Miss Smarty's Mission

Chapter 10

To add to the reading atmosphere *wink* I've attached the song Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran to this chapter. I recommend to listen to it towards the end, but it's your choice. No pressure.

CHAPTER 10

So there I was shivering like crazy, breathing out fog like a fire-breathing dragon and trying to create warmth by jumping up and down in the freezing winter morning breeze. First day back from school holidays and it was already the ski trip. I convinced my Mum that most of the students won a free ski trip instead of telling her that it was a reward from the principal for 'taming' Xander. Though I hated lying to her I didn't want to miss out on this. Mr Swan did pay for it after all.

I couldn't look Xander in the eye after 'that' moment, but I still glanced over at him as he bid his goodbye to his grandparents. They were the closest people to him after his mother died. He said that I'd look at him differently if he told me what happened to him, but maybe that isn't such a bad thing. I understood him better that way. All his trouble-making behaviour was like an escape from his confusing and painful childhood, but now he was actually trying to motivate himself to behave. To think that I could be helping him through it made me feel way more accomplished with this whole mission.

I felt my stomach forming butterflies as I remembered the kiss he gave me on the forehead. Was it a 'thank you kiss' or something more? I was sure I kind of enjoyed it...How would I know?  Not long ago I was terrified of him and now he might even like me... Or worse, I might like him. Or maybe it was complete nonsense. I couldn't make sense of my feelings towards him or anyone for that matter. Dispite my mixed feelings I decided it'd be best just to act normal, if I could.

"Tiff, are you done checking out Xavier?" My Mum laughed rolling her eyes.

"W-what?" I stammered. "His name is Xander not Xavier, mum. And I'm not checking him out."

"Sure. Stop being so defensive." She joked nudging me. "Now come here." She instructed me to embrace her.

"I love you, mum." I smiled in our hug.

"I love me too." She joked. "Nah, I love you too, birthday girl."

"Yay, I'm a year older than I was last year." I unenthusiastically and sarcastically retorted. You would've thought that turning 17 would make me feel estatic, but no. I felt nothing.

"You're growing up too fast." My mum sadly smiled as she tucked my brown hair back. "What happened to that little girl dressed up as Cinderella?"

"I wish I knew, but I've got to go now." I informed as the teacher called the students to enter the bus.

"Bye, sweetie."

With that, I turned to jump onto the bus. A swarm of students pushed past me and claimed the back and front seats. I rolled my eyes at the pushy and impatient students and staggered down the bus aisle to find an empty seat. I felt so clamped and slightly claustrophobic in the bus full of people. I eventually found a seat towards the front and plonked myself down on the furry bus seat and scooted over so I'd be closer to the window.

I plugged in my music, listening to Ed Sheeran's X album, and tapped my finger on my lap. I had a spare seat beside me, but everyone found a seat elsewhere. In the two seats across from me was one of the sweetest couples in our high school; Kim and Leo. They both were in a lot of my classes and Kim and I got along pretty well though we'd only talk occasionally. I smiled as they chitchatted. Surprisingly I'm kind of the person that started 'them'. How you ask? Well, I'm the one that persuaded Leo to ask her out in the first place. I knew I wasn't any sort of love doctor, in fact I'm a complete noob, but everyone wanted them together. I just pointed it out.