Time seemed to draw to a standstill that day. Claudia looked at her watch and the clocks in the house so often, unable to concentrate, just picking at food, a tight feeling of fear in her stomach. She had lived in a sort of suspended zombi like state for about half an hour after the phone call ordering her to be at Oak Woods. The voice seemed familiar, but who was it?
Then she shook herself trying to concentrate on what best to do. She could not tell anyone, how could she? She was proud of her reputation as being a hard working student so successful she was about to be awarded a scholarship. She could not allow this scandal to get out. She googled the timetable of the local bus company and saw that there was a bus which would take her to Oak Woods so she guessed she could get to the designated rendezvous by about ten to five.
Claudia then started into town, but had only gone a few steps before she had to return home to fetch her purse in which she kept her bank card. She felt her eyes burning but swallowed loudly and breathed in deeply as she decided to walk the thirty minutes into the centre and not take the bus, hoping the walk would clear her mind and help her to concentrate.
So engrossed was she in her misery that she did not recognise her friend Sandy on the other side of the street at first. It was only when she called her name a second time that she looked around and saw her waving. Claudia waved back with a forced grin and carried on her way, calling out apologetically that she was in a bit of a hurry.
She arrived at the bank and stood infront of the cash machine, wondering how much she should offer as a bribe to put an end tothis nightmare. If she could pay! The man behind her coughed and said, "Miss, are you going to stand there looking at the cash point or can I go first?"
She mumbled an apology and tapped in 250, which she withdrew quickly, stuffing it into her purse.
Turning she avoided eye contact with the man and hurried back the way she had come. She wondered whether she should try to take her mind off it all by going shopping for some clothes, but her heart was not in it and she was also scared of bumping into any of her friends.
Arriving back home, she felt safer, standing with her back against the front door, surprisingly out of breath. Kicking off her shoes, she went through to the kitchen where she made herself a cup of tea, more to do something than to drink it.
The phone rang and she jumped, hardly daring to answer it, her heart beating quickly incase it washer tormentor, but it was her friend Jackie, asking if she wanted to meet for lunch and a spot of clothes shopping. She apologised, excusing herself, saying she had an upset stomach and would be taking things easy that day.
The time ticked by so slowly it was torture!
By four she went along to her wardrobe and picked out a light blue outfit she had worn only once. It was a bit tight and came to just above the knee, showing off her shapely legs, She decided to wear a thong, feeling it was not much, but at least gave her some sort of dignity. She also wore a light blue bra, fumbling nervously with the catch.
Putting on her shoes she glanced at her watch. She would have about ten minutes to get to the bus stop. She grabbed the purse from the table, it felt thick, but then with 250 in notes that was no surprise. Popping it into a small shoulder bag, she checked to make sure she had a key and left for the bus stop.
The bus was mercifully only two minutes late and she was soon sitting about a quarter of the way down the bus, nervously twiddling with the shulder bag strap, staring ahead vacantly, only aware when a group boys piled onto the bus noisily shouting and having fun, until told to calm down by the driver.
