The New Boy

Chapter 9

Deep breaths, calm thoughts, deep breaths, calm thoughts, deep breaths, calm thoughts.

The door opened slowly and Allison stood in front of me. She was just wearing a blue skirt and white top but it was enough to send my head spinning.

"Hey Scott" she smiled sweetly.

"H-hi Allison" I managed to push the words out, whatever happened to deep breaths and calm thoughts?

"Are you okay?" She asked, tilting her head.

"Me? Yeah, totally fine..." I replied quickly, "should we go?"

She nodded and walked down to my car with me, "Lyds texted me saying she'd meet us there with Toby"

Toby... I completely forgot that he was coming! I can't deal with him and Ben, on top of the fact that Lydia wants to be her own private investigator... What if Ben does tell Katherine? If she comes here... And meets Allison... Oh I'm so dead.

I opened the car door for her and slipped into the drivers seat nervously.

"So, do you go to clubs a lot?" I mumbled, trying to lighten the mood.

"Clubbing isn't really my thing, but it's Lydia's thing so I guess I'm obligated to go... Do you?" She smiled as I turned on the ignition and pulled out of her driveway.

Do I like clubbing? Katherine loved it, the loud music, the strobe lights, the ability to loose yourself. I remember how she drew me in, made me feel like the only way to be happy was to be with her. I kind of liked that feeling back then, the idea of freedom even though your trapped in a hot, ecstatic room. I don't see the appeal of that feeling now, probably because Katherine was the only thing that made the situation seem appealing in the first place. At least Allison was there...

"No, clubbing isn't my thing anymore" I said slowly.

"Lydia is very interested with you" she said like it was a fact.

"I can tell"

"She's like that with lots of people" she shrugged. "She likes to be all knowing, and I guess she doesn't know anything about you"

"There's not much too know" I lied.

"Everyone has a story?" Allison smiled.

I looked at her, almost tempted to tell her the truth but I held my tongue and turned back to the road.

"Tell me one thing, anything?" She asked.

"Okay..." I thought for a second, "I play lacrosse..."

She let out a small laugh and shook her head.

"That doesn't count, tell me something that not even Lydia knows"

Lydia doesn't know the first thing about me, and I'd like to keep it that way so I said the first plausible truth that came into my head.

"I like you" I smiled over at her.

She looked at me for a moment before her lips moved into a big smile, showing her perfect teeth.

"But now you have to tell me something about you"

"I'm quite unextraordinary" she replied, still smiling.

"I beg to differ, you seem beyond extraordinary to me..." I mumbled, turning left at the sign for Club Sinema.

She didn't reply to that, she just kept smiling into her lap, like she wasn't used to a compliment like that, which is perfectly understandable, her best friend is Lydia Roden and she casts a big shadow.

"This it?" I asked, pointing at the large warehouse. I could already hear the muffled pumping of loud music through the steel double doors.

"Yeah" she said, looking up from her lap. "And there's Lydia..." She motioned towards the silver Porsche in front of us. Now I see why Toby is so popular.

I pulled over in the nearest space and jumped out the car to open the door for Allison.

"Thanks" she said, walking over to the Porsche and tapping on the window lightly. Toby climbed out and brushed down his burgundy shirt with his hands whilst Lydia reapplied her lipstick.

"Hey Ally!" She exclaimed before giving me a devilish smirk. "Hi Scott"

"Hey Ly-" I started but an already irritated Toby cut me off.

"Can we just go inside?!" He snarled, walking towards the warehouse. Allison gave me a apologetic smile, as if Toby's attitude was her fault.

There was a strangely familiar doorman who looked me up and down curiously.

"Hey? Aren't you that guy from Whittemore High?" He asked. How did he know me?! He looked way to old to be a student. Lydia immediately whisked around to listen whilst Toby and Allison just turned their heads.

"I don't know you?..." I mumbled, curling my hands into nervous fists.

"I'm Milo, I graduated six years ago from Whittemore but my cousin is on the lacrosse team there? I know it's you..." He thought for a moment and scratched his head before clicking his fingers in Triumph. "Adams! It's Adams right? Yeah you were their best player, but I didn't know you graduated?" I forced a smile and nodded.

"Yeah..." I pulls out my ID and he grinned at it.

"I can't believe it man! I thought you would have a lacrosse scholarship to some fancy college by now? But here you are, at Sinema" his face crinkled into a heavy laugh. I just nodded again.

"Wait? You two know each other?" Lydia smirked, moving closer to the large doorman.

"No way" he explained, "My cousin, Lela, she's on the cheer team. I thought you were still there?! You were dating that head cheerleader?"

That was enough for me, if the guy remembered Katherine it was bad news.

"Head che-" Lydia started.

"No!" I silenced her, "You must have me confused, I didn't date any cheerleaders..."

"But-" Milo said

"Thanks" I said, grabbing my ID and manoeuvring my way past Lydia and Toby then pushed my way through the metal doors into the pumping club.