“What happened a year ago?” I ask as Landon unlocks the car.
“Nothing,” he says far too quickly and basically runs to the door of his car and gets in. I shake my head at him and get in the passenger side, doing my seatbelt up as I slide my bag between my legs. I watch him as he puts his seatbelt on and starts the car, and I see how worried he looks. How upset he looks, and I know I did that to him. I sigh as I realize that I can’t expect Landon to tell me his brothers secrets. I want Landon as my friend, despite whatever weird things are going on in his family. I know they have secrets, but it’s not like I’ve told them about my year in and out of therapy because of the car crash. It’s not like I’m brave enough to tell them about the glowing blue marks on my body. I stare at my reflection in the window, as Landon drives us out of school, and see the very blue glowing mark on my forehead staring back at me. The blue reflects against my dark pink hair, and it reminds me how I wish I could go back to being normal. I don’t even remember myself as the blonde girl who enjoyed swimming, had friends and a relatively normal life.
“Fine, you don’t have to tell me. I will figure Maxx out on my own,” I whisper to Landon, who stops at the light and flashes me a relieved look.
“Thank you. I know we are weird, but I can tell you now that I will always be a good friend to you,” Landon replies.
“A good, weird friend. I would like that. I’m not exactly normal myself, I mean I have pink hair, a nose piercing and argue with your brother a lot,” I say.
“The pink suits you, so does the nose piercing,” he replies, winking at me. It’s not flirty, because that isn’t what is between Landon and me. I know he is only my friend, and even compliments seem tamer than if Maxx said them to me. Maxx makes my heart pound when he walks in the damn room, and it annoys me that I don’t know how to stop it from happening.
“Honestly? The nose piercing was a random, crazy decision I made when I walked past a piercing place that was having a sale,” I admit.
“Isn’t being a teenager all about being random and crazy?” Landon replies. “I never do anything like that though. I’m too boring.”
“I don’t think you’re boring at all,” I tell him, and he shakes his head at me.
“I need to go to the store to get some food, but I’ve had a craving for cupcakes since you brought over that one. Wanna come with me?” he asks and quickly adds, “Or I can drop you home first. It’s your choice.”
“I’d love to come with you. Those cupcakes were awesome,” I answer, and Landon turns right down a road that leads away from our houses.
“Awesome,” he replies.
“Can I ask you something?” I ask.
“Sure,” Landon says, shrugging.
“What is your favorite movie?” I ask and watch how he seems relieved. “I thought we could go back to mine after this and rent it.”
“My favorite movie changes regularly, but currently it is The Hunger Games and no need to rent it, I have it on DVD. We can watch it back at mine if you want,” he says.
“I’d love to,” I reply.
“Now, what is your favorite movie?” he asks.
“Hmm,” I say, thinking about it. “I really love an old movie called My Best Friend’s Girl.”
“I’ve never watched it, but Maxx loves all those old rom com movies. I bet he has it hidden in his secret stash of movies,” Landon says, and I smile.
“I wouldn’t have put Maxx down as a rom com fan,” I admit.
“You don’t know him well enough yet,” Landon tells me and winks as he pulls the car up in front of the superstore.
“That’s because I’ve only just met you guys,” I joke, and Landon bumps my shoulder as he pulls the keys out.
“And you love me so much already. By next week we will be watching movies in our pajamas and eating ice cream together with one spoon,” he jokes, and I laugh as I undo my seatbelt, before getting out of the car. I grab my bag and slide it over my shoulder before shutting the door, and Landon locks the car with his key fob.
“It’s weird that I haven’t actually been into the town yet,” I say as I walk to Landon’s side, and he grabs a trolley that someone left out, pushing it in front of us.
“There isn’t much to see, and the people are just nosy anyway,” Landon says.
“I heard some girls talking about someone going missing,” I reply, and Landon tenses up a little.
“Abby was dating a guy, and he didn’t go missing, he just left town when they broke up. The girls at school think Abby did something to make him disappear, but she didn’t. Abby was, and still is, heartbroken from it,” he tells me.
“I’m sorry for her. She seems strong and…well, as bitchy as Iris,” I mutter.
“A defense mechanism,” Landon says, shrugging his shoulders. “I’ve never had the chance to love someone, let alone lose them. So, I can’t understand how she feels.” I pick up a bag of popcorn that is on sale in the first aisle as I muse over his words. When I think about it more, I feel nothing but sorry for Abby.
“Get me one too, I have a feeling you won’t share that bag with me,” Landon says.
“You’re right,” I grin, pulling another bag off and putting it in the trolley. I link my arm with Landon's as we continue to shop, and I see a man standing at the end of the aisle. There are people walking around him, continuing shopping, but he is just stood with his legs parted, his hands in his hoodie that is pulled up so I can’t see his face. A cold shiver snakes up my body, and I just know it is coming from him. It’s like the cold feeling you get when you’re scared of something, but this is worse because no matter what I do, I can’t shake it.
“That guy is strange,” I whisper to Landon, and he follows my gaze. Landon’s whole body goes tense as he stops, and the man turns around, disappearing out of the aisle.
“Landon?” I ask, nudging his shoulder, and feeling a little scared about the fear on his face when he looks down at me.
“It’s nothing,” he says, faking a smile. “Come on, Ura. I forgot, the cupcakes are this way.” He turns us around, pulling me down the aisle away from where the guy was, pretending like nothing happened at all.
Chapter Eleven
“Are they having a party?” Dad asks, moving the curtain in the lounge to look across the street after he finishes his dinner in the kitchen.
“Yep,” I answer, even though I’m sure it was a rhetorical question as the loud music, dozens of cars and shouting teenagers says it all. I haven’t left the sofa much today, and Landon has been weird with me since that shopping trip when we saw that random guy. School went pretty slow this week, mainly because I hardly saw Maxx, Landon or the others as they didn’t come in. Landon messaged to say they had family things to do and that he would see me at the party tonight. I just feel weird about going.
“Why are you here then?” he asks, picking the remote up and pausing the TV. “When I was your age—”
