Baby May

Focus

September 2003

"Mind if I join you?" Victoria and Alyssia look up from their conversation to see Ben standing by the spare seat next to Alyssia.

"Go ahead," Alyssia moves her bag off it and the blonde takes a seat putting his lunch tray down, "How was your summer?"

Without him needing to answer she can tell he's been working out over the summer, the once cute baby faced school crush is turning into a hot, muscular and nicely tanned heartthrob.

Alyssia can't help smirking as Victoria looks to be in mental agony, she can't understand why the mousy blonde hasn't made a move on him yet. Maybe it's because he's in the year below but it's painful for her and Zoe to watch, amusing too.

"It was good, busy. Is it true about Toby?" Ben and Toby became good mates over during the time he was Toby's year seven buddy.

"Did he not tell you?" She would have thought Ben knew considering they're mates.

"He sent me a brief text but we didn't have time to meet up before he left as I was on holiday," That explains the tan, "So he told me to get the full details from you."

"Then yes, he's gone to Australia until his mum can find someone for him to stay with over here," It's only been two weeks since Toby left and she already misses him, "But he should be back before we go into year 10."

A year is going to be hard, the thing that worries her most is that he'll meet someone else and not come back at all. But she has to trust that he will or she'll end up back in rehab.

"I talked to her," Zoe runs over to join her friends ready to burst with excitement, "I did it."

"Whoa, slow down," Alyssia calms her down.

"Who's she on about?" Ben laughs, he's used to Zoe's weirdness by now.

"Paige!" Zoe answer as if it were obvious, "She's in my language class again this year and we had to pair up, I finally talked to her."

"Ooh..." They instantly catch on to Zoe's wavelength, "This is clearly a girls conversation so I'm going to go," Ben stands taking his tray with him, "See you around, Lissy."

"It's taken you an entire year to finally to her?" Victoria's jaw drops.

After Zoe came out official earlier in the year, they assumed that any romance in her life she kept to herself but obviously not.

"Um... excuse me, Vicky," Alyssia chimes in smirking, "I do believe you've been harbouring a crush on a certain year seven student for the past year and haven't done anything," She directs her eyes to the blonde that just left the table and joined his other friends.

Victoria recoils, mumbling, "At least I've spoken to him."

Alyssia rolls her eyes and lets the eagerly waiting redhead continue, "So how did it go with Paige?"

"Really well," Zoe lurches into a full description of events.

------

With Zoe heading to swimming practice and Victoria going out with her mum, Alyssia walks home from school alone. That is until she heard someone calling her name paired with hurried footsteps.

She turns towards Ben trying to catch up with her, "Hey, can I walk with you?"

"Are you checking up on me?" She's starting to feel that way, he doesn't usually bother with her when Toby isn't around.

Looking at the ground awkwardly, he tries to figure out what to say, "The truth please, Ben," She can see his brain trying to put together a lie.

He sighs not knowing what else to say, "Toby asked me to look after you?"