"WHAT THE HELL?!"

Chapter 6 Josh

I immediately retrieve my arm from around Naira's head and dump the spoon into the tub of salted caramel ice-cream.

I don't dare turn as I know I would meet mums fired eyes.

I feel a tap on my thigh from Naira.

"I think you might want to talk to your mum, she looks really angry." She whispers, while lying sideways on the long red sofa.

I grumble and get up, walking towards the door at the back of the room.

"Should we pause the film." Charlotte asks when I walk past.

"No, it's fine." I mutter, but she pauses it anyway.

They get out their phones when a slim but firm hand grabs my arm.

Mum drags me out the door and into the bowling alley, I'm just about able to close the door behind me.

I know what is coming up, a long lecture.

"What is this Joshua?" She shoots a deathly stare at me.

I focus on the staircase behind her that leads to the ground floor of the house, wishing I could run up them.

"What is this Joshua?" She spits, "Who are these people?"

"My friends." I reply, as if she doesn't know what 'friends' are.

"What friends? Why are they here? Why are they girls!"

"My friends. To hang out. What can't I have friends of the opposite gender?" I question, already knowing what she'll say.

"Why do you have to hang out here? I don't want you mixing with girls, you need to concentrate on your GCSE's."

"We don't have to hang out here but normal people invite friends over and I'm trying to be a normal person, so why not. It's not like it's the end of the world!"

"If your friends are girls it is the end of your world!" she tries not to shout loudly.

I groan and frown at her.

"You don't complain when I'm friends with a boy! You don't suggest that I'm gay, do you!"

"You're gay?" she shakes her head, dismissing the thought, "Is the girl who was sitting next to you your girlfriend, Joshua?"

You wish! She looks truly concerned though, typical.

"No!" I yell, loud enough for them to hear.

"Then why were you hugging her, eating ice-cream from the same tub and FEEDING her the ice-cream?!" She whispered aggressively.

"Because that's what friends do! Mum, I thought you wanted me to get on with people! That's the whole reason I'm at this school! Why can't you let it happen now that it's happening? Oh, and by the way, I'm having a pool party for my birthday and dad will sure let me so you can't do anything about it."

I stroll into the mini-cinema, slamming the door behind me.

Mum doesn't follow me, suggesting that she's given up.

"Are you OK, Josh. You look quite... flustered." Naira puts a hand on my arm as soon as I sit down.

"It's nothing." I reply, plastering a fake smile.

For the rest of the film, I don't touch Naira. She's visibly cringing during most of the scenes. During one of the last shooting scenes she even screams and covers her eyes and ears.

"Is it still scary?" she shouts a moment later.

Gemma removes one of Naira hands and yells,"Yes."