Like Chocolate Stars and the Sun

“Hey Francesca.” Jesse smiled down at me. I smiled back.

“Hey Jesse.” I replied. He sat down next to me and he looked like he was about to start a conversation when a blonde girl walked over to the table and sat on the other side of Jesse.

“Hey Jess, having fun on your first day back?” The girl smiled and rested her head on her hands – probably pretending to be genuinely interested in what he was about to say.

“Its ok, as fun as school can be.” Jesse smiled and turned to me, “Stacey this is Francesca.”

“Oh your the new girl from England.” Stacey said, a little two over excitedly. While she was talking she was pointing her finger at me, which I found slightly weird. “My mum works in Administration, she said there was a brother and sister coming to this school this year. Its great to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.” I said and looked down at my pasta. Her excitement over me seemed to drop as soon as I finished speaking and she turned back to Jesse.

“So did your dad drop any hints about a car for your birthday?” I heard Stacey's high pitched voice ask Jesse. I glanced back up and she had the funniest look on her face. It was a cross between trying to look intelligent and pouting, with her eyebrows raised.

“Not yet. But he has to get me one soon.” Jesse replied. “What's the point of having a license if I cant use it. He wont trust me with his car.”

“So Frankie?” Jesse asked, “Hows your first day been?” I looked up from my pasta and turned to him, I could see Stacey almost fuming that Jesse's attention had been diverted away from her.

“As good as a first day can be.” I shrugged. “But whoever though that maths on a Monday morning was a good thing, needs to be hurt.”

“Not a maths fan I see?” Jesse laughed.

“No, not at all.” I replied, I flicked my hair behind my shoulder and smiled. “Numbers and me do not mix very well.”

“Oh its the same with me,” Stacey started only to be cut off by Jesse.

“We know Stacey.”

By the end of lunch, Stacey didn't look happy with me at all. From the forty five minutes I had known her I could tell she was the kind of person who had to be the center of attention. As I walked down the corridor, she came up besides me and started walking at the same pace as I was.

“Lost?” She asked with a totally fake smile.

“Not really. But thanks for asking.” I fake-smiled back. Two can play at that game. She frowned.

“Listen just because your new here doesn't make you better then me.” She glared at me as we were walking.

“What are you talking about?” I asked in confusion.

“All I'm saying is stay away from Jesse. He's practically mine.” Stacey looked like she was about to spit on me.

“Look,” I stopped walking and turned to face her fully. “I don't know what the hell is going on in your little brain, but I have been here five minutes and you already hate me. Please ... enlighten me?”

“Don't act like your so innocent.” Stacey looked down at me, “Just stay on my good side.”

And with that she spun on her heels and walked in the opposite direction. I raised my eyebrows and carried on walking to my class.

I walked into I.T and pretty much as soon as I stepped in the door a girl with short blonde hair, that gave her the essence of a pixie, came bounding over to me. I smiled at Charlotte and she practically dragged me to the computer next to hers.

“Ok, I think I will sit here then.” I laughed.

“I just thought you might want to sit next to a familiar face.” Charlotte smiled and logged onto her computer. I nodded in agreement and sat tapping my fingers. I wanted to log in but I didn't have my school user name or password.

“Its your first initial, second name followed by 2008.” Charlotte informed me. “Like mine is Cwallis2008.” I nodded and typed in Fmiller2008.

“Now what?” I asked.

“If you type in password and login it will ask you to change your password. Just put whatever you like.” Charlotte smiled and typed away at their keyboard. Once I had successfully logged in I sat back in my chair. Just as Charlotte was about to open her mouth to ask me something a grumpy looking old man walked into the room.

“Hello class.” His flat voice echoed in the silent classroom. “Please complete what is on the work sheet in front of you. Charlotte come off your emails please and hand out these sheets.”

Charlotte sighed and got up to hand out the work. Once she returned she sat down with another sigh and turned to face me.

“So, what happened with you and Stacey after lunch?” My eyebrows scrunched together as I looked at her. News must travel fast here.

“Erm... nothing really. She just went all physco on me.” I couldn't help but laugh that I had managed to annoy after not being here even a day.

“She did look pretty angry at lunch.” Charlotte added. “Probably because you were stealing her precious Jesse away from her.” Charlotte and I laughed quietly as we typed away at the computers.

“Her precious Jesse?” I asked.

“She has been after him since middle school, but I don't think she has ever bothered actually trying to get him. She expects things to be handed to her on a silver platter.” Charlotte explained. “Jake and Nick filled me in when I started here. They hate her guts.”

“Wow.” I couldn't help but shake my head. “And she blew up at me because I talked to him?”

“She gets like that sometimes.” Charlotte shrugged her shoulders, “I better warn you though, if you get on her bad side you will be in big trouble.”

“What does she want me to do though, stay away from Jesse completely?”

“I don't know. She's a strange girl.”

“You got that right.” I nodded, “So how do you know Tyler?”

“I have known the guy since first grade. We have been friends since second. Our parents were childhood friends and kind of forced us to play together.” Charlotte smiled at the memory.

“Awe, that's really sweet.” Was my response to her story. “I wish I had a friend who I had known for practically my whole life.”

“You don't?”

“No, we have moved around so much I end up loosing contact with most people.” I looked down at my hands. “You get used to it eventually.”

“Well your not getting rid of me.” Charlotte laughed and playfully elbowed me in the side. I laughed and carried on with my school work.

- - -

I was glad when school had ended. As soon as I got home I just collapsed onto the couch. I lay there for about five minutes, completely relaxed when the doorbell went. Groaning I got back up and walked over to the door.

“Hello.” I smiled and rested my head against the door.

“Tired?” Jesse asked me. I pushed open the door a little so he could come in and closed it once he was in the hallway.

“Yes. I still haven't got over my jet lag yet.” I nodded.

“Ouch. Well I was just wondering if your dad was back from work yet. My dad wants to speak to him about something.” Jesse asked as we walked into the kitchen.

“No he's not back yet. Try seven o clock.” I replied and opened the sliding door so we could go sit outside. It was reasonably cooler compared to the last two days weather but it was still warm enough to sit outside and not freeze to death.

“Oh ok. I think its got something to do with a business meeting this weekend or something. Jesse informed me as we both sat down on sun loungers.

“Nothing important then.” I smiled.

“Are you busy this weekend?” Jesse asked me.

“Let me see, I'm new here and I don't really know many people. I will have to check my schedule to see if I'm free.” I laughed and Jesse smiled. “Of course I'm free.”

“Cool, because there's a few of us going to the movies Friday night and I wondered if you wanted to come along?” Jesse asked.

“Yeah sure. Anything that gets me out of the house.” I nodded, then paused. Who did a few of us mean exactly

“Great, I will pick you up if you want. I might have to persuade my dad to let me borrow his car,” Jesse rolled his eyes when he mentioned his dads car.

“You know you said 'a few of us'? Who did you mean exactly?” I asked and bit my lip.

“Well me, Tyler, Charlotte, Jake, Stacey and you so far.” Jesse replied and looked at me in confusion. I had sighed when he said Stacey was going, and I guess he picked up there was something wrong. He raised his eyebrows at me and I looked down at the floor.

“After lunch Stacey started talking to me and exploded and started having a go at me.” I shrugged my shoulders. “I don't have a clue why though.” Jesse scrunched his eyebrows together and bit his lip.

“That doesn't sound like Stacey.” Jesse shrugged after a minute or so. I was about to say something back when Jesse's phone started ringing. He picked it up and talked to the person on the other end of the line. When he hung up he looked up at me and smiled an apologetic smile.

“Tyler's coming round. I better go. Sorry, I'll see you at school?” Jesse got up from the sun lounger. I nodded in response to his question and he walked towards my house. A few seconds later he reappeared next to me.

“Do you want to come round?”

- - -

Well Jesse, Tyler and I ended up having another Guitar Hero 'battle'. I of course lost by a very embarrassing amount, but had fun in the process. I tried convincing Jesse to press the coloured buttons on the guitar, as that seemed to be my downfall, but he wouldn't I even tried a puppy dog face. Sadly no luck.

After a few hours my mother called me and said I needed to be home for dinner. Jesse showed me out and just as I was about to leave he pulled me into a short, friendly hug. It was just my luck that Stacey happened to be stood on the pavement after just getting out of her car. I walked down the driveway and I could feel her glaring at me as I brushed passed her and walked up my own driveway.

If looks could kill I would have died there and then