It wasn't that Zara Crogan was a nasty person nor was she awfully competitive - except when it came to Maisie, but when it comes to bestfriends there really is no such thing as 'friendly competitions'. It was more that everytime she was near Thomas she wanted to challenge him, to push him, to get a reaction from him- it was an overwhelming urge.
Maisie always said that Zara was infatuated with him and Zara couldn't help but agree.
Zara had first layed her eyes on him out in the school field in the gazette right in the corner, Maisie had insisted on going there just to stalk that guy she had had a crush on since year 7 and watch him practice footie- which she swore up and down liked her back because "the way he looks at me, Zara - you've seen it too, and even if you don't think that's it, please let me be stupid and believe that he likes me. At least until I never see him again and have to give up, please." So they went and they sat and ate their lunch, Maisie oogling at Zackery, in all his cliché fuckboy-ness; Zara didn't really see what Maisie saw in him, but there was no reason for her to worry too much about him hurting Maisie, so Zara let her be.
Zara hadn't really been paying attention to the boys until she heard, "Yeah I got with Page, yesterday." Come from Zackery, and she saw the way Maisie's face scrunch up slightly, as she tried to hide her displeasure. Someone yelled, "Already?" and someone else laughed, "Well that's all girls are good for!" Zara physically stood up and threw down her food onto the bench ready to put those boys straight, but someone started talking before her, "Are you okay with girls calling you a bio-degradable dildo, Char?" The guy was directing it at the third person who had made the sexist comment.
"What the fuck? Why would a girl say that - that's rude." 'Char' responded. "And so is what you said, you know, a Woman brought you into this world even through all the pain it caused her, so you should show a little more respect towards woman." The ginger guy had frowned at Char. "You can't go and complain about how society expects you to not be emotional when you still say that woman are only good for sex. Remember that our football coach is a woman. Our mothers are woman. Our sisters are woman. Would you like someone saying that about your mum or sisters?"
Zara was blown away. She had baselessly concluded that all jocks would be sexist jerks, but not only was this guy reasonable, he was articulate and smart! "He's called Thomas, I can introduce you two if you want." Maisie had smirked.
Thomas McCauley was... hard to put to words.
So mysterious and cheeky yet overwhelmingly handsome - like some type of fairytale prince.
Thomas McCauley was everything she wasn't, he was tall with a strong fit build, his naturally long, bushy, red curls tied back in a loose ponytail. He was one of those sporty popular kids, at least a year older than everyone at 18 as he had to resit year 12 and good Lord he had the most beautifully thick Scottish accent.
Zara, on the other hand, was a humble and shy Irish girl, with a curvy and petit structure. Her loose, dirt-blonde waves barely brushing her shoulders. She had no clear accent and preferred reading and crafting rather than big crowds, and was the regular good girl type who worked hard.
But Zara knew that they had at least two things in common - firstly they were both fairly smart, and on Thomas' part a lot smarter than they let on.
Secondly, they both liked to out do each other.
