Internet Friends | Luke Hemmings

Chapter 19

A mix of unanticipated change and confusion. That's the best and only way I could think of to describe what had happened over the past few weeks.

I was amazed about how fast something's could turn around. For the last three years he was a face in the corridor that I could spot easily, he was the person I found myself staring at when I wasn't paying attention in class then wondering why I was. I'm not even sure he even knew what my name was, to him I was the person he bumped into one time, just another girl he had some lessons with. Then within the space of about three weeks he had somehow eased his way into my life.

When Lily had returned from her brief illness, Thomas had insisted that we finish our paired work with me. Lily showed no sign of resistance to this, in fact she moved over and practically pulled out the chair for him so that he could sit down next to me. Not without glancing at me wiggling her eyebrows like the crazy weirdo she is.

2 weeks ago we were mysteriously paired up together for a geography assignment and we met up after school at the little coffee shop hidden away in one of the many side streets of London. I had decided not to point out to him that we were allowed to do it in lesson time.

Then last weekend he happened to show up at the same little coffee shop and had sat and chatted with me while I had my usual chocolate milkshake with extra cream.

But what had really thrown me off balance was what he had asked me the other day.

I was standing by the radiator with Lily in an attempt to warm up after walking to school in the cold November wind, we were idly talking about whatever seemed to pop up into our heads when he walked over looking all cool with his hands stuffed in his white jacket pockets and opened with a "Heyy Izzy". After a few minuets of small talk which somehow ended up with him inviting me to accompany him to the park to walk his dog, who was stereotypically named Buddy, how predictable. Of course I agreed, a little too enthusiastically, partly cause dogs are fun and are adorable but I wasn't going to tell Thomas that.

Honestly, the school day that followed was a bit of a blur. It was almost like I was sitting still in a whole little world of my own while the rest of the real world moved around me. I didn't really pay attention in any of my classes, I couldn't, there was things I had to think about that I never had to before. Like what was I going to wear.
I never really bothered with putting too much effort into my outfit, I just didn't gave a shit. But when it came to this, I cared, way more than I should.

But now as I turn into my bedroom I could hear, what sounded like my mum mumbling like she did when she worked, behind my wardrobe door. My mum was off today for the first time in what seemed like forever but she somehow felt the need to still work on something and today it sounded like it included her cleaning out my wardrobe.

"Um, what do you think your doing?" I asked dumping my backpack on the floor in the middle of my room.

Mum didn't answer immediately. My presence had been acknowledged but she was far too engrossed in scraping the coat hangers across their railing. Instead she picked up a top, studied it for a second before deciding it was irrelevant seeing as she tossed it into the small but growing pile of clothes on the floor next to her that, for once, hadn't been made by me.

"I'm doing you a favour," my mum called out, glancing over her shoulder. "No one should be allowed to have to look like they bought their clothes 40 years ago. Look at it like I'm doing a public service."

I let out a loud groan and slumped down onto my bed.

"But the public doesn't even see me anyway so why put yourself out."

"Because things like this" she reached over and extracted one of the flannels from the pile and held it up by a single finger like it was infected with some sort of flesh eating bacteria before making a face of disgusted and tossing it aside. "Shouldn't be worn in a house like this."

I rolled my eyes, my shoulders ached from carrying a small library of school books on my back all day, my head was already feeling remotely like alphabet soup and I didn't need any more lessons about manners and etiquette from her. So I laid back on my sheets waiting till she left thinking she was finished and could get on with some other pointless task so I could put the discarded clothes back in the wardrobe.

A few minuets past and soon my mother, just as I predicted, left my room to find another ridiculous task that apparently needed to be done, maybe she would cook dinner or clean the house for once.

Lazily taking a top from mums discarded pile and putting it back on its shelf, I repeated the process until half an hour later they were all either lying crumpled on a shelf or half hung on a hanger.
I finally changed out if my uniform and into blue sweatpants and a The Clash top that I thought was stolen by goblins or tusken raiders that normally stole just one of my socks but I guess the floor of my wardrobe was were most things turned up eventually. So to put it simply, I had resorted to wearing my pyjamas.

I was laid in my bed, my laptop in front of me displaying my twitter feeds when my phone buzzed from beside me. I expected to be Lily trying to consult me about what I was going to wear for that walk with Thomas. Was it a date? I don't like to presume things, it makes me nervous, I like to know the facts, know exactly what's going on. For once I could even try to be organised for the 'date' thing. Get up at some ungodly hour for a Sunday morning, spend time and actually put effort into my appearance.

The phone continued to buzz, I'm not sure why I was ignoring, I don't even know who it is. It can't be Luke, he's asleep, it's like 1am over in Sydney and I told him not to be an idiot and stay up and talk to me.

I gave into the buzzing, it was starting to get annoying and this person was apparently not giving up so I turned it over to reveal the contact. Someone I least expected to call me.

I press the little green button and held the phone to my ear.

"Hey Thomas" my voice came out sounding like a annoying teenage girl that would always giggle, I winced at the sound of it, I refuse to start up a habit of giggle. Izzy Lockwood does not giggle, ever.

"Hey Izzy, are you busy, I called like 3 times?" He asked, with confidence oozing out of his voice.

I had vowed a long time ago. To never let a boy change me. I'd never make an effort to suddenly become interested in the things they liked just to impress them. I remember having to watch my sister slowly turn into someone I didn't even recognise, I was around 6 but it always stood out in my mind, they mask she had to put in every time she was with him, the lies she had to tell. To him just to impress him, my parents so she didn't get caught or told off, she'd try to lie to me. Even at that age I knew better than that. Sammy does this thing with her eyebrows when she lies, they tend to raise to.

But just as I was about to answer Thomas telling him I couldn't find my phone, that I wasn't busy I remembered Sammy and I didn't want to make the same mistake.

"I wasn't busy really," I replied simply " I was kinda of actively ignoring the phone"

Thomas at the other end of the line went quiet, his confidence wavering for a second. There was some strange shuffling in the background that I couldn't quite decipher before he regained his voice.

"Right, well" he said bluntly " I was wondering if you're still up for that walk next week, it's even supposed to be snowing so you should bring your coat." His voice lightening up a bit.

"Well I was fully intending to bring a coat anyway but thanks for the helpful advise." I said, a hint of sarcasm slipping out.

"Well, see you at school" Thomas said before hastily hanging up the phone. Someone was in a hurry, and he asked if I was busy, it seemed like he was caught up in something himself.

A little voice in my head was telling me something was going on , that something was off but I pushed it aside not wanting to listen to it's petty second thoughts that would try and fill my head with worry.

I mean, I was going for walk with a my crush and his dog, other that getting ran over by cars, what could possibly go wrong.