“I mean it Hayley…I want to meet this Ben boy…I
want you to invite him round for dinner”
“Oh puleese that’s so un-cool mom”
“I don’t care…you aren’t to see him until he’s
been round here for dinner”
“Well…if I ain’t to see him how can I invite
him round for dinner?”
“Don’t be flippant…you know what I mean”
“Fine I’ll ask him…then I’ll die of
embarrassment!”
Louise smiled as Hayley pulled on her coat then grabbed her book bag
“What’s so goddamn funny?” growled Hayley as she stepped outside onto the icy
sidewalk “Nothing…can so see Ben having to sit through dinner that’s all”
Hayley stared in her sister’s direction “God!
This is just gonna be a disaster” Louise frowned “Look Ben’ll be
perfectly charming…now if you were to bring say Paul home for dinner now that
would be a catastrophe with his pig like manners” Hayley rolled her eyes at the
mere thought of Paul dining with them, it would be a nightmare, he’d do stuff
just to see what happened.
Louise let out a deep sigh then jumped onto
the back seat of Ben’s car. “Aren’t you
gonna ask Ben?” she smiled sweetly Ben side glanced Hayley his expression
puzzled “O ask me what?” Hayley let out a deep sigh
“My mom wants you to come to dinner”
“Really?”
“Yeah…nightmare I know”
“I think it’ll be cool”
“What?”
“I’d love to come to dinner”
“You ain’t tasted mom’s cooking,” mumbled
Louise from the back seat
“I’m sure it’ll be fine…so when?”
“What?” said Hayley still in shock?
“Well when d’you want me to come to dinner?”
“Err…I don’t know I’ll check with mom and let
you know”
Louise quickly got out of Ben’s car then hurried to catch up with Tara
who was walking with Paul “Hey babe how’s things?” he asked with his usual
friendly grin “Okay” Louise replied happily “How was your weekend Taz?”
Tara’s eyes narrowed “As boring as ever…yours?”
“It was okay…you got English lit first?”
“Yup and I ain’t done that goddamn assignment…I
didn’t have time”
“Aren’t you worried about failing?”
“Hell no…Chris said he had it covered”
“Oh right” said Louise looking puzzled
“So…loobby Lou…how’s you’re internet boyfriend
doing?”
“He’s doing fine and please stop calling me
Loobby Lou you know how much I hate it Paul”
“Sorry Louise”
“Do you know anything about this guy Lou?” Taz
interrupted
“Yes I know heaps about him”
“K Where is he from?”
“Boston”
Paul looked from one to the other “Gee…that
ain’t a boyfriend that’s a pen pal” he muttered
Louise huffed as she noticed Tara hit Paul’s
arm sending him away
“You’re not helping!” she hissed before turning
back to where Louise stood “Boston but that’s like hours away”
“I like him Taz please don’t try to change my
mind”
“Okay but please just be careful huh?” Louise
smiled
“Yeah”
“One assignment…told you it’d be a piece of
cake” said Chris as he saddled up to Tara “Wow you got it!” she shrieked as she
dived on him
“Get off” he laughed as she kissed his face
“You maniac!” he added
Louise glanced at Chris then Tara why they
weren’t a couple she didn’t know they were so well suited.
Louise was last to enter the room and sit down her eyes widening when
Mark sat down next to her “Whooooo-hooooooo” muttered Paul from the back of the
room “Oh grow up Maz!” she hissed then turned back “Just ignore him” Mark whispered
as he clicked his pen on and begun to write.
~***~
Mark’s thoughts were on Louise as usual, boy was she looking hot dressed
in her jeans and little purple top he just wished she’d notice him “Hey Mark”
greeted JJ later that day
“Oh Jodie hi”
“You okay?”
“Yeah I’m just tired”
JJ let out a deep sigh then followed his gaze
he was watching Louise Parker.
“I see Costa’s up to his tricks again” she
brought up the subject
“He is?”
“Yeah been picking on that Bourne kid again”
“Wow I thought we’d nailed him”
“We had he just laid low for a while”
“What a shit-head well we just gotta turn up
the heat again”
JJ stared at him then sighed “Why…Mark you got
into heaps of trouble the last time” she reminded
“Yeah well I can handle it”
“I hope so”
“I can”
he smiled as he headed towards the door turning back to JJ “Aren’t you coming
to lunch?”
“In a bit”
“Yeah well don’t skip it again”
She looked up “Yes Dad” he smiled then walked
away.
The lunch room was crowded when he entered and immediately looked around
people sat in groups the have’s on one side and the have not’s
on the other the rich and poor divide really did piss him off he was by now
means rich but he wasn’t exactly poor either he was as they said comfortable his
Father was a professor and his mother a teacher “Hey Mark come sit here when
you got your lunch” he heard Paul call from the corner table he smiled then
nodded.
He
joined the lunch line but was so deep in thought he hadn’t even noticed Louise
front of him “Wow the potato salad looks yummy” Hayley mentioned as she moved
along “Hey Mark how’re you doing?” Hayley added “I err…I’m fine” he stuttered
she smiled “Good what you gonna have?” he shrugged “I err…don’t know” Hayley
smiled knowingly “I loved that article you did” she changed the subject
“What err article?”
“You know…the one about our wonderful
basketball team”
“Oh that!”
“Yeah you really got some people’s back
up…didn’t he Lou?”
Mark’s eyes focussed on Louise who was placing
some salad onto her plate “Did he?
Can’t say I noticed”
Mark looked crushed
“Excuse me…there’s someone I really must see”
Hayley frowned up to where a devastated Mark
stood
“Sorry…she isn’t usually like this”
“It’s okay there ain’t no law says she has to
notice me”
“Yeah well she’s the one losing out”
Mark let out a deep sigh as he placed a plate
pizza and fires onto his tray.
As
he turned he noticed Louise sit down at Paul’s table “Great…this is just gonna
be a blast” he thought as he made his way over.