Invisible

Chapter Five: Shopping Spree.

Rayne and Georgia kept glancing at me with strange smirks plastered on their faces as we drove to the local store.

"What?!" I finally snapped turning on them, my voice coming out harsher than intended.

"That knock to the head must have done some damage" Rayne teased as Georgia focused on the road, but I noticed her smile growing from the corner of my eye. Exasperated I closed my eyes and sat back in my seat.

"You kind of look like your mom with your hair down" Georgia said from my side. With a gasp I sat up and looked at her.

"Excuse me?" I demand, offended. Quick to cover her back Georgia continues.

"Not that that's a bad thing, your mom is stunning."

"Hot!" Rayne agrees from the back. Unconsciously I lift my hand and run it through my hair, pulling it over my shoulder. Maybe it's not such a bad thing I think, I had always thought my mother was beautiful.

"Carter thinks you're hot, but didn't seem to recognize you. So to save both of you the embarrassment I didn't tell him that you've shared four classes for almost three years" Rayne's voice was calm as he spoke, as if he wasn't delivering some of the most earth shattering, mind blowing news. Carter thought I was hot? No way.

"I could have sworn you just said Carter thought I was hot" I said slowly, even as I said it, knowing that's exactly what Rayne had said.

"Of course that's the bit you pick up on... Not the fact you've literally been invisible to him for three years" he mumbles in response.

The rest of the journey to the store continued in silence, my mind elsewhere. I'd never spoken to Carter, just admired him from a distance. Me and Rayne had gone to a few baseball games and I'd always found myself fixated on Carter, he had a gracefulness about him when he moved. Although he was one of the most popular guys in school I'd never known him to have a girlfriend, which I'd always found peculiar as there was never any shortage of girls swooning around him. I was brought back to the real world when the car stopped and the engine shut off.

Rayne and I were walking through the aisles of the store pushing a trolley filled with enough food to feed a small army, scratch that, a large army. Georgia had dropped us off and gone to look for a gas station as we were left to get the food.

"Are you sure Carter wasn't talking about Georgia?" I asked, dropping a jar of Nutella into the basket. Rayne picked up a second jar, debated it for a second then dropped it in alongside the other.

"I'm pretty sure he knows the difference between blonde and ginger" he chuckled as we continued. Georgia hated being referred to as ginger, over the years her hair had developed an auburn tinge that she refused to acknowledge. With a sheepish smile I flicked my hair forward, covering my quickly reddening cheeks.

"Okay Rayne. I think that's enough" I said as Rayne threw four extra-large bags of marshmallows on top of our already overflowing trolley.

"What's the point of having a bonfire without marshmallows?" He asked innocently helping me steer towards the checkout. I flashed a sympathetic smile at the girl behind the counter as her eyes widened at our load.

"What bonfire?" I asked, confused, as I began loading food onto the conveyor belt. Rayne looked like a deer caught in headlights, his eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar.

"Crap" his voice was barely a whisper under his breath. "Well, um... The guys invited us to their fire tonight. There'll be loads of people there, other girls too, not just guys." Rayne played awkwardly with the ties of his shorts, refusing to meet my stare. "Georgia told me not to tell you otherwise you'd have time to think of an excuse not to go. Please come and have fun!" Rayne was out of breath by the time he finished which made me chuckle. I glanced at the checkout girl who looked a little shell-shocked.

"Okay, I'll go. After all, we are on holiday". Rayne jumped up and down, whooping at my words.

Georgia was waiting in the car lot as we came out of the store, just as she had been at school, she was leaning against the side of her car, catching the last of the sun's rays. When she noticed us hobbling towards her each with multiple bags she only rolled her eyes, making no attempt to come help us.

"A hand would be nice!" I called struggling to lift the bags to indicate what I meant. Rayne shouted in agreement by my side.

"How much did you guys spend?" She asked, still not making any attempt to come to our aid.

"Really?" Rayne snaps putting his bags down. "We're struggling across a baking car-park carrying food that you'll be eating and instead of helping us carry the bags you ask us how much we've spent? Well you know what Georgia. We're staging a protest, we're not moving another step till you come help". Rayne sat down next to his bags with a huff and crossed his arms.

"Whoa don't get me involved in this! I'm Switzerland here" I tried as an intense stare off began between the two.

"Get down here and shut up" Rayne told me grabbing my arm and pulling me down next to him. After a few more minutes of unwavering eye contact Georgia let out a snort and turned back to the car.

"I'll just go find another store and get my own food" she called to us over her shoulder getting into the driver's seat. With a slam of the door she started the engine and wound down her window.

"And you two can walk home" she added and began to drive away.

"Wait!" I yelled as Rayne sprung up grabbing all the bags and ran after the car. Scrabbling to my feet I gave chase, catching up just as Georgia stopped and popped the trunk.

"Shotgun!!" I cried, racing past Rayne and quickly got into the front seat.

"Let's wait until he closes the trunk and then go before he gets in" Georgia says thoughtfully, her eyes glued to Rayne in the rearview mirror.

After a quick argument and a little jog on Rayne's part he was allowed back into the car and we headed back to the house. Quickly dropping the shopping in the kitchen I headed upstairs to grab a sweater, the evening chill already setting in.

"Come on, let's go!" Rayne yelled down the corridor as I rummaged through my wardrobe for one of my cardigans. Luckily I had a few clothes left here from previous vacations so even though Rayne and Georgia hadn't considered packing for colder weather, it wasn't the end of the world. Grabbing a black cardigan I headed for the stairs.

I found Rayne and Georgia in the kitchen arguing about what food to take.

"We didn't buy all of this just for tonight" Georgia almost shouted as Rayne stood across the breakfast bar from her with chips, marshmallows, chocolate and a tub of ice cream cradled in his arms.

"It's gonna all get eaten sooner or later, so I say why not sooner?" He fired back, darting to the left as Georgia ran around to the right. Catching sight of me in the doorway Rayne begged me to side with him causing Georgia to spin on me.

"Tell him he's being ridiculous!" She demanded, but I didn't get the chance. Seeing his opportunity Rayne darted for the door giggling like a small child.

"Can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man!" He yelled running out of the door and into the garden.

"That boy!" Georgia seethed, glaring after him. I chuckled going to rest a calming hand on her back.

"You're just too easy to wind up and he senses weakness like a shark senses blood" I admitted causing Georgia to whip her head around in my direction. Uh-oh. I quickly took aff after Rayne as she began shouting again.

"I am not easy to wind up!" Laughing gleefully I ran out of the door, pausing only to remind Georgia to lock the door on her way out.