Chapter Three

Ignoring him worked, I didn't speak to him much, and made an effort not to sit next to him in lessons. He cornered me one Friday when we were in the lift back at Parker. Grabbing me by the arm he steered me out of the lift and down the 2nd floor corridor. He opened the door to his room and pushed me inside, then he turned to face me.

"You're ignoring me, why?"

"I… I'm not."

I tried to move past him but he stopped me by standing in front of the door.

"You're doing it now. "

"I don't want to ignore you, I just.. I want to be friends ok?"

"So do I" he said.

"Good"

"So are you going to tell me why you were ignoring me?" he asked

"It's nothing" I paused.

"You sure?"
"Yep" I forced a smile.

Di came over later that day, and we decided to go to the cinema that evening, both of us had had a big Geography test, and wanted a break. It wasn't long before the whole crew had decided to come, and so at 7 o'clock, we all met up at the usual spot by the lake.

We were allowed out on weekends, so we had rung up cabs, rather than getting the illegal bus. Jackson and I sat in the backseat of one, while Di sat in the front.

"I don't really know you that well" said Jackson

"Is that an observation or a question?" I chuckled

"Both I guess"

"I'm quite unexceptional really"

"I oppose that."

"Well what about you then? Captain of the football team? Quite an accomplishment!"

"I'm Captain because I practice in my free time. There's nothing remarkable in that"

There was a pause, during which I checked my phone.

"He likes you, you know that right?"

"Um, I.." I was taken aback at his bluntness

"Please Hayley, don't insult your intelligence by pretending you can't see through Kit's vague pretences. He's like an open book"

"Give it up Jackson" said Di. I had totally forgotten she was in the car.

The film was good, but awkward at the same time. It was a horror film, and I was scared shitless. Kit got wind of this and put his arm around me in the first few minutes. I was grateful, but I still felt like I was doing something wrong. Kit was making it hard for me to think of him as just a friend.

On the way back, Jackson had swapped cabs with Kit so that he could be in a car with Harris. We arrived back at the school at around 20 past 11, we still had 40 minutes until we all had to be in our rooms. I decided to have a shower before bed. I was in the process of walking back to Parker when someone walked up behind me.

"You haven't been down to the boat shack yet have you Brooks?" said Kit

"I don't think so" I said.

"Well now's your chance" he laughed, and picked me up in a fireman's hold

"Put me down!" I squealed, and kicked

"Oo, watch out boys, she's a kicker" Kit said, unfazed. Harris laughed, and followed us down the steps by the lake, where some canoes were bobbing in the water. Harris ran into the boathouse whilst we all walked around it to the boat shack to a long dock where a load of cushions were laid out.

We sat on the dock, and drank a little bottle of vodka that Harris got from the boathouse. Once it was empty we decided to play spin the bottle, and we laughed about how we behaved like little kids staying up late at a sleepover. The bottle landed on Di and Harris first, then Jackson and Di, then Kit and I. Before I could have doubts or feel awkward, Kit pulled me into him and put his lips to mine. He parted his mouth and pushed my lips open with his. I didn't pull back, and he clearly took this as a sign that he could continue, and pushed his tongue into my mouth, swirling it around mine. He tasted like bubblegum, mixed with the vodka that was left in his mouth, it tasted much better on him than it had when I drank it.

"Steady on you two" shouted Harris

We parted, and everyone clapped. Jackson clapped Kit on the back, laughing. I looked at Rose, who was laughing along with everyone else.

It was around 3 o'clock when the lights by the boathouse turned on. My head was spinning, I had never been so drunk in my life. I heard voices, and we had about a minutes notice before Raya, the head prefect walked around the corner with a torch. She marched up to us and began shouting, and threatening detention. Her torch landed on Kit's face, and her voice faltered.

"Oh Kit. It's you, um sorry I didn't realise"

"It's fine Raya, we were just leaving anyway" he spoke with such ease, far from how someone who had just been caught would usually speak

"Take your time, but if anyone asks, I never saw you ok?"

"Your secret's safe with me" he winked, and she turned back and walked back up the path.

The next day Rose came up to me at breakfast and invited me to KFC again.

"Yeah sure."

"I think he likes you Hayley"

"What?" I asked, knowing in the back of my mind that she was right.

"Oh come on, you don't have to act all innocent for me, I was there last night remember?" she said

"Oh yeah" I said, remembering how Kit had kissed me. "Nothing else is going to happen though"

"Fine, but I am over him, you know that right?"

"Yeah I know, but I'd never go there. He doesn't seem like great boyfriend material, and I don't think of him like that" I said, biting my lip.

"Whatever" she said, clearly teasing me.

We walked to History together, where I tried to avoid Kit's eyes for a solid hour, and only realised that we had a test next lesson when Rose passed me a revision sheet.

"Shit." I said, under my breath. "I'm so behind, what am I supposed to do?"

"It's ok hun, we can revise together. Although.." she said looking over my shoulder "Looks like the best tutor in the school would be happy to help." she winked at me, stood up, and skipped out of the classroom. I was just wondering what she meant when I saw Kit ambling over to me. He sat down on the desk in front of me.

"So Brooks, want to help me study?" he asked me.

"Uh, in case you hadn't realised I'm a bit behind Kit" I replied

"So what, you've picked up everything over the past week pretty quickly, and I need all the help I can get" I remembered what Rose had said about him being the 'best tutor in the school' and felt that this might not all be about the upcoming test. I knew I should say no, but instead I urged myself to agree. Kit smiled his boyish grin, and said

"Great, thanks Brooks. Come over to my room after dinner yeah?" he walked away, chuckling again.

"Please tell me it's true" said Rose as she bounded up to me at dinner

"What's true?"

"Are you going to study with Kit later or not?"

"God, you make it sound like a big deal. Yes, I am. He asked me for help." I said, and Rose burst out laughing

"Sorry Hayley, but Kit asked you for help? You know he's here on scholarship right? He's the cleverest guy in the year and he's asking you for History help?" Rose carried on laughing

"Stop laughing!" I said "Maybe he's clever because a lot of people help him! You never know, he might really not get Weimar Germany!" I said indignantly, trying to convince myself more that anyone, but this just made Rose laugh even harder.

"It's official. He wants you." she said, after her fits of giggles subsided.

"He doesn't. I'm never going there.. no offence"

"None taken, I wouldn't either if I could change what happened" she said. "He is a good guy though Hayley, he just makes shit decisions, and then feels really guilty afterwards."

"Yeah OK, but I'm not really looking for that kind of relationship at the moment anyway"