Discovering Rose

Chapter 11

"Everybody, make way, make way for the future Wickenridge woman footballing star!" Kamil shouted out through the corridors, as me, Via, him and Thea walked to Biology.
"Kamil, please," I mumbled, watching other students laugh slightly.
"Shut up, Kamil," Thea snapped, doing a better job than me.
Kamil winked. "You're a tough girl."
"Yup, and you'd better back off quick."
"Already gone." Kamil grinned cheekily and jogged off down the corridor.
"That boy is a major annoyance gold medallist," Via said, flipping her hair over her shoulders.
"He's just trying to be friendly," I said, defending Kamil.
"He's also trying to be a pain in the backside," Thea said.
I sighed, giving up.
"So Rose, you coming to the baseball match today? We're playing Aspen"
"If one of you won't mind me asking what's going on every five seconds, sure."
"Don't tell me you don't know the rules of baseball! You are so British, Rose," Via said in disbelief. I gave a small laugh.
"We'll fill you in, Rose," Thea said. "Baseball's fun."
"Plus Zed's playing," Via giggled, pulling her hair up into a ponytail.
"So?" I said, hoping I was wrong in knowing where this was going.
"More the reason to come along."
"It is?"
"As everyone is saying."
"I would've thought it a reason to give it a miss," I said, pretending to be interested in a leaflet pinned onto the notice board in the hallway as Thea and Via laughed lightly at my defiance.
"To be honest, I'm more of a Yves girl myself. Those cute little glasses and large brown eyes. He's like a super hot geek."
Thea laughed. "Of course that's how you would describe him."
I smiled, but inside, I was still wondering. Why did everyone assume there was something between me and Zed? Just because he helped me up in front of the year and stared at me for ages...
"Look who it is," Thea suddenly crowed, knocking me so I almost fell into Via as Zed came strolling out of the lab. He stopped suddenly, but continued walking. When he reached us, he stopped again, letting his friend go ahead.
"Hi," Via said in an overly false girly voice, giggling.
"Oh, hi." Zed's gaze skimmed us, until he saw me, half hiding behind Thea. "Hey, Rose, I didn't get to congratulate you on your awesome same."
He was laughing at me. Great.
"Yeah, it was pretty unbelievable," I said ironically, stepping out from behind Thea.
"I'm telling everyone you got lucky," he smiled, adjusting the straps on my bag so that they were at even height. My stomach did a back flip as I realized - Zed Benedict was being nice to me.
"I'm telling everyone I had some help," I said, eyeing him. Had I really imagined that he had told me what to do? I had been going crazy recently, trying to know what was my imagination and what was reality.
"Well Zed, your reputation is going down," Via said, pulling her hair out from the ponytail she'd been twirling in her fingers, flipping it over her shoulders as Thea gave me a concerned, worried smile. She had seen the casual way he'd touched my bag strap. "Now we all know you're a sucker for small, blonde, British girls with big dewy eyes," Via continued.
"Via!" I frowned. "You're making it sound like I'm dumb."
"Finally, she shows a temper! I knew there was some in there," Via teased.
"Well it's not my fault I ended up this small."
All three of them snorted.
"So I'm a joke am I?" I scowled, as Thea tried to gulp back a hysterical load of giggles.
"No, no," she protested, holding up her hands. "It's just you looked so fierce when you said that..."
"Yeah, don't worry, Rose, we all think you're terrifying," Via chipped in, struggling not to laugh. "Like a rebel Bambi."
"But I have to agree with Via though," Zed said, suppressing a wide grin. "You don't do mean as well as me. Maybe I should give you a few lessons. Bye Rose, be careful won't you?" And he walked off, brushing my arm lightly, leaving my stomach fluttering like crazy.
"Man, that boy is hot," Via sighed, enjoying the rear view. "And he is so into you."
"No he's not!" I protested in annoyance.
"Rose, there's no point denying it. He was all over you," Thea grinned wickedly.
The bell rang, and Via went in, but Thea stayed back, and started talking to me in a low voice.
"We were just joking, Rose, but honestly, I've never seen him act so nice around a girl."
I sighed. "So you noticed."
"Hard to miss. As I said, he was all over you."
"Yeah, I know. But he's still Mr Obnoxiously arrogant."
Thea nodded. "Of course, but I just wish he'd keep his distance. He's not really your type anyway."
"Then what is my type?"
"I don't know. Maybe a cute Brit with large brown eyes - another Bambi I guess," she grinned. "Someone who will take you on long romantic walks in the park full of roses in the moonlight."
I raised an eyebrow. "Seems you have made plans already," I smiled.
"I've had some ideas," she winked. "But honestly Rose, don't let that boy play around with you."
"I won't. I don't know he's really that obsessed with me as you make him out to be."
"Don't you?" Thea raised an eyebrow, as she pulled me into Biology.