It was Friday and the bell to indicate it was the end of the school day just rang. Vicky had her bag packed up and was out the door before Maria even had her jacket on. As she put her bag on her back and went towards the door she heard her name being called from behind. It was Keith.
"Hey, are you walking home?"
Maria looked at him with a raised eyebrow
"Eh yeah, I always walk home"
His cheeks reddened slightly
"Oh ok...well do you mind if I walk with you? Part of the way I mean."
Maria was a bit taken aback but tried not to let it show
"Oh um yeah...sure"
They walked out of the school together chatting. They got a few strange looks and Maria got some murderous glares from Sinéad and Kelly but she ignored them.
"So how come Vicky is not walking with you today?"
Maria shrugged her shoulders
"She said she had to rush home to go out but I think she's pissed at me because..."
Oh crap, should she be telling him about Vickys crush on Colm?
"because?"
Keith was looking at her with a smile on his face.
"Well because I'm going to the cinema tonight without her."
Keith raised his eyebrows
"Oh..ok how come? Do you have a date?"
Maria burst out laughing "Ha! no way, it's DEFINITELY NOT a date."
Keith looked a bit shocked by her sudden outburst
"Sorry, I just...well a friend of my dad's well he's not really a friend he works with him sometimes...anyway he asked if I wanted to go see the new horror movie thats just been released, with him. Vicky hates horrors and I had been asking her if she would go but she said no way...now shes pissed because I'm going with someone else."
"Wait you're going to the cinema with a friend of your dads? How old is he?"
Keith was looking at her curiously. She rolled her eyes because she knew what he was thinking but it wasn't like that.
"I don't know... 20? It's not like that though. We can barely stand each other, we just want to see the movie and he said he had nobody to go with and since I don't have any friends that like those sort of movies we decided we'd go together."
Keith still didn't seem convinced but he didn't comment any more on it. They changed the subject to school and chatted about that until they got to the top of Maria's road.
"Ok well, I'm down this way. I'll see you tomorrow"
Keith didn't make a move
"Oh yeah, I'll see you tomorrow...oh and by the way, just for the record I love horror movies so if you find yourself with nobody to go with again you can always call me"
Maria laughed "Oh ok, thanks...well I better go...cya"
She turned and walked away, half way down the road she took a quick glance over her shoulder and saw Keith was still standing there watching her. He waved when he noticed she had seen him then he walked away. She was walking past Vickys house when she heard her name being called
"Ria!! Wait a sec"
She turned to see Vicky hanging out her upstairs window. She pulled the window shut and moments later came barreling out the front door.
"Umm did I just see you with Keith Murray?"
Maria rolled her eyes
"Yes, am I not allowed talk to him now?"
Vicky looked a bit confused then she got what Maria meant.
"What? no of course you can...listen I'm sorry ok. I just...you know I've had the biggest crush on Colm for so long and when I heard you guys were going on a date it..."
"ITS NOT A DATE"
Maria was getting really annoyed now. She didn't understand why it seemed like such a strange thing for 2 people to go to the cinema as friends...hell they weren't even friends really.
"Sorry, sorry....I know but it just...I'm sorry."
"It's ok, I know your hormones get the better of you sometimes. Anyway aren't you going to be late for whatever it was you had to rush home for?"
Vicky laughed and put her head down, it was an embarrassed laugh.
"Yeah...about that...sorry I lied. I was just pissed off"
Maria laughed "You don't say? I knew you were pissed off."
"Sorry again, but look at it this way..if I had walked with you then you wouldn't have been able to walk with Keith. What did you guys talk about anyway?"
"Vicky, you know you're weird sometimes...don't you?"
Vicky laughed and nodded her head
"You wouldn't have me any other way though. So come on...give me the gossip"
Maria told Vicky about her walk home with Keith right up until she stopped her by calling hr name out the window like a mad woman.
"Oh my god, I think he likes you. He was basically asking you on a date"
"What's with you and dates? He didn't ask me on a date he just said if I want to go see a horror again and have nobody to go with then he'll go because he likes them too."
Vicky smiled shaking her head
"Oh Ria, you're so naive sometimes. He likes you, it's obvious. He even hinted for you to get his number and you just ran off"
Maria thought back about what he said
"Nah, there's no way someone like Keith Murray likes me. He's just being nice."
Now it was Vickys turn to roll her eyes.
"Whatever! Anyway I better get in and get my homework done"
She turned to go back into her house, just before she got to the door she looked over her shoulder
"Enjoy your date"
Before Maria could reply she ran into the house giggling at her stupid joke and slammed the door shut.
YOU ARE READING
Just Friends
Teen FictionColm walked into Maria's life when she was a teenager. He was just another young guy that hung around her dad looking for a father figure and helped out when the work was there. She was 14 and he was 18. He was always hanging around, her dad had he...
