So here's another chapter. I realeaisd I haven't updated recently.
Hope you all had a nice weekend and this might make those Monday's a little easier!
LostLyra
The boy in question stood outside the cinema, bouncing on his heels, impatiently. He was never one for being on time, but he hated others being late – well later than he was anyway. Pulling his hood up against the cold he walked towards the entrance, and was stopped as two arms looped around his neck.
"You're not thinking of going in without us are you?" Maria Jackson grinned at him, tongue poking through her teeth.
"Well since you're so tardy I just might have to," he was cut off with a friendly shove from the girl, who unlatched her arms from around his neck as Luke came into view.
"Hang on I just want to try this," she moved her hand in a certain motion, and started to repeat. "Up, down, up, down," she turned to Luke. "It's not working!"
Clyde crossed his arms over his chest. "Hey! I thought that we agreed never to mention that again!"
"You agreed," Luke reminded.
"So are we going to see this film or not?" Maria looped an arm through Luke's and grinned at Clyde, who slung a friendly arm around her shoulders.
"We game?" Clyde asked, as he broke away from the pair and did a swagger on the pavement.
Maria laughed. Whilst Luke looked at them both once again confused. "Game?"
Clyde gave Maria the look, and sighed, patting his friends shoulder. "No worries mate, you can just stay confused."
"Yo Clyde!" the three turned to see one of Clyde's other friends, Rick, with a arm around his drop dead gorgeous girlfriend. "Sup man?" the two pumped fists. "Luke," he greeted the other boy friendly, whilst Maria was trying to remember where she had seen his girlfriend before. Then it clicked.
"Oh My God! Saz!" she let out a squeak and the two good friends hugged each other. "You've changed so much!"
"So have you! I didn't know you were coming back from America! You never told me on MSN!"
"Neither of them knew either," she jerked a thumb towards Luke and Clyde.
"So was it a surprise?" Saz waggled her eyebrows and Maria blushed.
"Shh!" she decided to change the subject, and not let out where she was staying for the next few weeks.
"What are you guys seeing?" her friend asked as the small group walked into the cinema.
"District 9, you?"
"New Moon," Clyde gave Saz's boyfriend an incredulous look.
"New Moon?"
"Hey! I can score Brownie points!"
"So you're saying that you like New Moon?" Luke asked, slightly confused.
The taller, good-looking boy scowled playfully at him. He and Clyde were a lot alike, even though they acted tough and cool on the outside they were like small newborn puppies on the inside – you only had to dig deeper enough.
"Clyde's just jealous because he hasn't got a girlfriend!" Maria poked her tongue out at the dark skinned boy playfully.
"Hasn't he got Rani?" Luke asked, generally intrigued. Clyde's dark cheeks struggled to hide the flush of red that quickly appeared.
"Luke!" he complained.
"What's this? My man has a girl?" Rick played along, loving to tease him. The early school drop out had built up a healthy life with mechanics, and now built and sold his own cars, so he felt like he had a reason to tease his friend.
"Oohh, is this Rani?" Saz asked interestedly, as they stood in the queue for their tickets. "The head's daughter?"
"You never told me that her Dad was the head!" Maria looked at both Luke and Clyde.
"It never came up," Luke replied truthfully.
"Nice one mate!" Rick laughed, and slapped Clyde on the back. After paying for their tickets the two groups separated. Settling down for their particular film Clyde leaned over and whispered something between the two of them.
"It's okay Maria, I mean if you get scared Luke can always hold your hand," he yelped as he was hit reasonably hard on the shoulder by the embarrassed girl.
As the adverts started Luke leaned over and murmured into Clyde's ear. "What if I wanted to hold her hand?" Clyde decided that there was no comment needed.
"Those special effects were amazing!" the other two agreed as they came out of the cinema and into the cold night air.
"The aliens weren't as good as the ones we've fought though," Clyde smirked back at Luke's comment, and his reply was interrupted by his phone going off. Flicking his mobile open he read the text.
"Mum wants me to pick up some fish and chips, you want some Clyde?"
"I don't mind, if S.J will have me," he grinned at him.
"Y'know if you keep calling Sarah-Jane S.J she will kill you," Maria gave him a knowing grin.
"I think we'll skip the bus – it only cuts it down by ten mins. The chippy's half way back anyway,"
"Yeah that sounds good," Maria turned to her other close friend. "You okay with that Luke?"
The boy nodded, and the three started to head off down the road. It didn't take them very long to reach the chip shop, even though they had watched just under five of their busses pass them in the last half hour, they enjoyed just spending time with each other.
"Did you say that you've made some new friends?" Luke asked as they came into view of the warm, slightly metallic traditional lights of the chippy. Cold bit at their bones and the trio hurried to get inside, stamping their feet to get warm. Luke suddenly froze, and stood closer to Maria.
Clyde gasped comically, putting his hands over his mouth. "Maria! Friends?"
"Clyde!" she whacked him grinning. "Yes in fact – Michele's brilliant," she noticed Luke's change in posture. "Luke?"
"Just don't bring attention to me," he replied, trying – and failing – to be inconspicuous.
"Man! We should totally do that!" there was a loud boisterous voice. "He would shit himself!" Maria watched as the group of four paid for their meal.
"Mark. The look on his face," the other boy dressed in black grinned.
"Specially when you got Rani this afternoon!" they shared a laugh between all four. Clyde forgot how to breathe, and clenched his fist.
"Hey can I take your order?" the guy at the till asked.
"The usual, plus fish," Luke, replied automatically, breathing a sigh of relief as the others left the store.
"Right," it took under five minutes to get out and pay for their supper. They started to walk home, the two boys in a brooding silence.
"What was all of that about?" Maria asked – slightly worried about both boys demeanour.
"Problems at school," Luke replied.
"Man you can tell Maria!" Clyde urged as they entered Bannerman Road.
"Right," the boy practically glowered at him. "Perhaps I don't," he started to power walk down the road. The two friends ran to catch up with him.
"Luke please," Maria put a soft hand on his arm. His hard expression softened.
"I'll tell you when I feel ready," she gave him a look which was similar to his mothers I-know-you're-doing-something-you're-not-telling-me look. "Promise,"
Maria rolled her eyes, and pushed him friendly, and Clyde came up to join them. "Hey why does Maria get away with it?"
"Because I am who I am," Maria grinned back at him. "Face it Clyde just because you can't face somebody being more popular than you,"
"Hey!" they made it to the front door. "I am popular!" Luke gave Maria the key and they pushed open the door.
"Yeah 'cause the girls in America would be all over you,"
"They totally would!"
"Was the film good?" Luke grinned as he saw his mother poke her head out from the hallway, and stopped his friends from bickering.
"Yeah," from the look he got Clyde kicked his shoes off, and they landed perfectly next to each other, Maria seemed to look reasonably impressed. "You can only do that once!" Clyde proclaimed, proudly puffing out his chest and grinning.
"You practised that for a while," Luke pointed out, following his mum into the kitchen, with the chips. "Whilst I was doing my homework – you only got a C on that economics homework that you were doing,"
Clyde shrugged. "But that's not what I want to do is it?"
"What do you actually want to do?" Maria asked, with a playful smile.
"Well we've got the band, and I have my art – if I just pass my A levels I'm cool with that,"
"You guys have a band?" she asked as they sat down.
"You still haven't thought of a name for it," Sarah-Jane laughed, settling down next to her son.
"We've got to get the songs perfect first – I thought that Clyde was going to do the album cover, but he hasn't got round to it yet,"
"I didn't think that you were that serious," Sarah smiled.
"Yeah, we're doing something for a charity gig at school, but that's not till Christmas-"
Clyde swallowed his food. "We are not doin' Christmas songs, I don't care what time of year it is,"
"I didn't say we were," Luke looked at him confused.
"Who does what? I didn't know you played," Maria added, interested, licking salt from her fingers – making Luke momentarily distracted – he shook himself out of his momentary lapse.
"Clyde's drums, Roy's base-"
"And Luke's lead – guitar and singer," Clyde cut him off, knowing that he would be far too modest about his talents.
"I didn't know that you sing,"
"Well apparently I do,"
"And he's good at it," Sarah replied, proud of her sons achievements.
Luke smiled; it was good to feel like he was in a proper family again.
So any good? Not to cliched I hope...
Even though I'm really enjoying writing this story at the moment I'm wondering if I should stop posting because I'm not getting very many reviews. Even though I'm not review pushy, I do like to know what people think of my work…
Thanks,
LostLyra
