Whirlwind

(4) rude welcome

LIBBY

***

As the names were read out, and people headed off to their groups, my mood was beginning to deflate.

And then as the list came to an end and everyone starts to file out, mine still hadn't been read out. I was panicking slightly, wondering if I'd given UNCW the wrong flight details, but then I definitely hadn't. I was sure if it. Knowing myself, I knew I checked it three times.

When the last group, including Steph, all start to move off, I force myself to say something, even though I hate making a fuss.

"Oh... Erm, excuse me?" My voice sounds so small and unrecognisable. "You haven't read out my name."

The girl with the clipboard, probably the team leader, starts to get flustered as various groups start to head out the door, back into the rain.

I think she's about to say I can come with her, even though I can see she already has five, but then I see a hand raise out of the corner of my eye.

The hand belongs to a very different looking boy to what I was expecting. He looks completely different to the other volunteers. He's dressed in all black, he has uncaring slump to his shoulders and he has carelessly tousled wet hair. And I'd say it wasn't his first choice to be here.

"Thank you," I say with a bit more surety, and I see a grin creep across his face. His cheeks pink as well as I notice clipboard girl goes silent.

I wouldn't have said he's an obviously-attractive boy, but if he held himself like the other boys, he could certainly be my type. He has a thick mop of brown hair that he's using to cover most of his face, and he has stunning, bright green eyes. I can just about see he's muscular underneath his all-black ensemble, a black hoodie covers a black Black Sabbath t-shirt, and he's wearing black skinny jeans with one hole in the knee and another rip on his thigh. But what affects me most is that he has seems to have an air of nervousness. But I see he's disguising it by channeling it into hostility and belligerence as he declines Steph's request to help her with her bags.

He stalks off in front of us, ruffling his fringe slightly to get it out of his eyes. The others follow on his heels, eager to get outside. It's still raining, but it's not as heavy as before.

"Can I borrow your jumper again?" Steph asks and I smile, handing it to her. It's still soaking but I suppose it's still a buffer from this North Carolina monsoon.

She smiles back gratefully, and I hold the door open for her after the boy in black refuses to hold it for anyone.

His truck is in the furthest space away from the building as he could probably manage. And from the smirk on his face I'm guessing he had done it on purpose. And then I know he did it on purpose when he doesn't offer to help anybody lift their cases into the bed of the truck, despite all of ours being extremely heavy. I lug mine in, making sure not to throw it, and then help Steph, Hamish and Amir with theirs. Jason lifts his himself with ease and then all four of them get in the back seat before I can ask.

I roll my eyes at my bad luck and I'm about to ask Steph to switch with me when I hear the engine of the truck start. I look at him in the driver's and he revs, rather impatiently, trying to get me into the car. I scowl at him as he looks away but I move towards the truck before he drives away and leaves me here.

"God's sake," I yank on the handle forcefully and pull myself up into the front seat.

Without checking if I'm buckled in, he reverses out the parking space and dashes out of the car park, making me fall around in the seat.