The Rings

[ eight ]

"So... What are we going to do? A cake stall, or somethin'?"

I sighed in irritation. Liam was friendly, but he was not interested in helping me with this fundraising project in the slightest.

"No," I mumbled. "We should just do something like ..."

"Why what's up with a cake sale? My sister is an ace in the kitchen; I could ask her to help out."

I felt like huffing again, but it didn't seem like a bad idea. I leaned on my elbow, my chin resting upon my fist and stared out the window of the Rings, squirming in the comfy, red, cushioned chairs that we were sat on. Liam was slouched back in his chair, also looking out the window.

"So... Shall we just do that?"

I was about to reply but I was distracted by a blonde haired boy who walked in the door. Niall. This was so typical.

He locked eyes for less than a split second, looking down at his shoes and making himself comfortable in a seat opposite the same bunch of loud yobbos I had been giving the evils earlier.

"Skye?" Liam said, leaning forward and looking at me, resting his arms on the table.

"What? Oh yeah, yeah." I muttered, realising how silent it had previously been. "Want a drink?"

"Yeah, yeah, a Coke will do."

I got up and walked to the counter - thankfully there was no cue - and ordered our drinks. I couldn't see behind me but I had a feeling in my back as though something were poking me, like a pair of eyes were watching me.

Whilst the drinks were being poured by the way-to-cheery lady behind the counter, I tuned my ears to the noise around me, catching some hushed voices from behind.

"What... you know her?"

"Hum... Yeah, she's in a few of my classes."

"Is she fit?"

"Why don't you just look at her?"

"She's facing the other way..."

The lady placed the two glasses of coke in front of me on a tray, causing the two voices to almost disappear into the blend of others.

I took my drinks and settled opposite Liam again, watching Niall in the corner of my eye.

As he turned away, I took the chance to glance at him and stare at the side of his head. His friend was talking quietly and he looked very calm as he spoke. His friend had dark hair and slightly stubble on his chin and his hair was up in a few little spikes on top of his head and from his short sleeved t shirt, he had a lot of tattoos. It was bizarre that his teachers hadn't stopped him as though they were cops pulling over a car that was speeding.

He looked at me and I instantly looked back at Liam, catching him staring. "Why do you stare at him?" He asked, almost in a whisper, an amused expression on his face.

"You say that like I've stared before."

"You have."

"Have not."

"You like him."

"No," I snapped, with a hint of amusement in my tone. "I'll have you know that I see blondes as worth nothing more than Google plus."

Liam raised an eyebrow, a grin on his face. "Oh, yeah? Why's that?"

I sipped my drink and narrowed my eyes at him, jokily. "Because their makers need to stop. It's getting ridiculous." I said.

"So you have a problem with blondes?"

"Yes."

"But you're blonde."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Wait," I leaned forward folding my arms on the table. "Are you stating fact, or are you insulting me?"

"Both." He said, a smirk clear on his face. "Still, it's true about Google plus. They just want to be better than Apple."

"Apple is crap."

"Is not." He argued, making a mock hurt look.

"Yeah, it is."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"You like to argue, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Would you argue if I invited you to a party tomorrow night?" He asked, catching me off guard.

Of course, I wouldn't argue! "It depends." I challenged.

He grinned. "I'll pick you up at nine?" He said, downing the remains of his drink.

"Nine!?" I said, shocked, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

"Yeah, what's up with nine?"

"Nothing, nothing!" I said, hastily. "Nine is great, nine is perfect! Sounds brill." I gave him to thumbs up and a fake smile, because nine was not perfect. Nine was not great. Nine, I would usually be in bed! The only time I would be out after nine would be if I forgot to put the dishwasher on. Or if my house was on fire.

"See you then," he said with a grin, before leaning across the table and kissing me on the cheek and leaving without giving me a chance to react.

I froze and raised my hand to my cheek, where he kissed me. Woah, I mentally said.

I started to grab my bags, although still in shock as the electric jolts still flowed through me in surprise of the contact. My pen had fallen under the table so I stood up and went to the head of the small table to get at a better angle to reach it, but when I bent down, something cut me off as I smacked my forehead on the edge of the table.

I yelped and slapped my hand to my forehead, as if that would help me, and stood, frozen for a moment, waiting for the ache to go away. I could hear some distant laughter and when I looked round, thankfully only one or two people had seen. But it was the only two people that I really hoped didn't see it.

Niall and the dark haired lad were laughing hard at me and then I knew where I had seen the dark haired one before. He was one of the boys laughing the other week in Pixie.

I gave them a death glare, the sort that I rarely ever used, in fact one I hadn't used for a long time; the last time I used it was on Simon when he told my mother that it was in fact me that had finished the last of the mixed berry cheesecake (about 4 servings left).

I bent over and grabbed my pen, this time careful to dodge the table and snatched my bags and papers, rushing from the small cafe, in case anyone else had seen.