Story: The Twi-Hard Conclusion. (chapter 2)

Authors: ikotsuke

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Chapter 2

[Author's notes:

Alright. After much trouble with formatting due to incompatible browsers and suddenly not having a clue as to what I was doing...

Voila, c'est chapitre deux. Enjoy.

]

 

            I scramble to pick up the papers I dropped as my heartbeat begins to slow. What the hell is up with me?  A few of the other students come to help me and then hand me the sheets that they collected. I look back up at her, almost positive that this whole morning is an allergy medicine fueled dream and that she was just a figment of my imagination. But no. She's still there. I run my fingers through my hair and, eyes downcast, head to the front of the room.

                                 

            "Here you go." I extend the sheets to Mr. Fauser who takes them and sets them on his desk. Quietly, I return to my seat. Suddenly my pencil seems endlessly intriguing and I find myself playing with it; making almost imperceptible "whoosh" noises and lowly waving it around like a rocket ship. I must distract myself from her.

 

            "You may take a seat next to Ms. Anders there." I knew it. Before I can even register that she is walking my way, I hear the sound of the chair scraping against the floor and see her plopping down into it out of the corner of my eye. If you could call it plopping. It was so graceful.

 

            Through roll call, all I can think of is how I'm going to introduce myself to her. I've never had this issue before. Something about her is freaking my insides out. Forget fucking butterflies. There are freaking birds flying around in my stomach. Trying not to hyperventilate. Hee-hoo-hee-hoo.  FREAKIN BIRDS.  But then I remember. This chick is new. I am the shit up in these streets! No need to be stressin. She's lucky to be breathin the same air as me! Yeah. That's right. Wow, I'm a douche. I promise I'm not this full of crap IRL. But I have to tell myself something to get me to calm down. I need a little paper baggy. Why does my inner me feel the need to be gangster? 0.o I exhale deeply and drum my fingers on the table. I am being ridiculous. I don't even remember why I freaked out in the first place. I deal with beautiful people all the time. Psh. She's just another preeettyyy face, She don't want just anyone to hold*... wait.

 

            "Are you alright?"  Turning to face her, I can feel the blood pooling in my cheeks. I bet I'm a wreck.

 

            "Y-Yeahhhhh..."  I feel my jaw drop a little. Looking at her from far away and looking at her sitting right next to me are two extremely different things. My brain is struggling to comprehend just how... I would say beautiful, but that word seems too bland for her. Those eyes... and her lips...her skin is perfect...I want to hear her voice again. "I'm fine... why?"

 

            She turns to look at me more directly. "You seem fidgety. Kind of on edge." I just stare at her. "Oh crap..." she begins, turning away from me. "I'm sorry for bothering you."

 

            "Bothering?" I repeat dumbly having been more interested in watching her and the sound of her words than what she was saying.

 

            "I don't even know you and here I am, in your business."  She pauses. Tucks some loose strands of hair behind her ear. "Sorry."

 

            "Oh! No, no. You're fine! Um. Thank you." She nods and continues looking at me. I look away and focus on something else. Anything else. She's still looking. I cough. Still looking. I've never felt as awkward and non-pretty as I do right now. I'm sure she's counting every flaw. Every enlarged pore. I should have worn less makeup today. NO. I should have worn more. HEE-HOO-HEE-HOO.

 

            "Mm." She murmurs and I think I can see the tiniest smirk as she looks for a moment longer and then turns away. The bell rings. I make a mad dash for the exit, not taking a single moment to look back. I breathe a sigh of relief once I make it into the lunchroom for breakfast. Reassuringly, the smell of bacon and eggs permeates my spinning head. It's like aromatherapy.  The bustle of people. The longing gazes upon the table in the center. My table. I sit between Cherrie and Ryan Crowder. Ryan is the team captain/star player of the boy's Varsity Basketball team. He's also very very salty (hot >_>). Though he strangely seems a little... blah... today. Eh. Maybe it's the way he brushed his hair. Someone had taken the liberty to get my food for me as usual. Kaleigh Matthews leans over.

           

            "You're welcome." She grins and goes on talking to her golf team boyfriend.

 

            I smile back but my mind is elsewhere. Looking around I can't see her. Yes, Aiden. I mean...she has to be sitting somewhere, right? And it isn't right for me to let her sit alone... regardless of how unbelievably uncomfortable she makes me. Where is she...?

 

            "Hey, Blaiyne." I stop looking and face Ryan who is eyeing me with mild curiosity.

 

            "Yeah?"

 

            "Uh...are ya lookin' for someone?"

 

            "Oh, um yeah."

 

            "Who?"

 

            "The new girl." I say it as nonchalantly as possible. Appearing as casual as possible.

 

            "Oh. The dark haired chick? Once she managed to escape the mob of dudes she got her lunch and took it outside." I stand and pick up my tray.

 

            "And you didn't decide to follow her and woo her into submission with the Crowder charm?"

           

            "Nah. I'm not into the pale emo looking types. ‘Sides, I already have a girl I'm trying to woo into submission." He winks at me. I roll my eyes. It's apparent that he likes me, but I'm just not interested in him...

 

            "Emphasis on the trying segment of that statement. That implies the very real chance of failure." I begin walking away, relishing momentarily in the ‘OOHHH's' I get in response to roasting him.

 

            "Do you need some ice for that burn, buddy?" <A/N: this is my favorite statement ever.>

 

            "Shutup, Joe!" He throws a cup at the golfer boyfriend of Kaleigh.

 

            I walk out the lunchroom doors and look over my shoulder. Cherrie is staring at me. She seems...concerned.

 

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

 

            I look left and right for Aiden. Behind trees and over fences. Geez. Maybe I shoulda just stayed inside. Feeling rather ludicrous, I lean up against a fence and sigh.  Moreover my food has gotten cold.  And I forgot silverware. So I eat my eggs with my hands. My eyes flick to my watch.  Twenty-five minutes left, may as well head back. Suddenly, I hear a rustling sound behind a tall hedge. I put down the tray of food and walk toward the source of the noise. Stupid plants are itchy.  It seems to get louder as I move deeper and deeper into the well-maintained foliage. And then it stops.  Absolute silence. In front of me is a long set of tall hedges. I pull the leaves and branches apart to peek through to the other side of them.

 

            "Hm..."

 

            "What are you looking for?"

 

            My spirit just about leaves my body as I spin around, freaked all the way out. In front of me stands Aiden, who is looking at me with an expression promoting that she is just about as curious as she is amused. I wait a moment to catch my breath before responding.

 

            "I thought I heard something behind the bushes." I point an accusing finger inches from her eyes.  "Where were you?!"

 

            She hadn't moved any but stared at the finger in her face before gently moving my hand. "Out here, over there." She is pointing in the direction to a shaded area where her bag and lunch tray are. How the heck did I miss that?  

 

            She looks at me a little sideways and pauses before speaking. "Did I do something wrong? Are we required to eat in the lunchroom?"

 

            Now I feel really awkward. "Uh... no, it's not that."

 

            "Good. " She crosses her arms. "Because I wasn't gonna sit in there either way. I could hardly get out of the classroom before I was bombarded with people.  I can only imagine the cafeteria would have been much worse. Not that I understand why they want to talk to me so badly anyway."

 

            It's my turn to pause. I resolve to keep from uttering anymore awkward exclamations. "Sorry, what I meant was that... I thought maybe..." It suddenly occurs to me that she had come outside in order to be alone. She has no clue who I am. No one died and made me the welcoming committee. HEE-HOO-HEE-HOO. She's looking at me expectantly. I'm looking away from her.

 

            "...you thought I might need someone to eat with?"

 

            "Yeah! ...yeah that."

 

            "...and you're worried that you're included on the list of people I want to avoid?"

            "Well yeah." I chuckle nervously.

 

            She blinks.  "You're not. In fact, you surprised me. I was told that you are like the person to meet around here and that it was a pretty big deal that you talked to me."

 

            I smirk.

 

            "Not to mention the fact that you basically ran away from me when the bell rang."

 

            I die.  Inside. "Um... sorry about that. I couldn't breathe in there." It isn't a complete lie.

 

            "I see."

           

            I can't help but say it. "As far as the reason people want to talk to you, I'm sure it has something to do with how you're like...the hottest chick ever. With your numerous ear piercings and whatnot..." Is what I end up spouting out matter-of-factly.

 

            What looks like surprise crosses her face and then ...something else. She walks over to me with a gait so graceful it would put Ms. Jay* to shame.

 

            "You think I'm the hottest chick ever?" She's not leaning over me or anything but she is rather close to me. In bubble poppin' range you could say.

 

            "Yeah, sure." I say as indifferently as possible." What's up with this chick? And why am I so damn fidgety? She's not flipping Robert Patterson.  She's just some girl. I look away from her. The bell rings.

 

            "Hey-," She's  gone. I didn't even hear her walk away! ...Again. That's...not normal. I walk back towards the path and look both ways for her. Hmph. Guess she ran?

 

            "Blaiyne?"

 

            "JESUS SON OF MARY-" My eyes are wide with shock and I'm reeling back from her. "Stop that. Stop it right now."

 

            She looks at me in complete confusion and only flips her hair casually causing my heart to stop beating. You know how in the movies stuff like that goes in slow motion? Well, yeah. I watched as she closed her eerily beautiful eyes and tossed her luxurious raven locks behind her.  And it's not like I have started to get used to her face, I had just been able to avoid looking at it too much. Unfortunately...fortunately... I was able to catch that moment. God she's...too...

 

            "Do you have Pre-Cal next too?"

 

            I silently rejoice in the fact that she is not paying my behavior any attention."Yeah...uh, yeah. I could... uh... show you where it is."

 

            "That's  what I was hoping." She puts her arm around my shoulders.  I almost faint. She smells divine.  

 

            "Hey um, did you leave something...over...there?" I point in the far opposite direction and she looks. I then proceed to take a deep whiff of her scent. My knees buckle.  Her arms are around me in an instant and her eyes fall on mine. I can't breathe and I think my heart wants to jump out and kiss her face. 

 

            "Whoa there." She holds me a little tighter. "Are you alright?"

 

            I nod and then, holding my breath, coolly stand up and away from her. "Uh. Let's go."  Straightening out my skirt, I wait for her to get her stuff. Okay. From this point on I will NOT be affected in anyway by Ai-

 

            "I got your tray to-"

 

            "HOLY ALIENS IN THE BATHTUB!"  I was in some manner of ridiculous martial arts pose.  She was hardly containing her laughter this time. Frowning, I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and walked briskly away from her.  I was sure she could catch up. This is going to be a looooong day.

 

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

 

            Pre-Cal is currently a failure.

 

            Despite the fact that I don't sit next to her in this class and the fact that I enjoy my teacher, I cannot seem to focus.

 

            "And then I shot my grampa with a potato!" My adorablely country, blonde and bouncy  teacher was finishing as she practically hopped with satisfaction from the laughter she had  drawn from her students. My mind is racing, so, I missed the story. I look back to see Aiden smiling at Ms. Rhodes earnestly, showing off those pearly whites. Disgusting.  She's so lovely it's digusting. OMG.  Those butterscotch eyes are looking straight at me, her smile having dissolved into a sexily smug smirk. Whoa with the alliteration. WHOA WITH THE SEXY. It's one thing to respect beauty... I facepalm myself. She's a girl. A girl. So am I. What am I even doing? I chuckle to myself. Suddenly, everything is clear.  I turn around.

 

            She cocks her head and waves in a low-key cheeky type of way. The bitch.

 

            "Ms.  Bourne, I guess you're wavin to indicate you know the answer!"  

 

            The class falls silent. I am overwhelmingly giddy as I turn back around to watch her falter.  Slowly but not hesitantly, her eyes fall on Ms.  Rhodes. "If f(k+x) = f(x) for some real number k then f is called  a periodic function and the least positive value of k is called the fundamental period of  f. "

 

            Everyone remains silent. No grin of victory overtakes her face as she continues to focus on the teacher.

 

            "Sorry for losing focus, Ms. Rhodes."

 

            "Right... well then..."

 

            I am stupefied. Ms. Rhodes had been giving an example of something we would cover next semester. And behind me, I could feel those eyes boring holes into the back of my head. Creepy.

 

            And so Pre-Cal ended a failure.

 

            Now, she is following me to the gym. Fantastic.

 

 

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

 

            "You have Phys. Ed off today, Bourne." Mr. Mitchell says as he looks over whatever is on his clipboard. "Since you don't have a gym uniform." He walks to wear he is standing in front of her, looking as ridiculous as ever in his little khaki shorts. "Ms. Lawson?"

 

            Ms. Lawson is a 24 year old woman with a great face,  pretty light brown skin, and a rather boyish demeanor. Even now her long hair is up in ponytail and the basketball shorts she's wearing reach her knees. She and Mr. Mitchell should trade up.

 

            "Yes?" She asks walking toward him.

 

            "See about getting this young lady a gym uniform, would you?"

 

            "Right." She extends a hand to Aiden. "Lonnie Lawson. Nice to meet you." They shake for a moment before Ms. Lawson pulls back abruptly. "Sorry!" She scratches the back of her neck, "But your hands are really cold!"

 

            Aiden smiles apologetically. "Sorry."

 

            "No worries."

 

            Cold hands...I repeat to myself as I walk into the locker room. Unfortunately for me, I got no pardon today. I pull out my white P.E. t-shirt with it's red school logo on it and ‘Athletics' in a bold font under it, and the red Soffe shorts that come with it. There's a little insignia on them too. I sit down on the wooden bench next to my locker which is one of many painted the proud red color of Alistair Academy. I take my shoes off and take the new ones I bought that weekend out of my bag.  Cherrie, Kaleigh, and Dee Ann are changing next to me. The other girls are off in their own little worlds,  casting glares or gazes in our direction every now and then.  I usually enjoy that but... it's  a little...hollow today. I unbutton my shirt  and pull it off.  Then I notice a gaze that makes me almost as uncomfortable as the new chick's. Shelby Conahan. The resident lesbian. She really isn't bad looking at all. Maybe under all her gay she's even kinda pretty. Or something. Once she notices that I am looking back at her, she flicks the green fringe of her punk/emo hair out of her face and licks her lips. I frown.

 

            Cherrie follows my line of sight and then, resolutely, comes and sits on my lap. But not without giving me a kiss on the cheek.

 

            Kaleigh hoots.

 

I smile suggestively at Cherrie before smacking her ass and then raise my eyebrows at Shelby who rolls her eyes and turns away. 

 

            "Try and save that for your private lives if you can." Lonnie says walking past us with a ‘I'm gonna pretend I didn't see that' look on her face. Aiden is following behind her with much the same expression.

 

            Fortunately Cherrie hops up because either way I was about to get her off my lap. And I cover myself quickly, looking down and away.

 

            "Here's your locker." The assistant coach is pointing to the one directly across from me.

 

            DAMN IT.

 

            "Alright, thanks."

 

            "Come with me to the back here, and let's see if we can't find you a uniform that fits, girly."

 

            As quickly as possible I switch into a sports bra and put on my shirt and shorts. Something about Aiden seeing me in my skivvies was extremely disconcerting.

 

            "What's your big time rush*?"  Cherrie asks with a skeptical expression.

 

            "Uh, it's just...cold in here and I wanted to go ahead and change." GOOD ONE.

 

            "Mm."

 

            I look away from her and finish putting on my shoes.

 

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

 

            I'm sitting outside on the bleachers when Aiden comes out of the locker room and walks out. She sits on the bottom row and to the right.

 

            I wait for someone to come out so that it isn't just me and her. Conversely, I want to talk to her really bad. This is agony.

 

            I walk down the bleachers and stand next to her glaring off into the distance. "Lucky you, getting to skip P.E. today."

 

            "Yeah. I'm not a big fan of sports."

 

            AHA! A flaw!! She's not good at sports! YES. OMG, I'm happy.  I sit next to her. "Well, that's okay."

 

            "Uh...thanks. Means a lot?" Her face says: I didn't really need your validation but thanks anyhow. But that's okay. Suddenly everything is right in the world. Again. And hopefully this time, things will stay that way...

 

[End notes:

Review even if you are just going to say that I am spamming the site everytime I update it.

I will take even that into consideration.

Thanks. ;)

]

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