Everybody knows Jake West is always a second choice for Annabelle Chantarat, but when Year 11 starts and new girl Alice Hang enters the picture, Jake gets an epiphany, and suddenly, he's not second best anymore.
Honestly, Jake doesn't think much abo...
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"Do you know what it costs me to be here right now?"
"What are you doing here?" Jake rolls his eyes and ignores James who looks like he's about to puke.
"You're lowering my market price here, mate." With a deer caught in a headlight expression, James awkwardly trails behind him as he walks out of Camden's Shopping Centre's food court.
There's a good reason why people in Preston doesn't bother to step foot in Camden. Their neighbor suburb looks like it never ages past the 80's with its small square tiles and heavy block fixtures. Except for Coles' and Hungry Jacks stand at the food court, there's nothing else worth visiting. If he wasn't watching his diet for the All School Swimming Championship first qualification round next month, he probably would've passed on the Chinese Takeaway shop too.
"What's wrong with this place? It's a food court." Jake purposely deadpans, knowing it would trigger James' even further.
"Exactly! It's a tiny, sectioned food place, and in Camden too for God's sake! I can't be seen in a place like this..." James sighs desperately. "I'm supposed to be scarce, a myth, like a dinosaur!"
"What? Dinosaurs aren't myths, you do know that right?" Jake narrows his eyes suspiciously at James before opening his takeaway box and starts eating. He didn't have lunch before his second practice today so he's seconds away from plunging head first to the ground.
"Doesn't matter!" James grits his teeth and takes a hesitant glance around their surroundings. "Oh, God, we have got to get out of here right now... what the fuck are you doing here, mate?"
Jake doesn't answer and he changes the subject by giving James the cold drink that the Chinese Takeaway Lady gives as a bonus earlier. "You don't have to be here if you don't want to. Why d'ya follow me?" He mumbles with a full mouth.
"Well, somebody has to make sure you're still breathing." James doesn't hold back on his judging tone and looks at him with one eyebrow angled high to stress his point. "Dear, God, what the fuck is this?"
"Barley water."
James winces in disgust.
"It's just like soy beans... you never had it?"
"Urgh... I'm not gonna say anything, just take it back." James scrambles to avoid being seen in public and enters the first shop that displays a coffee machine. To his surprise, the rest of his gang shows up, and they're suddenly hanging out there.
Between his swimming schedule, James internship at their MP's office, Max's part time hours at his dad's firm, Aslan's Youth Football training, Desmond's Debate Club, and Bataar's daily tennis hits, it's very hard to find a time that works for all of them, and on the off chance that they manage to meet up, a place like this surely wouldn't take preference.
"Hey, why's everyone here?" He mutters to James quietly when everyone's ordering at the counter.
