The school bus was it's usual loud, crowded self. Kids screamed and yelled, fought and argued, or just listened to loud, blaring music. It was a glorious riot in action.
Except for the seats third from the back, where a busy silence reigned. The rows were three seats wide and all these seats were occupied. The two boys sitting closest to the window were gazing out it in a bored fashion. The boy next to the isle was pouring through books and notes in a frantic way.
“So Bill,” the one in the middle said, his hair a tangled confusion of gel and dye, trying to start up a conversation. “Did you see the game last night?”
Bill turned away from the view and was about to answer when the boy with the books shushed him. “Quiet please. I need to concentrate.”
Bill rolled his eyes. “Yes Peter.”
Peter muttered something and subsided back into his work.
“So what's up with him again?” the boy in the middle asked.
“Same as usual, Ben. A test.”
“Ah.” Ben continued talking, ignoring the annoyed look that Peter shot him. “But why?” He knows it all anyway.”
“Yeah, but so does she,” Peter said, still sorting through notes and absently blowing part of his blond fringe off his glasses.
“Who?”
“Teegan.”
“Ah,” his friends chorused. They knew the reason anyway. They just enjoyed his reaction.
“But does it matter? Really?” Bill asked innocently.
“Yes. I can't let her beat me. He shot a glance at where she sat down the bus a bit, also engrossed in notes. She must have sensed his eyes on her because she looked up and stuck out her tongue at him. He flashed bright red and hurriedly turned back to his books.
“So who's winning at the moment?” Ben asked. They couldn't be bothered keeping score. The only real difference it made to them was that their friend wasn't so much fun to be around on test days.
“She got ahead in Chemistry, I scrapped it back in Biology. So we're even.
“Now shut up.”
Bill and Ben knew not to push it any further. They were silent for the rest of the journey. When the bus came to a rest they stayed back a moment as Peter gathered up all his stuff and shuffled off. There was an awkward moment as he and Teegan both tried to move into the same space at the same time and ended up glaring at each other. Then she forced herself ahead and he followed on behind, glowering.
Ben sighed. “Honestly,” he said to Bill as they both started moving. “When are they going to admit that they fancy each other?”
Peter stood in the corridor outside the classroom, staring into space and muttering to himself as he ran through facts in his head. He had to win this one, had to get a better score then Teegan. He wasn't going to let her better him.
“Hey ya, ready to be beaten again?” He turned around and there she was. Those almond-shaped eyes with that intelligent look, that long, flowing black hair that made him think of the sea at night. He felt himself go red and told himself that it was through anger.
“Of course not. I'm ready to beat you.” It wasn't the sharpest comeback ever but he couldn't think of anything better.
“Sure, sure,” she said, her eyes dancing. “If you say so.”
“I do say so.”
“Fine then.”
“Yeah, fine.”
They stood, glaring at each other for a moment as the class slowly filed into the classroom behind him.
Then she kissed him.
His mind, which had been mostly concentrating on the test, shut down almost completely. He was only aware of the feeling of her lips in his and the sensation that he was slowly boiling from the inside out.
Then she stepped away from him and grinned. “Good luck concentrating now,” she said.
He stood frozen, just staring at her, till she stepped pointedly around him and into the classroom. He followed her, as if in a daze, barely noticing the frown the teacher shot at him. The test was already at his place and he stared at it blankly as he sat down. Then he shook his head, took out a pencil and, when the teacher said, opened the test.
He focused on the first question. Or at least he tried to. But all he could think of was the look of her face and the smell of her hair. He knew the answer, knew it was in some part of his mind. But that part was locked far away from him, everything else was locked away. There was only the kiss, playing itself over and over and over.
He swore softly to himself. She'd done it. She'd won.
Soft lips, shocked gasp, surprised expression. That was all that was filling her mind. Not the test and it's simple questions. She'd thought she'd come up with the perfect plan. It would put him off, he wouldn't be able to focus, he would get so much less than her.
Teegan slumped her head forward, her black hair cascading with it and pooling in the paper in front of her.
Yeah sure plan. Like she'd thought it through for more than about a minute.
She tried looking at a few more questions but they were all the same. It was as if they were locked behind a pane of wavy glass; she couldn't focus on them at all.
It was no good. She might have got him. But she'd got herself as well.
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