The Lost Empress

I hopped on the bus like any other day, while all the other year ten girls sat up the back giggling and gossiping like every other day. Then all the year sevens got on the bus and had the guts to come up the back, before they got their heads ripped off by my “fellow peers”. I rolled my eyes and got my I-pod out so I could listen to my new songs. I’d have read my book, but then I’d be considered an anti-social nerd, and I’m not ending my years at St Peters College like that.
Anyway I was just about to put my earphones in, when the hottest guy I have ever seen boarded the bus. I’d never seen him before in my life, and because he didn’t look younger than me, I assumed he must be in my year. I realised I was staring at him when he started looking around for a seat, but I couldn’t, not stare. He was gorgeous. He was tall, but not overly, maybe a head and a bit taller than me, which wasn't saying much because I’m one of the shortest people in my year. His jet black hair was wet, from the teaming rain outside, and was plastered across his face and just above his dark green emerald eyes. He wasn’t tan, but he wasn’t white like a ghost either. He looked like a guy who had been in the sun all day, but actually used sunblock. His slender body was well defined by muscles, but they weren’t bulky like the other guys in my year. Then he turned and looked at me, like I was worth noticing, which is something that doesn’t happen to me often. Then he noticed me staring at him and then of all things, I felt myself blush, but luckily it was cold outside so I made it seem like my cheeks were flushed from the warmth of the bus.
I figured it was time to stop ogling at him before he thought I was some kind of freak, so I put in my music. A guy like that would never sit next to me on a bus, even if there were no alternative, so I popped in my earphones and started listening to my music. I was looking out the window, so I nearly jumped out of my skin when something touched my shoulder. I could hear the giggles of the girls at the back, whether they were laughing at my little show of surprise, or the thing they were talking about, I wasn’t sure. It turned out to be the hot guy who just boarded the bus, he must have tapped my shoulder to get my attention, I just didn’t know why. I couldn’t believe he just touched my shoulder. I swear to most guys, I must have a sign stuck of my forehead saying, “Warning, do not approach!” I caught myself staring into his deep green eyes, again, but casually, or what I thought was casually, turned that it to a surprised look, then, hopefully, a smile. He caught me even more off guard when he spoke to me. His soft voice was like velvet, not loud and obnoxious like the other ‘popular guys’ at school.
“May I sit here?” he asked shyly. I wondered why he was being so nervous near me. I swear if I talked to him my voice would break, so I just nodded and smiled. He smiled back at me, a sincere smile, one you don’t often see around school. I decided I may as well talk to him seeing as we’d be sitting next to each other for half an hour. I nearly blushed again at that thought, half an hour sitting next to this guy…
Before my fear got the better of me, I started talking to him. “Hey”, I said. Great way to start off, I could have kicked myself for that. Why not ask him questions like, ‘how’s your day been?’
He must have seen some of my frustration, because he laughed, a small laugh, and said “Hey”, back.
Taking my opportunity, and also wanting to find out more about this mysterious guy, I said, “I haven’t seen you around school before,” His face would be one I would have remembered, “Are you new here?”
“Yes, I am, I just started today.” So that explained why I hadn’t seen him before.
“Well then, welcome to St Pauls. How’s your first day been?” I asked.
“Thanks. It’s not too bad, a bit different though.” He laughed. God, I could listen to him laugh all day. It was quite, yet it had the right amount of sincerity to make it a real laugh, like he really meant it, though not in a mean way, like he was making a joke at your expense.
I realised I should have said something back and that I’d spent too much time fantasising about his laugh. I shook myself and asked, “What was your old school like?”
“Well”, he started, “I’ve actually never been to school before”, and I must have looked shocked because he rushed on adding, “Because I’ve been home-schooled.”
“Oh”, I said, “I haven’t known anyone that’s been home-schooled before.” I couldn't believe I’d just said that. What an obvious comment to make. Great, I blushed again. This time, he really noticed, and laughed. But not in a mean way, I think he was trying to make me feel better.
“Well, I mean, of course I wouldn’t have met anyone that’s been home-schooled before, I mean, they’d be at home and I’d be at school so I wouldn’t see them and they wouldn’t see me you know, cause they’re at home, umm…”, I’d realised that I been blabbering again. Something I always did when I got nervous. What a perfect way to make him think I’m normal and all. “Sorry,” I added. “I can be a bit of a blubber-mouth.”
I tried a meek smile as I heard one of the girls at the back say “A bit?” to one of her friends as they broke out into a fit of fake, high-pitched giggles.
This time I didn’t blush, I was too ashamed to. Those two girls, Tiffany and Rose, had always been picking on me, since, well, forever I guess. Not badly though, not like some of the other girls I knew. One of my old friends got picked on so badly, she had to change schools. Let’s just say a very nasty rumour got spread about her and a certain boy she liked.
“Don’t worry about those girls.” A quite voice said next to me. I didn’t realise until then that tears had found their way to my eyes and I was on the verge of crying. No. I was not going to cry in front of him, no way. I decided to change the subject.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, “I just realised I haven’t told you who I am. My name’s Hayley. Hayley Brooks.”
“Brooksy!” I hear Tiffany shout from the back as her and Rose break into more laughter. The guy sitting next to me turned and glared at them with eyes that could have turned them to stone. Unfortunately it didn't work and they poked their tongues out at him and continued to gossip about God knows what.
I smiled at him and mouthed ‘thanks’, he smiled back and nodded. “My name’s Kye Williams.” Then he shook my hand. A shock of electricity went through me and I almost got goose bumps. His hands were soft as a flower's petals, yet his grip was firm. I didn't think that men still shook hands with girls, it seemed too old fashioned.
“That’s a nice name”, I replied, by now I think he was used to my intellectual answers.
He laughed and said, “Thanks, you too”. I smiled back at him, and eager to keep talking to him, I asked the first question that came to mind.
“So what stop do you get off at?” I smiled warmly at him, trying to show that I wasn’t a stalker, I was just curious. Naturally he smiled back at me.
“You know the street that turns left just before the mall?” Of course I did, in a town as small as Summer Bay; yes it is actually called that, you know where everything is. Even the tiny café on the corner that your best friend’s, aunt’s, ex-husband’s, cousin owns. You also tend to know everyone in a town with a population of 350 people.
“Yeah, I know, Smith street right?” I tried to sound unsure but I knew what the street was called. I lived there, on 10 Smith Street. His face lit up. “Yeah, that street. I get off there.” I could have fainted right then. Kye got off at the same stop as me.
“Oh my gosh, really? Me too?” I was going to rush on but he interrupted my train of thought with another dazzlingly perfect smile.
“Really?” He asked, “Do you live on that street, or walk somewhere else?” I couldn't believe he sounded so excited. Like he really hopped I lived close by. On the inside I was freaking out, but I think I looked calm, cool and collected.
“Yeah, I live on that street, I’m at number 10”, I thought it was weird that I was telling him exactly where I lived, but he was so sincere and open that I had to stop myself from telling him every detail about me.
“I live at 11!” He practically screamed at me. I laughed uncontrollably at his excitement, and so did Kye. As we were trying to calm down after our laughing fit, I realised where we were and I jumped up to press the stop button before the bus raced on past our houses.
“Come on Kye, stop giggling like a girl and hurry up.” I smiled back at him to show that I was joking, but he must have heard it in my voice because he was still smiling. I thanked the bus driver as I headed off the bus and waited for Kye to get off as well before we headed home. When he got off the bus I was already dripping wet from the rain that had been bucketing down all day.
“Don’t you have an umbrella?” he asked, “I thought girls were supposed to be obsessed about not getting their hair wet?” Well technically he was right, most girls were, but my hair was hopelessly curly and frizzy, so I gave up worrying about it years ago.
I pointed to my wet, dark brown, almost black, hair and said, “Really? Like anything worse could happen to this birds nest.” I laughed, because it was true, my bun looked like it had got caught in a tree and birds lived in it. But Kye didn’t laugh. Well this was it, I’d said something stupid and now he thought I was a freak.
Instead of walking away like I thought he would, he walked up me and said, “You’re hair is not a birds nest.” I was a funny thing to say, but the way he said it, with such sincerity that I was lost, once again, in his emerald eyes, and almost didn’t notice that he took my hair out of its bun and let my dripping wet hair fall over my shoulders. He was so close to me, all I had to do was move my face inches forward and… No. I was not going to start thinking about that. I’d just met him on a bus for crying out loud. I wasn’t going to do that. At least not until I knew him better.
I stepped back, “Well,” I started, “I guess we’d better be heading home then.” I smiled up at Kye, and he smiled back and we started walking together down the street.
All of a sudden I remembered; I left my keys in the house this morning. No! Now I was going to be stuck out in the rain until dad got home. And with him working the late shift at the café then going out later with ‘Linda’, the new girl he’s 'dating', who knew when he was going to get back home. I hadn’t realised I had stopped walking until Kye called my name.
“Hayley! What are you doing? The idea is to get out of the rain, not stand in it and get a cold.” He smiled at me and moved me to the relative shelter of a tree in someone’s front yard. “What’s up?” He asked.
“I left my keys in the house this morning,” I mumbled miserably, “I don’t have any spares.”
“So you’re saying that you can’t get into your house?” He asked. I nodded back. “Hmm. Well that sucks.” I laughed at him, but it wasn’t because I found anything funny.
“What makes you say that? I get to spend the rest of the afternoon, and possibly even some of the night, outside in the pouring rain.” I stared at my house which was a couple houses down from where we were standing. It was a cute little house when you ignore the chipped paint, cracked windows and broken front porch. I use the term ‘little’, loosely. It’s just me and dad at home, but we practically live on top of each other. It’s not dads fault I guess, it was mum who wanted the house, but we don't talk about mum any more, dad doesn't like talking about the accident.
Snapping me out of a trance, Kye said, “Well as much fun as it would be to stand in the rain with you, I’ve got to get home.” He smiled at me, but he looked conflicted and I wasn’t sure why. His eyes kept darting over to his house, his smile faulting every time. I tried to give him the warmest smile I could muster, as way of telling him that I got it. “Sorry Hayley.”
“That’s fine Kye, I don’t expect you to stand with me. Go home and get dry.” I started walking up my front steps and sat down as Kye crossed the road to get to his house.
What started as a good afternoon had turned miserable. I didn’t want to sound selfish, but why is it that when I meet a really awesome and nice guy, I stuff it up.