Not Very Stereotypical.

Chapter Thirty Four

As the next few weeks past, the season's changed and so did Gracie's coffee order. In the morning the ground was crisp with dew and the crunchy leaves scattered the garden as the sun rose. The pool was covered and so were my legs, the time to bring out woollen cardigans and basic black jeans were back- I was no able to wear my wardrobe again. Although the higher than usual temperatures did still catch me out on some occasions I was definitely adjusting to the odd heat at this time of year and it was nice.

Morning routines didn't change along with the trees, it was still school. I awoke to the sound of the gentle hum of the shower, getting up and dressed without hesitation as the longer you contemplate the thought of coldness, the quicker it attacks. Pulling on my oversized beige hoodie, I layered a jacket on top in hopes it will keep me warm. Singing to myself as I skipped down the stairs, I met with Timmy who had a huge pumpkin sitting next to him on the table.

"What is that?" I asked, grabbing my water bottle from the fridge.

Turning to look at me suspiciously, Dad swallowed his bite of toast and replied, "It is a pumpkin."

Rolling my eyes, I pushed the fridge closed and moved to the cupboard to grab the lunch I made. "Well obviously I'm aware it's a pumpkin I'm just wondering why the hell it is in the kitchen."

"I'm sick." Timmy said, with a groggy voice and a sad pout. Still not knowing what this had to do with the pumpkin, I turned to dad.

"He can't go in to school when he's got a cold so I called Nia and she's going to come round and do some more Halloween decorating with him." He smiled.

"Okay." I said finally reaching the point of my question. "As long as I don't find any plastic spiders in my bed when I'm back I'll be happy to see the place spiced up a bit." I pointed at Timmy with a serious look on my face as his pout turned into a smile.

"You said nothing about real spiders." He said, struggling to get the cheeky words out through his raspy throat.

Deciding not to start an argument with anyone about Halloween decorations, I say my goodbyes and pick up my bag from off the floor. "Who's picking you up today?" Dad asks, sipping at his coffee.

"Milly and Leighton." I said, stuffing my phone in my back pocket. "Noah has early lacrosse practice again." Looking at Dad he smiled proudly.

"I do like that boy. He should come round again." Noah and I weren't official but after having date nights every week and hanging out during study periods, it was going to occur that he'd meet my dad. Thinking of the time where Noah got so involved in a discussion at the family dinner where he found himself slightly falling into a British accent.

"I'm sure he will, it's just peak season at the minute and he's just always practicing." I said, slightly whining to myself.

"Yet he always seems to make time for you." Dad says, smirking over the cup he was hoping in his hands. I couldn't help but blush. It was true no matter how tired Noah was from suicide runs at practice or weekend away games or even school work in itself, he did always make that little bit of time for me.

Finally deciding it was time to leave, I said my goodbyes again and headed to the door before the girls starting honking at me and woke the entire street. I ran to the edge of the path as I saw the white jeep drift down the road, in hopes to beat them as my childish side definitely came out.

"Hey!" Leighton shouted over the music as I jumped in the back seat of the huge car. Saying our brief good mornings, Milly pulled back onto the road and made our way to the drive through for breakfast.

"Okay so Bethan. Let's talk about hoco." Milly said as she took a huge bite out of her bagel as we parked in the school car park.

"What in the hell is a 'hoco'?" I said, burning my tongue on hot chocolate as the confusion fluttered over my face. With sighs of frustration from Leighton, Milly continued her explanation.

"Okay I get that you're new and all but surely you know what homecoming is?" Knowing the word simply from American twitter posts I shake my head and let them continue. "Homecoming is a tradition of welcoming back former students and teaching alum." I nodded.

"And what do we do at this tradition?" I asked, swallowing a mini hash brown as she spoke.

"It's different at every school." Leighton piped up after wiping her fingers and rolling up her rubbish. "But here we do an assembly in the morning where we just kind of listen to how much the school means to the faculty and all that fun stuff and then..." she pauses for dramatic effect "there's a lacrosse game."

Feeling my brows crease as I was expecting something more I clearly wasn't so impressed. "A lacrosse game? There's one like every week anyway, what's the point in making this one special?"

"Because Miss Britain," Leighton starts rather annoyed, clearly not appreciating my lack of excitement for the occasion. "Our school isn't as big on football as other schools so usually it's a football game followed by a dance but we have a lacrosse game and dance. Got it?"

"Got it." I replied quickly, scared if I ask anymore questions Leighton may rip my head of with school spirit. "So this dance after, is it just like a prom?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes." Milly jumped in before Leighton could and I was thankful. "We get to dress up and have a good time." I nodded. "We do also have a prom at the end of each year too, but that's just a party."

"You have two dances every year?" I exclaimed, "We had one prom at the end of year 11 and that was it. I can't tell whether you've got it better or worse."

The girls giggled, tucking their rubbish back into the paper bag it came in and checked their phone for the times. We all jumped out of the car together and made our way into the school.

"You're going to see a lot of weird stuff this week Bethan." Leighton warned me, quirking her eyebrow as we walked through the corridor towards her locker.

"What do you mean?" I asked as she closed her locker door and pushed a book deep into her bag. Turning towards me secretly and whispering in my ear she replied quickly, not enough for me to make out an actual word.

"But if anybody asks. You know nothing!" Nodding my head I decided to go along with it, walking to class with them both as any other day would go.