Sneak Peek | Just Breathe Chapter One (Alpha Draft)

The Breathe Trilogy has been a long time in the making. Ahead of the release of the prequel, Just Breathe, I will be sharing some behind-the-scenes info and sneak peeks, starting with an early version of the first chapter.

This is the Alpha Draft. That means it’s an early draft and that what you’re about to read is completely unpolished. Some names, dialogue or order of events may change between now and publication. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy this little snippet.

Libby

Hey🥰

That’s us almost finished. The girls have their bags for tomorrow.

You’d think they were going on holiday the amount they packed lol.

😘 

Tucking my phone away, I can’t keep the smile from my face. It’s finally all coming together. If you ignore the gym equipment strapped to the walls, this could be a function suite in a nice hotel like we’d originally planned. But Ms Webster put a pin in that one straight away. Something about insurance and a previous disaster. It’s always the same; the antics of some previous year-group stripes us of anything resembling trust.

Running through the list, the only person who hasn’t come back for a second task is Leanne. She’s new to the student council and not much of a team player, it seems. And I can’t spot her either. But I’m not going to let that bother me. Between the detention group setting up for tomorrow’s assembly and all of us decorating, there are a lot of people here. She’ll be here somewhere. 

Besides, I’m too excited for tomorrow night. I catch myself picking my lip. 

Nervous is more accurate. 

Leon has been so patient with me. And understanding. After all the drama of last Summer, I needed time before I’d be ready for anything physical. It’s about time, right?

I want it to be special.

“Where’s all this meant to go?” Natalie asks from behind a box, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Checking my list, I can feel my brow knot as I scan the room. 

Where is she?

“That is a lot of tinsel”, laughs Natalie, setting the box down. 

“It’s the only job I trusted Leanne with. It’s supposed to be over to Steph for the giant tree,” Which is currently tinsel-less, I huff through my nose. “Where did you find it?”

“It was abandoned next to the back doors. I was gathering all the rubbish.” Her mouth is a tight line. Natalie knows how much work I’ve put into this. The preparation, planning, and organisation; never mind convincing Coach Steel to let us set up the night before. And he was now tapping his watch at me.

“Well standing about here isn’t going to fix it. Let’s get this on the tree, we need to get this wrapped up.”

Weaving through the crowd, l lead the way. Natalie carries the box behind me as we reach Steph and the tree that doesn’t match my plans.

“Thank you Harry, you’re an absolute star” Steph’s voice breathy, placing her hand on the back of the lad coming down the ladder. 

“Outsourcing”

Steph whips round, exposing a glimpse of her surprise before settling into her usual carefree expression.

“Oh hey! Harry saw me struggling with the ladder and offered to help. Isn’t he sweet?” her smile wide and her voice dripping with saccharine.

“Henry”

We all turn to the little voice.

“My name is Henry,”

“Of course it is. Steph here gets a bit confused sometimes.”

My skin prickles at the sound of his voice. Of course, he would be here. Michael is never not in detention. But I’m not going let him see that he’s had an effect.

“Well, somehow, Leanne never managed to get to you with the tinsel so we’ll have to be quick.”

Steph’s smile drops.

“But tinsel is so tacky.”

“And when else can you be tacky if not a Christmas” says Michael, reciting my favourite response about Christmas.

I feel a smile tug at the corner of my mouth, but I fight it. He must have heard me say that hundreds of times when we friends, growing up. But we weren’t friends anymore.

Bzzz Bzzz

Cool. Be there in 5

“I’d like to get home sometime this evening.” Coach Steel drones, holding up his hand. Cutting me off before I have a chance to respond. “Let’s wrap this up, Miss Clipboard. You can take the rubbish bags out and get Mr Chatterbox here to help you.”
Hmmph, you’d think I hadn’t been doing anything at all.

Black bags appear in front of me.

“You heard the man,” smirks Mike.

The Girls giggle. Coach Steel is the only teacher who speaks to me like that; but to be fair he speaks to everyone like that. Breathing deeply, I pass the clipboard to Natalie and take the bags of rubbish.

“You’ll have that tinsel on the tree by time I get back, won’t you Steph?” Mimicing her Fake sweetness back at her, makes her face drop. “Well you heaard the man; Let’s wrap it up “

urningon my heal I head for the exit not looking back. Heat surging through my body, my face begining to flush. Even the most minor of confrontations has this effect on me. I wish I could get past it. Relieved to step outside into the cold air. Forgetting for a moment who is following close behind. 

We’re alone outside together.

“You waiting for me?”

Just Breathe.

My fingers are shaking as I prepare to hit publish on this post. I welcome any comments or critiques, they’ll help me clean up the finished work. As the future readers your input is valued.

Right! Let’s post this before I back out lol.

xoxo