Bad Apple

Chapter Twelve

A/N: I'm sorry this hasn't been edited yet, I'll go through it when I've got some time. This is dedicated to NightRose154, my best supporter and a wonderful writer too. Go check out her story Horizon Falls =D

I hope everybody had an amazing Christmas! xx

Friday nights back home were usually filled with plans to go out with my friends. It was strange to think that I had only been eighteen and legally an adult for a week. My parents had only been separated for a week. Everything between me and James had happened in a week. One week. And here I was in New York getting ready for a date with Ethan.

Well, he hadn’t actually specified that it was a date. He’d just suggested that we meet up again but Karyn once told me that a boy does not go out of his way to be friends with a girl he isn’t romantically interested in and I agreed with her. Why shouldn’t I treat this as a date?

I picked another dress out of my suitcase since I still hadn’t unpacked it. That day had been full of crazy tourist things with Anika whilst our mother rehearsed for her audition and continued her search for somewhere to live in the overpopulated and overpriced Manhattan. We had already ticked several things off our list such as going on a boat trip around Liberty Island and Ellis Island to see the Statue of Liberty and a big shopping trip in Macy’s department store on West 34th Street.

I slipped the slinky green dress I had selected on and stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. It clung tightly to my hips and I wondered if maybe I should have bought the frilly lilac gown Anika had picked out for me in Macy’s. There wasn’t much I could do about it now. I pulled the green dress down over my knees and started applying a little makeup. When I was done, I guess I looked okay. Good enough for a sort-of date anyway.

The seating area was empty when I got there. I felt stupid all dressed up hanging around in the hotel lobby but nobody seemed to notice me. I didn’t even think Nova had seen me but a moment later she appeared in front of me.

Her pink hair was down but tucked behind her ears and, over a smart uniform of a white blouse and black trousers, she wore a baggy denim jacket. I’d never seen her up close before so I’d never noticed how pretty she was- or would be if she wasn’t scowling. She had very clear skin and delicate features of round bright blue eyes and a small, curved nose.

She folded her arms across her chest and looked me up and down in an unnerving way. “Going on a date?” she spat.

I stared back at her. What did she want? I had been confronted by girls who thought they were intimidating before but I had always acted like I wasn’t scared of anyone. “I’m meeting someone,” I replied confidently.

“Ethan Hailing,” she smirked.

“Yeah, has he finished work?” I remembered Ethan telling me that Nova was his acting boss.

“I think he’s running a little errand for me.”

I didn’t like the way she said it. Something was wrong. Ethan wasn’t coming.

“Don’t worry, sweetie. I’m sure there are plenty of boys back home in Birmingham.”

She pronounced it wrong but I didn’t bother correcting her. I was more concerned about how she knew where I was from.

“I googled you,” she said at my obvious surprise. “I recognised your mom so I got your name out of your passport and I found out everything.”

“I don’t think there’s much accurate information about me on the internet,” I said coolly to show her that I wasn’t threatened by her. I still had no idea why she even cared who I was.