One of the Boys.

All ‘Preparation’ lessons had been canceled until further notice.
Mainly because we didn’t have a teacher anymore.
And that was my fault.
Hah. ;)
So we had a free double period.
I was sat outside with the cheer-leaders and footballers. I’d slowly started to like them. As long as they liked you, they weren’t that bad.
Chelsea, Dani and Hannah were sat around me, talking.
“Will was ah-mazing last night.” smiled Hannah. “I’d let you guys have a go, but y’know, he’s mine.” she laughed.
Chelsea and Dani laughed too, so I felt compelled to at least let out a giggle.
“How about you, Relda?”
They all turned to look at me.
“What about me?”
“How’s Henry? He’s like the only footballer we haven’t had, but easily the most gorgeous.”
They all agreed.
“It’s kind of personal…”
They looked at each other knowingly.
“He didn’t perform?” said Chelsea, putting her hand on my shoulder as if she felt sympathetic.
“No! It’s, it’s not that… I just don’t feel comfortable discussing my sexual life.”
“Oh.” she smiled.
“You coming to the meet on Friday?” asked Hannah, quickly changing the subject.
“I don’t really have a choice, do I?”
Chelsea laughed. “No, we need those flips. A talent coach is coming and if they think we’re good enough we get to compete!”
“There’s a cheer-leading championships?” I said, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah! We’ve never been good enough before but with you and Chelsea I think we have a chance!” chimed Dani.
Me and Chelsea. Chelsea does shit all. She stands there and looks pretty.
“We do try, right Relda?” smiled Chelsea.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “But can you call me Ezme instead of Relda? I don’t really like it, sorry.”
“Oh! Sure, Ezme is a way better name.” she grinned.
“Thanks.”
They continued their conversation about something completely irrelevant and I looked as if I was interested, nodding and adding the occasional “Yeah.”
Henry walked over to where we were sat, smiling at me. “Hello ladies. Mind if I borrow Emma for a bit?”
“Go ahead.” smiled Dani, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously.
I stood up and he took my hand, walking away from them across the field.
“You looked like you needed rescuing.” he smiled.
“Thanks.” I laughed quietly. “As nice as they are, it can get a little monotonous.”
“Pfft, nice.”
“They’re not that bad.”
“Really? I thought you used to hate them?”
“Yeah, but they’re nice to me now.”
“Even though they put you through all that lesbian stuff?”
“It didn’t affect me because I knew they were wrong.” I shrugged. “If they start being horrible to my other friends, then I hate them, easy as.”
“If you say so.”
“Did they ever do something to you?”
“Not me, no.”
A pained expression took over his face and he pressed his lips together, dropping my hand and folding his arms over his chest.
“Whatever I did, I’m sorry.” I said.
“It was my brother, and it wasn’t them, it was people like them.” he started. “The popular kids, y’know, the ones that think the sun shines out of their ass. He was one of the nerds, but then he changed, he changed and it went all wrong, so, so wrong…”
He covered his face with his hands, as if he was about to cry. I pulled him into a hug and he hid his face in the crook of my neck. I rubbed his back soothingly.
“I’m sorry for crying.”
“Don’t worry, cry all you want. I won’t tell anybody.”
“Thank you.” he sniffed and held me tightly to him. We swayed from side to side slowly until he moved away from my neck, wiping his eyes. I kissed his lips once.
“I can’t… I can’t tell you anymore about him.” he nodded.
“That’s fine.”
“The thing is.” he gulped. “He ch-changed and it, and it went wrong, and you changed and it’s like it’s me who has to take care of you, to make sure you don’t go the same way. I have to protect you from this.”
“So you don’t like me, but you want to protect me?”
“No, it’s not like that. I really like you and I feel I have to protect you too.”
“Oh.”
He looked down and I hugged him again. “I’m always here for you Henry.”
He sniffed and his hands ran through my hair. “Thank you.”
I loosened the hug so I could kiss him softly. He put a hand on the back of my neck and kissed me back, pulling one leg around his waist. I held onto him tightly and slowly broke away. He kissed my forehead and sighed.
We let go of each other completely.
“I should let you get back to your friends.” he nodded.
“They’re not my friends. I’m only with them because Brendon isn’t here.”
“Really?” he asked, his eyes widening. “So you’re not going to turn into one of them?”
“Why the hell would I do that?” I smiled. “I quite like my heart not being made out of plastic.”
He picked me up and swung me around happily, making me squeal and kissing my cheek.
“I’m not going to change, I’m perfectly happy the way I am.”
He put me down and gave my hand a quick squeeze. “You don’t think… you don’t think I’m a little weird?”
I frowned. “Why would I think that?”
“Because I’m meant to be a big, strong football player and I just cried into your shirt.”
I smiled. “No, I don’t think you’re weird at all.”
“A-And I’m not really friends with anybody, I kinda keep myself to myself and that-”
I pressed my lips to his. “No, I don’t.”
He sighed with relief. “Okay. Well, thank you.”
“For what?”
“Just… for listening.”
He gave my hand another squeeze.
“No problem. And honestly, you’re not strange. If you want to know what strange is, you should meet Brendon.”
He laughed. “He’s certainly very hyper. I, I suppose I better get going to History. I’ll see you later, okay?”
“Alright.” I nodded and smiled as he left.
I walked into the main hall and to my locker, pulling out what else I would need for the day. I had English next, so grabbed my file and walked to class.
Something fell out of my locker, so I picked it up. It was another note. I carefully unfolded it and began to read.
Not all that sure what to say, but I felt like writing something as I am bored and you’re about the only person who I can talk to at a moment like this.
Cue singing ‘A Moment Like This.’
Anyway… have a good day. (:
x
I smiled and put it with the other notes, in a little envelope.
Off to English, I suppose.