Astronomical (girlxgirl)

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve (Skye's POV)

Try as I might, I could not pay attention as Ms Lee gave a lecture on electron configuration.

I am going to regret this later when I have to read the textbook chapter to catch up on what the heck Ms Lee is talking about...

I could not get Rose out of my head; I sat for that entire class just going over simple things she had said, trying to puzzle out her personality.

She got into fights at Westwood, and that's why her parents decided to home-school her. But she was so quick to stop that man when he tried to rob me; granted, she did use violence to do so, but if her first instinct was the step in and help someone in need, how bad could she be?

Rose was an enigma - I sat mentally working away at what I had gleaned as if she were a Rubik's Cube.

She was quick to laugh, and always seemed to be smiling when I dared to glance at her expression, but I also knew she could just as easily snap into a different version of herself that was angry and violent.

I replayed the way she had disarmed that man, with swift ease that I had only ever seen in movies; where had she learnt to do that? And her tone of voice as she spoke to him still made my palms sweat to think about. Maybe she is in a gang or something; that might explain the leather jacket...

She is so contradictory; soft and sweet, while also violent and cold, confident and unsure, mature one second and vulnerable the next... I wonder who the real Rose is...

And as I chewed on the end of my pen absent-mindedly, Does Rose even know herself?...

The shrill bell made me jump out of my own skin, and I glanced around with a guilty blush to make sure no-one else had noticed. I looked down at the blank page of my notebook and frowned. What is Rose doing to me? I always pay attention in class.

I packed away my things and headed to my next class, Calculus, trying to dampen the hope that Rose would be there. I wound through the familiar hallways, giving myself a pep talk on paying attention in class and not getting distracted by thoughts of Rose.

Well, there goes that plan, I reflected dryly as I saw a familiar imposing figure leaning on the wall outside my classroom. With her foot bent to rest against the painted brick, and her shoulders squared, she looked at ease, almost cocky.

Rose was talking to Nathan Benson, who I recalled played basketball and no wonder - I could now see he was almost as tall as Rose.

I couldn't look away as Rose laughed at something Nathan said - her head thrown back to reveal the brown skin of her neck, her dark eyes sparkling. Of course, she had already fallen into the extroverted crowd, I chuckled darkly to myself.

As I stared, the eyes in question flashed to meet mine.

I blushed and glanced down, consoling myself, Now when you walk past, and she pretends not to know you, don't let how much it hurts show on your face. Be cool, Skye.

"Skye! Do you have AP Calculus now?" That warm throaty voice asked excitedly, and a pair of black boots stepped in front of my own worn grey flats.

I looked back up, mouth suddenly too dry to respond - so I just nodded instead.

Rose's smile was dazzling; I felt as if I was squinting against the sun.

"So we do have a class together before lunch. Thank fuck I'm actually half-decent at Maths" I could hear the satisfaction in her voice, and it made me blush even more.