Avalon by Lana Davison Read Free Book Online

you,” Stuart said.
    “Holly, who is this boy and do you feel something for him?”
    “His name is Henry and I like him. I don’t know what you mean when you say ‘do I feel something for him’, because I never felt anything for my chosen one.” I hardly ever brought the subject up with them, I rarely thought about it anymore, but Marcus had popped into my head for obvious reasons.
    “Well, Holly, I’m afraid I don’t know what to tell you. I know there are some Avaloneans on Earth living here happily, married to people from Earth, but I don’t know any of them personally, so I am assuming that they have feelings for their partners.
    “Sara, I don’t know what I am supposed to feel, but I feel good around Henry. He is a really nice guy and we get on well.”
    “That’s good, Holly. I’m happy for you.”
    *****
    Later that week, Henry and I kissed for the first time at a school dance. The lights were low, the room fairly dark when a slow song came on. Henry moved forward and slowly bent down and kissed me gently, his lips feeling like a soft cushion on my mouth. The stars didn’t fall from the sky, true enough, but it was nice.
    *****
    Henry and I became close friends, but we rarely got the opportunity to be intimate because we were at school until late, then home. Both of us were studying for our GCSEs and Henry was often away at the weekends and school holidays. I didn’t mind, in fact I quite liked having our relationship like that. We felt comfortable around each other, like someone feels comfortable in a favourite t.shirt.
    Towards the end of the school year, Sara and Stuart had agreed to let me board at school the year I turned sixteen. Henry was also planning to casually board a couple of days a week and I already knew Emily, a full time boarder, loved it. I could still go home to Sara and Stuart at weekends if I wanted to.
    The final year exams took place and my scores were as expected, averaging As. Sara said I had the combined brains of my mother and father, but I don’t think it’s entirely true. I actually had to study a lot to get the grades: I wrote notes, I wrote myself tests on what I thought might be in the exam, I wrote more notes, I read, I highlighted texts, put post-it notes all over my bedroom walls and did mind mapping.
    At the end of the school year Sara and Stuart came to a BBQ with other parents of students in Year 10 and Year 11. They met Henry for the first time and really liked him, telling me he came from a good family and would be a good match for me. While that might be true, I’m too young to even remotely think about being with someone for the rest of my life or even entertain marrying someone in the future, I don’t think I will ever marry, just because I don’t like the idea of a union, for obvious reasons. Why is it necessary to put it all on paper? I did not understand the importance of making it official. After all, doesn’t that just mean the piece of paper is for society and not really for the two people concerned? Maybe I am too young to understand the reasons for marriage, maybe I would understand it better if I found the right person, but it’s pretty clear that will never happen because I was not even compatible to my chosen one.

C hapter Seven
     
    Sara and Stuart helped me move my two full suitcases stuffed with clothes, shoes, toiletries and bedding into the girls’ boarding house. Emily and I would be sharing a room – ‘roomies’, like sisters. This was already a good start to the new school year. I put my belongings into my drawers, wardrobe and locker. After I unpacked the items for my bedroom, we walked into the girls’ shower room and found the locker with my name on it. I put my toiletries inside and hung my towel over the rail.
    All parents or guardians were invited to go to the dining room after they said their goodbyes and meet and greet with other parents and the school faculty. There they could ask any questions they wanted and address