Where Two Collide

Chapter Twenty-Six - Alice

Chapter Twenty-Six

Alice

As I'm packing up my books at the end of the day, I get a message from Owen telling me he's gotten detention and will pick me up from home later. This isn't unusual for Owen, he says his teachers don't like him, but I know he winds them up on purpose. I don't know why he does it. I've never gotten detention yet for him its second nature. He has a short fuse, but you'd think he'd know better than to talk back to the teachers, especially after hitting way over double-digit detentions.

Usually I'd get a lift with Tia, she was heading to Ashton's after school and I didn't want to interrupt their date, so I don't bother texting to see if she's left yet. I run by the art room in search of Cat, but she's not there so I jump on the bus home, alone.

I hated the bus. I've always hated the bus, even before the accident. It's always either too warm or too cold. The seats are scratchy and sticky, and I didn't like putting my head back against the headrests. I got the feeling they weren't cleaned all that often. Nevertheless, needs must, and I slid into a seat near the front, in an attempt to touch as few seats as possible.

When I arrive home, I find my mum in the kitchen sipping on a mug of tea, with Cat sat on one of the bar stools at the breakfast table.

"How did you get home so fast?" I asked, hopping up on a seat beside her.

Cat, who seemed to be somewhat in a daze, gazed up at me as though she hadn't heard me arrive. "I have my ways," she said, and looked back down at her own steaming mug.

"I picked her up a couple of hours ago, she wasn't feeling well," explained mum, and then opened a cupboard and took out another mug. She waggled it at me. "Tea? The kettle just boiled."

"Yes please," I said, then watched as she made my tea and then brought it over. She planted a kiss on my head as she put it down.

"Got any plans tonight?" she asked, going back to her own mug and taking a sip. "Or do you want to watch a movie just the three of us, dads going to be working again tonight."

"Actually, I'm going to the movies with Owen," I said, carefully watching for her reaction. "He passed his driver's test so he's going to pick me up in a bit."

Cat abruptly came back to the land of the living and gave me a look of pure distaste. "And that's a good idea is it? It didn't go so well the last time you got in the car."

Mum tutted at her. "We can't hold past mistakes against people who are trying hard to move past then, Cat."

"It was barely two weeks ago, I think its safe to presume his driving has not improved much in that time," Cat retorted.

"If he wasn't safe to drive, they wouldn't have given him his license," I said, frowning right back at her. It was hard to tell how much of this was Cat's genuine concern, or her general dislike of Owen. They'd never gotten on well, always butting heads when it came to me. It wasn't an ideal situation, but I figured she was never going to think anyone was good enough when it came to her twin. Frankly, I'd probably feel the same way about anyone she dated. Not that she ever seemed inclined to do so.

"Well, I wouldn't get in the car with him," she said and looked out the window as though she had just seen the most interesting thing in the world, when in fact I knew she was just trying to ignore me now she realised she wasn't going to get her way.

I leaned right into her ear and told her, "good thing you don't have to then."

She flinched ever so slightly, it was small, but I noticed it.

"Maybe we should get you two some lessons," said mum, and we both whipped around to gawk at her.

"What do you mean," said Cat before I could get my thoughts out into words.