The Twelve

Chapter Two

“D’you wanna sit in the front?” A very American voice asked from behind me.

“Nate? Oh my God! I thought we’d meet you there!” Margo screamed in delight and covered her newest boyfriend in kisses.

 I already knew all about him, I also knew he would be temporary. “He’s nice for a bit. He’s already getting boring….” Margo had said. He seemed nice. Not my type and the fact that he was already sitting in my car without having had said he was had dampened my enthusiasm.

I shrugged it off and decided not to say anything.

“Demi? You’re just gonna be stuck with me in the back now I guess.” I laughed and slid in next to my quiet friend.

 “You ok, D?” I asked when she didn’t reply.

“Yep, just fine, honey.” She drawled and winked.

I laughed (quietly) and squeezed her arm.

“ So where are we headin’ then?” Nate had his arm on the back of the driver’s seat and turned to face us.

 “Um, good question…I have no idea. Sorry, sweetie.” I said in a fake accent.

Demi sniggered, holding her hand in front of her mouth.

 “Are you making fun of me?” Nate frowned.

“Why, no…of course not, sweetie.” I drawled again.

He frowned and turned to Demi who had calmed down again.

“Um,…to our usual place I guess.”

She lifted her shoulders as if to say “what do I care?”

“I’m guessin’ James is gonna meet us there then…?”

“No, he- we broke up. But Duncan might come, he’s there with his friends.” Nate frowned once again, then shrugged and turned to Margo again she swerved nearly hitting the lamppost on the side of the road.

“Oh. My. God. Sorry, sorry!” She called back and giggled as Nate whispered something into her ear.

Demi rolled her eyes at me.

 “Who’s Duncan?” I asked her.

“He grew up with us, he’s adopted too? Remember him? He lives in our street? Wasn’t very amazing until he hit 16?”

I must’ve looked completely blank because she gave up.

“He’s friends with our parents, well his parents are anyway.” Demi smiled mischievously.

“Is he…you know?” I asked unsure.

“You mean hot?” Demi laughed, “Those London twats must be really stuck up if they don’t even say ‘hot’”.

She laughed as I gave her an apologetic look. “So?”

“Yeah, well he’s…ok. Normal, compared to…ok he’s quite fit. He’s more like …just ok with our gang.” Margo said, sniggering when she saw Nate’s face. “Not as good as you of course!” She looked at him and blew him a kiss. Nate kissed her on the cheek and a comfortable silence settled over us.

Only Demi’s phone buzzed every two minutes. When this had gone on for about 10 minutes I finally asked, whom it was. “ No one really special, it’s only Duncan, his mates are annoying him…” Demi answered vaguely and smiled when her phone beeped again. I looked at her, then at her phone and then snatched it from her.

“Hey! My phone! That’s private!” Demi cried out, startled that I’d do anything like that.

“Sorry, but I just can’t have you not telling me something.” I said matter-of-factly. And started to look at her last few texts.

“ How ‘bout you we get the gang together?  Tell her what’s goin’ on. What she’s missin’ and stuff…?” from D. Just as I wanted to read the reply, a new one came in. From: Duncan again. “Has she changed? Or do you still think she’s a caterpillar? XoXo Val” Just then Demi managed to snatch the phone back and put it in her pocket without even bothering to look at it.

“We’re there! Yay, it’s not a huge line!” Margo exclaimed delightedly. She parked badly.

“We’ve only jut survived…” I muttered under my breath and Demi laughed quietly. I looked at her a minute and she stared back. I saw a glint of violet light up her eyes. Except, you couldn’t have violet eyes …right? I blinked and then, suddenly, I was surrounded by Margo and her never-ending chatter. She was a head smaller than me and still she managed to fill up the room.