The Dating Club

Anger Introductions and Awkward Phone Calls

Chapter 19: Anger, Introductions and Awkward Phone Calls

I enter school the next day feeling confident and refreshed, as though everything that happened the night before was merely a bad dream.

I turn a blind eye to the whispers and pointed fingers directed my way as I stroll down the corridor, but it's when I reach the end of the hallway that my cool outer layer breaks a little.

"Jess-" stammers Luke. I hold a hand up and pull a brave smile on. "Save it Luke," I say, and I see his face frown in disappointment. I look at him for a while longer, until I become aware that we are not alone.

"Come on Luke," says Parma, brushing up beside me. I step sideways, allowing her to walk past. Luke stands in his previous position, oblivious to Parma.

"Can you meet me somewhere? Can we talk about this? I don't know why I said those things at the start of the week, why I didn't try to stop what happened last night -"

"But you did say them, and no, you didn't do anything," I sigh, shaking my head. "And now I wonder if there's any point in explaining what is really going on. Maybe I've had you wrong all along. Maybe you and Parma will make the perfect couple - in fact, I can see it now! Prom king and queen."

"We won't, because... I just know, ok?" He says, agony clear in his eyes.

I wait for him to say it. But he doesn't. Like I know he wouldn't. Because why would he ever, ever say someone like me?

"I'm sorry -"

"Come on Luke! We have to go to class now!" Hisses Parma, glaring at me in fury. Her face glows red and her hands clench into fists at the sides of her cheer leading uniform, her bouncing red curls violently quivering at the sides of her face. Luke closes his mouth abruptly and obediently follows Parma to class, and I pull my brave face on again and walk to my own class.

"Jess! Psst!"

I ignore him, pulling my text book closer to me.

"Jessica! You had better turn around right now or I'm telling Matty that you have pictures of him stuck in your locker!"

"You wouldn't!" I shriek, spinning around in my chair to stare at Nathan, sat grinning triumphantly at me.

"Oh yes I would..." He says, tucking a doodle of something neatly into his day book.

Checking that the teacher is still out of the room I quickly snatch the drawing away and I inspect it. "Hey!" Mutters Nathan, grabbing for the picture, but it is too late and I have already seen what it is.

My face heats up as I let him have it back, and I try and look disinterested but it's too late.

"It's bad, I know. You're a lot shorter, and your hair is kind of more wavy, but I'm not very good..."

"It's amazing Nathan," I say quickly, before turning back around to my text book. I don't know why I feel so... Embarrassed, but I can't help the sudden wave of nausea washing over me. It's like I should feel flattered or even creeped out but all I feel is... Sympathetic of Nathan.

"Nathan... About what I did last night..."

"I get it; you were drunk and emotional and it didn't mean anything. You don't need to explain yourself to me."

I bite my lip and look at the floor, the nausea building. "I am so sorry Nathan -"

"It's ok."

We are silent, and then Nathan says meekly, "hey, Jess... Do you have a date this weekend?"