Imagine There's No Heaven

Afterwards, Guy had no clue how well the exam had gone. He had been forced to cram so hard that he felt he either knew everything or nothing. Either way, it was done, and he had people to thank for that.

  ‘How did it go?’ Gina hurried to ask as Guy entered her classroom. She had been sitting alone at her desk, nervously rolling her pen around in her hands. She leapt up at seeing him.

  ‘Too easy,’ he boasted with a grin. ‘So, Mrs Green, do you fancy a drink tonight? I figure I owe you one.’

  ‘One?’

  ‘Maybe a couple hundred; we best get started now.’

  Gina smiled. ‘Sadly, not all of us have finished our work quite yet,’ she said, tapping her pen on a pile of papers on her desk. ‘Tonight, on the other hand....’ Guy eyed her expectantly. ‘Sure, let’s go. Bring Yasmin.’

  ‘Are you going to bring Kevin?’ Gina gave him a warning glance. ‘No, seriously, bring him. I probably owe him even more than I owe you.’ Gina’s grey eyes narrowed questioningly. ‘Things have changed,’ he answered, ‘thanks to you.’

  ‘Stop it,’ Gina pleaded, grinning broadly and holding a hand to her face to check her emotions.

  Guy sat on a desk and stretched his legs out to relax. Gina looked him up and down and nodded proudly at how much he had managed to relax and let go in such a short time ‘You know; Daniels is coming to visit. He says I can talk about mum all day if I like.’

  Gina grinned. ‘Just you take it easy on him, you big bully.’

  A slew of voices sounded outside the window as a congregation of students came pouring into the garden, some loud and joyous, others burying their heads in their hands in fear. Guy couldn’t remember ever paying attention to the weather, but it was a nice sunny day outside. It beckoned him to leave the school, though in many ways he felt he had only just started. He felt he had been given a new lease on life, and this one was his to own.

  ‘Gina,’ Guy said formally, changing his tone. ‘You know, I never will be able to thank you enough for everything you have done for me. You’ve gotten me through.’ She waved his complement away shyly. ‘No, really, I mean it. I would never have done this without you. You’re the most caring person I have ever known.’

  ‘All right, all right, stop it,’ she said, her face turning red. ‘How’s your dad?’

  ‘He’s good. Hell I even talked to him the other day,’ he joked. He fell silent and let his eyes drop as though deep in thought before confidently saying, ‘You know what? I think he and I are going to be just fine.’

  ‘Well, just so long as someone is around to look out for you, hey?’

  ‘That’s what I’ve got you for.’

  Gina’s face flicked with sadness for a moment. She stood and walked over to Guy’s side. ‘Kevin has suggested that we travel for a bit. I think I am going to take him up on it. I need to take some time for me, and after all that has happened recently I figure now is as good a time as any.’

  Guy’s confidence fell to concern momentarily, but he soon shook his head out of the clouds and nodded happily. ‘Good,’ he said. ‘You deserve a break. I’ll miss you though.’

  ‘It’s not forever,’ she assured, ‘just for a few months. I will be back once I’ve regained my sanity.’