The Hopeful, The Hardheaded and the Homework

Chapter 28 : Oops? : Olive

The first days back at school after the Christmas holidays were rarely perfectly behaved. Students who didn't want to get back into the workload right after New Year's, which was usually the majority of the student body, didn't listen and were rowdier than usual. That wasn't to say the time of year mattered particularly to more than a few of said students. Those teachers still on holiday mode were more lenient with expected homework, whilst others were stricter still. Even Olive, normally one of the more attentive in all her classes, found herself distracted and daydreaming all through English Literature.

Until someone nudged her elbow and Olive snapped out of the daze she had been in staring out the window and looked over.

"So did he do it?" The girl who had suddenly moved across the room and sat down in the free seat beside her hissed quietly and brushed away a strand of brown hair.

Olive just stared at her confused. "Did...who do what?"

"Uh, Enoch of course." Rose was grinning just the way she had been at the New Year's party when Olive had very clearly seen how much Enoch was annoyed by the peppering of questions he'd had fired at him. "Did he kiss you at midnight? You are a couple aren't you?"

"That was you at the window?" Olive felt her face flush pink until the teacher cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow at their side of the room. "You know it was a little awkward."

"Oh....right. Sorry. But he did didn't he? I mean it's Enoch O'Connor, no one really expected him to have a girlfriend but Sketch and I always thought you were cute in biology together and-"

"Uh-sorry, what was that?"

"Rose! Unless what you're talking so animatedly about is this novel, I suggest you concentrate on your work, and weren't you sitting over there?"

"Sorry..." Rose just grinned and Olive stared wide eyed as she quickly grabbed her book and went back to her seat.

What on earth made those two girls so interested in the relationship between Olive and Enoch was beyond Olive, and confusing to say the least. It was one thing for people not to believe that Enoch would be interested in a relationship, or to criticise him about it, it was another to be betting on them getting together. That...seemed like a long shot. Yet it had happened.

Of course he had kissed her a few nights ago on New Year's, out of sight of prying eyes until a dozen people had decided to go outside and watch the fireworks when Enoch had broken away so abruptly Olive might have fallen forward if it hadn't been for his arm around her. Even days later she was still grinning giddily whenever she thought about it.

There had been something entirely different about his manner to her that night. At least when they were alone. He hadn't so much as held her hand where everyone could see, save to try and scare off any other boy trying to talk to her. He didn't like to show that how much he did care about her, that was true, but it was the little, barely there comments he made and gestures like putting his arm around her if she was cold that made it very clear, to her anyway, that he did.
Olive smiled to herself.

xxxXxxx

"And you think it's awful how much time I spend with Enoch? You two have been joined at the hip for two days straight!"

"Because it's new, and you're much worse, Olive." Emma pulled a face at her but couldn't stifle the grin that spread over her face as she tossed her hair back with a very self-satisfied air, "But yes. We are, isn't it great? By the way, Jacob and I are meeting up after school so I won't be-"

"-on the bus. And I'm very happy for you, you know that." Olive beamed and added as an innocent afterthought as she closed the door of her locker and fastened the lock. "At least I have something to get under your skin about now."