Sometimes

Chapter six

I was glad to get off the bus, even if it meant I only had enough time to raid the cupboards for a quick bite to eat before I settled down to finish my English essay.

    Cassie had talked nonstop about Sonny and it had been cringe worthy to say the least.  I’d just nodded and pretended to listen to her so called advice.  There’s no way I’m wearing heels to the next band practise, even if they do make my legs look longer.

    I heard Leanne come home around half eleven.  I was just saving my document on the laptop when the floor board sounded outside my door.

    “Harri,” Leanne hissed.  “Can I come in?”

    “One minute.”  I got up from my desk and tied my dressing gown around me.  “Alright.”

My door creaked open and Leanne stumbled in.  Her hair was a mess and she was only wearing one sock.  Oh dear.

    “Where’s your other sock?” I asked.

Leanne looked down at her feet and frowned.  “I think Warren used it to mop up the drink he spilt.”

    “Really, Leanne.  You’re drunk.”  I rolled my eyes at her and pulled her down to sit on my bed with me.

    “No, Harri.  I’m not.”  She swayed a little in her seat.  “I’m just tipsy.  I only had a couple of vodkas.  We were celebrating Aiden joining the band.”

    “How did you get home?” I asked, watching as she tried to untangle her vivid red hair with her fingers. 

    “Sonny gave us a lift.”

My heart beat faster at the sound of his name.  “He drove while drunk?”

Leanne waved a hand at me.  “He only had one.  That’s not against the law.”

    “It’s still stupid.”  I got up and checked the landing.  Mum and Dad were still watching TV downstairs.  How they hadn’t heard her come in was a mystery to me. 

    “Aiden said he couldn’t believe we were sisters,” Leanne said.

I turned back around and closed my door.  “Yeah, I know.”

    “He said we’re so different, ‘cause I’m all rock rebel and you’re so serious all the time.  He said he tried to talk to you in lessons but all you want to do is work.”

It felt like someone had just stabbed me in the back.  I didn’t even know Aiden that well, yet I’d been nice enough to him; defending him when Cassie had called him a pervert.  And what did he think we were in class for?  If I didn’t do the work in lesson time, then it would only mean that I had to do it at home.  I glanced over at my desk and at the laptop.  If he hadn’t disrupted me in lesson time then I could have gone to bed an hour ago. 

    I felt a tug on my dressing gown and I looked to see Leanne standing next to me.  She was squinting down at me with a smile.

    “I told him he was wrong though.  I said you can be fun when you want to be.”  She patted my head and ambled towards the door.  “See you in the morning, chick.”

I half smiled at the back of her head and watched as she tried to make it to her room in one piece.  “Night, Leanne,” I whispered.

At least someone gets me.

                                                                         ***

    I didn’t know how to react when Aiden smiled at me as I arrived at my English class the next day.  Part of me wanted to be rude to him, because he’d called me serious.  But on the other hand, I didn’t want to fall out with him and have to sit next to someone I despised for the rest of the college year.