been thousands of pounds worth of designer clothes: t-shirts, jackets, jeans and shoes. I even found a brand new pair of Ray Ban’s.
I picked a knitted beige jumper and checked the tag.?249.99
I let out a disbelieving laugh. Someone must really like me.
I looked around to see who was about. The street seemed empty. Even Mikey was blocked from view, so I shrugged off my clothes and slipped into the jumper and a pair of jeans I’d found in another bag. I finished with a black leather jacket and matching shoes. Everything fitted perfectly. I shut the boot and walked back to my old car. “What’s going on…where did you get those?” Mikey quizzed, a deep frown etched in his face. I leaned against the door and grinned. “How do you feel about sports cars?”
The engine roared as I gunned down the road. The car was so fast I wouldn’t normally have been able to handle it — I’d only had my licence a few months. But something was different now. I seemed to know exactly what to do at every possible point — when to drop a gear, accelerate, when to brake. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Mikey staring at me wearing a look of disbelief.
“Listen,” I said, taking a corner a little too fast, “before you ask, I still don't know what’s going on. A letter arrived today with the keys and this note inside.” I handed him the fold of paper. “That's all I can say. But if someone gave you all this stuff, would you say no?”
He scanned the words and shrugged. “Depends on what they wanted in return. I mean, why else would they do all this?”
I paused. With everything going on, the thought that there may be a catch hadn’t even occurred to me.
What could they possibly want from me?
“Do you think it could be some kind of government experiment?” Mikey asked, fiddling with the CD player. “It would explain the reason you were taken and why you have all these sick abilities.”
I lifted a hand off the wheel and pinched at the bridge of my nose. “Maybe. I mean it’s possible, I guess. Argghh I don’t know!” I hit the wheel with the palm of my hand. “Screw it; I’m going to enjoy this while I can.” Mikey gave an approving nod. “That’s what I’d do.” The CD activated and the soft rock intro of ‘Rise’ by Soulfire filled the plush interior. Mikey raised an eyebrow. “Yours?” “Nope.” He settled back into his seat as we gunned past another car. “Well they certainly know you.”
Eyes bulged and jaws dropped as the car rolled through the gates of Chapter Hill School. I parked near the main steps, buzzing from all the gawping stares. As Mikey pushed open the door, he turned and looked at me.
“Quick one, how do you plan to keep this from Mum and Dad?” I shrugged. “I’ll swap it for the Peugeot whenever I drive home.” “And what do we tell everyone else?” “Tell them a rich Uncle on my Dad’s side died and left me money.” Mikey smiled. “Got all the answers these days huh?” He patted me on the shoulder and climbed out.
Not all of them.
People stared even harder when I slipped out of the sleek sports car and flicked the alarm. With a large smile etched on my face, I weaved past them and up the main steps. As I made my way through the school, people glanced up and social circles stopped talking to stare. It was an odd sensation, being the focus so many people, but minus the suffocating feeling of awkwardness. This must be what actual confidence feels like. As I turned the corner, I saw a familiar blonde topped shape ahead of me. “Tim!” I shouted and caught up with him. “Yeah?” he said, turning and regarding me with a momentary blank expression. His eyes widened. “Alex?” “The one and only,” I smiled. “Miss me?” He shook his head in disbelief. “Mate what happened, you look so different!”
I’d been confused and in need of support when I’d confided in Mikey. Now I had a better handle on things, it seemed better to keep the circle of trust tight. At least until I knew more. So I decided not to tell Tim — yet. Instead, I fed him the exact same story I’d used on Mum and John, with the rich Uncle bit tacked on the end. Explained how I’d used some of the money to pay for the expensive private retreat. I must have spoken with conviction, because he didn’t even frown.
“Well rest assured mate, it was money well spent.”
I killed a free period in the sixth form common room, sitting on a worn sofa, flicking through an old FHM magazine someone had left on the counter. Out of the corner of my eye I spied a group of girls staring at me and giggling. One of them — Grace Evans, shared my History class. She was pretty. Not Gabriella pretty, but very attractive by mere human standards. I’d never so much as exchanged a single vowel with her before, but she was certainly paying me attention now. She ran a hand through her wavy auburn hair and flicked her eyes between me and her group. After a while she made her way over to me. Normally that would have been the exact point in which I started sweating and said something mortally embarrassing. None of that happened. My heart rate didn’t even increase. I lowered the magazine and looked up. She stood in front of me, clutching at her bag strap and dug the heel of a boot into the carpet. “You’re Alex Eden right?” she said, with what sounded incredibly like nerves in her voice. “I am. And you’re Grace Evans.” She giggled. “Yeah, that’s me. We have History together.” I nodded.
“You um…you look different,” she said awkwardly, twisting the strap of her bag between her fingers. “Like in a really good way — I mean you look really good.”
It was the first time a girl had ever referred to my looks in a positive way. The unexpected compliment raised my already good mood up a few notches.
I grinned. “Thanks Grace.”
“Ha, um, you’re welcome.” She glanced over at the group, someone signed something to her. “Oh, I heard you have a sports car. Is that true?”
Wow, that was fast. “It’s true, I do.” She suppressed another giggle. “Wow that’s so cool. Um, sorry for asking, but how can you afford that?” “Oh, a rich uncle died and left me some money,” I lied with complete confidence.
“Wow, amazing! I mean — no, wait…that’s not amazing him dying and that. But leaving you money, that’s amazing.”
I smiled again.
“So anyway…I mean we don’t really know each other, but I was wondering if…well if you wanted to go for a drink some time?”
First I’d been complimented and now the same girl was asking me out. I was deep in unexplored territory — a surreal experience. I stared at her, unable to produce an answer. “Um look, don’t worry about it,” Grace said, her cheeks flushing. “Sorry for bothering you.” She swung on her heel and started to walk away. “Okay,” I blurted. Grace spun back round, a smile forming. “Great! Um well, do you want my number or something?” “Sure.” I slid my phone out of my pocket and we exchanged numbers.
“Cool, well, text me or something. I’ll see you soon,” she said and hurried back to the safety of the herd. They were all giggling and she went more and more red, trying to shush them.
I paused for a moment, struggling to believe what had just happened. I’d been asked out within an hour of attempting to re-invent myself. It was unbelievable. The notion that it was all very superficial was not lost on me, my improved look and car clearly playing a large part, but I was an seventeen year old brimming with hormones — I wasn’t about to get all resentful about it.
Without warning, my heart began to hammer against my chest and a sheen of sweat appeared on my palms. A delayed response. Tossing the magazine aside, I unsteadily left the common room before my body could give me away.
I headed to the bathrooms and splashed cold water on my face, to calm myself down. Maybe this is what they mean about my body adjusting I thought, through the dizziness. I stayed there, clutching the sink for a few minutes until the sensations passed. I wiped my face with paper towels from the dispenser and stared at my reflection in the mirror.
“Keep it together Alex.”
After weaving my way through the crowds, I reached the science department. My heart thumped louder with each step I made towards the classroom. In my mind I tried to imagine what she would be wearing, how her hair would be done. My heart sank as I reached the door. Full class — no Gabriella.
The gossip machine had been running at full speed. Half a dozen people came up to me and I had to repeat
