fruit salad

2

it was fifteen minutes into my art class before lunch when two rowdy jelly boys bombarded the class, interrupting my gorgeous painting of a mushroom. one was a slimy green apple colour with gorgeously tight curls and a fetching smile, and the other was an addictively icy blueberry with the most enticing eyes i had ever seen. i didn't recognise him so he must have been the new guy tobias everyone was gossiping over during registration.

i might have blushed if it weren't for the fact they bursted into the room seventeen minutes tardy absolutely falling over themselves laughing, consequently interrupting the peace of the art room, and, quite frankly, annoyed the citrus out of me. i had strict plans to keep a flawless reputation and keep my grades as high as a kite, and i needed complete tranquility in my art class to do that. in that moment i took a much needed puff of my bergamot essential oil to ease my tensions.

"BOYS! YOU ARE LATE!" Ms carrot bellowed, clearly just as filled with fury as i. this is why i liked ms carrot, we could relate to each other. "AND NOT EVEN AN APOLOGY? INCONCEIVABLE! GET TO YOUR SEATS AND BEGIN PAINTING. IT BETTER BE SO GOOD AND FILLED WITH SUCH RAW EMOTION I CRY OTHERWISE THERE WILL BE STRONGLY WORDED E-MAILS SENT TO YOUR RESPECTIVE PARENTS."

"good" i thought to myself. ms carrot was the one teacher who knew how to handle such mischievous children.

that being said however, the mischievous guys sitting in the back corner of the room were kinda hot.

throughout the rest of the class, i kept stealing glances to look over my pudgy canary shoulder at the boys. I knew the green apple was called Jason and had a pretty impressive bad-boy reputation of being a stealthy drug dealer on sundays though i didn't know anything of the sexy blueberry. he carried himself with certainty and articulacy and had the most piercing blue eyes i had ever seen.

as much as i hated to admit it to myself, i was swooning for Tobias.

after the bell rang and i handed in my mushroom painting (which ms carrot with a tear in her eye said was the best she had seen in her entire teaching career) and then i roll-raced down to the cafeteria to meet winnie and tell her about my gossip. when i rounded the corner to the lockers however, i slipped on a carelessly littered banana peel that was oh so inconveniently left on the floor. i yelped as i hurtled through the air.

"AGGHHHHHHHHAHHHHAHHHHRHRHAGGHHHHHHHHHHUGHHHHHHHH"

i expected to land with a face full of solid linoleum but instead a pair of strong arms caught me, preventing me from cracking my skull open.

i peered up to see who my mystery hero was, and i almost let out a gasp.

tobias.

"you took a fell." he said smoothly, me still in his muscular arms. his frosty eyes were even more mesmerising up close.

"yeah, no shit sherlock" i whispered. i was starstruck from what just happened, and the thought of how my eyes must be bulging embarrassed me. i freed myself from his grasp and dusted down my denim jeans.

"thanks tobias. i could of died if it weren't for you."

"actually, most people just call me Tobes. its like a sobriquet, ya feel?"

"oh okay" i said. "see ya around Toes."

with my face flushing from embarrassment, i didn't stick around to wait for a response. i dashed down to the cafeteria, simply bursting with the need to tell Winnie what just happened. it was like a scene from a sappy rom-com movie. except sappy rom-com movie scenes should not be happening on school grounds by any means, so i would be having a thorough discussion with the student council about the importance of not littering.

"winnie!" i gasped, out of breath from the running when i finally reached her. i made a mental note to improve my stamina. she was sitting with her dainty legs crossed by the benches where we first met. we still sit there every lunch to this day and everyone knew it's our spot.

"oh my, are you okay y/n? you seem a little shaken"

"i have so much to tell you" i panted.