Two old friends

[Monday, Afternoon]

"Is there anywhere you want to see?" Simon asked Claire as they roamed the school.

"Hmmm… Not really." Claire replied. "I've seen most of it already from the last time I was here."

"When were you last here?" Simon asked.

"I used to come here on the weekends to do taekwondo."

"S-since when did you do taekwondo?" Simon said fearing for his life.

"I only did it for a few years. Don't worry."

Simon and Claire walked around the school with Simon's premium tour. It was a cheap and unenthusiastic tour. What can you expect? He isn't being paid.

"Hey, Simon, what's up?" Kaylee appeared from around a sudden corner and looked at Claire for a few seconds. "Who is this?"

"KAYLEE!" Claire screamed before hugging her to death.

"Y-yes. It is I, Kaylee." She said attempting to force herself away.

"You don't remember me?" Claire said.

"I'm sorry," Kaylee said being thrown around.

"It's me, Claire? You still don't remember me?"

"Claire?" Kaylee said. "Wait? CLAIRE!?"

"So you do remember! I'm glad I wasn't forgotten about."

"You've changed so much since we last talked. It's been so long. What are you doing here?"

"She's in our form. She's studying here now." Simon said.

"Wow… I see," Kaylee said. "I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything." Simon interrupted. "Come on Claire. Let's keep going."

"Bye, Kaylee!" Claire said whilst being dragged away by Simon.

"She is so nice," Claire said.

"Yeah, well, whatever."

"Hmmm, Did you two break up?"

"Wh-what?" Simon said stopping the tour. "How did you know about that? How did you even know we were together."

"Hmmm, just a hunch," Claire said running ahead before spinning around with a childish grin. "Come on, let's keep going."

"Yeah, yeah. one second."

"So," Claire said trying to make conversation. "What happened between you and Kaylee?"

"Nothing really, I'm over it."

"That's good. It's bad to not move on."

The two of them lied through their teeth. Old friends that hadn't seen each other in years. The air was awkward and Simon attempted to end the tour as much as possible.

"Ummm," Claire began to speak. "Can I ask something?"

"Sure, what is it? Somewhere you want to go?"

"No, it's not that." Claire attempted to get her words out and started fidgeting with her hands. "Why did you stop talking to me?" She asked Simon who stopped moving and faced away.

"I don't know," Simon said. "Don't worry about it. What's in the past is the past. We can't change it. Right now is all that matters."

"Hehe. You're right," Claire said with nervous laughter. "Forget I even asked."

"Alright. can I ask you something now?" Simon said.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Why did you come to school? Didn't you already graduate?"

"Ah!" Claire said "Sort of. After GCSEs at the end of Year 11, I didn't know what to do. I attempted college but it didn't work out for me so I'm here."

"I see…" Simon said walking forward. "Let's continue the tour."

They continued to walk in silence, showing Claire a school she had already seen. It seemed more as if the two of them were being tested. The school was quiet as the light from the setting sun beamed through the windows. Only just now telling them how long they had been running around for.

"Oh, hey Simon," Ruby said sitting on the stage outside the music room next to Owen who was being forced to plug in the keyboard for an upcoming performance. "Who is this?" She asked.

"It's the new girl I was telling you about? Do you ever listen?" Owen said as he got hit by a bundle of sheet music to which he met with a look of an upcoming serial killer.

"I'm Claire, Nice to meet you."

"I'm Ruby. I hope we can get along!" The two of them hit it off with Simon and Owen sitting at the side with nothing to do. Claire kept complimenting Ruby's hair before she had to suddenly take off leaving Simon, Owen and Claire alone.

"What do I do now? She asked me to stay back only to leave?" Owen said. "What a world we live in."

"Right. We'll leave you now." Simon said pushing Claire away. "Goodbye."

"Right. Goodbye." Owen said as he let out a tiny sniffle. "Don't cry." He whispered to himself as he continued to set up the instruments.

"Well, you've seen it all now," Simon said. "Not that you hadn't seen it already."

"Thanks for the tour. It was fun."

"Yeah, I guess it was alright," Simon replied.

"You seem down?" Claire said, placing her hand on Simon's head. "Are you sick?"

"I'm fine. Just tired."

"You should sleep more," Claire said. "Well Anyway. I'm going to head off now. Thanks again."

The day ended anticlimactically. The two of them went separate ways just like in the past. They couldn't forget what had happened before. After not seeing each other for many years, there could only be several reasons as to why it was so awkward between them.