Tongue Tied

November 2010

I took to English better than I thought I would. I assumed I'd like it because I adored reading and creative writing, but I didn't expect to be so good at it. I naturally took to all the challenges asked of us without really thinking too much about it. I loved the heated debates taking place in the classroom too, it was awesome to have a place where free-thinking was actively encouraged. Along with it, I could feel myself becoming a more well-rounded person with an open mind.

I was a little bit proud of myself. It proved I could cope with life away from home, that I was capable of making something of myself. I didn't totally know which direction I wanted my life to take after all of this, but the future no longer felt like a terrifying black cloud looming over my shoulders.

"I'm so jealous of you," Natalie commented grumpily as she watched me type away frantically on my laptop. "You look like you actually enjoy writing essays."

"Oh, well." I blushed and shrugged noncommittally. "That's probably because I do."

Natalie rolled her eyes and pushed her own computer off her lap. "I can't stand it, it isn't fair. I hate writing about geothermal activity. I don't mind the course, but I hate the writing. How can you just...argh!" She threw her hands above her head angrily. "I'm going to make a cuppa; do you want one?"

"Yeah, a tea would be lovely actually..."

My phone bleeped loudly. I pulled it out from where it'd slid under my leg and smiled as Scott's name filled the screen. The secret crush I harboured for him was a delicious thrill I kept firmly to myself.

'Carlie, help me. I need you, come to the canteen.'

Without even thinking about it, I clapped my laptop closed. I wouldn't interrupt my flow for anyone else in the world, but Scott. He was worth it.

'Sure, be right there. Get me a coffee.'

"Don't worry about the drink," I called out to Natalie in the kitchen. "I'm off out. I, erm, I need to go to the library. I'll see you in a bit."

I hadn't told her anything about my constantly developing feelings for Scott because I didn't want it to get awkward when we were around him, but I also didn't naïvely think I acted discretely enough for her to not know. Normally, Natalie had eagle-eyes for gossip, so I had to race out the room quickly before she spotted the moony look in my eyes. If she sensed me thinking about anything other than work, she'd leap down my throat.

Once one of us was brave enough to hitch things up to the next level, I'd tell Natalie everything. It'd come soon, I was sure of it. It was all a matter of timing. Whenever I was with Scott I could feel something crackling between us, coming both ways, which proved he liked me too...right?

I kept my eyes fixed on the ground as I practically ran across campus to see him. I didn't want anyone else to stop me in my tracks. Excitement burst through my veins, I just couldn't wait to see Scott's face again. It'd been twenty-four hours and it felt like a lifetime. The buzzing in my chest grew more powerful with every passing step.

Once inside the canteen, I scanned my eyes rapidly and almost instantly the magnetic force I always felt around Scott drew me in. He sat in the corner, hunched over a textbook, with a bright green tee shirt on and messy hair which really needed a brush.

My heart literally skipped a beat. This crush was getting out of control.

"Hey, Scott." I dumped my bag on the chair next to him hard enough to drag his eyes up from the page his eyes intently fixed upon. "This better be important, you dragged me away from a fun day writing for this."