Cloud Association: Pretty Boy Psycho

The Happy Coffee House

Students in red blazers slope round tables sipping unhappily at sugary drinks. That is until Casey steps into the coffee house. Eyes swirl onto him. He's manoeuvred by eager students over to a table where the popular crowd sits.

"Sorry about what happened to Corey, bro," says Milo as Casey sits in-between him and Frankie, on a comfy low leather sofa.

"We weren't sure you'd make it in today." Frankie slides a steaming mug over to him.

Casey smiles, and gestures at our team to join his table. "It's called an infiltration."

I bounce onto a sofa arm. "Case, brought me some lighter fluid."

"And we lit up Spindle Tower," brags Casey.

"All planned," adds Geordie as he drags a chair over to the table. "Corey was never in any real danger."

"Unless Midnight decided to drill into his skull." Charlie sits himself on a spare stool.

"Surely her drilling is a myth." Lucy's pompoms twitch in her lap.

Geordie pulls back the top of his ear and rests the tip of his nail on the dot of his skull that got pierced. Danny leans himself against a sofa arm. Twirls a katana. The barista gives him a warning glance; he ignores her, keeps his katana out.

Lucy smiles at Casey. "You were part of the infiltration. That's cool. Are you going to go on lots of Cloudy missions in your spare time?"

"No. I'm going to be skateboarding with my free time."

"You best have time for prom night. We have plans remember? You are still up for them despite leading a double life?"

"You know I wouldn't miss sixth form's school's over prom for anything."

"Great. What colours are you going to be wearing? We wouldn't want to clash."

"They're trying to win prom king and queen," explains Milo.

"I predict Casey will go for red and black. They're his best colours." I tap at my knee daydreaming about being able to attend sixth form prom. They have fireworks at the end and someone always holds a huge after party.

"Clash with me all you want, Lucy. I'm not going to prom with you anymore."

"I thought you wanted to win."

"That was at the beginning of school year. Now I'd much prefer to be having fun, dancing and screwing around with Corey rather than winning some dumb competition with you for show. That's if Cores wants to come to prom with me."

I look up from tapping at my knee as mini griffons flutter in my stomach.

Casey leans over Milo and waves a hand in front of my face. "Dude, do you want to come to prom with me?" He invites me loudly so the whole coffee house can hear. A public invite coming from the boy who used to hide me from his friends at parties and ignored me in school corridors. Makes me beam my brightest smile because we've both come a long way since then.

I catch his hand waving in front of my face. We push our palms together. "Sure, I'd love to."

"Woo prom night," says Geordie in his sarcastic voice. "Can we get to business?"

"Do I know you from somewhere?" Lucy talks over Geordie. "Your eyes are familiar."

"Yeah you know him from yesterday." Geordie grabs me round the neck and tries to topple me from the sofa arm. "He was wearing a daft floppy hat. I'm glad it got burnt."

"Meanie! I liked that hat."

"Really? I only saw you wear it once."

"Style show off," says Frankie. "Together they're a monster."