first kiss ; awg

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✧ - A N N A B E L - ✧

Today I was determined to look good. Usually I looked alright, but the style I tried to go for was usually the effortlessly casual look. But today was the day I was gonna talk to Alex Gaskarth first. I was going to take the plunge.

I picked out a plain grey baggy crop top with a simple black heart on from DROP DEAD, and a black skater skirt from American Apparel I'd bought the other day with some old birthday money. After then deciding on some fish net tights, and my maroon coloured converse, I did my makeup and headed downstairs for breakfast.

"Annie, oh lord, you look stunning! What's the occasion?" Timothy said, covering his mouth with his hand in faux surprise. "Doesn't she look beautiful Dean?"

Dean, who was scrambling eggs, spared a glance to look over at me and nodded his head with a smile.

"Beautiful."

"Thanks, Tim," I said, kissing his cheek. "Thanks Dean!"

The school bus came almost as soon as I reached the end of the drive, and I took my usual seat next Harriet, who was today wearing a Panic! At The Disco T-shirt and jeans that were half tartan, half black, with her hair in little bunches.

"Girls night tonight!" she squealed when I'd got comfortable. Every Friday we would have a sleepover where we watched movies, pigged out on junk food, gossiped, and did the cliche thing of having a pillow fights (they were actually pillow fight tournaments, and the score was 6-4 to me).

"What movies have we got lined up?" I asked, tearing a bite out of my Nak'd bar, the only thing I'd been able to grab for breakfast before leaving.

"Ummm, White Chicks, Moonrise Kingdom, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World and I thought maybe the first season of the 10th Doctor Who?"

"You know me too well." I laughed, and popped on my shades even though it was barely 10 degrees out this morning. For the whole journey, with Harriet chatting in my ear, all I could think about was how I had geography 3rd period, and how I could barely stand to wait that long right now.

"Annabel, are you listening?" Harriet sighed, slamming her locker to wake me out of my daydream.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure, circumference of pi or something." I made up lazily, flicking my wrist.

"Please don't tell me you're thinking about Alex Gaskarth, again."

Uneasily I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, "We have geography next period." I admitted sheepishly.

"Aaaaaaand? What are you gonna do?" She questioned me sceptically, raising a brow.

Rolling eyes, I managed a nervous laugh, "Talk to him, duh."

As soon as I saw him sitting at his desk, fringe swept across his head, I knew something was off. He didn't have his usual look about him - he looked drained, like the saturation of his skin had been filtered from him. But what baffled me most were the poorly concealed bruises on his neck, ranging from purple to an almost raw looking red. Slowly, I took my seat, and he energy enough to acknowledge my existence and give me a smile, which I confidently returned.

"What's wrong?" I asked suddenly, his state nagging me, and twisted my body around to face him. He seemed taken aback by the question.

"Nothing." Alex said calmly, clearly forcing a smile.

I leaned in closer to him so only he could hear, "Liar," I whispered and turned back around to Mr Scott.

"For today's lesson, I have prepared a treasure hunt! Around the school I have placed pictures of various climates around the world and I want you to write down it's key features every time you find one. You will be working in pairs so get yourselves sorted! Ready, steady, go!"

My heart felt like it did a little flip when almost instantly Alex poked my back, and I turned around to see him wiggling his eyebrows, his mood changed. Or maybe he was just trying harder to fake it. I stifled a laugh. "Are you suggesting we be partners?"

"No, but you just did." He smirked, causing my cheeks to head up.

"Oh, whatever, let's go find these landmarks, Gaskarth."

♡

DAMN I NEED ROMANCE IM SORRY IT'S COMING I PROMISE