Falling For The Smiths

6.

CHAPTER SIX | BUTTERFLIES
***

The next day, I expected things to be the same - I mean, no amount of nerf gun fights could patch up such a ripped friendship. I couldn't get them off my mind, though. The way they acted like they actually cared about me... It made my stomach flutter in the most unnerving way possible.
   A honk from outside dragged me out of my daydreams. I scrambled to the window and, sure enough, the Smiths' signature yellow Audi was parked in front of my house.
   They actually came, I thought, a smile threatening to spill over.
   Grabbing my bag from the floor, I shovelled down the remaining eggs on my plate and picked the buttered toast up in my hand. I made sure my keys were secured in my pocket before I rushed out the house.
   "Hurry up," Aaron's voice boomed. "We have to pick up Cathy as well."
   I froze in my tracks. Are you being serious? I felt like yelling. You expect me to be in the same car as Catherine freaking Jameson, after all that she's done to me?
   It was almost as though Mathew had read my mind.
   "Ron," he hissed, "we're not picking her up today, remember? She had some cheerleader shit this morning."
   Aaron smacked his forehead. "Oh, right."
   I let out a breath of relief. I'd been this close to running in the opposite direction. I climbed into the back seat next to Mathew, making sure to smile gratefully at him. He shrugged it off.
   "So," he drawled as the car sped off, "how's it going?"
   I rolled my eyes. "Really, Matt, really? That's the best conversation starter you can think of?"
   "Got a problem?" he defended.
   "You write poetry," I huffed. "You've got to be able to think of something better than that. Besides, you've got half the human population on this planet chasing after you - you should probably work on some pick-up lines."
   Wait, what?
  But he seemed to take that as a challenge. He leaned back on the leather seat and looked out the window.
   "What are you doing?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.
   "Thinking," he responded in a mutter. "Now, shut up."
   So, I did. I turned away from him just in time to catch Aaron watching us through the review-mirror. I sent him a questioning look, but he merely shook his head. I sighed.
   It's sad we were never that close, I inwardly pouted. We never tell each other anything.
   I rolled the window open and leaned my head out, loving the way the gentle - but cold - breeze trickled down my face. I instinctively clamped a hand around my ponytail and was happy to find it intact.
   "Close the window," Aaron whined. "It's cold."
   "No shit, Sherlock," I retorted. "But the window's staying open."
   He pouted.
   He looked hot when he pouts.
   Oh, shut up.
   You have to admit. He is extremely good-looking.
   Everybody in the whole universe knows that, smart ass.
   Stop being so oblivious to the fact that he's offered to drive you to school. And that he stood up against Catherine when she was bitching about you.
   Okay, two things: one - it was Mathew that offered; and two - she wasn't bitching, she was being a bitch. There's a difference.
   Yeah, yeah.
   This is just really creepy. I'm talking to myself - and I still am. Okay, anyway, so I felt my face flush slightly at the thoughts that had been currently streaming through my subconsciousness. Mathew poked my shoulder.
   "I've thought of something," he announced, grinning.
   I brushed some hair out of my eyes. I then realized that their was a trail of fiery hair billowing around the place.
   "Give it back," I snapped, holding my palm out to him.
   His grin widened. "I don't know what you're talking about."
   "You have to stop doing this," I sighed. "My hair is really annoying, you know that?"
   "It looks prettier this way," he protested meekly.
   "Matt," I urged.
   "Fine." He pulled the purple rubber-band out of his pocket. "Only, if you promise me you'll leave it open tomorrow."
   "Just give me the rubber-band," I said in exasperation.
   He crossed his arms stubbornly over his chest. "Well then, you're not getting it back."
   Sometimes, I fell like fate just likes to piss the hell out of me. It gives me the worst luck imaginable, then shoves better luck into somebody's else's face, with me watching.
   Because, the car pulled up in front of the parking lot, and Mathew literally ran out.
   "Have fun!" he yelled, laughing loudly.
   I scowled. Aaron was chuckling and shaking his head.
   "He can be such a pain in the ass," I huffed.
   Aaron was searching for an empty spot. "He's gotten a lot worse, Tess. I swear, he's lost the ability to shut up."
   I laughed. I tried dragging my fingers through my locks to tame them, but they refused to stay put. Sighing, I slung my bag across my shoulders and smiled at Aaron.
   "Thanks for the ride," I said.
   "My pleasure," he winked. "I'll see you after school, Tessa. We're meeting up at your's today."
   I didn't bother protesting. I opened the door and the chill embraced me like a second skin. Shuddering, I pulled my jacket around my figure tightly.
   "Oh, and Tessa?" he called out as I made my way to the front entrance.
   I glanced back at him, a confused frown on my face. "Yeah?"
   "You really do look better this way," he said, smirking.
   And then the window rolled up. I felt a ghost smile flicker across my lips as my heartbeat quickened.
   Oh, damn you, Aaron Smith.
   I quickly made my way into the building, and was devasted to find questioning stares thrown my way. I kept my head low till I reached my locker, where Daphne was waiting for me.
   "So?" she asked as I gathered my History books. "How was the first session?"
   I shrugged. "Better then I expected it to be."
   I mean, come on.
   I got to see Mathew shirtless.
   I got to eat the world's best brownies and butter cookies.
   I got to ride in a yellow Audi.
   I got to have a nerf gun fight with the school's golden boys.
   What more could a girl like me ask for?
   "Really?" Daphne squealed. "Tell me everything."
   I rolled my eyes. "Chill, Daffy. It was just me and them, sitting on the floor, eating heavenly food, and studying French. It's not like we had some heated threesome."
   "Or did you?" she teased, wiggling her eyebrows.
   "Ew." I scrunched my nose. "You pervert."
   "Why did you leave your hair open?" she suddenly asked. "I thought you didn't like it this way."
   I ran a hand through my curls, huffing. "I don't. But, Matt does, so he stole my rubber band. That ass."
   "He did what?" she gasped. "Oh my god! That's so cute!"
   "That is not cute," I hissed. "It's very childish."
   Daphne rolled her eyes. "Oh, Teresa. You're so naive."
   I scowled in response and followed her to our first class.
   By the time lunch came around, it took me all my self-control to keep the butterflies from eating me up.
   Aaron, you idiot, stop making me feel this way. The butterflies should have left a long time ago...
   See, what happened was that during History, he would keep sending me these smiles. And, in the beginning of class when Catherine tried to confront me, he held her back.
I don't know what, but the actions triggered so many different emotions inside of me - the main one being confusion. Nevertheless, the butterflies erupted like fireworks inside of me.
    Ugh.
    So, then, as I sat at an empty table with Daphne, I was pleasantly surprised to see the Smiths approaching our table, Catherine nowhere to he seen.
    "Mind if we join you?" Aaron asked, smiling at us.
    I shrugged. "It's your call, really."
    Mathew didn't hesitate to plop down in front of me.
    "Hey, Teri," he chirped, eyeing my two peanut butter sandwiches. "I love what you've done to your hair."
    "Jerk," I scoffed. "And, you sound like such a girl."
    "Thanks," he said. "You sound like such a boy."
    "Can I have my rubber band back now?" I whined, sipping the bottle of apple juice in my hand.
    "If I get one of those," he answered, pointing at the bread.
    I pouted. "Matt, that's not fair. You took something that was mine - second time, actually."
    "Yeah, yeah," he waved it off, rolling his eyes. "Stop being such a grump."
    "Excuse me?" I folded my arms across my chest.
    "Just borrow mine," Daphne interjected. "I'm sure he'll give it back to you by tomorrow."
   "Like hell he will," I muttered, but took her elastic band anyway.
    A river of blonde cascaded down her back and stopped abruptly above her waist. I scrunched my nose up in disgust.
    "How do you like it like that?" I asked.
    "It makes me feel beautiful," she retorted. "Not everyone here goes on complaining about how their hair gets stuck everywhere."
    I stuck my tongue out at her - childish, yes, but still. "That's because their hair doesn't keep getting in the way."
    I didn't wait for a response and secured my locks into a simple ponytail.
    I should probably get a haircut, I thought to myself, wolfing down my sandwich.
    "Oh no, you don't," Mathew said, as though he could read my thoughts. "Your hair's staying just the way it is."
   "Why?" I scoffed.
   "Because," he responded, "I said so."
   Have I ever mentioned how much I loved the bell?
   Because, it saved me - just as the parking lot had saved Mathew - from a sticky situation. As soon as it rang loudly through the school, I picked my stuff up and literally ran from the place. I only glanced back at the door and saw Mathew smack Aaron on the back of the head, and Daphne erupt in laughter.

***

At the end of the day, I was a nervous wreck. What the hell is happening to me? My eyes darted around me as I transferred my books to my locker. 
   "Looking for somebody?" a voice sneered. 
   I sucked in a breath, but didn't respond. I silently shut my locker and twisted the lock. Somebody gripped my shoulders and spun me around harshly. 
   "When I talk to you," Catherine hissed, her eyes blazing with fury, "you look at me!"
   The books left in my hand were scattered to the floor and my bag ripped from my shoulder. She shoved me into the row of lockers. 
   "I hope you understand," she whispered, "that Aaron won't make it to his lesson today. Not today, not ever."
   So, she was trying to provoke me, then. I knew this because of the cold sneer her lips were curled into. The same one she'd given me that day...
   "And," she continued as dangerously quietly, "I thought I should let you know; he doesn't give a fuck about you. He only has eyes for me! Don't think that he'll leave me for you, you hear me?"
   "Shut up!" I wanted to yell at her. "I know how he cares about me! Stop being such a jealous bitch, and leave me the hell alone!"
   Instead, I just lowered my gaze from her and tried not to wince in pain when she dug her nails into my shoulders. Her breath fanned my face.
   "Look at me!" she screeched, gripping my chin and pulling my face up. "Talk to me!"
   I bit my lip to suppress a shriek of pain when she clawed at my cheeks. Jeez, woman, you have the claws of a cat. I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself for whatever would come next. This had happened to me once before - I'd been in the hospital for almost a week after that.
   But, it never came.
   The weight of her claws were removed from my face and I pried my eyes open.
   "Let her go," Daphne hissed. "I don't think you want to be seen like this."
   Agreed, I thought. Catherine's hair had been messed up by god knows what and her makeup was smudged. Her "perfect" demeanor was wiped off by the rage spiraling in her eyes.
   "This isn't over," Catherine screamed before she was dragged away by Aaron.
   Daphne ran a finger over the scratches on my cheeks and I winced.
   "We should get these checked up," she said.
   I swatted her hand away, shaking my head.
   "I'm fine," I assured. "I'll put something on at home."
   "But you're coming with me," Mathew reminded. He appeared from behind Daphne.
   I mentally slapped myself when I felt my cheeks heat up - luckily, they were already red. I frowned.
   "Why?" Realization settled in. "Oh. I thought..."
   Mathew was standing in front of me now, a hand on my shoulder.
   "What?" he asked. "What did you think?"
   I lowered my gaze. "Nothing. Let's just go."
   He sighed. He glared at the crowd gathered around and it quickly dispersed. Daphne whispered something to Mathew and he nodded.
   "I think we should skip the lesson today," Mathew suggested.
   Confusion was mirrored on my face. "What? Why?"
   "You seem pretty shaken up," he pointed out. "We can have a longer lesson tomorrow then."
   No...Or, yes, actually, I have Fridays off.
   "If you insist," I sighed.

------

Hey guys!
   First off, I am so sorry for the really late update. I'm pretty busy so, like, yeah. The chapter is pretty shitty, sorry about that! Chapters may come out late like this, I'm already sorry for that.
   Also - I love you guys so much for all the reads, comments, and votes! Everyday my notifications are crammed with them, which encouraged me to write more. Shout-out to all of you!
   Lastly, I've been thinking of a celebrity look-alike for Tessa. I think Jordan Clark could work. Tell me what you think!
   Show some love; drop a comment and hit that star!
   xoxo,
   Hazel ♡