The Others

Chapter Eleven

"Sav, dinners ready!" Mum bellowed up the stairs, more cheerful than usual.

I jumped out of my bed and started to walk down my stairs.

"I'm Hank Marvin," the smell of salmon hit me as I pushed the door open to the kitchen.

"I made your favourite, "Mum smiled as she filled three glasses with water.

Dad was sat in his chair at the head of the small square dining table, reading a newspaper. I slumped into my dining chair and pulled out my phone and placed it next to my plate.

"All good Sav?" Mum said as she placed a pot of potatoes in the middle of the table, with a dishtowel draped over her shoulder.

"Yeah," I said staring blankly at my phone.

My phone vibrated. I picked up my phone and saw a message:

Unknown

I can't stop thinking about you. I'd love to...

"Sav, you know the rules, no phones at the table," my dad interrupted my reading as he peered to the side of his newspaper, glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Ugh. But it's alright for you to be reading a newspaper," I mumbled.

"What was that?" he said his voice deeper than before.

"Nothing," I said sighing as I put my phone in my back pocket and put both hands on the table.

I knew better than to argue with my dad.

I had never been a fast eater, but that day I ate dinner extra quick much to the surprise of my parents.

"Didn't actually think you were THAT hungry Sav," Dad said bemused.

"Uh, yeah..." I said wiping my mouth and pushing my chair back fast, heading for the door.

"Sav? Don't you want your drink?" my mum said looking to my cup of water which still lay full on the table.

"Um, I've got some really nice smoothie in my bag I forgot to finish upstairs, just gonna drink that," I said whipping out my phone from my back pocket and briskly walking out of the door.

I could hear my mum say something, but I wasn't stopping to hear what she wanted.

I jogged up the stairs and rushed to my room closing the door behind me. I sat on my bed and quickly swiped right to unlock my phone and read the full message:

Unknown:

I can't stop thinking about you, I miss you. Let's catch up away from the hustle and bustle of bumbling books and judging eyes. Just you and me. You up for it?

M x

I smiled, placed the phone against my head and sighed.

He liked me?

I blinked my eyes hard and re-checked my phone, but the message was still there. I fell onto my bed and hugged my phone, grinning uncontrollably. That's when I realised, I had not given him my number before.

  I had to find out, so I texted back:

Hey! How did you get my number? S x

He texted back instantly:

A magician never reveals his secret ;), so what about that date?

I laughed as I read the text and was about to text back when I heard a knock on my door.

***

"Sav honey, can I come in?" my mum slowly pushed opened the door.

"Mm?" I said rubbing my eyes pretending I had just been sleeping.