I’d hardly seen TJ today, and a part of me had to wonder if he was avoiding me. Since the beginning of the week, every time we passed each other in the hallway TJ would smile and wave or acknowledge m in some way, but not today.
For once, my locker was a boy-free zone and when I caught sight of TJ he was busy chatting to some blonde who had his full attention. I watched them interact this morning with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was an alien feeling and I can’t say that I liked it.
Break time was surprisingly quiet too without TJ and his friends around. I hadn’t seen much of Georgie all week and I was starting to miss her presence. My head was getting jumbled up with all these new people in my life and I needed her to help me get through it. Georgie was the one I trusted the most to set me straight but she was too busy with Greyson to spend time with me.
So, I spent break time in the dark room, combing through tens of photographs, trying to decide which prints could fit in with my portfolio. Some were obvious, like the black-and-white shot of Libby smiling while looking down at her stomach. There wasn’t a hint of a bump there but you could see the glow of pregnancy in her smile and in her eyes. That, coupled with the light shining around her, made my sister look angelic. I had taken the photograph on Monday afternoon on a whim. Libby was there, the lighting was perfect and everything looked so beautiful that I had to capture it for prosperity. I’m not sure if Libby knew I had taken the photograph, so I planned on presenting her with a copy as a late engagement gift.
Some of the other pictures weren’t up to standard and I cast them aside when the bell rang.
English third period went by quickly, which was strange because I hated the class. There was only so much Gothic literature I could take and I’d maxed out my quota for the week. Thankfully, I had a free period before lunch where I could relax and not have to think much.
In a bookish way, I went straight to the library, heading towards the philosophy stacks. No one ever came to this are of the library, so I took out my math books and started on the homework. Within minutes I could feel my body relaxing and a calmness wash over me.
“So, this is where you hide,” a voice laughed as a body dropped down beside me. I flinched a little, unnerved by my proximity to another person, but when I looked up and saw Chris’ eyes on me, I blushed. “I saw you come in and thought you might like some company.”
I looked down at my math notes and promptly shut the book. “Company would be great.”
“Cool,” Chris smiled before going quiet. He looked as if he was thinking of things to say, but each time he opened his mouth to speak, he ended up giving me a nervous laugh. “Are you still coming to watch me play tomorrow?”
I nod. “Yes. I’ve been studying, too. You could ask me to explain any of the rules and I could tell you.”
I was rather impressed by my rugby cramming session, even if I did say so myself. Not only had I watched countless hours of videos on the game, but I’d read up on teams and players, and had familiarized myself with the traditions of rugby too. For one, I’d learnt about rugby union and rugby league, as well as rugby sevens which was a shorter version of rugby union and with fewer players on the field. Each player on the team had different positions- hookers, props, locks, flankers, scrum half and fly half, inside center, outside center, number eight, wings and fullbacks. I’m still slightly confused about their roles, but I’m working on it.
Unlike football and soccer, rugby players don’t get to choose their numbers. Instead, their numbers are assigned and signal their playing position. For example, number 14 would always be the right-wing player.
National teams sang their country’s’ anthem prior to kick-off, but some teams, most notable the New Zealand All Blacks, did a Haka. The Haka fascinated me and I watched rapt on YouTube as the teams did the traditional dance. It signified a war cry, a challenge to the opposing team. Having read up on the All Blacks’ statistics, I think most nations should have their own version of the Haka… the All Blacks were the best team in the world and had a formidable winning record.
“The ‘rules’?” Chris gave me a lopsided smile and a shake of the head. “In rugby, we don’t have rules. We have laws.”
I frowned both from confusion and annoyance. Aren’t rules and laws the same thing? They both gave sanctions if the players went against them. And did Chris really have to say it in that patronizing tone? I’d already explained to him that I didn’t know much about rugby, but I’d tried really hard to learn for him. He should be impressed, at least a little.
“Fine, laws,” I say through a tight smile. “Ok, here’s what I learnt. A try is worth five points, a conversion two, penalties and drop kicks are worth three, right?
“Forward kicks and lateral passes are allowed, but forward passes aren’t. The sanction is a penalty to the other team. Eight forwards per team make up the scrum after an infraction, such as a knock on. If the ball goes into touch, then there’s a line out. Anything I missed?”
Chris gawped at me as I stood, collecting my belongings and made for the library exit. The bell for end of period was due in three minutes, so after throwing all my morning books in my locker and stashing away my satchel, I headed for the cafeteria just as TJ and Colton Spiller arrived.
“You looked pissed,” TJ noted as he stepped aside and let me get ahead of him in the line. I grabbed my usual salad just as TJ placed a plate of fries on my tray. I frowned down at them and moved them to his tray. He laughed. “They aren’t that bad.”
“I’m sure they’re not,” I say as politely as I could. There was no point getting mad with TJ when he hadn’t been the one to annoy me. “They just aren’t going anywhere near my stomach.”
I pay for lunch and walk towards my table. I say in the corner and stuffed a piece of green pepper in my mouth. I sighed when Colton and TJ sat on either side of me, trapping me in. I just hope to God that neither of them asked…
“Are you ok?” Colton enquired, gaining a cold stare from me in return. He held up his hands defensively. “Whoa, Cate. I think you just killed me.”
I grumbled, mentally slapped myself and shot him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Colton. Just… why are boys such idiots? I mean, I thought I did pretty well learning about a sport that I have zero interest in, and so what if I called them rules instead of laws? Couldn’t he just appreciate that I did something nice for him? No. Boys suck.”
I liked venting, but with the amused look the boys shared, I knew I was venting to the wrong people. I needed Georgie, but she wasn’t around, so I had to make do with Colton and TJ. Colton gave his friend a hand gesture which silently meant he was passing the buck to TJ, who looked at me with an unimpressed scowl.
“If he couldn’t appreciate what you’d done for him,” he says frankly, “then he isn’t worth your time.”
I huff. “But he’s… never mind.”
What I wanted to say was ‘But he’s Theo.’ It was my default setting when it came to Chris and it would be the reason I’d forgive him all his sins, but for now, that was a secret that only I knew. I couldn’t tell Colton and TJ about my mystery guy in the closet because they’d think I was a freak, so I let the topic drop.
I pierced a leaf of lettuce and chewed on it slowly, as the boys talked over me. From the way they talked I guessed that they were talking about the girl TJ was talking with this morning. She of the long blonde hair, skin thin frame and perfect smile variety.
“Who?” I ask as I finally tune in to the conversation.
“TJ has a crush,” Colton laughs as he dodges TJ’s fist. “Her name is Catherine and she’s the love of his life.”
My heart stops. “Wh-what?” I stutter, my heart beat racing in my chest. “Catherine?”
“Catherine,” Colton smiles, ducking so the fry TJ threw careens over his head. When Colton looks up, he whistles and motions his head sideways. “Here she comes.”
*~*~*
Her name is Catherine Addison and she is without a doubt the girl of my dreams. I’ve never met anyone as perfect as her, and I don’t just mean that based on her looks, although she’s pretty perfect in that department too.
After meeting her yesterday, and speaking with her, I felt this connection to Catherine that I could only compare to how I felt when I met my Catherine. We got talking about music, seeing as that’s how we both ended up in the music room, and she knew the song Bankrobber- the song Catherine and I sang together in the closet.
It was like kismet. Fate. Exactly like Catherine said it would happen.
“Hey,” I smile at her as she approached the table. I stood up to hug her and motioned for her to sit. “I’d like you to meet my friends, Colton Spiller and Cate Westbrook.”
“Hello,” she said politely to Colton. When she turned to Cate, I felt the atmosphere change instantly. Her voice was colder when she spoke to Cate and the animosity was clear to see. “Cate.”
Cate shot me a glare, but I just shrugged it off. This argument between the girls didn’t involve me so I kept out of it. My reluctance to get involved didn’t go down to well with Cate, who quickly gathered her things and rushed from the cafeteria. Spiller and I stared after her.
“I’ll go check if she’s ok,” Spiller announced. “See you around, Catherine.”
I nodded appreciatively to Spiller. I’ve never seen Cate act like that before- not that I knew her well, but her attitude was uncalled for. So what if Catherine wasn’t Cate’s biggest fan, the mature way to deal with it was just to plaster on a smile and suck it up. Cate is my friend now and I had hoped that she would be chilled enough to be around my girlfriend… or potential girlfriend.
“What was that about?” I asked Catherine curiously.
“She stole my boyfriend from me,” Catherine said in a low voice filled with sadness. “I’d been with my boyfriend for a few months and then Cate came along and went behind my back with him. I’m sorry but I can’t sit here and pretend to be nice to her.”
Cate was a boyfriend stealer? I couldn’t quite see it, but the hurt that flushed Catherine’s cheeks was hard to fake. I studied the girl before me, the tears filling her eyes as she told me the shortened version of the story, and felt the instant need to protect her.
“Well, it’s like they say,” I start with a smile. “It’s always the quiet ones you’ve got to keep an eye on.”
Catherine laughed. “Cate isn’t as innocent as she seems. You shouldn’t be friends with her, TJ.”
I considered Catherine’s statement. Ok, so I haven’t known Cate for long but I think I’m a pretty good judge of people. So what if she stole Catherine’s boyfriend? The boy must have wanted to leave if he’d gone so easily, and it might have been just poor luck that it was Cate’s arms he ran in to. Was it really a friendship ending revelation that she had gone after another girl’s boyfriend?
“I’ll take it into consideration,” I say before looking for a new conversation. “So, did you finish the song you were recording yesterday?”
Catherine and I talked until the bell rang and it was time to get to fifth period. I walked her to her class and then rushed the full length of the academic building until I found my English class. I sat behind Spiller and as soon as the teacher began to lecture us on British Literature, I took the opportunity to lean forward and ask if Cate was ok.
Spiller shook his head. “No.”
He didn’t say more than that, but there was something in his voice that was off. It was like he knew more than he was letting on. Spiller usually told me everything, but this time it seemed like he was on Cate’s side. I wondered if she had entrusted a secret to him, and he was keeping it from me. Why couldn’t she tell me? I was her second bestie, after all.
Yeah, her second bestie who had considered maybe ditching her, my inner voice scoffed at me.
Most afternoons this week I’d hung out with Cate after school for a few minutes until she made her excuses and left. I waited for her in the usual spot in the parking lot, leaning against the barrier near my car. The guys were here too, but after fifteen minutes, there was still no sign of Cate.
“Where is she?” Brewer whined. Since Cate’s introduction into our group, Brewer had taken a liking to Cate and the way his face scrunched up at her absence, I knew he was going to get into a childlike strop about it. “Did we un-adopt her?”
“Who are we un-adopting?” Grey asked as he and Georgie neared us.
I hoped no one would answer because I didn’t need Georgie’s attitude or Grey’s disapproval right now. Grey wanted me to be nice to Cate and to make an effort to be less rude to her after our introduction, and so far I had done a stellar job. It’s just today that I messed up. Georgie wouldn’t be too happy if she found out Cate had disappeared, and if she wasn’t happy, then Grey wouldn’t be happy, and I’d get the flak for it even though I’m not entirely sure why Cate is upset.
Whoa, this was a little too complicated for my liking. Who knew having a girl in the group would be this much hassle? See, this is why I don’t do girlfriends- it’s just too much high maintenance.
‘You might want to rethink Catherine, then.’
“Cate,” Brewer answered Grey’s question. I swear I’m going to kill him on day soon. “She’s MIA.”
Georgie leveled a questioning look on me.
“She’s not MIA,” I explain, although my voice wasn’t filled with conviction. “She’s probably gone home, that’s all. It’s Friday and she might just want to chill out after the first week back.”
Georgie looked unconvinced, and took out her cell. There must have been a message there waiting for her, because as she scanned the screen she frowned and sighed. She typed out a reply and I couldn’t help but try to sneak a look at the conversation. Georgie scowled at me and tutted, shielding her cell from me. After she replied to the message, so turned back to me.
“Catherine Addison?” She accused me. “That’s really low, TJ. Really low.”
I laughed. “Low? And Cate stealing Catherine’s boyfriend wasn’t low?”
I knew it was petty of me to bring it up, and I shouldn’t have mentioned it but the way Georgie was looking at me had me pissed off. How dare she judge me for talking to a girl that I liked. Cate had obviously been in the wrong when she stole Catherine’s boyfriend, but I wasn’t judging her.
‘Yeah, you are.’ I really needed to have a chat with my inner voice.
“Excuse me?” Georgie moved forward towards me with a vicious glare in her eyes. “Are you for real? Cate? You think Cate stole Catherine’s boyfriend?”
I nod. “I know she did. Catherine told me.”
Georgie sucked in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. It looked as if she was trying to calm herself down, but it wasn’t a technique that was working well for her. She more she tried to relax, the more worked up she got, until eventually she left out a frustrated scream that made me back away from her.
This girl was something else when she was angry.
“You are beyond deranged if you think Cate ever stole anyone’s boyfriend,” she accused me. I balked at her and opened my mouth to defend myself, but Georgie continued. “Cate? The same girl that gets freaked out by new people? The girl that can’t make eye contact with strangers? The girl that doesn’t trust people easily, but for some reason thought she could trust you? Are we talking about the same Cate?”
I nod. “Maybe she isn’t as innocent as she seems.”
At this, Spiller stepped forward and placed himself between me and Georgie. He held up a hand to Georgie and motioned for Grey to take his girlfriend away from the group, and then turned to me with a disappointed look on his face. I’d never seen him look at me like this before, and it made me nervous.
“Look, Theo,” he says my name carefully. I knew that what he was about to say was something that I didn’t want to hear, but something that I needed to hear anyway. “You like Catherine, yes?” I nod. “And you like Cate?”
“As a friend, yeah,” I nod. “But Georgie can’t-”
“No, Theo,” Spiller shakes his head wearily, rubbing his eyes with his hands before he looks me dead in the eye. “Georgie knows Cate, and if she thinks there’s something weird about the whole thing, then I’d advise you to take that on board.”
“I already know the truth,” I grumble. “Catherine told me.”
“Exactly,” Spiller sighs. “Catherine told you, and that’s made you biased. You don’t have the full picture, and until you talk to Cate, you won’t understand. You need to talk to her.”
With that, Spiller and the guys left.
Of course, Spiller was right. He always is. And I hated him for it.
I took out my cell, found Cate’s number that I stole from Grey, and hit the text button.
Can we talk? I missed you this afternoon. Thomas Jefferson :)
*~*~*
Trouble in Paradise?
Sarah, xx