Misfits and Mean Girls

Lysander

If I take a number, multiply it by six, then square it and finally divide by three and my answer is 48 what was the original number?

Lysander is right beside me, his blue eyes focussed on the paper in front of him. His dark hair is ruffled and messy, which makes me want to run my fingers through it. He is maybe the only other person in this room who gets how I feel right now. He just looked up at me, his eyebrows raised as if to check that I’m okay. I nod almost imperceptibly back at him. He smiles weakly, bowing his head again. I lean back and begin to think.

I guess Lys knew Is better than almost anyone – not well enough to realise what she was doing, but better than Kate and Bex. He moved here at the start of year nine and it just so happened he moved in next door to us. His house was about the same size as ours, which was the last one along the cliff road. I love our house, with its big garden and sea views. When you walk along a path by the side of it, you get to a secret cove. It used to just be our family secret, but then one day, a month or so into year seven, I walked down under the trees and heard shrieks. There, running around and splashing one another in the sea, were Kate and Bex. Is had told them our secret and I was devastated. I took Ava and our friends Rose and Joe down to the cove just to get her back, but she doesn’t know that.

But when Lysander moved in, we both wanted to share the cove with him. I met him first, on my way back from Ava’s one day that August. I had my headphones in, I remember because I was singing along to Hey Jude when he came up behind me and pulled out a headphone. ‘Good song, that.’ He grinned at me as he placed it in his own ear. ‘I’m Lysander, by the way, Lysander Harpington. I just moved in next door.’

I grinned back at him. Lys is the kind of person who makes you smile whenever you see him. ‘I’m Isla. Isla Carson. I live in the end house, next to yours.’ I sounded stupid; my voice had gone all fluttery and breathy.

‘I know, I saw you leaving this morning. What year are you in?’ he asked me, not missing a beat.

‘I’ll be year nine this year, what about you?’ I was grinning like an idiot and I realised I must look ridiculous…

‘I’ll be an almost year ten,’ he winked, ‘but my brother is in the year below you. He’s called Rogan.’

I felt stupid now. He obviously thought I’d get on better with his brother! ‘Oh, I have two sisters and a brother, but India’s at uni now. She’s nineteen. My little brother Ollie is nine or so.’ I told him, my cheeks flushing.

‘What about the other sister?’

‘Sorry?’

‘You said you had two?’

‘Oh yeah, then there’s Is. We’re twins.’ I told him as I heard the front door slam and inwardly sighed.

‘Hey I’m Issie,’ was all she had to say and suddenly he barely seemed to notice me.

His cheeks flushed red as he stuttered: ‘I’m Lys, and I guess you must be the girl next door…’ As per usual Is had him wrapped around her little finger…

We spent the remainder of the summer hanging out with Lys at the cove if it was warm, or at each other’s houses if it was raining. Lys had moved from London along with Rogan who Is got on well with and I found a bit odd. His mum was Cass and she’d just started up the new bookshop in town. Cass is probably my favourite grown-up if you don’t count India – which I don’t, of course – and she always gives me something to read. When we first met Cass she had black hair, but at the moment it’s blue. Her hair tends to change depending on her mood. It’s always long and wavy and she always wears oversized shirts and jeans which gives her a slightly artsy look. Cass bakes the best cookies and paints pictures and she always has time to listen to whatever you have to say. I’m not sure Lys sees it that way...