And they lived _____ ever after

First bell

I look down at my chipped nails again
"Planned everything huh?" I whisper under my breath while my brain chants. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot.

Okay hold on Rose, no one saw it, nobody cares. So what if you are dressed from head to toe and have 4 inch heels and mascara in school. Nobody saw you slip on the stairs. And if they did there is a reasonable answer right? heels. Yes.

"Rose?" comes my bench mate's voice ending my mental pep talk session.

He looks at me for a second and gives me the most exasperated look of the century. And he thinks i am dramatic.

"You overthinking again?

"Hey! Why'd you say again like that. And anyway I am not."

"Sure you aren't. You know what you lack in mental stability, you make up in looks." he says smirking and blatantly checking me out.

If only i hadn't known and suffered him for the past 3 years i would say he's a perv but unfortunately this is my sworn nemesis Cayden who's only motive is to get under my skin.

I give him my nicest, most genuine-looking smile "I wish i could say the same for you. But i can tell you this, recently your existence doesn't make me vomit!" I say with peak enthusiasm.

My best friend Mona looks with concern at our face off but she as well as the whole class knows that our hatred only goes so far. A million academic competitions and some insults here and there.

The bell rings just then.
Assembly, ugh.

"Saved by the bell" he says.

"Sure. You are." I say hoping my glare burns a hole through him.

"Rose let's go out before someone sees your death glare" Mona says dragging me out. How she stays calm every second of her life is beyond me.
I mean sure I know I overreact a little, I am not blind. But she is a little too passive in my opinion.
Luckily she never has to worry because I am crazy enough for the both of us.

We run out to whatever new gossip has made its way to the headlines. Gossip isn't really my thing, I prefer to share my opinion to peoples' faces but it sure makes for a good distraction.
Mona is too humble for gossip as well but just like me she likes a good distraction.
I stare at her imagining white wings and a halo around her face. My angel perspective doesn't just go with her personality but also her golden hair and pretty smile, with pale skin and kind eyes. We must look like opposites with my jet black hair, tan skin and always running mouth. People tell me I have nice eyes but frankly I don't see it.

Ms. Anne brings the class to order and we somehow survive the dreadful assembly.
Although the assembly is never not the worst part of my day with all the teachers and their wisdom that they are so dying to impart, what made today worse was all the unwanted attention I noticed I was getting.

"They're all looking at you!" Mona tells me as she squeezes the life out of my hand.

"Thanks for the 411. Although if you'd told me why i would've been more impressed."

She rolls her eyes at me which tells me she is officially too excited to be her normal always smiling self.
"Um. Because you look gorgeous?! That black dress is worth whatever you spent on it. Look at all the guys from section C swooning!" she squeels.

Sure enough I turn to dozens of eyes on me with too loud whispers that I can hear clear as day. I search for Neel hoping he is one of them but no such luck. My crush of the week must be on the basketball court.

I turn back to Ms. Anne giving me a full body scan.
After few more seconds she looks at me satisfied with her scan and announces "Black beauty!"
I swallow my flinch and try to look thankful.
She gives me a hug "Happy Birthday" she says as she smiles and walks away.

"Great" I mutter. How could I lose such a stupid and critical bet. There are very few times in my life when i regret my impulsive attitude.
Due to a stupid bet about the Math Olympiad with my bench mate/nemesis Cayden I ended up in a dress at the school on my birthday. And to top it all off I am too embarrassed to tell even Mona.

If this were any other birthday, I would've stayed at home curled up in bed watching movies with mona with my phone switched off lying in the corner.

I am not a fan of birthdays and the fake formalities that come along with it. Wishes and gifts that people are obligated to give me on a certain day? no thanks.
I would take a sucker punch filled with real affection over that any day.

I drag myself back sulking but slip on the poker face as I reach the bench. No way will I let Cayden see me upset because of him.

"And the black beauty arrives!" He practically sings.
That's gonna stick. Ugh.

"You jealous my pale-as-a-corpse friend?"

"Of a horse? Sure." He smiles like he's won the lottery. Idiot.

Of Course he would've read The Black Beauty. Its not only one of my childhood favourites but a classic. Looks like its out of the favourite list now.

I open my mouth to follow up with a retort when he cuts me off
"I would continue this delightful exchange but I have something to discuss with Ms. Anne. So if you'll excuse me" he says moving past me.

Now now, on a normal day I would love to let his face out of my sight. If only i hadn't seen his secretive little smirk which tells me something is up.

Now why do I care if something's going on between Ms Anne and him, you might ask. Well I shouldn't, but courtesy of Mr. Goody-two-shoes I have become what you might call a "teacher's pet".

Our academic competitiveness showed its ugly head when we started going above and beyond to impress all teachers in order to be the "superior student". And considering how my mouth doesn't care who's on the receiving end of its little quips, that was already hard.
But now that I've made my way to Ms. Anne's good graces, theres no way I'm going to be out of this loop, whatever its about.

I sneak behind him and reach the end of the hall leading to Ms. Anne's room to start the good old eavesdropping.

"Oh this was exactly what I didn't need today!" comes Ms. Anne's booming voice followed by Ms. Anne herself, tailed by Cayden/dumbass. Busted.

Out of nowhere she hands me the attendance binder and goes on pacing again in her room. Dumbass throws me a back-off glare while Ms. Anne keeps on mumbling how "its gonna throw off her whole schedule".

Everyone knows Ms. Anne is a little cuckoo when it comes to "perfection" but I still don't understand what this is about, we are running clearly ahead schedule.
Being the top scorers of our grade, or as our principal calls it, the "cream" of the grade, our class already follows a strict schedule and teachers pay special attention to us. (Which, in my opinion, is a little biased but I've chosen to keep it to myself this time)

Regardless, i follow her alongside dumbass hoping to quench my curiosity. I whisper to him "what's this about?"

"none of your business"

"and how is it any of yours then?"

"Will both of you shut it for today? I don't need your fight over all this. Its already well over first bell" she says diving back into her mumbling and pacing.

Cayden follows like a lost puppy "Its only a little over first bell Miss. I think you should wait."

"Oh but its already been so long. Besides the message said before first bell."

"What about the first bell?" i finally ask dying with curiosity.

"Me" comes a voice from the doorway followed by a guy I have never seen before.