Another Life by Keren David

none at all, whatsoever,’ I say warily.
    ‘It was my parents . . . my mum, really. She said I should do it,’ he says in a rush.
    ‘I really don’t know what you’re talking about.’
    ‘Oh. Oh right. OK,
Archie
. Fair enough.’
    ‘Err . . . I’ve got to go to Maths.’
    ‘I’m sorry, you know, if I caused you any trouble.’
    ‘You haven’t caused me any trouble.’ Better humour him. I have no idea what he’s on about.
    ‘We’re OK, then?’ he says, looking delighted.
    ‘Err . . . yeah.’
    ‘And your friend?’
    What friend? Does he mean Paige? Sophie?
    ‘Don’t worry about it,’ I say, vague as possible, and make my escape. What a nutter! What’s he on?
    I’m out of the student lounge, standing in the corridor consulting my map of the college when he catches up with me. He puts his head close to mine. I jerk away, startled.
    His voice is little more than a whisper. ‘I was just wondering. Do you still have your contacts?’
    ‘Contacts?’
    ‘Can you get me some stuff?’
    ‘Stuff?’
    ‘You know. Like you used to. You and your friend.’
    I’ve had enough. ‘Look, you’ve got it wrong. I don’t know who you think I am, but I’m not him. My name is Archie Stone and I can’t help you.’
    He steps away. ‘Oh right. Sorry.’ He taps the side of his nose. ‘Sorry,’ he says again.
    On the way to Maths, I bump into Paige again. Nice girl. Her dad works in the music business and she can get free tickets to gigs. She tells me more about the party, and I ask if I can bring
some friends.
    ‘Your girlfriend?’
    ‘Nah, just some friends.’
    ‘Good,’ she says and winks. This girl likes me. Excellent.
    We arrange to meet for a coffee after Maths. It’s good, really, that I’m building a social life that doesn’t involve people from Northamptonshire. It’s so far away, and
so different from London – another world, really. And it’d be so awkward to break up with Zoe (even though I hardly ever talk to her) and then start anything with Claire – even if
she was interested. Not to mention the Ty dimension.
    My mum’s delighted that I’m making lots of new friends. Apparently she was a bit socially-challenged as a teenager, way back in the olden days, and nothing makes her happier than my
awesome popularity.
    ‘Have a lovely time,’ she trills, as I set out for Paige’s party on Saturday night, looking fine in my new Superdry shirt.
    Paige lives in a big house and it’s a major party. There must be fifty kids milling around. Some are drinking, some are dancing, the air is heavy with smoke, the floor scattered with empty
cider and beer cans. There’s no sign of her parents, but she’s got bouncers on the door.
    Paige waves at me from across the room, but she doesn’t come over or anything and Georgia and Sophie are nowhere to be seen. I asked Lily and Oscar to come, but they were already
double-booked. I can feel my confidence shrivelling. I’ve wanted this life for ages, but now I’m wondering if I’m really ready for it.
    I grab myself a drink – coke with some vodka to spice it up – and lean against the wall, surveying the scene, trying to look cool, trying not to look like a sad loser.
    ‘Hey.’
    Jesus. It’s Kenny Weirdo again. I drain my glass.
    ‘Hi.’
    ‘This is a bit different for you, isn’t it?’ he says.
    ‘You what?’ On the one hand he’s mad. On the other, it’s better to be talking to someone than looking lonely and awkward.
    ‘A bit different from what you’re used to.’
    OK, he must mean boarding school. But that’s none of his business. Does he think that I don’t fit in or something?
    ‘What do you mean by that?’ I ask.
    He backs off slightly. ‘Nothing, mate. Sorry.’
    He actually seems a bit scared of me. Excellent. I finish my drink, reach for a can of cider. The music’s louder. He’s mouthing something, but I can’t hear what it is.
    ‘What?’
    ‘You got any. . .’ His words are lost. Paige is pushing though the