The next morning, I scrambled onto the school bus, still brushing my hair,as I walked down to my friends seats, I passed Seth on the way down as Nick slid in beside him.
"Hey Eliza" their friend Adam smiled at me, he sat beside me in biology.
"Hi Adam, do you still need the homework?" He nodded and smirked. I took my copy out of my bag and passed it to him. "Just give it back in class, okay?"
"Yeah, thanks" I smiled and walked on.
The bus jolted to a start just as I fell into my seat next to my friend Eva. I shoved the hair brush into my bag and zipped it up. She moved a strand of my blonde hair to the other side. I smiled as thanks. I lay against her shoulder and she pat my head.
"So how's your lover?" She asked sarcastically nodding towards where Seth was sitting. I rolled my eyes
"Disgusting as usual, and yours?" I looked down at her phone with a suggestive smile. She smirked and rolled her eyes and ran a hand through her red hair, brushing it out of her face.
"Shut up"
"Morning El" Kelly peered between our seats
"Morning, you want me to do your hair?" It had become a morning ritual, she can't plait her own hair and I loved doing her hair, it was blond, long and wavy and really soft.
"Please" she turned around and I knelt over the back of the chair and did it up in a style she had a picture of on her phone, a bit too fancy for school if you ask me, but still pretty.
The bus screeched to a stop and we hopped off and Seth walked in time beside me. Kelly and Eva grinned at each other.
"Can I help you?" I sneered. He wrapped his arm around my waist and my heart jumped. "Ew, hands off" I picked up his hand like dirty laundry and dropped it to his side. He just placed it back, but held on firmer and pulled me closer.
"I need a favour" he whispered. He smelled like pepermimt and coffee.
"No" I struggled to get away from him, but he was strong
"Okay. Thank you. Here's the thing. See that girl over there? With the red top?" He continued, ignoring my refusal
"Its pink"
"Its red"
"Beside the bin?" He nodded "it's pink"
"Its red, Eliza" Eva chimed in. I glared at her and looked back at Seth who grinned, victorious
"Anyway. She thinks we're going out 'cause I bought her a coke at the cafe the other day and I need to get her off my back"
"If you're expecting me to tell her to leave you alone, it's not happening"
"It wasn't a problem in the first grade, Jelly Bean" I suppose I should explain the jelly bean thing. Eliza, to El, to jelly basically. Also, the only reason that happened in the first grade was because this smug little brat was moving in on "my man" and Seth at the same time and two timing my, so called, boyfriend(well the boy who gave me his cookies at lunch and a hug after school. That classified then, to him, not me. I had my heart set on another. All the mind games of seven year olds. Tough times) and my best friend at the time(yes, Seth and I were inseparable at one stage) was no friend of mine. So I simply told her to back off or I'd pull her "stringy little piggy tails off her skull and beat her with them". I was yanked out of my flashback, "that's not what I was going to say anyway"
"What?" I sighed. He grinned
"So you're in"
"Didn't say that"
"Follow my lead. Please" oh my God. The boy said please. Did anyone hear that? I thought and looked at Eva for any sign off confirmation. He slung his other arm around me and pulled me even closer so my back was pressed against his front and he whispered "smile. Come on Eliza, at least make it look like I'm not torturing you. If not for the sake of the mission, for my self esteem"
"Firstly. Torture is exactly what's happening here. Secondly. I don't think your ego could handle any more inflation, especially from a girl" I don't know how, but he seemed to take it as a compliment. "Seth it was an insult" he shrugged
"Please Eliza," he whispered. It tickled my ear and I chuckled "that's more like it"
"No." I snorted "no, it tickles" I forced through gasps of laughter
"If you think that's nice" he came even closer
"Don't even think about it Seth, I'm serious" I turned my head to look him in the eye, he swallowed and looked back at me
"You don't even know what I'm going to do"
"And I don't care for finding out either"
"Fine"
"Okay, we've passed her now Seth, will you get off!"
"She's walking behind us" I went to check for myself "don't look!" The girl came to pass us out and walk in, in front of us, strutting in such a way to make her bottom stand out, but she really looked like a camel. An injured camel. The nerve! If Seth was with someone she should not be shoving her "goods" in his face. I had the erge to yank her dry hair by the split ends so that ear was to my mouth and advise her not to be such a slut. That was just rude, that girl had to learn. I sped up so I was close behind her and Seth called after me
"Where are you going sweetheart?" In some sort of flirty tone, I don't know. Just as I stood on the back of her shoe and she stumbled.
"I am so sorry Annabel, I just wanted to let you know, I think your walking with a limp or a hunch or something and I was wondering are you okay? I have painkillers in my bag if you need them" I smiled sweetly. She looked incredulously at her friend and she shrugged
"Oh, no, I'm okay," she blushed
"Oh okay, well if it does get worse and it gets sore, I have them"
"Thanks" she turned away. I snorted as I turned back to Eva and Kelly who were buckled over with laughter and Seth who looked shocked at my outburst
"I just got thanked for an insult, that's how it's done ladies."
"What was that?" He asked, eyes wide
"If something was happening here" I gestured to us both "she shouldn't be trying to seduce you, she should have more respect for me and herself, why would she try so hard to impress you, especially if she thinks you were going out with her and now being all weird with me"
"Weird? Judging by the giggling and ear-to-ear grin on what you call a face, it seemed pretty enjoyable to me"
"Woah. No need to get defensive, I just did you a favour"
"Was it so awful? Being so close to me?"
"I'll let you know when my eyes stop stinging from the smell" I hadn't realised how serious his face was and he looked right into my eyes and then down at his vans. Then he walked back to Nick and his gang. I bit my lip. Shit, I actually offended him, he actually has feelings
"Someone has a crush" Eva sang
"Excuse me?!"
"He chose you to be his fake girlfriend and he seemed to get reasonably upset when you insulted him" I burst out laughing
"I think the bus fumes have gotten to your head Eva" her and Kelly looked at each other smirking but I chose to ignore it. Ew.
