"Nice one! She's blonde too! Alrigh' Blondie?"
I locate the direction of the voice and a cocky face grins back at me. He isn't one for looks, but I can tell he's definitely the type to get the ladies throwing themselves at his feet. I grin at him. He grins back. Looks like I'm going to have a bit of fun this holiday huh?
To the rest of the group I attempt my best grimace, whilst a few 'hey's are muttered my way under their breaths before everybody gets back to what they were doing.
I scan the coach quickly, testing my luck as to there maybe being a space available. No such luck –don't know why I bother to be honest. I attempt to sit next to the boy who seemed so 'interested' in me, but as I sit down he puts his leg up on the seat
" You're fit blondie yeah, but don't you see all the femmes are sitting over there"
He pointed further down the aisle. I gave him my best scowl. Nobody messes me over like that.
"If you weren't so stuck up your own ass, you'd take me sitting next to you as a compliment. Looks like you've just missed out on luck babe. And please, I have a name, its Naomi". I said.
All his mates guffawed loudly whilst he stared back at me in shock. He quickly regained his composure and cracked into a wide grin.
"Yesssss blondie, you and me will have a lotttt of fun this weekend yeah? I'm cook. Don't forget it." He winked. I rolled my eyes and set off down the aisle.
Oh shit –now what? The girls seemed to notice me approach and eyed me warily. Great, now I'm going to have to dampen someone's mood by invading there private space.
I looked at each face quickly, looking for who'd be the least likely to be pissed off.
I felt the stare before I caught it.
Now I'm not one for clichés because they should be classified as sinning, they are so unoriginal, but I swear to God that I shivered under her watch. My feet moved before my brain processed what was happening and when it had, I had already plopped myself down beside her. I smiled at her shyly (I know, I didn't think that existed in my vocab) but all she did was continue to stare me, albeit slightly in shock now.
I looked away, okay now it was starting to freak me out a little, I should've chosen another seat…..
She seemed to come back to reality, and gave me her own little smile in return.
"Hi. I'm Emily." She said. Her voice completely took me by surprise, I nearly dropped my bag in shock. SHE said that? Her vocie was husky, like she'd just woken up or something. Something I would have never expected from such a small girl, but for some reason, it suited her perfectly.
"Hey. Naomi." I replied, looking at her.
She smirked "I know".
"Oh".
Oh yeah, I've just had an intro haven't I? I mentally slap myself.
"So what brought you here to join us then? It's been a while since we've had new people; it's normally the same lot over again." She asked.
"Erm I just wanted a change of scene for a bit you know? Change of environment for a while, it gets a bit suffocating sometimes"
"Yeah I can totally understand that…."
I figured she might. I know how to spin a good story -LIKE I'm going to tell her the truth that I decided to not be a loner anymore. Keep dreaming.
We smiled goofily at one another for a tad too long before she seemed to snap out of it. God I don't have the slightest clue what's wrong with me. I think it's being alone so much –I've lost my ability to socialise like a human being…I panick sightly before she brings me out of my self contained battle.
"I see you've met cook already then" she asked, glancing over to where he was laughing manically.
"Yeah…tosser" I seethe. She laughed again; I quite like the sound…wait WHAT?
"I wouldn't take it to heart; he feels the need to try and seduce everything that happens to posses a decent pair of tits. He's alright really, you just gotta get used to him." I eye her sceptically, I will rest judgement as to whether I will consider "cook" as worthy of my attention again.
She continued to introduce me to the rest of the youth club members: Freddie, a tall indie looking boy and JJ, a jittery tousled haired boy that sat with cook. Apparently the three were best friends. Beats me how that even managed to happen but you know, each to their own…
There was Thomas, a dark skinned boy who sat next to a slightly childishly dressed girl, I think her name's Panda, but I'll ask Emily about that later, I don't think I heard her right.
She then pointed to two other girls. I looked at them, passed over, then backtracked. Emily? How had she flown to sit over there? I rationalised with myself, Emily was sitting right next to me. It was, it turned out, Emily's twin sister Katie who was conversing with a beautiful girl who looked so bored she seemed she was on another planet. As I stared, I think she sensed it because she turned to smirk at me, winking knowingly before turning her non-attention back to Katie.
Emily finished her introduction with a flourish and wide grin before sitting back in her chair and turning to look at me expectantly. She paused, as if contemplating the next thing she wanted to say. A nervous moment on my part passed before she spoke.
"So, tell me about yourself" She said quietly.
I have only just met her; I don't even know her last name. And telling people about me is not something I enjoy doing. But I feel like it isn't important, she's that type of person I can connect with, leaving all my inhibitions at the coach door.
I take a deep breath as the engine roars into life.
Christ this is going to be a long journey.