Catch Me [Teen Romance]

5

We arrived at Grace's house almost half an hour later which wasn't at all surprising, judging by the fact that we had managed to catch the slowest bus in town, with a driver who had the same mental capacity as a toddler.

No one was at Grace's when we got there, her parents ran their own business and her little sister Ellie was at the nursery.

I'd always loved Grace's room; it was light and airy, with cream decor and the odd dash of purple - a very spacious room, enough room to sleep four on the floor during a sleepover. I dived onto my favourite polka dot beanbag and let out a sigh of relief.

"What a day man" I said, stretching my arms over my head.

"I know right, I am so excited to hear what's been going on with you and Hollow"

I sat up straight and stared at her raising my eyebrows, as if to tell her it wasn't up for discussion.

"Oh don't pretend nothings up Ava, you really don't like him do you?"

"No I don't"

"Well...why not?"

"OK, well firstly, everyone's obsessed with him, so he thinks he's the big 'I AM' and he's parading around college like he owns the place..."

"Ok let me stop you there, that is no reason for you to hate him, I mean, I agree - but I don't hate him just because of that..."

I pretended not to have heard her sudden interruption and continued with my own list of reasons.

"then I turn up to art, like one second late - Ethan's already sat in my place, staring at me like I'm some kind of pathetic..."

"Again Ava, not a reason to hate him - he's new, how is he to know he took your place"

"Grace will you stop interrupting me!? I'm trying to give you my plausible reasons for not liking him and you're not letting me finish!"

"sorry, I'm sorry"

"Thank you, now, Mr Roberts sat me on the table right next to him, and he looked straight at me, with the most evil look on his face, I swear Gee, if looks could kill...and then we had to draw these pictures and present them to the class, he stood up - about to give everyone his speech, then BANG he looked at me, and refused to do it, then Oli Hunter asks me if I'll walk Ethan up to the history block so I said sure yeah, but Ethan quickly said no I'll do it myself and ignored me! Then I get up to history, looked through the door to make sure he wasn't in my seat again, and Mr Bannerman comes out, saying something about "you two" and I turn round and see him stood behind me, then he embarrasses me in front of Bannerman, and then you invite him to work with us..."

"But Ava, don't you..."

"Grace, you haven't heard the best bit yet, the bit that really wound me up"

"Oh, go on then...you talk so fast Ave"

"When you were so kind as to make us both sit together in the library, he had the cheek to ask me , why I didn't like him! So we had a sort of argument, then I don't know if you noticed, but when me and you were passing the notes, he passed one to me too...and I was going to ignore it, but he kept staring and staring and...Well I just had to read it, and I wish to God now that I hadn't" - I looked at Grace to make sure she was up to speed, she nodded at me to go on "and all it said was "Yeah, thought so" which at first I was like, what the hell does this mean? Then it hit me, he knew I would read it regardless of the fact that I was pretending to be mad at him, he knew what I'd do, before I knew it myself"

Grace didn't say anything this time; she just stared at me with the biggest calculating grin I had ever seen.

"W...what?" I asked cautiously, but she continued with the goofy smile