Underground | ongoing

Chapter 4 | The Walk Of Fame

"How did the double date go on Saturday?" Indianna asked when she met Holly and I at our lockers on Monday morning.

"Why don't you let Serena answer that one," said Holly, slamming her locker. "You took a awful long time just to tie your laces and freshen up in the restroom, Rena. Who was he, or don't you even know his name?"

I could feel myself turing red for more than one reason. "Not my fault James is a boring snob. Do you know how many times he mentioned his father's Porsche? Not to mention the fact that he isn't exactly attractive."

"You haven't even given him a chance," protested Holly. "And, we have homecoming in three weeks. All the boys here are taken. Where are you going to find a date at such short notice?"

I hadn't really thought about homecoming, though a week before, finding a date had been my main priority.

Going alone still wasn't a option.

"Fine," I sighed. "I see your point."

Holly smiled smugly. My phone dinged.

"Speak of the Devil," I muttered with a quick glace. "It's James telling me how much he enjoyed Saturday and asking if I wanted to go on a actual date on Friday." I glared at Holly. "You gave him my number without my permission."

"Be quiet and say yes," said Holly. "What have you got to lose?"

That was the very question I'd been asking myself since last week. I had everything to lose, if I'm truthful. My reputation, my relationship status - plus much more. I know it was a long stretch, but my worry was this - James was a just-for-the-moment type of guy for me, but what if I actually met someone who I was really attracted to in the middle of all this? I wasn't just leading James on, but myself, too.

"I don't know, Holly," I said, shutting my locker.

Holly sent me a look of disgust. "If you don't go out with him, you'll end up at homecoming alone."

I shrugged. "My life, not yours, Holly," I decided. "I'll agree to let him take me on one more date. If I still feel nothing after that, then I'll deal with homecoming. Not every boy in this school is taken."

School went on as normal that day. The snow had cleared mostly since Saturday night and the ice was slowly going away, but I still decided to walk home after cheerleading practice. It gave me a chance to clear my ahead away from Holly. Indianna had gone off with her new boyfriend (if you could even call him that) and although Holly had offered kindly to drive me home, I didn't feel like having her company. This whole James thing had been a bad idea and I didn't feel like having it lectured into me all the way back home. For now, I was happy enough to be by myself.

The trees were practically bald, so there was nothing particularly pretty about the scenery. In fact, everything was terribly bleak - just like my life at this point. Even the birds were nowhere to be seen and usually our whole town were swarmed with them. I could tell we were in for a bad bout of winter storms this year. I could only hope my dad returned home safe before then.

The weather, as I said, was bleak that time of year, and as were the streets up until I got halfway home. You see, that year the winter was long. Snow never usually hit until the middle of December, but it had come early and it lasted right through to the beginning of February, if my memory serves me well. People got sick of it, as you can imagine. There were only so many snowball fights and sledding trips one could have, and by the beginning of January, everyone was already eager for summer to come.