This Girl

Chapter 37: We're Not on the Booty-Touching Level Yet

"Hey Lucas," he says. Lucas flicks his wrist with a wave and nods at Alex. Then Alex turns back to me and leans his head on his hand, looking over at me. "Can you act?"

"Can I what?" I ask, eating some more cereal. 

"Act."

"Not really... But I'm ok, I suppose. I did some kind of production thingo in France and we did a show," I shrug, looking at him, confused. 

"Great. You can audition for the musical with me!" he says, spinning round on his chair and jumping off to say hi to Dad. I turn and look at Lucas. He shrugs and continues to eat his breakfast. 

I sigh and finish off my breakfast, then I hop off my chair and greet Michelle and Jackson. We start to walk out of the house and Mum locks up. Alex swings an arm around me and I look at him. 

"The musical?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. He shrugs. 

"It'll be fun!" he smiles, flipping his Ray Bans over his eyes. 

"Really?" I say sarcastically. "Seriously though, the school's infamous bad boy is auditioning for the musical?"

Alex pouts. "You think I wouldn't sign myself up for the school musical so I can get an Oxford scholarship?"

"How does that relate?" I ask. 

"I'm gonna take a musical course as well as a medical one," Alex says.

"Why don't you just audition by yourself?" I ask. 

"Because then I'd get paired with some random weird girl. Please, Nat," he begs. I roll my eyes. 

"What about Amanda, she can sing," I reason. 

"Yeah, but not very well," he says. I turn into him and we stop walking, standing on the 'welcome' mat. 

"You just insulted your girlfriend!" I say. He smiles. 

"Am I not supposed to?" he asks. 

"No!" I say. 

"If you were my girlfriend I'd insult you ten times a day," he says. I look up at him. I can't see his eyes, but his smile's gone and his hair's waving in the wind. We look at each other for about a minute before the car horn beeps and we scramble down the drive way and into our separate cars. 

***

We arrive at the fair half an hour later. People are scattered all over the place. There are roller coasters and carousels, a Ferris wheel, food, heaps of stalls with teddy bears and games and even a kids animal farm. 

"Ok kids, stay together, if you lose anyone and I mean anyone, you're not getting an ice cream on the way home. You're not allowed on that big rollercoaster over there, you're not tall enough. Don't let go of Liam. If you want to go on a ride that Liam's too small for, leave one of you behind with him and then switch. Be back by seven. Have fun!" 

Most parents wouldn't let three tweens and a one year old child run off in a crowded area by themselves, but ours have just spotted the bar and are eyeing it greedily. Parenting must be too much for them. The others run off and the parents depart for the bar. 

Alex turns to me. "Where're we going, princess?" he asks. 

I raise and eyebrow. "Princess? I thought I was a prince, princess."

He smiles and grabs my hand, steering me into the crowd. We emerge a few minutes later and wait in the long line of the ride the others aren't allowed to go on. There are a lot of people our age around here, but I know none of my friends are here since Bubbles has some family thing on. Chloe and Kate are at drama camp and Meghan's working.