Chapter Thirty-Five- James’ Scheme

‘Where are you?’

James read the text aloud over my shoulder, then his eyes flickered to the top of the text, which showed who it was from. “Looks like someone’s looking for you.”

I sighed, sliding my phone shut again and shoving it back into my pocket, “I don’t think I’m ready to talk to him.”

“I don’t think you’re ever going to be ready,” he agreed. “But would you rather hide from him for the rest of your school career?”

“What are you? A shrink?” I muttered, pulling my phone out again almost immediately.

James gave me a full verse of the music before speaking again, “Would you rather talk to a shrink about this?” Then he just laughed as I swore at him. “Didn’t think so. Off you trot. Go and talk to him and get this sorted out before the boyfriends get back. Here I’ll help you.” And he pulled my phone from my grip before I could stop him and ducked around a pillar.

“James! No!” I sped after him. “Get back here!” Rounding the corner, I managed to catch his arm and spin him back to me, but his thumb was already hovering over the send button.

“Do you dare me?”

“No, I don’t dare you! Give me my phone back!”

“Wow. I go to get drinks and all the excitement happens!”

As I turned my head to look at Matt, I saw James’ thumb go down in my peripheral vision. “No!” I cried, turning back, but he just smirked and passed me my phone. “Why the hell did you go and do that?”

“Well, if you weren’t going to grow a pair, I had to force you into it, didn’t I?”

“Force into what?” Matt wanted to know.

James gave him a bright smile, “Thomas has business to attend to. You’d better get going. You told him you’d meet him at yours at half eleven.”

*****

It was quarter to midnight when I finally arrived home. Apparently, taxis were in great demand on Hogmanay. It had taken ages to locate one to take me home. I paid the driver and climbed out, freezing as I saw Dougie get up from the doorstep where he had been sitting. “I am so sorry. Traffic was hell.”

“No problem. I understand.” He gave me a week smile, “Where were you?” I’d totally forgotten that he would be home for New Year as well, not that I was making a point of talking to him lately…

“At a club up town.” I shrugged, “It was so hard to flag down a taxi, and we only did in the end because it almost ran Matt over.”

He looked amused, “You were out with Matt?”

“And James,” I defended, stepping forward to open the door to let us into the house. “Why did you text me?”

He shrugged, “Didn’t want to see in New Year alone.”

I smiled at him, “Me, neither. Come on.” I stepped back to let him past.

He peered into the living room, “Where’s your mum?”

“She went out.” I leant against the wall, “Want a drink?” He started to shake his head, but I grinned, “We got in Smirnoff Ices…?”

His lips curved, “Okay. See in the New Year.”