RAGE HOUSE

Excerpt from Chapter Four 

Once she was out, she breathed in the warm morning air that smelled of grass. The streets were empty except for a few kids riding their bicycles or skateboarding. She looked down the street which led to Neil’s house and walked in the other direction. 

Alisha turned back once, feeling a knot in her belly and wishing she and Neil could go back to being the friends they were before, when they would tease each other, play pranks together and skip classes to hangout and watch movies. 

Now, everything had gotten complicated. She supposed it had to do with her makeover that she had wanted to try in her last year of school. If she graduated. 

Alisha had started to seriously think about going to college, figuring out what kind of career she was made for and work hard. Her thoughts had turned to the new look she wanted to have in college and had experimented during the holidays. 

Alisha touched her straight hair and stopped, looking down at her baggy jeans. Before she had opted for a snugger fit, these baggy jeans hadn’t caused Neil to behave differently with her. He had never seen her as a delicate girl or ever called her sexy or looked at her in the way he was now. 

What’s his problem? I start dressing differently and suddenly he’s talking about dating and touching me every chance he gets? 

Alisha started walking as another thought came to her. What if he thinks I’m dressing up for him? Did I unintentionally lead him on? 

“No, it’s not my fault,” Alisha told herself firmly and forced herself to believe it. “He asked and I said no. He should respect my wishes.” She looked down at her shoes and frowned. “Maybe I’m overthinking this. He was just touching me and I thought he was…” 

She bumped hard into something and almost fell down. Turning around she saw a girl with plaited hair and black-rimmed glasses looking at her with wide-eyes. 

“I’m so sorry,” she said, bending over to pick up her books. 

Alisha let out a breath. “Hey, Sana. No, I’m sorry. I think I wasn’t watching where I was going.” She bent too to help her classmate. “Been to the library, huh?” 

“Yeah, this Physics assignment is driving me nuts!” Sana grinned. “Thanks,” she said when Alisha handed her a stack of papers that luckily hadn’t scattered everywhere. 

“Who are you partnered with?” 

“Gina.” Sana rolled her eyes. “Lucky me, right?” 

Alisha snorted. Gina was a lazy girl who slept in her classes, ate in the bathrooms and never handed in her assignments on time. Yet, she always did well in her tests and exams prompting everyone to believe she cheated. 

“Maybe she might stay awake just this one time to do this assignment.” 

“I wish.” Sana sighed. “I kind of wish I still was partnered up with you. At least you stay awake in class.” 

Alisha raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean ‘still’?” 

Sana shrugged. “I get it, you and Neil are besties. He was going to be Gina’s partner and I was yours. That’s how it was going to be. But then Neil went to Ms. Corna and told her about his sick sister and how he had to take care of her. He said he couldn’t manage walking that far to work on the project and since you leave close by…” 

“But I just moved. We’re no longer neighbors.” Alisha shook her head head as what Sana told her lit up in her mind. “What sister? Neil doesn’t have any siblings.” 

“I know. Ms. Corna doesn’t. I thought you guys cooked up this excuse together.” Sanalooked down at her books. “Well, I have to get home and do ninety percent of the project. Hopefully Gina will take my call today.” 

“Oh, she hasn’t been picking up your calls?” Alisha said numbly. In her mind, she felt a haze of confusion descend upon her. 

Why did Neil lie? He really wanted to work on the project with me, I guess. But why not tell me? Why is he acting so weird lately? 

Sana was complaining about Gina being irresponsible but all that was lost to Alisha who kept nodding and finally said a polite goodbye. As they parted, Alisha’s phone rang. She removed it from her bag and saw it was Neil. 

She let it ring until it was listed as a missed call. It was then that she noticed that Neil had called her seven times in the morning when her phone had still been on silent. 

There were also twenty-one text messages from him, all asking her where she was and why wasn’t she taking his calls or replying to his messages. 

He’s just being a concerned friend, she told herself. When he called again, Alisha took his call, pushing away all her doubting thoughts.

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