Friendship on Fire (23 page)
Skye and the girls marched up to me as I was rolling up the banners poolside. I ignored them, intent on finishing my task.
âThose Grammar boys are something aren't they?' Skye asked, as she and the other girls licked their fingers. I shuddered. What was that?
âEw,' was all I could say at their porn-esque actions. I moved past them and kept working, not wanting to encourage another meaningless conversation.
âDon't pretend you're so innocent, Daisy Brooks. Everyone's heard what you've been up to with Nate,' said Cadence. Her mouth was shaped like she'd been sucking on a sour lolly.
My skin prickled. âI've got no idea what you're talking about and I don't care,' I spat back at them. âYou girls need to get a life if you're focussing on stalking mine.' I turned my back on them.
âOh come on, aren't you a bit curious about what Nate's been telling everyone over at Grammar about you?' Bree chimed in.
âNope. Because apparently I've done it myself. Why would I need to hear what I've done, from you?' Sarcasm seeped through my voice.
Roman was picking up rubbish nearby and I wondered if he was listening to the conversation. He hadn't stuck up for me lately, so what made me think he would do it this time? It didn't seem to matter to him if I was being ganged up on by five splotchy bimbos.
âJust thought you'd like a chance to redeem yourself. You have quite a reputation around the schools now. But if you'd rather stay in the dark â¦' Skye said coldly.
âYeah I would. Nate likes me, not you, so deal with it,' I said, in a final show of defiance. I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold my temper in, or my curiosity. What was Nate telling people? It couldn't be true.
I didn't hear Skye's verbal retaliation. The scenery went blue, then clear, then blurry. I shut my eyes as chlorine stung them and struggled to hold my breath after my sudden descent into the water at the hands of the cow standing above me at the edge of the pool. I would have shrieked with rage if the water wouldn't choke me. My fingers itched to scratch and pull and do all the things classy girls shouldn't do to girls they didn't like.
The next thing I knew, the cow's legs flew into the air along with a pair of darker legs and joined me in the pool. Now what happened there? How did cow and stranger end up in the pool with me? I tried to recognise the white legs standing on the edge of the water, but couldn't.
Floating to the top of the water, I squinted into the sun to see Roman's shadow kneeling by the edge, with a creased brow. He saw I was unhurt and his crease softened.
âDaisy, thank God you're all right,' he said quickly. âI heard the girls bitching to you and I saw Skye push you into the water. I thought you might have hurt yourself.'
I shook my head. âNo, I'm good. Did you push her in?' I asked, turning around in the water.
Treading water, side by side, were Skye and Mr Head.
Roman explained. âI couldn't help it, I had to push her in for what she did to you, but Head got in the way. I accidentally knocked him in the pool. I'm in deep shite now.'
He was trying not to laugh.
âWell, thank you. My hero. Now help me out. I have to watch this for myself,' I said eagerly.
Roman pulled me out of the water and I watched Skye and Mr Head pant to get to the side. It mustn't be comfortable swimming in a suit with heavy, black dress shoes. The rest of the Brigade rushed to the edge to pull Skye out and coo in sympathy. Roman and I watched Mr Head scramble to the drains and we braced ourselves for the lecture of a lifetime. His clothes gurgled with water logging.
âYou are the biggest bunch of hooligans I've ever had in my twenty years as principal of this school,' he spat at us. âWhat a disgrace to the college. I will be contacting your parents about this and I will see you all on lunchtime detention for the rest of this week. Now clear off, before I suspend you, too.'
We scurried off to get our stuff and call our parents to pick us up. Roman and I decided we may as well start walking and our parents would collect us where they found us on the way home from the pool. We left a long trail of water and wet footprints on the footpath, but couldn't stop laughing and talking about the whole incident.
âDid you see Skye's face when she came out of the water?
It was priceless,' Roman said, grinning widely. âI thought her orange mask would peel off.'
âYeah, you're lucky her posse didn't push
you
in after that,'Â I realised, surprised that they didn't decide to defend her honour. They probably weren't smart enough.
âCourse they wouldn't,' he said, straightening his shoulders. âThey love me. Why would they do that to someone they love?'
I elbowed him in the ribs. âCome on, don't exaggerate. They love anyone with something between their legs who looks at them sideways,' I said, ungracefully.
âYou're probably right. And it's a shame. I like the orange,'Â he said, watching for my response.
âYou're disgusting.' I wrinkled my nose.
We walked in silence for a few minutes after that, thinking about the day's events. It was exhausting.
I squinted up into the sunlight at him and said, âYou did well today, school captain.'
âSo did you.' His genuine smile was becoming intoxicating.
âThanks for sticking up for me with Skye. I thought she'd get away with it like she always does.'
âDaisy, if I stuck up for you every time she pissed you off we would be in even more crap with people saying we were in love or something ridiculous,' Roman said with a nervous chuckle.
âYou reckon?' I asked.
âThink about it. I come to your rescue every time. It wouldn't half make it worse, would it? We'd have those rumours to deal with. I couldn't do that to you.'
Oh.
âSo that's why you always walk away when Skye comes to annoy me?'
He nodded. âThat, and sometimes I don't want to hear another girl fight. It's a guy thing. I've heard my sisters fight my whole life to know it's not worth getting involved in the mess. Guess I kind of failed that theory today though, hey,'Â he said, putting his hands in his wet shorts pockets.
âYeah, but I still appreciate it. It's nice to know someone is willing to be there for you no matter what,' I said, and linked my arm through his. âThat's what best friends are for.'
âThis is getting mushy, Daisy,' he said, but let me hold his arm. âIs that Mum I can see at the end of the road there?'
I squinted as far as I could see. The car looked familiar. We walked faster to meet her at a convenient place for her to turn around.
âSee you tomorrow. Being on detention together will be fun. We will probably kill each other after being in the same room for half an hour,' he laughed, gently peeling my arm away from his.
âDon't remind me,' I said. The wind picked up and my arm felt cold where he left it.
I waved to Roman's mum and kept walking. Shortly after, Dad pulled up to the curb and I jumped into the car.
âSo how was it? Champion girl?' he teased and I smirked.
âHardly,' I said dryly. âI got pushed into the pool and that was sufficient for me.'
âThat good, huh. Well, don't forget you've got your driving lesson to cheer you up. Terence is picking you up from home in half an hour, so you've got time to clean up.'
I groaned. I'd clean forgotten about the driving lesson.
âNice hair,' Dad said.
Homo Erectus
die out, yet he helped contribute to the next species in the chain of evolution,
Homo Sapiens
?' my human biology paper asked. My rebellious fingers itched to use the token answer I'd saved throughout the test, waiting for a perfect question like this. It sounded logical. If he died out, couldn't it have been because he had an erectile dysfunction?
I wrote it in anyway. I was already on detention for the rest of the week so Mrs Von Ruse couldn't do anything worse to me. I put a full stop at the end of my answer with a smile and closed my test paper.
I couldn't help it if I put more time and effort into the subjects I loved more. English annoyed me sometimes and I barely passed my first essay, but I did love the subject when I had fewer life distractions. I'd struggled in maths since I could breathe, no matter who the teacher was or how brilliantly innovative they made the content. History was my best subject by far, the broad content and skills more suitable for my big-picture mind. And I must say the essay I was ready to hand in tomorrow would be nothing short of spectacular. Gosh, I sound up myself. But it would be the first time Miss Shaw would read something important from me, so I had put in a lot of time into details, especially into finding relevant quotes to back up my arguments. That was the hardest part, apart from referencing. Referencing was evil.
The bell went for lunch. I had ten minutes to eat before my date with Mr Head and the Blonde Brigade. At least Roman would accompany me; he would keep me sane.
Rach texted me last night and told me she had a nasty cold. It crept up on her on Sunday and by Monday morning her throat had razor blades in it. Her words, not mine. Poor girl. She had yet to hear the outcome of the swimming carnival.
Skye was standing in front of my locker when I walked into the common room to put my books away.
âMove,' I said, not very politely.
âMake me,' she challenged, planting her feet firmly. âOr will you get your boyfriend to do it for you?'
âHe's
not
my boyfriend,' I said tiredly. She was thick as three bricks.
âWho is then? Nate, or Roman? Or are you having it off with them both at once?' Venom oozed from her red, pouty mouth.
âI won't answer that. I said move.' My temper rose in my throat. I felt my nerves slipping from my head; it got lighter and lighter.
âWhy should you have all the nice guys? You can't choose one to keep to yourself. And yet look at you; red and green, like a Christmas tree. What are you giving them that makes them stick to you like glue?' she whispered in a low, angry tone.
This was probably the first time I'd seen Skye truly angry, not annoyingly sarcastic as usual. I stared at her for a second, almost letting myself enjoy this moment of variance in her personality, due to me.
âGoodbye, Skye,' I said, turning to walk back out the way I came. I knew if I didn't leave some time soon, I would embarrass myself again publicly. I couldn't afford to hit my reputation with another week's worth of detentions, with Skye or without her.
âSee you in detention, tart,' she spat, loud enough for a fair few people to hear. I just ignored her and walked to the canteen to buy my lunch instead.
In detention, Mr Head lectured us for twenty minutes about respect, intelligence, etiquette, appropriate behaviour, the importance of rules, discipline and order. I nodded at everything he said, but I had tuned out big time. Roman and I were on opposite sides of the room to Skye and her friends, while Mr Head was standing at the front trying to be a big shot professor. I secretly wanted to put my head in my hands and sleep.
The rest of the day was a blur. Work was boring and I was wondering the whole time at what point I'd see Nate again. I really missed him. His cheeky eyes smouldered in my memory and my lips were dying to kiss him again.
He had texted me a few times to see how the carnival went and how my day was going, but otherwise I didn't know how he was. I decided to call him after work and say hi before bed. Besides, I had to tell him the real story about the swimming carnival.
âI miss you too, babe,' he said towards the end of our conversation, a sad tone in his usually cheerful voice. âI'll try to catch up with you soon, properly. Things are intense here at the moment. Dad is being weird about Mum and I have to do all the cooking and cleaning, believe it or not. I feel like a housewife.'
âAww, you poor thing. Are you sure you don't want me to come over and help you with house stuff? I honestly don't mind,' I offered.
âNah, it's OK. Sounds like you're just as busy. Look, how âbout we go out for dinner Thursday night, if you're not doing anything?'
My pulse started racing. âOf course we can. I'd love to. See you tomorrow at training?' I asked, hopefully.
He went quiet. âI'd better stay here and help look after Dad. Tell Corby I said sorry, please?'
âSure I will. Hey don't worry. This mess will work out, you'll see.' I hoped it would, for his sake.
âYeah I guess. Thanks heaps. Wish I could give you a goodnight kiss right now â¦' he started.
I chuckled. âI bet you do.
I
wish you could cuddle me all night and keep me warm,' I said, without thinking.
I waited for his response, nervously, but didn't want to take it back.
âReally? Hmm. Maybe one day, if you're lucky,' he said in a low voice.
Not knowing what else to say from here, I muttered, âOK, let me know what time Thursday and where. Take care.'
He got the hint. âYep, you too. Imagine my arm across your middle tonight. That's me spooning you. Seeya babe,'Â he said, and hung up.
I rolled on to my stomach and stared at the phone screen. I shouldn't say things like that to him if I didn't particularly mean it. Well, that's not entirely true. I did mean it, but I didn't want to encourage him or for him to think I was easy.
Still, a growing seed of curiosity drove me to push the boundaries, to see what he would say if I said something a certain way. I liked the way he made me feel, the way the pure adrenaline flowed through my veins when he surprised me with a comment I didn't see coming. It added to his mystery.
Nate was predictably unpredictable and I loved the fact that I had all of his attention to myself.
âA
toga party?
â I said, doubt heavy in my voice. Whose idiotic idea was that for the first school social?
âYep. At James' house. It's a sick idea,' said Roman, nodding as he mulled it over.
âFirstly, Roman in a toga? Cliche. Secondly, what do we wear? Giant sheets?' I squeaked. How flattering. Nate was definitely not invited to this party. Not that he could come anyway, seeing as it was technically a âschool function'.
âSomething like that. Be creative. We will need to be in the best outfits seeing as we're heads of the school. Maybe I can get a crown made out of leaves to wear on my head â¦' Roman's voice trailed and I stared at the faces of other students on the committee.
âPeople, is this what we're agreeing on?' I demanded. Eleven blank pairs of eyes stared back at me like stoners as they nodded.
âPathetic,' I said and sat back in my chair.
Roman patted my arm. âDon't worry. I'll help you find some Jesus sandals. It'll be fun. James' house is built for parties, you'll see.'
That was period four. Lunchtime detention was awkward, again, and I handed in my history essay to Miss Shaw in period five. She took it with her usual smile, saying, âI can't wait to read it Daisy. I had a look at your grades from last year. You topped the class. Well done.'
So she had checked up on us. She was a smart lady. I hoped my essay lived up to the reputation I'd worked so hard to get with my old teacher.
Training after school was also boring without Nate. Corby seemed annoyed that he wasn't there, but he couldn't argue with family troubles as the excuse for his absence.
As soon as I got home I looked in my wardrobe for a giant sheet. I wasn't sure why I looked there first; the linen cupboard would have been the most obvious place to go, but I looked in hope anyway.
What on earth could I wear to this toga party without looking stupid?