Naturally, me being his girlfriend doesn’t stop them from their continued pursuit. Adam, being as clueless as most boys are, brushes them off politely with a smile, making them hate me even more.
Kate laughs at me as we grab our books from our lockers and head outside and down the stairs to meet Adam.
We find Adam talking to Dax just out front, looking so unbelievably sexy that it just isn’t fair. He’s smiling, leaning against the graffiti covered brick wall that runs along the perimeter of the school property. His short, dark hair is messy, probably from his hands pushing through it all day as he ignores the teachers instead sketching or writing lyrics in his ever-present notebook. His lean, sculpted torso is wrapped up in a tight, long-sleeved shirt that hides nothing, his usual scuffed boots on his feet.
Noticing us as we get close, Adam tilts his head and his perfect smile widens for me. The small scar on his top lip from the attack has now faded to a thin white line. It only adds to his rugged sex appeal. “Hey, you girls made it! We were just going to send out the search party,” he jokes, pulling me close against him.
I melt into his side, inhaling his perfect ‘Adam’ scent. A combination of cheap soap, laundered cotton, and the coconut scented wax he religiously uses to polish his guitar. Sighing, I wrap my arm around his waist and squeeze, wanting to be as close as possible without drawing the evil stares of most of the females nearby.
“Sure you can’t come with us, Sweetheart?” he asks, his breath moving across my ear, sending shivers down my spine. I love when he calls me that.
“Can’t. I have to study for the big chemistry exam tomorrow,” I tell him for the hundredth time as I pop a mint into my mouth.
He lets out an exaggerated huff of air, “Fine, we’ll have to make do and practice without you. I just won’t have any inspiration at all and my music will suck, but I’ll live.”
“The way you’re staring at her, I’m sure you won’t forget much,” Kate says. “See you later! I’ve got footy practice and coach doesn’t care that it’s cold enough today to freeze piss.” She waves before jogging around the back of the school towards the fields.
“C’mon, we’ll walk you home on our way to meet Gavin and Hawke,” Adam says, tugging on my arm.
“Ellie, you better ace that exam. If you’re skipping to cram, he’s going to be whinging the entire time and we won’t get anything done. Make it worth it, yeah?” Dax says, a smirk on the large boy’s face as he shoves Adam playfully.
“Yeah, I will. You know I wouldn’t miss it otherwise,” I tell them.
Adam hugs me tighter, making my pulse race with desire. “We know you wouldn’t.”
We reach my flat less than ten minutes later. The guys leave with a promise from Adam to pay attention during practice and from Dax to make sure Adam doesn’t pine away for me the entire time.
“Don’t worry, Dax. I want him pining away,” I joke as I steal a final kiss from Adam and head into my building.
I step around the rubbish that litters the stairway so I can walk past the flat down the hall from mine. I’m still afraid of, but no longer flinching away from, the strange noises that come from behind the shoddy door.
Unlocking the two separate bolts that Dad had installed on our door, I duck inside and immediately relock both. I decide that I should get started straight away on my studying. I cross the tiny lounge, dump my bag on the tiny desk in my room, and pull out my textbook. Mum and Dad will both be at work for another few hours at least. Crappy jobs, but jobs nonetheless.
If I’m missing an afternoon with Adam I may as well make it worth my time and learn this stuff, so I settle into my chair and locate the first chapter.
I lose track of time, not realizing how long I’ve been studying until my stomach growls loudly and my neck is aching from bending over my book. A glance at my watch tell me that my mum and dad should have been back over an hour ago. I hadn’t even realized that it’s dark out, and has been for some time now.
“Weird,” I mutter to myself.
My parents will probably appreciate a hot meal when they get home. I pull out the ingredients for a curry and get to work heating the oil and chopping vegetables. Dinner is almost done when I hear the locks disengage and my parents come through the door.
“Hey Mum, Dad, I’ve made a curry,” I call out as I pull three plates down and begin to dish out the food. No one has answered me yet. I glance over at the doorway. The spoon in my hand clatters to the floor when I see their pallid, drawn faces.
“Mum! Dad! What’s going on? Are you okay?” I run over and stop in front of my mum.
She says nothing, her vibrant blue eyes are glazed over, seeing something far away. Something that isn’t here in this room with us. Her blonde
hair is windblown and tousled, her pale face haggard. I can see the red tinge around her eyes, a sign that’s she’s recently been crying. Mum has cried a lot since we had to move, but this… this is different, and I’m scared to death.
“Mum!” I yell, reaching out to touch her arm.
She startles, as if surprised to find herself here in our flat, with me in front of her. Dad shuffles past me to the table and drops heavily into a chair.
“Ellie,” she whispers, sagging against the front door. She looks older, much older. She’s not the vivacious, beautiful woman she was before our lives went to crap.
“Here,” I say, taking her coat and handbag, tossing them over the sofa. “Come sit.” Guiding her to the small table, I push her down gently into a chair, hiding my shaking hands behind my back.
Unsure what to do, I pick the spoon up off of the floor and bring three glasses of water over to the table. Then I get the plates, putting one in front of my mum, one in front of my dad, and sit down across from them with the last one.