Astronomical (girlxgirl)

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen (Rose's POV)

That afternoon, I compromised with Mum by promising to be home in time for dinner; a disgruntled Nate drove Annie back in my car while I followed my Skye home.

I was glad my last two classes had been mostly outside; first PE and then Agriculture. Nate had come in partway through Ag class with a late note from the nurse; he pretended to glare at me for a second before coming to sit beside me.

It's a shame we heal so quickly; I heard Rebecca talking earlier about how 'handsome' men look with crooked noses – apparently, it adds to that bad boy vibe, I commented to Nate as I tuned out the teacher's explanation.

His lips twitched as he tried to stay mad at me, and failed spectacularly, Oh – woe is me; I was so hoping Rebecca would finally notice me... We snickered to each other, and I could feel the guilt gnawing at me evaporate; I was forgiven.

Nate soon became serious and tried to urge me to pay attention to the class. I responded in true-Rose style – sarcastically. I don't submit to peer pressure, Nathan.

He rolled his eyes, It's not peer pressure – I'm trying to make sure you finish the day having actually learned something instead of just spending quality time with your mate.

Shit, is that why we are at school? I'm so glad you told me, I had no idea, I quipped with a lopsided grin.

When class finished, and I told Nate to drive my car home with Annie, his playful mood vanished as if it was never there. You owe me, Rosie, he said as I saw him pull out the parking spot with Annie's glare burning a hole in the side of his head.

I hate it when you call me that, I muttered – but then my mood lightened as I spotted a tiny blonde figure disengaging from the crowd and walking down the sidewalk.

Are you coming over for dinner tonight? We are doing a roast to celebrate the Atkinson's becoming grandparents. Can we take a moment to feel sorry for the baby that will have little Cole as an Uncle? I asked him as I walked further away from the school.

I observed in my mind Nate fighting with Annie over the radio; each time she reached over to change the station, he let one hand go from the steering wheel to change it back. I could feel his frustration building through the mind link and considered just cutting the connection and talking to him later.

Yeah – Mum was talking about joining Luna Amelia and Beta Natalie's book club, He responded in a tense, distracted tone. I sighed as they kept up their battle of wills until Nate growled and slammed the power button on the radio.

If you break my stereo – I will break your legs, I added before letting the connection fade. I focused back on Skye, intrigued by the way the wind ruffled her hair.

As she got closer to her home, I could feel my shoulders straighten and my fists clench – my body reacting to her's before my mind even registered a change. It took a few minutes for me to hear her heartbeat begin to race, causing my instincts to go into overdrive. Why is she scared?

My senses expanded automatically, and I became aware of the annoying drone of a lawnmower, and the idle chatter of two students walked behind us on the other side of the road. "And then she said..."

I shook my head and tried to pinpoint what was upsetting my mate. My nose twitched at the scent of freshly cut grass mixed with car fumes and the fresh soil of the nearby forest.

I slowed down as Skye glanced over her shoulders, hoping I had kept enough distance that her human eyes couldn't make me out. I could just picture it now; my own mate calling the police because a tall, shady-looking figure kept following her.