{COMPLETED} ✔ December Bloom

thirty'five

-Flashback-

"Braden, do you honestly, expect me to believe and fall for that excuse?" I asked my boyfriend with incredulity, my eyebrows raised expectedly.

"It's the truth, Nors! I promise you, it is." the blonde boy in front of me explained with exasperation, his tanned fingers running through his beautiful locks of golden blonde.

I sighed heavily, an incoherent sound emanating from my mouth as I stamped the foot with my floor.

"I-I just, god!"

"You just what?" he'd now moved closer to me, his blue eyes gazing questioningly at me.

"I just can't seem to believe you, Braden. You know it! Jeez, she's always there. Always hanging around you, just, what am I supposed to even think?!" I yelled at him in frustration, my hands tugging at my brown locks as I glared at him, more angry at Ella than Braden in actual reality.

I wasn't being fair, taking it all out on him.

If anything, it was Ella's fault.

I hated her.

I suppose I could've blamed everything on Jay. But I didn't.

The reason being so was the fact that he was just…Jay. He was new at OVBHS. He didn't know.

You can't exactly blame someone for that, can you?

'They're really into each other, aren't they?'

The words echoed in my mind, a nightmare that kept repeating itself, over and over, never-ending…

"Norah, you have to believe me. Seriously, I don't wantanything at all, to do with Ella. She is the furthest person from my mind right now. I didn't ask her to fall into my arms or anything!" Braden shot back, anger becoming evident in his voice.

I sighed heavily.

"I know you didn't ask for that, Braden. I just, I guess…" I trailed off unable to think up a good response.

"You were jealous…" Braden suddenly said slyly.

I glared at him.

"I was not." I returned, a little primly.

He started chortling and shaking his head, pointing at me.

"How cute! My girlfriend is jealous!"

"Stop that!" I snapped at him but I still couldn't stop a small smile finding it's way onto my lips.

"Stop that!" he mimicked me playfully and I shoved him lightly in the chest, causing him to trip.

I laughed and just like that, we were okay again.

As always.

I continued to go out with Braden, ignoring the death stares that I received from Ella and her friends.

We were now down to tutoring only one lesson each to one other, between Nichols and I.

He was still tutoring and helping me in Sport.

I was returning the favour with Literature.

Apparently, Nichols just cannot seem to get it through his thick skull that he needs to think deep and to not keep taking the easy route out.

The Winter dance was coming to a close and to my surprise, Nichols and Ella were still together. When I asked Nichols about it, he only smirked, asked me if I was jealous to which I retorted with a no. Then, he told me to mind my own business and that I'd see soon as to why that he and Ella are still suctioned at the lips practically.

Jenna had been getting quite itchy lately, turning down all the guys who offered to take her to the Winter dance. I said she was being stupid and that she should just take the next offer because if she did, then it would make Wes jealous, seeing her with another guy.

Of course, the idea of making Wes jealous seemed to appeal to Jenna so she wisely agreed to what I said and is now just waiting for the next guy to offer.

Claire's become a very close friend with Jenna and I. She's even beginning to change a little, coming out more as a clever person than a dumb ditz. She's also starting to hang out with us more too, becoming mine and Jenna's personal own 'clothes designer/make-up artist/whatever else/blah/blah'.

I lost track of what she was saying after the 'make-up artist' bit.

Oh, and I hope you realize that those were her words, not mine.

She's the one that loves to dabble in the latest of fashions including make-up too.

The sound of a ringing bell jolted me out of my reminiscing thoughts on the past few days and I sighed heavily, moving to pack up all my things, shoving them all into my backpack.

I entered the bustling corridor, squeezing my way through the pack of noisy kids that were all squashed into this tiny little space…

Honestly, you'd think that they'd learn to build decent new corridors that are actually wide.

Okay, in reality, they are pretty wide but I'm just being cranky now.

Hey! You'd be too if you had to push your way through crowds of smelling kids, big kids, over scented-perfumed-sluts, sweaty jock guys…it goes on and on and on!

I suddenly felt a strong grip around my elbow and spun around to give the person a piece of my mind as to why he or she seemed to have grabbed my elbow so fiercely that it hurt because of their stupid yanking and who did they think they were, clutching at random strangers who had classes to get to anyway?

However, my eyes met the green mocking eyes that I saw in basically all of my nightmares and I groaned out loud, not caring whether or not he heard me.

"Ouch, Nors. You know, you don't have to crush me to death because your happy to see me. A nice simple hug would serve that purpose just fine, you know." he remarked oh so very wittily.

Note my use of sarcasm.

Yay me.

"What do you want now? Can I not get just a break without you popping up?!" I exclaimed with irritation to which Nichols replied with a smirk.

"No. Now, about our Sport tutoring session today-"

"Please tell me your cancelling!" I cried out in desperation, my eyes pleading him.

So far, in all our lessons, Nichols has been torturingme. Putting me through hell, really.

"Sorry. Now, what I wanted to say before you rudely interrupted me, was that we're going to be doing tennis today."

"Tennis? You have got to be kidding me!" I cried in disbelief, staring at Nichols as he just smirked at me and shook his head.

"Nope. So, get your tennis gear on and be ready." he winked at me before strolling off down the corridor, my glowering eyes trying to burn a hole in the back of his head.

I hardly even noticed the dispersing crowd as new lessons were started up and the almost empty corridors resumed it's natural silence, save for a few late people scurrying about here and there, the usual skivers sauntering casually down the hall and ready to make their normal late entrance into the lesson.

However, back to the important topic on hand here.

Seriously, swimming fine. Running, yeah. Athletics, fine. Weight/endurance training, I'll tolerate that. Tennis? God, I thought it was just basics, not all this.

Am I really that bad at Sport?

You know it's actually a good thing you are though.

Huh? What the heck is that meant to mean?

Der, the more worse you are at Sports, the more time you get to spend with Dante…

Ew! No way, that is NOT my mind speaking.

It sure is. You think that you would've gotten used to it by now anyway!

I sighed heavily and began the long trudge to my next class, knowing full well that I was definitely late.