Chapter One: Lucas
‘So, Schofield, what’s this surprise your mum was talking about?’ asked Julian as he, Danny, Kareena and I made our way back to mine from football. ‘She’s not sending you off to boot camp, is she?’
'Still pissed about you getting suspended, eh?’ asked Danny and I nodded. ‘That’s too bad, man. My mum didn’t say anything to me; she’s used to it. Knows I don’t give a shit about any of this crap stuff.’
'Is there anything or anyone you do give a shit about?’ asked Kareena giving him a dirty look. ‘You treat her like crap.’
‘What the fuck’s that to you?’ he snarled angrily. ‘She’s MY mum so I’ll treat her how I want!’
‘Yeah, all right calm down, she didn’t mean it like that!’ interjected Julian, leaping to his girlfriend’s defence.
Danny stopped for a second, shrugged and then carried on walking. ‘You’re lucky you’re Julian’s girl, Kareena, that’s all I’m gonna say. And for your information, I do give a shit about some stuff.’
‘Like what?’ she asked.
‘Like getting screwed every night,’ he replied winking.
‘Spud that,’ I said, fist-punching him.
Kareena gave both of us a dirtier look, scoffed and walked ahead.
‘Looks likes she’s the one who needs to get screwed every night,’ he said. ‘Julian, mate, no offence but you’re girl needs to lighten up. Try experimenting in the bedroom a bit more; that ought to do the trick.’
Even though that was a harsh thing to say, I couldn’t help but let out a little snort of laughter. Julian, on the other hand, scowled, swore at him then sped up next to Kareena.
‘Pass the ball here,’ said Danny, taking with his foot the ball I was dribbling. He dribbled it up to my road and then shot it back right at me, but I quickly moved out of the way and it narrowly missed me.
‘You –!’ I kicked the ball directly at him. Unfortunately, at that moment, my new neighbour got out of her car, carrying a box, and the ball hit the box hard, knocking it out of her hand.
Shit.
As Danny roared with laughter, I ran towards her and helped her out.
‘Sorry about that,’ I apologised, gathering her things up and putting them back in the box. ‘I was aiming for my friend. Are you okay?’
Her head was still down so I couldn’t see her face.
‘I’m fine, thank you,’ she said, putting her things back in the box. ‘It’s okay, it was an -’ she looked up and stopped in mid-sentence, her mouth slightly open. At that moment, a woman called her from inside the car.
‘Is everything okay Kasey darling?’
Kasey?
I looked closely at her and froze. It was Kasey Singers, my childhood best friend. I hadn’t seen her for over three years and, during that time, she had changed. Dramatically. I was so taken aback that it took me a while to realise that she got up and hurried inside her house and up the stairs, without saying another word.
