Roses

Chapter 1: Victoria

"I'll be back before you know it babe," James pushed a stray piece of hair behind my ears and held my hands in his. It's moments like these where others would probably swoon at how completely lovely my boyfriend is being but I'm far from swooning. "It's only for this term okay? Just a month in America and I'll be home."

Right, because a month without James is going to be SO easy. A month without his chocolate brown wavy hair getting into his eyes and me having to push it out of his eyes so I could stare into them, a month without feeling his hand hold mine and noticing how perfectly our hands fit, a month without his voice calling out to me from the crowd of the rest of the school, I can't imagine a month without any of that.

Yes, if I'll be completely honest I am head over heels for James. I know it's only High School but come on, we're both eighteen (did I mention we have the same birthday?) and that means we're adults which also means what we have should definitely be considered love.

"Just promise me you won't forget me and find yourself some other girl with that 'southern American drawl' and..." James cut me off with a peck on the lips, I could feel him smiling.

"You know I won't. You and me forever?" his eyes were full of hope, those chocolate brown irises that exactly matched his hair were shining.

"Of course." he held my gaze and I was just about to go in for another kiss when his mum arrived.

"Alright break it up lovebirds, his plane's boarding in ten minutes." we broke apart and James gathered up his things.

"Well, I gotta go Alice! Don't worry we'll talk everyday okay?" he hugged me and planted a final kiss on my cheek.

"Okay." my voice sounded so small. He gave a small smile before turning on his heels and leaving me.

: - :

My name's not actually Alice, well technically it is. It's my middle name and for some odd reason James took a liking to it and started calling me by it instead of my actual name, Victoria. I like Alice a lot better, at least it isn't the name of a dead British queen. I guess it also makes me feel so traditional and while at times I can be a bit set in my ways I'm definitely not old fashioned.

"Vix?" Olivia's voice cuts through my daze and pulls me back into reality. "Are you okay? You haven't played a note all period and I think Mrs Bates is beginning to notice."

"Oh sorry I was just um... thinking." it's a feeble excuse but I don't think she'll notice seeing as she's intently trying to work out exactly where in the piece the ensemble is up to.

"Honestly ever since James left you've been acting like a nutcase." Oh well it seems like she did notice. James...

His half smile that looks like a smirk, the way he twirls his pencil around his fingers as he tries to figure out how to transpose a piece for his piano, his dry sense of humour that at one time only I could pick up on, his face when he realises I've caught him trying to make his hair look better...

"You're doing it again! God why don't they just make me first violinist already, you're clearly incapable." Olivia pulls me from my thoughts again and I realised my hands have stopped playing again. Ugh what is happening?

The bell rings signalling the end of class and I pack up my things before heading to my next class. My next class... what's my next class again?

"It's lunch idiot." Olivia's next to me, towering over my small stature as usual. Her blonde waves tickle my cheek as she walks alongside me. "We have a leadership meeting come on."

"But I don't wannaaaaa!" I complain.

"Tough luck you're the one who volunteered both of us for Music captain." Olivia opens the door for me and instead of thanking her, I scowl.

I spend the entire meeting daydreaming about James before finally perking up at the end.

"The formal will be held on the tenth of November and we've picked Victoria and Wesley to be heading all the organising. We'll begin on that next meeting, you two meet with the school captains and work on that before then." Mr Donald adjusted his glasses before gathering all of his papers and leaving.

"Haha you're working with Wesley! Didn't you have the hugest crush on him in Year Seven?" Olivia chatters as we eat our lunches.

"Shut up." That's how I ended that conversation. The truth was that I had had a massive crush on him. I mean who wouldn't.

Back then he was one of the only boys who had gone through puberty and with his lean toned body, perfectly styled black hair and a bright smile and personality, he was irresistable, how could I not fall for that? I wasn't the only one though, plenty of girls loved him and often he would date one of them. When I liked him I thought that maybe I had a chance because he was always friendly to me. Turns out he was just friendly to everybody. Eventually he started dating Tiffany Turner and I spent one summer getting over him. That's the past though, before I met James.

I still remember the first time I saw James. He walked into the class with an air of confidence. Not the type of confidence that cocky but the type of confidence that said 'this is me, deal with it'. I couldn't help but be completely entranced by him, he had the looks of one of those kids who was probably quite popular back in their old school but when he sat down I could tell he wasn't interested in popularity. Instead of sitting in the empty seat next to Wesley, James chose to sit at the back right next to me. I smiled at him and he smiled back, the rest is history. It sounds like it's straight out of a fairytale doesn't it? I guess it kind of is amazing how we managed to keep our relationship going since year 8. People always say that a relationship that young is destined for failure but we proved them wrong.

"Victoria for god's sake." Olivia sounds really angry this time. "You haven't listened to a word I've said for the past ten minutes. This is getting worrying."

"Sorry I was just..."

"Thinking. Trust me I know Vix, you're all caught up with the James that's still in your head. Honestly I wish he'd just come back already so you'll stop acting like a lovesick puppy." her tone is light but I could tell she meant it.

"Alright alright. What were you saying?" I finally relent and give her all of my attention.

"I was just talking about how Ethan has totally been giving me looks all lunch." she says with her voice an octave higher from excitement.

"Give it up Liv, he's taken." I roll my eyes, Liv's crushed on this guy for years now and I can't seem to get it into her head that he's trouble.

"Nah he's not Sandra dumped him yesterday." she says with her voice so full of hope I almost feel bad for what I'm going to say next.

"Who did he cheat on her with this time?"

"Nobody." I raise my eyebrows, I know she's lying. "Fine, it was Morgan."

"Her cousin?!" I knew he was a bit of an ass but this is pretty bad even for him.

"Yes..." Olivia knows what's coming next.

"Oh my actual god Liv! Can't you see he's trouble? Why are you still crushing on this guy?!"

"Oh but Vix I'm sure he's a good person! He just needs to meet the one." How cheesy, she's in her own lovesick mood there's nothing I can do to change her mind now.

"Whatever Liv you'll see."

"I'll see what? How right I am? Ha! Yes I will!" I roll my eyes at her but in spite of myself I smile. I can't help smiling when I'm with her, she's my best friend after all.