*PREVIOUSLY*
The sound of the locker room door opening and soft footfalls interrupted his train of thought, and he quickly grabbed his clothes and flew into the closest changing stall. Peeking through the crack in the door, Noah caught a glimpse of the back of another boy who was wearing some highly familiar gym clothes. He turned and Noah had to keep himself from gasping in fear. It was Bryce... The other boy took no notice of the presence in the room and proceeded to undress; a shameless reveal for Noah in the background. Even when he feared Bryce as much as he did, it wasn't hard to admit he was one of the hottest guys at school; toned beyond anything Noah could accomplish and beautiful brown eyes that could suck you in if you weren't careful. Bryce walked off out of view, and the shower turned on. If he was quiet enough, Noah would be able to get out undetected. He dressed as quietly as he could into his shirt and socks and went to let his pants unroll when he realized, two seconds too late, there was still change from lunch in his pocket. Holding back a yell of mixed surprise and frustration, all he could do was watch as the five coins turned through the air, and listen as the shower turned off just as they hit the ground.
*CLINK*
"Who's there?!"
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Noah froze, not knowing what to do. How could he escape this. No doubt Bryce would find him in this stall and think he was spying on him. Quickly thinking over the layout of the locker room, Noah unlocked the door; dashing out of view and out of the room just as Bryce rounded the corner. His clothes flew on outside in the hallway and before anyone could see him, he was headed home.
***
"Hey, where are you?"
"Hey to you, too Lydia. I'm at home. I know it's Friday..."
"Then why the hell are you at home!?"
"Like I ever leave the house on a Friday..."
"I'll be there in 10 minutes!"
*click*
Noah sighed. God, there was no getting through to that girl, was there? Lydia would always try her hardest to get him out of the house and it always ended in him sitting on the sidelines, watching everyone else have their fun. He lay down on the couch, turning to stare at the TV and doodling on the little sketchbook he'd recently recovered from his bedroom. What would Lydia have planned now?
In no time the doorbell was ringing repeatedly, causing Noah to jump up from his daydreaming and rush to greet Lydia at the door. It was swung open to reveal a very different Lydia than the one that had been at school only a few hours ago. She was enveloped in a short, tight-fitting black sequin dress and had let her wavy brown hair cascade down past her shoulders. Deep purple eyeshadow brought out her rich, hazel eyes and her lips were done up in a sensual red. Despite being gay, and the fact that she was his best friend, Noah couldn't help but admit that Lydia really looked nice.
"What are you gawking at, idiot?"
And then there was the attitude, an entirely different matter.
"I don't know. Never mind. Why are you so dressed up? Not like you have anywhere to go."
"And that's where you're wrong, genius." Lydia shot a hard glare at Noah and ran her eyes up and down his appearance. "You're definitely going to need some work..."
"Wha.." But Noah was cut off by his friend pushing him inside the house and dragging him up the stairs. Lydia shoved him into the bathroom and shut the door harshly.
"And don't come out until you smell nicer! Don't take too long, we need to get going!"
Noah sighed and stripped down, catching a glimpse of himself in the wide mirror along the far wall. No narcissism tonight, though. He jumped into the shower and got the water up to temperature, letting it cascade down his body and wash away the stress and fear he'd let build up.
Feeling refreshed, Noah pulled on his boxers and gathered the rest of his belongings. He peeked out of the bathroom and, seeing no one, made a dash to his bedroom. Noah turned around after locking his door to meet a look of disapproval from a very familiar pair of hazel eyes.
"LYDIA!! For god's sake!" He turned and hid his body as best he could from his friend.
"Nothing I haven't seen before. Cute butt, by the way. I don't see why you don't have more guys after you for that alone," she said teasingly. "Anyways, I'm in here because I thought you'd need some help picking out an outfit. You always dress like a moron."
"Wow, thanks," muttered Noah from against the wall.
"It's what friends are for, isn't it?" Lydia snickered and grabbed Noah from behind. "Let's get you looking more... Presentable."
***
In the matter of a few minutes, Noah's entire wardrobe was strewn about his room with a very pleased Lydia in the centre of it.
"You can clean up when you get back, let's go!"
Noah regarded his appearance in his full length mirror, wondering if this look would really work out.
He was in a tight, sky blue t-shirt and black skinny jeans. Lydia had dared to ask if she could apply eyeliner, but Noah strongly refused. Overall, his physique was shown quite nicely without making it seem as if he was trying too hard. But was Lydia right? Did he actually look that nice?
Apparently, Lydia had borrowed her older brother's car, a sleek black Dodge Charger with white racing stripes running the length. It roared to life when she turned the ignition, and she sped down the street towards the freeway.
"Where are we going, Lydia?"
"Don't worry, you'll see soon enough. It's a welcoming party for the new students. Maybe that'll give you a clue."
If they hadn't been racing down the highway, Noah would have grabbed the wheel in terror. He knew exactly where they were going... And Lydia confirmed his thoughts even further when she took the exit towards the rich side of town. Fear gripped him, but all Noah could do was sigh in defeat and watch as the lights of the city approached and rushed by.
Why had he been dragged into this?
What had he done to deserve this?
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Hey guys :) Been a bit since I updated. Sorry about that. Hoping this chapter will suffice. I know it's more filler than anything, but I've been quite busy with work, and it won't get any better with school starting tomorrow. Gah! Grade 12!
Picture of Lydia in her party attire on the side :)
Anywho, love all you guys. Feedback, anyone? Message, comment, vote :D
-Alex :*
