“Why?”
“I freaked out last night when I forgot to ask for your number,” he laughs awkwardly. “The idea of driving to your bus stop and finding you weren’t there scared me. At least if I have your number, I won’t freak out if something comes up on your end. You can just text me if you’re late.”
“You’re going to pick me up again?”
“Yeah—also, I’ll wait for you at the entrance to the school car park as well. Do you have work? I’ll take you.”
“Isn’t this inconvenient for you?”
“No. Why?”
“Where do you live?”
“You know the street across from the main entrance to the supermarket?”
I nod.
“Go down that street, and it’s the third street on the right. I live about four houses down on the left. So, for your information, Noya, doing this is no skin off my nose. I actually like it.”
“Why?”
“It means I spend time with the mysterious Noya.”
I give him a tight-lipped smile while looking down at my coffee. We exchange numbers.
“Are you finished?” he says once I set the phone down. With another nod, I place the wrappers in the bag, but keep my coffee. Conner puts them in the bin, and when he returns, we leave the parking lot and head towards the school.
I don’t like standing out, but Conner makes it apparent he’s entering the school.
Apart from being one of the few flashy cars, he doesn’t care who listens to his music as he carelessly swerves into the car park and parks in the student parking lot on the side of the carpark. It faces the fence overlooking the sports oval. Students run around, kicking the football.
“So, lunch is after art. We can walk together to where my friends are.”
I nod, unable to speak.
“Are you okay?”
“Everyone will notice me leaving this car.” I tighten my grip on the strap of my school bag. “I don’t like people noticing me.”
“If anyone causes you problems, tell me. After all, I am the school captain.”
It won’t help the staring.
People staring is the worst. But I keep Conner from worrying by nodding as I shuffle out of the car, then I power-walk away from him. I sense him following, but I make my escape when a few guys from his year call him over to the car they’re hanging out at.
Samantha and Dylan notice me when I exit the car park gates and make their way over to me. Samantha darts a look at me and then behind, putting two and two together. Her brown eyes widen, and every freckle on her face creases her forehead as she says my name.
“Hey! Were you in Conner’s car?” she asks when she walks beside me.
“Yeah…”
“When did that happen? I didn’t know you guys talked.”
“We bumped into each other when I was working, and he offered me a lift to school this morning.”
“Wylan told me he stopped at the bus stop yesterday afternoon and asked you to get in,” Dylan inputs.
Please, Dylan. I don’t want to keep talking about this. Samantha’s eyes widen even more, and I imagine them popping on impact and rolling across the dirt-covered path.