The Other Sister (Hawke Brothers Series- Book 1)

03: Popcorn & Horror Movies

February 3rd 1992

age 12.

Lachlan.

     Fuck!

     Walking back towards the table Cam and the two other boys I've recently become friends with, I can't help but feel defeated. More like stupid. The questions railing through my head with each step closer to my spot. How could I not know that Hazel had a boyfriend? The bigger question is, why didn't she tell me? I know I'm not the most important guy in her life, but I thought I made the list high enough to know that knowledge.

     The churning in my stomach gets tighter when I think about the fact that I could've gone up to and ask her on a date, only for her to reject me and tell me all this herself. Nah ah, I don't like that image in my head at all. Maybe this was a sign from the man up above. Maybe shoving me into Lilly's direction was his way of letting me down easy. Or maybe he was pushing me towards the right sister.

     God, even that thought alone makes me sick, not because Lilly isn't one of the prettiest girls in our school, cause she is. But because I was so stupidly crushing on her twin sister only a few seconds ago, and now I've agreed to go on a date with her.

     This is all so confusing.

     "Well you look like a greenie." Cam yells across the backsquat, his long tanned arms leaning out against the picnic table in front.

     Glancing a look towards the table, my head bowing in embarrassment and shame, I'm met with three pairs of eyes. The first pair I lock with are Cam's, two light blue ocean eyes swimming with a hint of concern and but mostly amusement. I follow along the line of three body's, my stare falling onto a pair of dark green eyes belonging to our new best mate Smithy, aka Elijah Smith, although he prefers to be called Smithy. And then I'm met with Cal Tone's dark grey eyes, that look like he'd rather be sitting inside at the canteen tables instead of the backsquat, but we're only eighters, we don't have the canteen privilege for another two years.

     Lowering my body onto the green benched picnic table, I look up to see all three of them still glaring at me. "What?" I ask, my tone sounding a little irritated. But heck, I am irritated. I just found out the girl I've been crushing on for the last week has a boyfriend, and now I'm going on a date with her twin sister.

     Her very pretty twin sister, my brain reminds me.

     Cameron's the first one to speak up, his already hit puberty voice striking me with concern. "You look like a greenie, and normally I'd be cool with you being all in the shitter, but you were bloody excited this morning." He says like the observant asshole he is. "Like so excited I thought you were off your rocket."

     "Off his what?" Cal asks. The blonde boy is from the busy main city a few hours away, and seeming that he and his parents only just moved here, he hasn't picked up on our outback slangs yet.

     Cameron sighs, his dark tanned skin shining brightly as the midday sun hits it. "Means I thought he was on something, Tones." He says, before shifting his attention to me, a dawning look gracing his expression. "You weren't, were you?"

     "Jesus no, I'm not a bloody idiot Cam." I say, defending myself.

     "Then what's got you in a twister?" This question comes from Smithy, seeming somewhat interested in what I have to say.

     I don't know Smithy or Cal well enough to judge if they are good guys to be friends with, but they both play rugby which means they have some sort of credit with me. And Cam really likes Smithy, he thinks the guy is bloody hilarious, although I'm yet the hear a joke come out of the ranga's mouth.