Chapter 19

Each encounter I shared with June after last night was awkward to say the least. Every time she saw me, she would throw me a meek wave, blush, and then turn in the other direction. As she was an extremely lovely girl, I hadn't expected anything more or less from her- she wasn't one to throw a spontaneous punch. However, what really puzzled me was why she was behaving this way towards to both me and Tommy, and not him alone. I had no major involvement in their date- so she had no reason to be embarrassed towards me.

Tommy had filled me in on his date yesterday, and I honestly felt sorry for June that he had rejected her- not to mention the few incidents that took place at the restaurant. Deep down, I felt somewhat relieved that the date was a disaster- I honestly had little idea why though.

At lunch, I decided to ask June why she was behaving so weirdly. Tommy wouldn't be there with me as he was eating with his basketball buddies, as he religiously did now on Mondays. I was seated with Jasmine and her cheerleader friends, when I caught June's eye from across the table and motioned with my head that we should leave the cafeteria. However, each time I tried to get my message across, she would violently shake her head.

After a few more attempts, I realised that we had gathered the whole table's attention- each team member looking at June and I with curiosity. Blushing red, I quickly got up, grabbed my bag and scampered to June's side, then proceeding to drag her out of her chair and through the exit- not once looking back.

The corridor that led into the cafeteria was completely empty and so I began to have my much-needed talk with June.

"So... care to explain your blatant reluctance of being in a 1 meter radius of me?" I started bluntly, crossing my arms against my chest.

"Well, you see I- I don't!" she replied, stumbling over her words.

"Really? So you shaking your head at coming here with me was for...?" I trailed off disbelievingly.

"I have a cold that I don't want to pass onto you..." she said uncertainly.

"Right...well that doesn't mean that you can't say a simple 'hello' to me! Or acknowledge my presence!" I argued.

"I'm sorry! It's just that I was so stupid..." she muttered, saying the last part in an even lower murmur.

"I said I was so stupid." She spoke louder after I asked her what she had said.

"What do you mean?"

June was one of the smartest girls I knew.

"I just didn't see it before." She said still cryptically.

"See what?"

"It's been you all along!"

Okay now I really just wanted to slap her face...

"June, please just tell me what you're talking about!" I pleaded.

"Tommy likes you- as in he has a crush on you! Not me, not April- but you! And I was so stupid to not see that before- I just had some silly crush, and now I am so embarrassed because compared to you- I'm so plain and I also feel bad for interfering!" she gushed.

"What's so non- plain about me, compared to you. Come on June, you're a cheerleader, you're beautiful, you're smart. And you have a twin! What more could a person want?"

A Lamborghini... A million dollars... A mansion... A country...Cream Cheese Puffs

"I don't know! But you're so outgoing! You're smart! You're the captain of the track team! You're so pretty! And you're perfect at being yourself." She explained.

Well when you put it like that...

"Seriously? Don't try and compare yourself to other people- you only highlight their best features- You know, even the brightest stars have their own faults." I said seriously.

"I guess you're right." She smiled.

"Now, do you promise to start talking to me again?" But please still keep it to a minimum.

"I promise," she sighed.

"Good, now please fulfil your promise and go and eat your lunch before it turns cold." I smiled back.

"Thanks Tammy!" she said gratefully, blowing me a kiss as she turned to enter the cafeteria.

I stood there for a few moments before fully processing what she had said... did she just say that Tommy liked me? As in more than a friend?

---

School had finally ended, and Tommy was driving us home.

"You just took the wrong turn!" I cried out to Tommy.

"Oops, my bad." He said, turning the car around.

I leaned my head back on my seat as we drove in a comfortable silence.

"So... care to explain you've been acting so weird since lunch?" Tommy suddenly blurted.

"What do you mean, I've been acting normal all day," I said, staring at my lap.

"Oh really now?" he asked in blatant disbelief.

"Yes, really,"

As if Tommy actually liked me, we had a completely normal relationship.

But you want him to.

"'You just took the wrong turn' is the most you've said to me for 2 hours." He pointed out.

"Is it really?" I asked, although I knew he was right.

"Yes, it is." he said slowly.

"Huh, I guess I didn't notice." I shrugged with forced nonchalance.

As soon as I had re-gathered myself after my conversation with June, I had rushed back into the cafeteria, grabbed Lucy, and power walked to Maths half an hour early.

Yes, Math.

Our teacher must have been elsewhere at his lunch break, as he was nowhere to be seen.

All the way here, Lucy had been complaining of her lack of bacon sandwich, I honestly was sorry- if I had been in her position, I would have bit her and ran back to my love; but I really needed her help.

"Care to explain why you dragged me through three buildings in such a rush?" she had asked in frustration.

"Well..."

"Well what?" she had continued expectantly.

"June said that Tommy likes me, as in more than a friend and that she has been acting all weird because she hates to compare herself to me, apparently I'm all smart and pretty and stuff but then I told her that she shouldn't compare herself to others, like Mum always says. Anyways, I'm really sorry about dragging you away from BACON, I'll give you a fiver to get Mc D's after school." I rambled.

"Hold up!"

And then she began to dance.

"What's the dance for?" I asked through a chuckle.

"It's because I KNEW IT- I FAN-FREAKING KNEW IT." She'd shrieked.

"Knew what...?"

"That you both have feelings for each other," she answered finally.

"Pffft, me- and Tommy. I don't know what parallel universe you're living in." I tried to deny.

"The one called Love," she said, wriggling her eyebrows.

"Stop that! And Love? I've known the guy for what? Three months? Just having feelings for him is enough thank you."

"You just admitted you do!" she exclaimed, still jumping up and down on the spot.

My eyes widened at my mistake.

"No no no no no no no-"

"Yes!"

"Why are you so happy about this Lu?" I sighed.

"Because you've finally moved on from Noah."

As maths went on, I had simply given Tommy short- curt answers to each question or each statement he directed towards me. And after a while... he gave up.

"I still have no idea what you're talking about." I continued indignantly, zoning out of my thoughts.

"Fine then, since it appears as though you have suddenly gotten short- term memory loss- I'll stop pestering you."

"Thank you." I said, nodding at him.

We finally turned onto our road, and I started to gather my things, preparing to exit the car.

"Oh and please remind me to pay my rent after dinner." He asked me.

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you had to pay to live here." I said,

"Well no duh." He chuckled.

I simply stuck my tongue out at him in response.

"Stop that, you're too cute." And then he extended an arm to poke my cheek.

I immediately blushed as his finger came into contact with me and turned my head away.

"What's up with you?" he asked worriedly.

"I erm- I haven't yet recovered from having my arm jammed in a window for two hours last night." I lied.

In actual fact, a good night's sleep had been recovery enough.

"Oh, well do you want me to make you some soup?" he smiled kindly as we parked.

"No, I'm fine thank you for asking though."

"You know I'd do anything for you Tammy- you're my BBFAY."

"BBFAY?"

"Best Friend For A Year." He said sadly.

The atmosphere around us dramatically dampened.

It was then that I remembered I only had eight more months with Tommy- and then he would be gone for good.

Better get rid of these feelings then.

---

"Regular show!"

"Adventure Time!"

"Regular Show!"

"Adventure Time!"

"I have the remote, so I can choose."

"Well I'm by the box so I can exit whatever you choose!"

This argument had been going on for a good hour now, Jake wanted to watch Regular Show and Joe wanted to watch Adventure Time- meanwhile Tommy and I had just been overlooking the whole situation in amusement.

"Guys, I'm pretty sure that both of your programs have now finished." I pointed out.

"There's a plus one channel!" they both exclaimed at the same time.

"Okay, okay. But I'm telling Mum that neither of you have done your homework." I said, blowing on my nails.

"That's no fair!" They said simultaneously again, but still both advanced to the door of the livingroom.

"Oh but it is." I smirked, getting up to snatch the remote and flicking it to the program Once Upon A Time.

"Actually," Tommy butted in, now taking the remote from me, "I have a marvel show to watch."

"Oh no you don't,"

"Oh yes I do."

"And why is that?"

"Because I have the advantage of tickles." He laughed evilly.

Tickles were my ultimate weakness, I was sure I would bow out before 10 seconds.

"Heck no!" I shrieked, picking up one of Darren's books that he'd left lying around.

At that moment, Darren decided to burst through the door.

"Help me Darren!"

In response, he zoomed over to where Tommy and I were stood and reached up to grab what I presumed was my hand- but instead he took his book from my grasp.

"Sorry- but Hulk comes first." The little devil said cheekily before fleeing the room.

"Tickle time." Tommy winked, before finally attacking.

Let's just say that I ended up missing my show in the end.

A long-ish (not really) chapter for you guys. Any ideas for the next chapter? If you hadn't noticed, I've changed all of my chapter names to months, just so it's clear if I skip one, and so I don't have a million chapters in my book. There are about 5 more months left, but don't worry, that doesn't mean chapters :)

Dedicated to J'uenelle for FORCING me to write this chapter.