Chapter Eighteen

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Friday, 28th October, 2011

So the last few days have been totally awkward at school. It seems like any time Dexter and I are alone for even a few seconds Gary pops up; I swear he’s been following us or something. Dex was pretty cool about it the first few times, just laughing it off, but when it carried on he started getting annoyed, and I don’t blame him. At first I was just kind of bemused, thinking it was a weird coincidence, but when it became clear that it wasn’t all I wanted to do was snap at Gary for being a creepy stalker.

                Okay, I know that’s not strictly fair. It’s not like he didn’t warn me he was going to “fight for” me (though I don’t see how following me around and passively interrupting my time alone with Dexter counts as fighting) and I did tell him that Dex and I weren’t in a relationship (which we still aren’t). I’m trying my best to let him down gently but he isn’t making it easy by being so persistent.

                Anyway, when he interrupted us for the fourth time today (and all we were doing was walking to class together) Dexter finally let his irritation show, rolling his eyes and dragging me away from Gary by the hand. Which to be completely honest, was all sorts of thrilling.

                Anyway, the upshot of all this is a positive one, Dexter and I are going on our first official date tonight! Sort of. The school is having its annual Hallowe’en festival and we’re going to that. But, like, together! Which is pretty exciting. I think, anyway. Andie thinks so too, but that’s because she’s doubling she and Dylan with Teegan and Paulie, which makes it like couple central all round. Hopefully Gary won’t even be there; he would have no reason to because he doesn’t believe in Hallowe’en.

                Seriously. The only holiday he has less respect for is Valentine’s Day. When kids come around to his house trick or treating, he doesn’t even answer the door.

                So tonight is gonna be totally awesome. We’ll win prizes at the stalls and eat candied apples and bob for fruit and it’ll all be very wonderful and lovely and maybe even a little romantic. It’s gonna be the best night ever.

Saturday, 29th October, 2011

So last night was an unmitigated disaster.

                Everything went really well up to a point. Dexter came to get me at my mom’s place at seven and we walked to the festival together, just talking and joking like we normally do when we hang out, except this time he slipped his hand into mine after a few minutes and I felt myself flush with happiness.

                When we got there we did all that stuff that I was so excited about; Dexter bought us both a candied apple from one of the vendors and then I won a small teddy bear at a stall where you fling hoops at bottles.

                ‘You know, seeing as this is a date, you should really give me that teddy bear,’ Dexter suggested as we walked away from the stall and I scoffed.

                ‘Are you kidding? No way. These are practically impossible to win!’

                ‘A fitting tribute to our relationship then,’ he pointed out dryly, and I had to agree, so I gave him the teddy bear in the end.

                After a couple of hours we met up with the others at one of the chippers and got some food, then sat down at a picnic table and dug in.

                They all seemed particularly merry and it became apparent why once Andie stood up to go and get more ketchup, and promptly fell over as Dylan tried and failed to catch her. She rolled around on the ground for a few seconds giggling to herself before hoisting herself back up and giving up on the ketchup quest, sitting back down.

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