I hated her so much. Chanel had dragged me to one of those parties that the popular girls and boys went to on the last Friday of every month. It was some kind of crazy ritual that every kid in school dreamed about being invit—ed to.

Not me.

I had a dream, and it was to get an education and get out of town. Don't get me wrong; there's nothing wrong with the town of Small Borne, but there's more to life than one place and I want to experience it.

And that's why my body, mind, and soul were fo—cused on college.

Not like Chanel; she only had her body, mind and soul focused on Dwayne, the all—star quarterback that was going places. Just like me.

"Adele, can you walk faster? We're late!" Chanel half—whispered and half—screeched at me.

"I would if I didn't have this stupid skirt on, and make—up that's a second skin on my face."

Okay, so it was a bit of an exaggeration. The make—up wasn't stopping me from seeing, but I was only keep—ing her company and I didn't want to be anywhere near Dwayne's best friend, Liam.

"Oh, don't be silly. If we get there too late then they may hook up with some other girls."

She'd said the wrong thing. But we'd had already taken our bikes and were already almost at the secret spot. I never understood why they called it that, when everyone knew how to get there. Then we changed out of our jeans into skirts and she touched up our make—up in the dark, using our cell phones as lights.

I didn't even want to know what I really looked like.

I doubt I looked sexy. More scary. But I did it just to make her happy.

"Isn't hanging around your dad's barber shop and waiting for Dwayne to come in every week enough for you?"

I put my hands on my hips thinking that maybe she'd get the message and just stick to her usual routine of trying to get the guys' attention.

"No!"

She sighed, that long exaggerated thing that she did whenever she wanted to make a point. One that I didn't want to hear.

"You know that it's nearly Prom don't you?"

I couldn't see her, but the sarcasm in her voice was enough to put me off going any further.

"Besides you don't want to stay at home and listen to Henry and your mom making out do you?"

I shook my head, "No way. Why did she have to date him, out of all the men in town?"

"And we know that ever though since your dad died, you've still not got over it. I'm sure your mom da—ting has been hard on you."

"It was at first, but it's been five years. I know that Mom has to move on eventually. She had to work for the first time in her life since he died and she's managed to pick herself up. It's just why she had to date him. Hen—ry's fine. It's his son, Liam, that has issues. Big issues. I don't even understand why any girl would even hook up with him. The guy's a mental case."

I didn't know if I was trying to convince her or myself.

"Is that why whenever he walks in the room, you go bright red and you can't get keep your eyes off him?" She took my hand, "I told you, your secret's safe with me. I know you have a crush on him."

"Now, you make me sound about five. I don't have a crush. The guy's a jerk."

"I know he took your homework, handed it in and said you copied him."

"Like that was likely? As if I would ever copy him."

"And then Liam turned up at your date saying that you asked him to come and save you from Pete."

"And I really liked Pete. I couldn't even explain to him that Liam's a jerk and how could I ask two men out at the same time?"

"I don't even know why you asked Pete out in the first place?"

I sighed, because we'd had this conversation so many times. I'd always left out the part when we were in the cafeteria and Liam came up to me and said that we should go to his place and get it out of our systems. He accused me of having a thing for him. I went out of my way to prove that I had nothing for him, by asking Bor—ing Pete out. He was the safe option. Until Liam turned up, I was kind of bored. Everyone is whenever Pete starts to talk, but he's such a nice guy. It's just that no one wants to talk about Star Trek all night, apart from Trek—kies, and no one wants to look at his collection of monu—ments via photos or the stash that he keeps in his back—pack, again apart from Trekkies. After that night, he went and asked a Trekkie fan out and they're happy in love and I'm just…

"Anyway, let's just get it over and done with."

I picked up my speed thinking about that night with Liam. There was another part I always missed out. Once Pete was out of the way, Liam held me in his arms and kissed me, then he broke away saying, "Pete could never kiss you like that."

He had a point, but he didn't even ask for permis—sion; then again I didn't protest. I watched as he left me like a jilted bride on my doorstep after giving me the kiss of the year. Shit, it was my first kiss and it wasn't just that it made my panties wet. It just made me want him even more. But, I'll never confess it to Chanel, and cer—tainly not him.

*****************

"There they are."

I stood nervously seeing just Liam and Dwayne were sitting by the electric lanterns, which were in a cir—cle.

"Where's everyone else?" I whispered to her as she picked up her pace.