Welcome to New Haven (29 page)

“Wahoo!” Said Kyle, laughing as he patted Holly’s shoulder. “What was
that
?” He asked with surprise in his voice.
 

“I told you she’s a scary girl.” Chuckled Ben.
 

“She just gets on me nerves.”
 
She said angrily, her accent thicker with agitation.
 

“We’re going to go.” Dev said and she linked her arm through Holly’s and the girls left.
 
“See you at the car, Alex” she shouted back.
 

The guys turned to face Alex.
 

“Duuuude.” Said Ryan, in amazement.
 

Alex was still in shock at witnessing, first hand, how scary Holly could be.

That.Was.Hot!

“I’m gonna go looking for her when I need somebody sorting out.” Ryan said with a grin.
 
“I’ll set Holly on you!” He said in a mock whine as they walked out of the class.
 

“Nah, I think she only gets like that for Alex.” Said Kyle, waggling his eyebrows.
 

“Yeah.” Ryan laughed.
 
“Do you remember his face when I called Holly ‘sweetheart’?”
 

“Ryan…stop”
 
Alex said.
 

“I did actually.”
 
Kyle added as if Alex hadn’t said anything. “You were mad bro.”
 

“Ok that’s enough, guys, drop it. Ok?” Alex said as he was getting annoyed.
 

“Yeah c’mon” Ben said.
 

“For now” Ryan was still laughing.

They got outside, and Alex saw Dev talking to Holly by her car.
 
He walked over.
 

“I’ll scrag er’ed if I see her do that again.” He heard Holly say.
 

She had her hand on her stomach as if she were in pain, and he understood.
 

“Hey.” He said as he got closer.
 

“Hi Alex.” Dev said and Holly turned, her cheeks going pink.
 

She looked down towards the floor, obviously uncomfortable, releasing her hand.
 

“Thanks Holly.”
 
He said as he watched her face for any of the signs he’d seen in A.Bio.
 

“No problem.” She replied, weakly.
 

Alex just wanted to reach out to Holly and hold her tight. He hated that she was quiet around him.
 
He now knew that she did have feelings for him, but he
didn’t
know, however, was how strong those feelings were.
 
He had to put his hands in his pockets to stop himself from reaching out.
 

“I need to go…um…speak to you later Dev.” Holly said nervously and swallowed.
 

“Ok, Honey, Bye.” Dev hugged her.
 

“Bye Holly.” Said Alex as he watched her turn to open her car door.
 

“Bye, Alex.”
 
She replied and looked up at him, pausing in surprise at how close he was to her.
 

They stood still, looking at each other and he could see Dev looking between them, out of the corner of his eye.
 

“I…I…have to go.” Holly said quietly and quickly got into her car.
 
Dev waved goodbye.
 

“Come on.” She said and pulled Alex to his car.
 

“I wanted to punch Will’s face in.” Alex said as they discussed what had happened that day.
 

“Yeah I saw”
 
agreed Dev with a knowing smile.
 
“I’m pretty sure Holly wanted to punch Stacey.”
 

“Hopefully, she’ll get the message now.” He said.
 

“I wouldn’t count on that.
 
She doesn’t seem to take ‘no’ for an answer.
 
She may just wait until Holly’s not around.”
 

Maybe Holly should always be with me.
 

Alex smiled at his thought.
 

“Oooh you’re thinking that Holly should always be around.”
 

“How did you know what I was thinking?”
 

“Oh I don’t know…maybe the goofy smile on your face gave me a hint.”
 

Alex snorted a laugh at that.

Holly got home and had put her bag away before texting Dev.

H: Just got home.x

D: Us too. Cold shower?;)

H: ?!!

D: I was there too, you know.
 
Don’t think I didn’t
 

notice.

H: *o.o*

Holly sent a blushing text.

D:XD

When Holly went down the stairs, she was greeted by Emily.
 

“Hiya tatty ‘ed! Did yerrav a good day?”
 

“Eventful” Holly replied.
 

“Come on.
 
Tell ye big sis all about it” Em said as she put her arm around Holly’s shoulder.
 

They went into the kitchen, and Holly told Emily everything.
 

“Aww babe, you need a love, and a brew.”
 
Emily put the kettle on and gave Holly a big squeeze, before making them both a cuppa.
 
“So.
 
What’s gonna ‘appen with her then?” she asked.
 
“Are you gonna give her a smack?”
 

“I’ve no idea, Em.” Holly replied as she shook her head.
 
“I lose my temper with her.”
 

“Don’t let it get to ye babes.
 
She’s just a dirty minger.”
 

“I can’t help it.
 
I see her and she gets me back up sum’n rotten.” Holly said.
 

“I can tell by your voice babe.
 
You can’t arf ‘ear your scal comin’ out when ye get pissed off.” Em smiled sympathetically at Holly when she started to look upset.
 

“I nearly lost my rag in front of Alex though.”
 

Holly had told Em that she thought Alex was ‘cute’.
 
She didn’t want to go into detail about how much she really felt for him, in case Em decided to play Cupid and ‘make a show of her’.
 

“I bet he was made up.” Em smiled.
 

“I don’t think so”
 
Holly didn’t believe that for a minute.
 

“I bet he got a proper lob on.” Em stifled a laugh.
 

“Oh my God, Em! He so didn’t!” Holly was horrified.
 

“I’d put a tenner on it.” Emily winked and took a sip of her tea. “So what else is happening then?”
 
Em asked. “Got anything planned for the weekend?”

Shit, the pool hangout, party, whatever.
 

“
Riss is having a hangout day at her pool.
 
She’s invited the whole group, and you too.
 
I said we might already have plans, but they said to ask you anyway.”
 

“What are you gonna do?
 
You can’t go…unless…”
 

“Unless what?”
 
Em knew the extent of Holly’s aversion so for her to have an alternative meant that, maybe, she wouldn’t let her friends down.
 

They’d been looking forward to it and had reminded Holly to ask Em before she’d left the school building.
 

“Unless you stay sitting down and say you can’t get in because you’re ill.”
 

“I can’t say I’m ill.
 
I could, however, just say I don’t want to get in.
 
The girls already know that pools don’t interest me so they won’t push me to get in if I don’t want to.
 
Besides, I could sit on the side and put my feet in at the shallow end.”
 

“So we’re going then?” Em asked with her eyebrows raised and a smile tugging at her lips.
 

“I guess so.”

Chapter 11

Stacey had kept to herself, a nice change, in homeroom on Friday.
 
Holly had asked the girls to go out for lunch, so she could buy something for the hangout the next day.
 
Holly had to try to explain why she didn’t own any swim wear and the girls we’re satisfied when Holly explained she didn’t go swimming so never bought the suits for it.
 

Nothing more was said over Thursday’s events, due to Dev asking Alex to have words with the boys.

Holly felt bad at avoiding Alex again but after A.Bio, Social and the parking lot, Holly needed to take a breath.
 

Every moment with Alex had been amazing.
 
She could just sit and look at him for hours but unfortunately other people, Alex included, would notice.
 
She had only one thing she had to take the edge off from seeing him again, and she needed more.
 
She wanted Alex, but that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.
 
Just thinking about him and his lips…the way he looked at her with his deep brown eyes and his sexy perfect smile…

Holly wanted to pull him down, tangle her fingers in his silky black hair and kiss him. She wanted to know what it felt like to have his arms wrapped around her, holding her close to his muscular chest.
 

She’d never had, or wanted, any of those things before.
 
With anyone.
 
So to want them, and with such intensity, now, with Alex… it was freaking her out.
 
He was so perfectly gorgeous, there was no way he would be interested in her.
 

He’d knocked back every one of the girls who’d asked him out at their school, and most were really pretty.
 
When he’d stared at her in class, she thought it was because
she
was staring at
him
.
 

Great, he thought she was a weirdo.
 
And the staring by her car? Coincidence.
 
He was just being polite.
 
No.
 
There wasn’t a chance in hell he would like her that way.
 

Holly and Emily spent Saturday morning planning their last two days together as Emily was flying back home on Monday afternoon.
 

They both got a change of clothes, and Holly got spare underwear and bottoms incase she sat on the wet floor.
 
Holly had decided to wear a loose, white football T-shirt and pink cutoff style shorts.
 
Not the kind you can see your butt cheeks, but just above mid-thigh.
 
The kind that
 
kept your dignity when bending or sitting and also didn’t make you look like a surfer.
 

She tied her hair back in a loose braid with some strands falling loose at the front.
 
Emily wore her royal blue two-piece.
 
The top was more like a sports bra than a bikini, and the bottoms were boy shorts style. She had her blue skinny jeans and yellow sleeveless blouse on, changing into them again when they would leave.
 

Holly was going in her stuff and changing into black leggings.
 
She wasn’t getting in the pool so a spare top wasn’t necessary.

Holly sent a text to Dev.

H: Hey Dev.
 
We’re ready now.
 
On our way.

D: Cool.
 
Alex will be leaving to get the guys soon.

H: Ok, I’ll be as quick as I can.

Holly wanted to avoid seeing Alex, so getting there,
before
he left gave them a head start on the journey, getting to Riss’ before them.

D: You’re going to see him there, you know.;)

H: Yes, but in the safety of a crowd. :D

D: Haha! Be safe.x

H: Will do. X

Holly managed to pick up Dev without seeing Alex.
 
She’d secretly hoped for a glimpse, but he hadn’t come out.
 

“Let’s go” Dev had said as she got in the car.
 

“Alex has just texted Ben to say he’s leaving.”
 

Knowing that Em and Dev were watching her, Holly decided to just go.

They arrived at Riss’ house, the girls meeting them at the door.
 

“The guys will be here soon.”
 
Dev said as Holly looked around.
 

Riss’ garden was a plain lawn with large pebbles lining the edges.
 
The house was a huge two story build, again similar in style to Holly’s, but the garages weren’t attached to this house.
 
They were set off to the right. She guessed that it was the style for that part of the city. They walked into the house and on the way to the pool room; they met Riss’ Mum.
 

“Oh Hi girls!” She said cheerfully.
 

“Hi Mrs. Kennedy.” They chorused.
 

“What are you carrying, Mom?” Riss asked when she noticed her Mum had a tray of flowers.
 

“Oh just plants I picked up from the market.
 
I don’t know what they are though, but they’re pretty.”
 

“They’re called Stock Lucinda.” Said Holly and the girls turned to look at her.
 
She felt a little embarrassed at her sudden outburst, but Emily looked like a proud sister.
 

“They are?” asked Mrs. Kennedy.
 

“Um…yes.
 
They grow in our garden”
 

“Oh well thank you Holly.
 
Now, I can find out how to look after them.”
 

“You’re welcome” Holly replied.
 
She could have told her how to look after them, herself, but decided not to.

Riss led them to the indoor pool room.
 

It. Was. Huge!