The New Boy [boyxboy]

Chapter Eleven

'Dude,' Andie said boredly. 'That's hilarious and everything, but give it a rest, we're not fourteen.'

                'I'm not kidding around,' I said, looking at her.

                She looked sceptical for a moment but then must have decided I was telling the truth, because she rolled her eyes and said, 'Well what's the problem then?' and all I could do was shrug because even though I can operate a car in the most basic sense, I have no idea how do anything more complicated than change a tyre.

                'I'll take a look,' Paulie offered, undoing his seat belt. 'Pop the bonnet.' I did as he said and got out as well to shine the light of my phone on the engine while he checked, I don't know, the oil and stuff I guess.

                'Guys...' Dexter's voice called from inside the car, and we turned to look; he had clambered from the back seat into the driver's seat and seemed to have located the problem. 'I think I know what's wrong.' He tapped on the dashboard. 'No fuel.'

                Even from the gloom outside the car I see Andie roll her eyes expressively again. 'Well done,' she called to me, as I willed the ground to swallow me up. I guess with all the commotion of the day, not to mention the week in general, I had forgotten fill my car up like I do every Thursday. It was surprising we'd made it as far as we did.

                'Now what?' Andie asked, getting out of the car also, and Dex and Teegan followed suit. 'Anybody know where the nearest filling station is?'

                Teegan piped up, 'We're in the middle of nowhere, it has to be miles away. And anyway I don't remember passing one on the way here.'

                'We'll have to call someone,' I suggested.

                'With what, genius?' Andie demanded. 'School took our phones, remember?'

                'There was a road service phone a few miles back,' Dexter said, coming to my rescue. 'Why don't you guys stay here and I'll go call someone to come get us?'

                'You can't go by yourself,' I interjected, 'I'll come with you.'

                'Well in that case I'm coming too,' Andie said, 'I don't want to be left alone here with those two,' she jerked her thumb at the happy couple.

                Dexter paused. 'Well in that case you two should go,' he said to Andie and me, then glowered in Paulie's direction even though they had been getting on okay all evening. 'Just in case,' he said ominously. I didn't think Paulie was the type to try and rape anybody – he always seemed like a good guy to me, and never gave me any hassle about the gay thing like a lot of the other jocks did – but there was no point in saying that to a protective brother.

                'No way,' Teegan objected, 'I am not hanging out with my date and my brother all night. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.' All of us – even Paulie – looked at her doubtfully; Teegan was tough, but she had to weigh less than the wind. She sighed, rolling her eyes. 'Fine. But I am not having some testosterone-filled over-protective boy ruining my night. Andie, you stay.'

                Andie looked like she was about to strenuously object, but Teegan linked arms with her and all three of them got back into the car, Andie with a face like thunder, while Dex and I tried not to laugh and resolutely made our way down the road.

                'Sorry about this,' I muttered. 'I'm useless sometimes.'

                'Are you kidding? For three days after Olivia and I broke up I forgot to put on underwear. This is nothing.'