Eight

“Hey Kay-Lee! Wait up!” Leah’s voice echoed in the school hallway. Kay-Lee turned around to see Leah running towards her, and wondered what Leah wanted. She stopped and waited for Leah to catch up to her. Leah stopped in front of Kay-Lee, red-faced and gasping for air. “What do you want?” Kay-Lee asked, and instantly regretted being so cold to Leah. “Just let me catch my breath” Leah gasped. Kay-Lee waited, absentmindedly playing with her long hair, twisting it around her fingers. When Leah finally caught her breath, Kay-Lee looked at her expectantly.
“Kay-Lee listen, I just wanted to say that you were really good back there and I was wondering if you’d want to come to a party this weekend” Leah said.
“A party? I don’t know if I –“ Kay-Lee started to say, before Leah cut her off.
“Listen, before you say you can’t come, just hear me out okay?” Leah said, looking at Kay-Lee.
“Okay” Kay-Lee agreed, waiting to hear what Leah had to say.
“I know that we haven’t exactly been friends, and I really want to make it up to you. The party is for the cast of the school play, and their dates of course” Leah explained. She seemed to genuinely mean it, but Kay-Lee couldn’t help being suspicious.
“What kind of party?” Kay-Lee asked.
“Nothing wild! It won’t be formal either, just a casual get together at the RSL club in town. What do you say?” Leah explained eagerly.
“I’ll have to think about it, check that I have this weekend open” Kay-Lee said. She didn’t want to say yes right away because she wanted to find out more and make sure that Leah really did want to be friends, and wasn’t setting her up.
“Okay, get back to me by Friday okay?” Leah said, before rushing down the hall to her next class.
“Sure” Kay-Lee called after her, wondering if she’d heard.
Kay-Lee walked to her next class, wondering about the party and if she should go. Leah had said it was for the cast of the play...
“hey” a voice whispered in her ear, interrupting her thoughts. Kay-Lee jumped and turned to see the smiling face of Adam.
“You know you nearly scared me half to death” Kay-Lee said, lightly punching him in the shoulder.
“Sorry, but someone had to break you out of the daze you were in. Like the walking dead, Kay, Freaky” Adam said, poking her in the ribs.
“Hey!” Kay-Lee exclaimed, poking him back.
“so what were you thinking so hard about?” Adam asked, walking at an even pace beside her now. Kay-Lee started to notice the girls staring at Adam as they walked past, and whispering excitedly. So they like him too...Kay-Lee thought, watching them give her nasty glares out of jealousy.
“Hello, earth to Kay-Lee!” Adam said, waving his hand in front of Kay-Lee’s face.
“You’re doing it again. The whole walking dead thing” Adam pointed out.
“Hey, did you get an invite to Leah’s party this weekend?” Kay-Lee suddenly asked.
“Yea, the whole cast did, including the backstage crew. Sounds awesome, you going?” Adam said.
“I don’t know, I told Leah that I’d think about it, how about you?” Kay-Lee asked, looking up at him.
“I said I’d go, but there’s a problem”
“Oh?” Kay-Lee asked.
“I don’t have a date” He stated bluntly.
Kay-Lee noticed some of the girls passing look up with hopeful eyes.
“Want to go with me?” Adam asked her, and Kay-Lee saw the girls look down again and keep walking. She smiled to herself.
“So I’m going now?” Kay-Lee asked sarcastically, looking at him. His face lit up, obviously he thought that had meant yes.
“Oh, I’ll make you go, princess” Adam said, mussing up her hair.
Kay-Lee laughed and batted his hand away as they walked into science.