POPULAR'S PAST – 6 YEARS AGO
Hiya, chuckyeggs! Here's part 3. This one concentrates mostly on Harrison and Brooke. I (unfortunately) do not own anyone from popular, or make any money from this fic (because the glass is half empty)
Harrison was sort of half tired, half excited. He was going home after three months of golf camp. Some of it had been good, he'd made a couple of new friends. But he couldn't get over who he'd seen there……
He'd been talking to a girl called Lilly from school about putting tactics and animal rights when he saw a figure over her shoulder.
"Of course I don't really want custody of him!", his father was saying in his load voice, to a bloke who must have been his lawyer or something, "I just wanna get back at Robin!"
His dad strode over to him, grabbed him by the collar and yelled, "Listen to me you little brat, you're not happy at Robin's, OK?" And he carried on like this till one of the camp leaders dragged him of.
Harrison had been so scared, really scared, but now he was safe with his mom and they were going home.
He just glanced up at the rear view mirror and then wished hadn't. He was a short, spotty, skinny, big nosed, big eared freak. He
Sighed. No girl would ever like him, he thought. But at least he would see Brooke soon. He hoped she was OK. If she'd stopped eating again he'd never forgive himself for leaving her alone. But she seamed pretty much back to normal now.
"So, anyway, like my moped?", Gavin asked Brooke.
"I love it!", she replied flirtily.
She hadn't really been listening as he explained all about where he'd got it, what year it was, blah, blah, BLAH. All she could think about was how cute he was. She'd had a crush on him for years, and just couldn't believe he'd asked her out! She was willing to sit through hours of bike talk for him! But she kept having to watch herself, checking she didn't sound stupid or geeky.
"Wanna go for a ride on it?", he asked.
"Errr… OK!", she said. Her dad would kill her if he found out, but he wasn't going to was he?
"Mom, drive past Brookes, I wanna say hi to her!" Harrison asked his mom.
As they turned into the street he couldn't believe it! There was Brooke looking so different! She was so much taller for a start, and her face had thinned out so she didn't look so much like a little girlie-girl. But who was that with her?
Not for the first time he started to feel jealous. Brooke was his best friend, and he liked that but sometimes he wanted more. He'd had a crush on her for years now. But he knew she'd never feel the same about him, so he learned not to bother thinking about it. She was his best friend in the whole world anyway, so he was happy with that.
She was getting on a moped with some jock. As they went past he leaned out the window and waved at her. He saw her turn around and look, but she just looked through him.
She had seen him, Harrison knew she had. Why was she ignoring him? But it figures, he thought to himself, she's ignoring you because she's with a jock and; let's face it you're a TOTAL loser.
He felt crushed. How could she do that? He'd always been there for her, always! Great, now my best friend acts like I don't exist. What was he gonna do without her????
The next day was the first day of term and Sam was sitting with Lilly. She didn't think she was quite so weird now. She was OK, and Sam could put up with her because Carmen was good friends with her.
"So how was camp?" She asked.
"Awful, my mom made me go to the GOLF one instead of the animal rights one. I hate golf!"
"Bad luck." Sam said.
"Hey, there's that boy I was talking to", Lilly said pointing to Harrison who was sitting on his own.
They called him over.
"Hey, where's the other half?" Sam asked.
"Don't know, don't care", he said bitterly.
"OK," said Lilly, "Sit with us if you want."
She didn't believe in nosiness. She also wanted someone else around 'cos she still felt awkward around Sam. Even if they'd known each other two years she felt that the other girl didn't like her. She wasn't sure why, she liked Sam. Not that she cared what people thought of her.
"Ohhhhhhhhh," groaned Sam, "I'm ready for another holiday!"
Brooke wasn't surprised that Harrison hadn't called for her that morning. She didn't care, another girl had. The girl had also asked her if she wanted to join the cheerleading squad. What the heck, Brooke had thought and she was going to try out tomorrow. She was dead nervous.
She did feel a bit bad about the way she'd treated Harrison, but not much. She'd made new friends while he was away, and he'd turned out to be a total geek. What would Gavin have said if she'd actually spoke to him?
But she'd miss having someone to confide in, someone who'd always listen. But all friends were like that. Weren't they?
Harrison had gone around with Sam, Lilly and Carmen at dinner. He liked them, they were fun, but he still wanted to make it up with Brooke, so when he saw her in the corridor he went up to her.
She was with a group of friends, mostly cheerleaders and jocks.
"Hi, Brooke, can I have a word?" he said. Please don't blank me, Brooke; I couldn't stand it, he thought.
"Get lost, freak!" a tall blond girl said and all the others tittered.
"Hey, Brookey, d'you know dumbo over here?" a lad in football kit asked.
Brooke looked at Harrison for what felt to him like years.
"No, I've never even seen him before." She said without any emotion whatsoever.
She turned away from him.