Chapter Three: A Long, Cold Winter.

 

Despite all the junk food she was eating, Lindsay stayed fit riding her bike around.  Not only was it good fitness, but it beat hanging around an empty park and risking being discovered.   Lindsay swapped between her blazer, her black t-shirt and her purple school sports jacket; hoping it was enough to stop some busy body from seeing she wasn't exactly changing clothes every day.   Thank heaven for hard wearing jeans!  

That was when she discovered ThrifTea.   This quirky little setup with bubble tea, a secondhand clothing swap, a microphone for poetry night and a colorful blonde named Eloise Hiddlestix.  Eloise was so trusting that even the staff kitchen and bathroom were open for public access.  The near-ancient PC in the shop corner even had internet access (though slow), meaning more opportunity for Linsay to check for messages and odd jobs.  By now Lindsay was delivering takeout to people too lazy to collect it, packing boxes for disorganized (or lazy) folks moving house and mowing lawns for homeowners too busy (or lazy) to do it themselves.

One morning Lindsay emerged from her tent to find the temperature had plummeted to freezing.  Crisp, white snow coated the ground.  The transformed landscape was so beautiful that she couldn't help taking a photo or two (though she would be careful never to post these online, least she be found).

Of course, that first snow of the season didn't last, but the cold sure did.  Lindsay began collecting firewood from beneath the abundant trees and quickly bought a collection of lighters and matches.  Secure by now in a lack of neighbors, Lindsay would have a merry fire crackling in the pit.  She even tried her hand at roasting sausages over the flames.  The results were a little charred, but still edible.

Lindsay began using the gym before school, as a way to keep warm and a convenient excuse for any keenly observant faculty that might notice she was using the shower at least every other day.

MMM, Linday thought.   Perhaps some mother might just buy this for their kid's room.  If I don't make it obvious it's a student's art project.  

One of Lindsay's secret ambitions (before her life took such a turn anyway) was to join the cheer squad.  So, one clear day when she was fairly certain there were no witnesses (outside was too chill for most not acclimated like Lindsay) she borrowed some pompoms from the sports shed and stood (a little uncertainly) on the mat at the edge of the school field.  Feeling more than a little silly, Lindsay shook her arms and attempted to imitate the routine she had witnessed at football matches.  After a while, she really got into it.  Music playing in her head.   Imagining the admiration of the crowd.  She actually lost track of the time and had to apologize to Ms. Coombes for getting to class ten minutes late -a truly unusual occurrence.

Then the snow settled in.   Lindsay's glasses would frost over, and it was almost as easy to see without them as through the clouded over lenses.  She bought a jacket, pants and new boots from ThrifTea.   The campfire was a nightly thing now.  Cheap marshmallows roasting, the sugary goodness warming as it went down.

But the nights left Lindsay shivering and exhausted.   She even fell asleep on a locker room bench early one weekday morning.

Despite the hardships, Lindsay maintained her grades in the A range.  Partly due to all the library time she was logging (central heating, right?)  Besides, Lindsay was still determined to make something of herself, one day.

There was a fire drill, or false alarm (the students weren't sure which).   Lindsay pulled out her mobile, like so many of the others around her.   Giggling at a photo of Charlie (the boy she babysat weekends) Lindsay drew unwanted attention.

"What you laughing at dweeb?" Savannah sneered "Your mama?  ...Oh, wait, you don't have one!"

"Charlie" Lindsay began, turning the screen away from herself.  Then she looked up and was boosted from her happy distraction by the unpleasant reality of Savannah's mocking face.  

"Buzz off Sidney" Lindsay snapped.  Smile replaced by threatening tears as the harsh truth of Savannah's unkind words struck a chord.   Neither girl noticed Mr. Morlind standing nearby.

Anjelo Morlind (the teacher from Room 12) cornered Lindsay the following afternoon after school.

"Miss Birch.  You're still here?" he said, stating the obvious and sitting down at the cafeteria table.

"Well, you know, working hard" Lindsay demurred, hands going to her face defensively.  Specials from the last-day-of-school lunch were sitting on the table and Lindsay had just been considering pocketing a roasted corn cob or two for dinner.

"Yes" Morlind replied "I don't know that I've seen any other student study like you do" he said pleasantly

"I'm glad I caught you" he continued "I overheard Miss Price giving you a hard time the other day and I wanted to make sure everything was okay?"

"Yeah" Lindsay sighed "Savannah's just..."

"A dog?" Morlind supplied with a hint of a wicked smile.

"Something like that" Lindsay grinned despite herself.

"Seriously.  We know your family situation and the holidays can be a hard time for that sort of thing.  Is everything alright at home?"

"Peachy" Lindsay lied glibly. 

"Good" he nodded, standing up. "Well, happy holidays Lindsay".  And patting her shoulder kindly, he left.

Christmas pretty much sucked.   No presents.  No friends.   Lindsay made a snowman from the deep drifts, but her frozen, inanimate companion was no compensation.

A lonely bowl of chili on the pier was her only meal.

Come New Years, Lindsay determined to make a better go of things.   She hopped a bus into the city and spent a little time wandering the storefronts aimlessly.  Then she reached the Torrendi Tower Youth Centre.  This teen hangout was furnished with basketball court, arcade games, dance floor/dj booth, cinema, cafe and even a swimming pool.  Lindsay took a luxurious shower in the top-class facilities that serviced the pool, gym and spa.  Then she ordered a mochaccino from the friendly barista.

As she rocked her heart out on the karaoke machine, Lindsay forgot her loneliness.  At about eleven forty the growing crowd moved into the cinema to watch the countdown to midnight on the big screen.  Lindsay felt strangely connected to the people, many of whom were about her age and none of whom went to Copperdale High.  A hopeful feeling surged as the clock ticked over and the room erupted with "Auld Lang Syne".   Lindsay resolved that this year would be better than last.

Sleepy, but happy, she boarded the late bus with the other party goers.