle and I have to leave before they see the tears run down my cheeks. I run, run for the woods as fast as I can, ignoring the burning stitch in my side. My heart feeling as if it is has been smashed into a million pieces. In my bed, in my bed of all places! The place where I have dreamt so many dreams about her, her and me together. Dreams of telling her that I love her and she telling that she loved me and being in bed with me the same way she was with Kiddle. The woman I loved, the girl that I adored and the man that I respected have gone and betrayed me. They stabbed me in the back, me finding them naked in my bed felt as if they were twisting the blade in further. Their pleasure gained from my pain. “Well they have betrayed me, but my father won’t!” the determined and angry voice in my head tells me as I enter the clearing where we are supposed to meet, leaves crunching underneath my feet. “Dad!” I call out as I come to stand by the huge trunk of a tree. My hand is shaking as I take off my glasses, my cheeks hot and my eyes sore from tears. The woods are pitch black, the pale moon the only source of light. “Dad!” I call again, all trees blurry and dancing. It feels as if they are laughing at me, laughing just like Sarah before being discovered. “Dad it’s me Elliot!” I cry out, desperate for him to appear and then he can provide me comfort and solace like I have always longed for. “DAD!!!!!” I shout into the blackness and the taunting laughter. “DAD!!!” I scream at the very top of my lungs, tears pouring down my face, “DDDDDDAAAAAAADDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!” Finally I stop not only because my throat is too sore to continue screaming but he hasn’t come. I feel my hand loosen its grip and the memory tin drops to the ground. I slid my back down the trunk of the tree and sit on the cold damp earth. I realise that I am alone, completely and utterly alone.

This is Great
MOre Soon Please