Chapter Two

The Date

"Sometimes people find things hard to deal with." I heard myself say, "and they can't see any way out it. It just sort of festers and makes everything worse. It's hard to get out of it..." I remembered all the bad stuff that my brother went through...

"I guess so." Said Janey. Seth looked at my strangely a faint smile on his lips. "Is Derren in?"

She asked as we pulled up to our little grey house.

"Nah, he's still in England tying up some loose ends. You remember that Janey?" I replied. I looked at me nodding, I realised what she meant. She didn't want Derren to be overprotective while Seth was around. I could understand that.

"Right I'm going to leave you guys to it. I've got to get ready for my hot date!" I smiled as we got out the car.

"Ooooh! You have a date?" Janey squealed!

"Yeah a guy from my history class asked me out." I smiled, wondering what to wear.

"You've got to tell me everything when you get back!" She squeaked, as I opened the front door and let us in. Dad wasn't back from work yet, the house was nice and quiet. Just the way I liked it.

"You'll have to do the same." I grinned, nodding towards Seth as he looked at some of the family photos I had started hanging on the wall.

"Shhh!" She hissed, panicking looking at him but he hadn't heard. Or if he had he hadn't let on.

"See you in a bit." I smiled, walking up the stairs trying to manoeuvre through the piles of boxes we hadn't got round to organising yet.

I got to my room, my dad had the largest room and me the second. It was awfully kind of him- I had started to get it just the way I like it. All my books were in their rightful place, my make up and beauty products on the dressing table and all my clothes unpacked and in the closet. I smiled to myself, these Americans know how to build a closet! I quickly changed and ran back downstairs to get the meat ready for the BBQ.

I usually get all the food ready but dad said he wanted to do the masculine thing and cook in his house...with a load of meat. Anyway, I started cutting up the chicken and the vegetables ready to make kebabs and smiled listening to Seth and Janey laughing in the garden outside.

I kept my eye on the time and before I knew it. It was time to get showered and ready for Wesley to come collect me! Eeee! I was really excited for this. This was my big chance to get on with someone who's light hearted and relaxed. I need more laughter in my life. There has been so much drama over the last few years I don't know how much more I could take.

After showering I picked out my cutest outfit. It was a white floral summer dress I wore to my cousin's wedding a few months ago. I grabbed a pale pink cardigan to go with it and some white shoes and started on my make up. Just a little should do it. I don't like wearing make up but on special occasions...why not, eh?

I ran downstairs, I hope Wesley arrived before my dad did. I quickly scribbled him a note and put it on the fridge.

There was a knock at the door and I quickly checked myself in the mirror before I opened the door. I looked okay, I wish I had more time to tame my hair before he came. I shouldn't have spent all that time making the food... I sighed, this'll have to do.

I opened the door, trying to give my best smile without too much teeth and beamed when I saw Wesley. He looked like he had made a real effort. He had combed his hair and put a little gel on it and he had changed into some smart black jeans and a blue dress shirt.

"Hey Annie," he grinned, opening his arms like he was going to hug me. He did, I tried hard not to stiffen, he was so relaxed it was nice. It made me relax too. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks" I grinned back at him. "You don't look so bad yourself." I shouted a quick bye to Janey and Seth before I closed the door quickly behind me. We walked down the path and. I saw Wesley's little beat up car a few yards away. I smiled, glad that he was himself and hadn't tried to borrow a better car to impress me. He was genuine. "So where are you taking me?" I asked, as he held my hand walking to his car. It was weird how relaxed I felt with him...It freaked me out a little bit

"There's this little pizza place in town next to the cinema. I thought we could give that a try?" He smiled as we got into his car.

"Sounds good to me" I said, I couldn't think what to say, I looked at Wesley and he was busy driving the car. I tried not duck down as I saw my dad pulling over to let us pass on the road in his landrover. I should of rang him and asked if it was okay to go out. I just didn't want him to say no. "So what was all that about in history?" I asked him,

"Oh...the la push gang stuff" he replied. Glancing over at me.

"The what?" I replied, no idea what he was talking about.

"The la push gang. Seth and Jared are part of the la push gang. Just a group of guys that seem to have an attitude problem. Sam's their leader he doesn't go to school but his girlfriends house isn't that far from yours. They do lots of dangerous stupid things." He said, seeming to talk from experience. "Paul's part of it too."

"Really?" I asked. Not really sure why I was surprised that Paul was in a gang. "What kind of dangerous stuff?...like drugs?"

"Oh no, nothing like that." He replied keeping his eyes on the road. "just cliff diving and getting in fights with one another, all sorts. My dad told me to stay well clear of them."

"Oh right." I replied, not really knowing what to say. If Seth was part of this gang what had I set my sister up for? "What about Seth?" I asked him,

He seemed to consider this for a moment. "Seth's an okay guy. We used to be really close but a couple of months ago he was off sick for a few weeks from school and when he came back he was all muscled and moody. The complete opposite of what he was before. He was always so relaxed before."

"A bit like you?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood. He was clearly still upset with Seth. Seth didn't really seem that moody when he was around Janey...maybe he's changed? I thought it was best not to dwell too much on it. My dad was probably home by now he'd take no nonsense from anyone with his little girl. "I'm really glad you asked me out tonight."

"I am too." He grinned, "we're nearly there."

As he parked up the car he got out the car and ran round to let me out of the car. I smiled. What a gentleman.

Wesley took my hand again and took me to the pizza restaurant. When we stood in front of it I realised it wasn't really a restaurant but more of a take away place where you can buy a slice of greasy pizza. Never mind, I told myself. Trying not to be too disappointed. This was only a high school date, I shouldn't expect candlelit dinner movie stuff. He bought me a slice of pizza and we sat down on some plastic chairs with some napkins eating it in silence. I was so worried about getting grease on my dress I hardly ate any of my pizza.

"Are you finished with that?" Wesley asked, pointing at my pizza. "Oh yeah, thanks, I'm full. It was delicious though." I didn't want to seem rude. He didn't seem to mind at all. In fact he took it off me and finished it with two bites. I hope they save me some food from the BBQ.

"Are you ready?" He asked, his mouth full of the last bit of pizza. I nodded and he grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door. He chatted away happily as we walked up to the cinema stall. He hadn't seem to notice the group of girl whispering and giggling at us waiting to go into the movie theatre. I hope they weren't going to the same movie as us. I realised that maybe being so laid back isn't the best thing in the world.

"Can we have two tickets for the shining please?" He said, grinning at the young guy behind the counter.

"That'll be $16 then please." He replied.

"And some hot buttered popcorn too". Said Wesley winking at me. I smiled back, wondering if he was going to ask me if I wanted anything. He hadn't even asked me what movie I wanted to see...hmm...this date wasn't going well...And I really needed it to.

"Okay so that's $22.50 then please." Wesley nodded and looked at me. "$22.50" the boy repeated again. I widened my eyes. Oh god he meant me, mortified I searched my pockets and found my emergency $20. I can't believe I hadn't offered to pay. How horrible am I!

"I'm sorry all I have is $20." I blushed, so embarrassed. The clerk looked at me and frowned. I honestly hadn't thought to bring any more. It didn't even cross my mind. He moved to grab the popcorn away, but Wesley stopped him.

"I've got the $2.50 don't worry." He smiled, I sighed relieved and the watched as Wesley took the tickets and popcorn off the movie clerk. "Don't worry you can pay me back tomorrow". He said to me as we made our way to the movie theatre. I looked at him and thought he was joking. But he wasn't.

I hadn't been on any dates before but I thought the guy paid, even if not people split it down the middle. Wesley had paid for the $3 pizza and I had paid for the $20 cinema tickets and popcorn and came out owing him money?...how did that work out? I felt myself flushing with anger but I swallowed it down. It doesn't matter I told myself. Who cares about a bit of popcorn and some cinema tickets? I decided not to mention it again. Maybe he was joking about the $2.50 after /br /I followed Wesley into the cinema and he led us up to the near the back row where we had to disturb a two teenagers heavily kissing to get passed. The didn't look too happy.

"So have you seen this film before?" He asked me, I thought that was a strange question to ask. We were at the movies...they were all new films.

"No," I replied, "have you?"

"Yeah about fifty times." He grinned, tossing some popcorn into his mouth and missing. A bunch of it falling on the floor. "I have it on DVD." I looked at him, was he kidding.

"Really? How come you want to see it at the cinema?" I asked, wondering what we were doing here.

"It's always better at the cinema." He chomped. Shovelling some more popcorn into his mouth, a large drip of butter fell onto his blue shirt. That'll definitely stain. He didn't even seem to notice, maybe I should point it out to him... "You know I told you about you living in the old Saunders house?" I nodded, completely forgetting until now about what he said in history class. "Well this film is based on old man Saunders!" He grinned.

I looked at him, he had lost it. "What's this film about exactly?" I asked, trying to think of Japanese Thai chi gardens and mediation pools to keep me calm.

"You'll have to wait and see." He grinned. Shovelling more and more popcorn into his mouth...I took a deep breath as the movie began to start...

Well that was awful, I thought to myself. A man who goes mad and kills himself and his wife and child. If that is a joke it's not a very funny one. Jesus, I was left feeling a little traumatised after that. All the way home I had to listen to Wesley chat about the details of each killing and what part he loved the most.

"What part did you like the most?" He asked me as we pulled up to my house. Thank god.

"The end." I replied looking at my front door. How to end this...

He laughed out loud, like I had said the funniest thing on the planet. He must of been winding me up. I wonder if he was going to ask me out again...should I say yes? Jesus that was so awful though.

"That was lots of fun." He said his grin fading off his face as he leant towards me. His fave was inches from mine and I could smell a mix of pepperoni pizza and butter popcorn on his breath...not great. I was trying to think of an excuse to leave but before I knew it his lips were on mine and I was pushed against the passenger door of the front seat. His lips were so hard against mine, it didn't feel good at all. It felt almost painful. His hands were grabbing at my arms and shoulders. It felt almost violating. Suddenly I felt his tongue in my mouth and I had had enough... I grasped at the handle in the front seat of the car and quickly pulled it. I just managed to catch myself before I hit the floor.

"Thanks for a lovely time." I said quickly before I could stop myself. And I shut the car door on him before he could say anything else and ran up the path not looking back. I quickly unlocked the door and pulled myself through it relaxing as my back hit the door. I sighed, keeping my eyes closed. My first kiss...awful. My first date...awful. Couldn't ask for a worse time than that. I am going to scrub myself raw before I go to bed tonight.

"What time do you call this Ellie!" Said a stern voice. I opened my eyes, there was my father looking thunderous and behind him was no other than Paul Lahote...