The Exchange Student ➵ phan

Chapter 9

I was not expecting a lot of things when I followed Phil's car. Example one, I was not expecting how fast that boy drives. It's a gift he hasn't been in numerous accidents by this point.

The second thing I was not expecting, how hot it was going to be today. It's got to be England's first ever heat wave. Just my luck. I've always hated heat-or any temperature not warm-from a young age. Every gust of wind seemed to spring forth a mix of unsustainable heat and hungry mosquito's on my jacketed body.

All these complications combined made chasing after Phil's black Chevy a million times harder than I previously anticipated. The initial plan falling to shambles soon as Phil's car turns a corner and was lost by the time I reached the crossroad.

Did I really thing this was a good idea not 5 minutes ago? I should go home before this becomes into an abduction story. Turning back towards the house I sigh in defeat, stuffing my hands deep in my jacket pocket so the thin material runs at the middle of my thighs instead of my hips.

Starting on my pathetic walk/jog back to my house I jump at least a foot when music blasts from the road Phil had previously turned on. I glance back at the empty street, only a stop sign dotting the side Phil had turned on.

The music's prominent and loud. Thank goodness for teenagers need to wake the neighborhood when their having fun.

Grinning I have to repeatedly remind myself that skipping to a party of strangers would be awkward if anyone uninformed of my joy happened to catch sight of it.

So I kept my feet steady well a dub-step remix of 'I Bet My Life' reverberated in the ground. This'll be simple, find Phil's group, hang out with them while Phil gets drinks or something of that nature. Than nap up all his friends and make them my own before he gets back. Shouldn't be that hard.

Who am I kidding? Basically all of this in contributed by the fact I haven't been outside the house in days-maybe weeks, I've honestly lost all time perception after sleeping away all my jet lag.

I need to see something that's not awkwardly silent family dinners and tight lipped face. Hear something other than the sounds of screaming and hushed, judgeful tones.

A party is my best option for a change of pace. If Phil's friends are anything like him I want to avoid them as I do him.

I turn down music road, finding another line of houses and a set dead end warning signs.

At the end of the road is a huge Victorian era completed with a turret spiraling from a circular area built into the side. A porch wrapped around the horrendously blue painted home.

People were already heading inside and hanging out on the rickety white railing. Laughing and talking about something in particular.

I start down the road, looking at all the houses on it and silently apologizing to them, how many days of the summer can they deal with this before they move? I would last about 20 minutes honestly.

The familiar meeting new people jitters hit me well others step from cars and head into the house, music changing to some song made almost entirely of bass. I like it, over the years my style of music has never evolved or settled, I like music, genres are just classifying them and it's completely fine to like all different forms.

Walking up the stairs makes me even more nervous, not the social anxiety leading on panic attack type nervous. I've never had that type of thing happen to me, it happened to some of my more sensitive friends back in California where crime scenes were like ice cream trucks in the humid summer. In fact, I don't get nervous easily, my courage out marking most. That's how I work, I'm the kid doing a jig in the talent show or singing karaoke with his drunk friends when he only had two shots at least.