Mind Link

Cody Ember looked down with disgust, and Tayla returned that look in kind, snatching her arm out of Cody's reach.

"Wow Cody," Tayla blurted out before she could stop herself, "You just get clumsier by the minute. I thought you were getting an operation on those two left feet of yours."
They say that you should never regret something that made you smile, and Tayla sure was smiling. Cody however was not.

He growled, "Don't you have a text book to go read? I heard they added an extra 50 pages to the maths book just for you."

Colin raised his eyebrows. This was trouble, and it was only going to get worse. He toyed in his mind whether to put an end to it or not. All the while Tayla and Cody were flinging insults back and forth like tennis players hit a tennis ball over the net.

"How does it feel to always come second to Kyle? Or do your feelings for him cancel out the jealousy?"

"Did you forget to do your hair this morning? Or did the hair dryer blow up in your face?"

People had, unnoticed by Cody and Tayla, stopped walking and were listening to the battle of wits. For some unknown reason, when Cody and Tayla started fighting the rest of the world seemed to fade into non-existence. The only thing that mattered was which insult to say next and keeping cool so insults didn't have an impact ones pride. And people liked watching because of that. To an outsider it seemed almost as if the argument was put on, an act, and even, sometimes, to Colin, it seemed that way. The smirk upon their faces when they threw a particularly nasty insult in the other's face and, for a split second received a reaction, quickly covered up with another insult. People enjoyed watching, because it looked fun, not to mention that it was universally known that Cody and Tayla could come up with crowd-gasping insults. With the crowd surrounding them, it almost seemed as if a physical fight had broken out in the yard, not argument between Tayla Furness and Cody Embers went unnoticed. This was when Colin put his foot down, he knew better than anybody, that crowds were bad. Crowds drew attention. Crowds called invitingly to teachers Come and have a look! School rules currently being broken! Detention's needed to be award to lucky contest winners!

"Tayla," Colin began, looking around nervously for teachers, "it's time to go."

"Yeah, Tayla, why don't you listen to your boyfriend and quit while you still have a shred of dignity left," Cody laughed.

"So I guess you won't be quitting then?" Tayla snapped back. "Seeing as you didn't have any dignity to begin with."

The crowed reacted to this comment, a few people yelled out 'burn' or 'owned.' Colin sighed, he had fairly good self control and chose not to react the comment and him and Tayla being a couple. Instead he grabbed Tayla by the arm, gently guiding her away from Cody and the crowd. She didn't struggle, knowing that if Colin thought it had gone too far, then it had gone too far. As she was pulled away she shouted a few choice insults she had been waiting to use.

Cody opened his mouth to respond, but the bell went and with that, the crowd began to disperse, leaving Cody alone to his thoughts. His hatred for Tayla grew stronger every day, enemies forever and always, fuelled by Kyle's dislike for his sister.

Tayla and Colin walked on towards the music rooms, through the sports centre. "What was that?" Colin asked.

"What was what?" Tayla replied, her voice cold.

"Um, I don't. Maybe the little incident back there involving Cody Embers?" Said Colin. "Way to loose your head, Tayla."

"I didn't lose my head!"

"No, not yet. But what if Cody brought up other stuff? Private stuff. Him and Kyle are best friends Tayla. Friends talk."

"You don't think I know that?" Tayla scoffed.

"I'm just telling you to be careful. I hate Cody just as much as you, but that's no reason to go and have a duel in the courtyard with him!"

"I wasn't!" Tayla defended. "You know how he gets to me! I just... I just can't stand him Colin. He's so irritating. You know he was over just as much as Katie was! Drove me insane all holidays! And his laugh! It's like a duck chocking!"

Colin snorted, "Yeah, I know. Just be careful. One day, one of you is going to push the other too far and then a real fight will break out. And I won't be there to back you up!"

Tayla raised her eyebrows.

"Alright! I will be," Colin surrendered. No matter how wrong Tayla was about something, Colin could never deny that he would always be there to support her if she needed him. They were best friends, she was all he had and vice versa.

Tayla sighed, "Time for a new New Years Resolution, huh?"

Colin nodded.

"Alright," Tayla said, "I promise not to lose my head again around Cody."

"Good," Colin smiled.

"When there are people around." She tacked on as an afterthought and Colin groaned.

Tayla laughed. They were outside the music rooms now. People were still hanging around the locker bays, chatting to friends, accessing Facebook on their phones to complain about school, putting their bags and books inside their assigned lockers. "Come on," she said, "It's time for school."