Shimmer (boyxboy/alien)

Chapter 4: Looking for Vinnie

"I'm not obsessed!"

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Joe lets his bag drop by his desk in his maths class. He had not seen Vinnie since that night, not that he cared, not one bit. Well...that's what he kept telling himself.

"Ok ok, settle down!" The teacher, Mr Sommers now enters the class, making everyone hush just a little and focus towards the front, but he is not alone. Just shy of the teacher is a guy. A guy with platinum blond hair. He has a flawless complexion and appears to be dressed in designer labels.

Joe recognises him instantly as the guy from the party. The 'epicenter' guy, he thought to himself. He watches as the guy looks around the room, adorning an infectious smile, making some of his classmates swoon in adoration. He then locks eyes with Joe momentarily, the smile faltering a little, before he again looks away.

"This is Austin Lee" the teacher announces. "Please make him welcome!" The new guy, Austin Lee nods at the teacher, before nodding towards his peers as he makes his way towards a vacant seat adjacent to Joe, his bag clutched tightly to his chest as he goes.

Joe watches as the guy settles into the new seat at the desk next to him, taking out his pens and notepad and placing his bag back on the floor. He smiles weakly at Joe once again, but all Joe can do is look back at him with suspicion. There just seemed to be something not quite right about him.

He seemed to be the only one who thought this as he gazed around the classroom to again see eyes settling upon Austin. People! Joe would never understand people and their shallow fascinations.

***

As he leaves the class for break, Joe heads on down the corridor, eyes trained to seek out the guy who didn't seem to want to leave his mind, but he's nowhere to be seen. Joe is so focused on looking everywhere else but in front of him that he doesn't even notice his friend stood, leaning against the wall by the cafeteria doors. "Hey! Hey Joe!" Alan says, a little put out by the blank expression.

"Oh, sorry." Joe apologises, the words there, but the tone is unconvincing.

"What's up with you?" Alan adds. "You've been away with the fairies since the party."

"Vinnie...the guy..." Joe tales off, still frantically scanning the corridor he had just walked down.

"Vinnie Vinnie Vinnie! I swear you're obsessed!" Alan says with a half chuckle.

"I'm not obsessed!" Joe says defensively. "You didn't see him that night. He was beaten so badly."

"Whoa, wait! Beaten? You mean like assaulted?" Alan now wishes he had probed Joe a little more before the party.

"Yeah but, he...uh...how can I explain?" Joe seems to appear a little lost, like he can't put his thoughts together. "He was unconscious when I found him. He had this earpiece...like an earring and there was someone on the other end and....he had to drink this stuff. I mean I had to give him this stuff and he went whoosh and just woke up and ran away." Joe now looks up at Alan, whose mouth was slightly open in confusion.

"Joe, are you sure you're not the one who got hit?"

Joe glares at his friend, choosing not to reply to the comment. "I just need to find him, but he's nowhere." He then sees the platinum haired boy walking in their direction. Already not shy of a few companions. "He's getting on my nerves." He mutters under his breath.

Alan shakes his head, recognising the popular face from the party. "Jealous?" He questions.

Joe scoffs at the remark "No, just, ahh he's a little too perfect don't you think? It's really unnerving." They both watch as Austin flashes his pearly whites at a few girls, before flicking his hair from his face with a simple head move.

"Whatever." Alan huffs, now, heading into the cafeteria, adding. "If you really wanna find this guy, just go and ask at the school office or something." Joe straightens up a little. Alan actually came up with a good idea!

Deciding not to follow his friend into the cafeteria, Joe heads back up the corridor, heading towards the school office. He reaches a wooden door with a slender glass panel and pushes on it slightly, letting himself in. This catches the attention of a couple of school staff members, who look up at the unexpected intrusion. No student usually entered the office of their own accord. It was usually because they had been caught, usually doing something they shouldn't have. "Can I help you?" A man with a smart casual appearance swivels his chair and gets to standing.

"Uuuh..." Joe suddenly feels like he doesn't quite know what to say. The man continues to look at him expectantly, which prompts Joe to at least say something. "I'm looking for someone... a fellow student" he begins with.

"Who are you looking for?" The man enquiries.

"Vinnie. I don't know his last name. He's not come into school today, I wondered if he was ok, I...I wondered if I could have maybe his address or something?" Joe says with a slight clear to his throat.

"Well, I can't really give you personal information." The man replies, a look of mild compassion on his face.

"Ok, thanks." (For nothing) Joe looks away, heading out the door. This may be more of a challenge than he thought...