52. Page 19.

                                    

                                          
Chapter 14
 
 Aiden got a bus into town, normally he would have walked, but today he thought he should save his energy. No – that sounded wrong. His relationship (chorus of oohs) with Matt was purely innocent (unless you're a devoted Christian - or of any religion really -you probably wouldn't class it as innocent then). In fact, Aiden hadn't even thought that far. He wasn't even sure what to do. He definitely wasn't ready, and even though Matt had ‘done it’ before, he doubted he was ready yet.
 
 The bus was crowded with OAPs, Aiden squished in next to a half-asleep 80 year-old. She slid to let Aiden sit slightly, and he practically fell on her as the bus started moving again. "Sorry," Aiden apologised, brushing himself off.
                          
"Bloody teenagers," the woman muttered. Aiden smiled to himself and whispered something similar about the older generation. Looking disgusted, the woman soon got off the busy bus. Aiden glided next to the window as she moved. He leaned his face against the condensated window, and peered out in the wildness. People bustled past, not looking back. Everybody had their own life to live, and seemed to intend on doing so. Busy shoppers; giggly teenage girls; gatherings of emos, looking dull and dreary; chavvy teenage boys, hoods up, designer labels; families with toddlers 
 causing mischief, the 50 year-old perverts, eyeing up young girls and so many more. People were everywhere. People seemed to fade into the background, they were the background.
                          
As the bus veered left, Aiden accidently bashed his head in the window. Rubbing it, he continued to stare outwards, but he couldn't bear looking at more people. Instead, he drew a smiley face on the window, with his finger. The smile was lopsided, and had wobbly eyes. Aiden smiled too, and like a warm fire burning, his head filled with pictures of Matt.
 
 Before long, the bus pulled into the station, and Aiden got off. He looked at his watch; he was half an hour early. With time to waste, he entered the shopping centre. The place was crowded and noisy, not particularly Aiden’s scene. He sighed and looked around. He didn’t have much money, and couldn’t really buy anything. Not that he needed or wanted anything. He wasn’t much of a window-shopper, either. Turning the corner to the next wave of shops, Aiden bumped into a band of familiar faces. Way too familiar faces.
                          
It was Darren Woodhouse. DARREN WOODHOUSE . . . and his posse.
                          
Aiden had his eyes fixed on a shop window, and wasn't particularly looking where he was walking. He probably should have been, as he face planted into Toby's back.
 
 Toby immediately sizzled round.
                          
"Shit…" Aiden stuttered.
                          
"All right?" Toby asked.
                          
"Err... Sorry." Aiden turned to walk on, but he had already caught Darren's attention.
 
 "Oooh. Look who it is, everyone."
                          
Not many people looked. Kyle Reid had his mouth around Kayleigh Marley’s head, eating it, and licking her. Ines Kumquat (or a similar surname. . .) had her arms around some guy's torso, whilst he had his greasy hands up her top. Some guys were having a very loud, detailed discussion about a picture on one of the hooded male's phone. Translating the slang, they were very large, and all the boys wanted to do her. She was also very easy, and extremely dirty. Aiden could only assume the 
 boys wanted to help clean their mothers' cookers, and were sharing pictures of them. Alexia Daily looked over briefly, but quickly returned to texting. Max Orange dragged his feet towards where Toby, Aiden and the lovely D- Master were standing, out of boredom.
 
 "Where's your GIRLFRIEND, AIDS?" Darren asked, sniggering.
                          
"Girlfriend?" Aiden questioned, raising an eyebrow.
                          
"I heard you and Miranda Moore got giggity!" Mister D acted this out perfectly, thrusting his hips back and forth. Max Orange burst out laughing at this, clearly easily amused. Toby also stifled laugh, but not for the reason Dazza-D was hoping for.
 Aiden looked on, unimpressed. Straightening himself out, Big D continued his line of questioning,