1
“I’m bored of this. Pay attention in class next time,” the bronze-haired girl snapped into the phone.2
The dark-haired boy on the other end groaned. “I fail, I’m taking you down with me.”3
The girl snickered. “Only place I’ll be going down to will be the sidelines so I can point and laugh at you.”4
The boy winced, even as his blue eyes twinkled in amusement. “You know I like ‘em feisty and yet you still play hard-to-get. Should I be reading between the lines here?” He grinned smugly to himself. She hated it when he pulled this move.5
The girl huffed angrily. “This is one game you’ll be crying over. Anyways, my friends are making me go to that cheerleader party.” She harrumphed irritably.6
The boy laughed to himself. She was so out of the usual circle of thought that held all her friends, it was amazing she hadn't abandoned them yet.7
She was far too loyal for that, he corrected himself. "Would it make you feel better if I gate-crashed?" he asked, because, even though he was already invited, he hadn't planned on going before, knowing she hated partying with "the elite animals" and would most likely not turn up. But no point telling her his social life was on hold for her. She probably wouldn't understand.8
"If you gatecrash," she replied, "you'll spend more time tormenting than helping me." He grinned.9
"Is it my fault you're fun to annoy?"10
She growled. "Let's see how much fun you have annoying me after I introduce you to the dial-tone."11
He snorted. "You'd die of boredom."12
"That is so true, my mind is still having issues absorbing it ," she replied, only half-sarcastically. He grinned, catching the uncertainty in her tone. Elation shot through him, hope rising.13
"See you tomorrow, babe," he added the last word, chuckling as she slammed the phone down.14
He hung up, feeling a sudden rush. A wild rush. Ecstasy. That's what talking to her felt like, like he'd had a big shot of ecstasy.15
He smiled faintly. The possibility of her ever feeling the same way . . . was just too much to hope for. But maybe . . . he was certain there had been something there.16
***17
Does she ever think about this? he asked himself as he ran his fingers through his messy black hair, rubbing gel through it. What we could be, where this thing could go...?18
He sighed, and pulled on his black leather jacket, walked outside to his motor-bike, and revved it up. 19
He'd tried to back off, many times now. He'd gone out with a ton of girls, steeling his playboy reputation, and done a whole lot more with them than he ever wanted to. All so he could ignore the girl who drove both his heart and mind insane. 20
Well, okay, so he’d always been a bit of a playboy. But he’d stopped wanting that lifestyle, the moment he’d met her. 21
Bashed heads more likely, he thought, grinning at the memory. They’d both been at a basketball victory party at a fellow jock’s place, and he’d wanted a dance. He hadn’t noticed her then, though her beautiful bronze hair now made him wonder what was wrong with his eyesight.22
The boy was pulled back to the present when a passing vehicle blared a song he knew well. It was oddly fate-like, even though he’d never believed that bull.23
The song had been playing when he first set eyes on her. It was incredibly cliché, but true. It drew him again into his memory of that night.24
“...It only took that one time,25
Now you're the only thing on my mind...”26
That fateful night, he’d gone over to where she was seated with a posse of her friends and started the old charm up on her, noting that she was the only girl in this scene he’d so far never actually talked to. She was new, he’d figured. Fresh meat.27
He’d never been more wrong in his life.28
“The old pedo down the street hit on girls better than you do,” was the first thing she said to him.29
“Well, hey, I don’t really wanna dance with some old misanthropist with the conversation skills of a hermit anyways.”30
“What makes you think I like Calvin Klein wannabes?”31
“You’re kidding me. I know you think my outfit’s hot. I can see it in your eyes. ‘S okay, every chick likes it.” He’d thrown in a smirk.32
“What you see there is disdain and embarrassment that I’m part of a female species that delusional.”33
“ . . . At least I can dance.” He’d noted she’d been seated or walking around most of the time, so he figured it would be a low blow.34
Hey, he’d never claimed to being a nice guy.35
Her response had been to leap up, stalk by him, and position herself in the center of the dance-floor, waiting until the last song ended and a new one began.36
That was when he had, quite literally, “been owned”.37
She moved like music, smoothly and beautifully, using not the usual parts a girl flaunted, like a curvy figure, but her hair, her eyes, her smile, even if it was a triumphant one as she noticed the floored look on his, and every male in the room’s, face.38
He had been pretty surprised no one had passed out. She oozed so much estrogen, even when her moves weren’t seductive. 39
Well, some girl had conked out, but only because she’d over-dozed on her boyfriend’s beer. Someone was going to get lucky tonight.40
The boy was pulled back to the present again, and cursed, as the driver raised the volume. Just what he needed. A street-crash while he was immersed in dreaming of her.41
He couldn’t even get away from her while on the road!42
But that night was firmly imprinted in his memory. After that, he’d approached her whenever he could. It was like she’d bewitched him; no matter how much she shot him down, said the exact things that would’ve ruined his day from anyone else’s mouth, he saw her as bittersweet and it tempted him. She’d eventually caved enough to strike a semblance of a friendship.43
When he finally arrived at the cheerleader’s house, the usual horde of girls ran to welcome him. Sighing, he shoved past them, eyes scanning the room purposefully.44
She was seated, as always, with a couple of her friends, laughing at something, bronze hair tied back in an elegant do, green eyes dancing.45
He made his way over, ignoring people calling his name. He paused, recalling the phone conversation, and then crouched down behind her seat cautiously.46
He flipped through his cell’s MP3 player, and settled on the right song. Then he set it on speakers, turned the volume way up and stretched his arm out so the phone’s speakers rested near her ear.47
He hit play while she remained oblivious.48
“Hey Juliet!49
I think you're fine.50
You really blow my mind!51
Maybe someday, you and me can run away.52
I just want you to know,53
I wanna be your Romeo!54
Hey Juliet!”55
The chorus of Hey Juliet burst into her eardrums and she yelped, nearly falling off her seat while the guilty male laughed hysterically to himself.56
“You pompous arse,” she spat angrily, green eyes flashing. He gave her a smug grin, giving her a gentle shove so he could sit down.57
“I feel so loved.” 58
Her eyes darkened to an emerald shade and his breath caught in his throat; he was suddenly unable to look away. 59
At least, until she reached out and caught his ear in a vice-like grip. He let out a silent yelp as she twisted the poor cartilage.60
“Hey, ow!”61
She only smirked. 62
He wasn’t about to let her get one over him. Ignoring the stares of her friends, he slipped his arm around her and yanked her hair back. She grimaced as her head tilted backwards, but still didn’t let go.63
She wouldn’t have been her if she’d given up. But he was nothing if not pig-headedly stubborn either.64
He grinned and leaned over so his lips brushed her ear as he whispered, “I’m hoping all those hours you spent doing your hair don’t burn when I’ve destroyed it.”65
His insides jumped when he felt her shiver slightly, but all she did was turn her head, now nose-to-nose with him, and remark, “I hope you don’t mind not being able to hear all your fangirls after I’ve ripped your ears off. Bit of a blow to the ego, huh?”66
He grimaced, even though he was only half listening; her presence was so powerful. It overwhelmed him, heat radiating from her small form from this close, emerald eyes hypnotizing. So mesmerizing . . .67
She snapped him out of the daze by twisting his ear about ninety degrees. He cursed, pulling back from her and exhaling as her aura faded. On a knee-jerk reaction, he yanked her hair-clip off, feeling silky tendrils of bronze curls slip between his fingers. The girl in question gave a horrified gasp, but he noted absently that even the shocked look only added to her honest appeal as her hair tumbled down her shoulders, uncurling out of its tight prison, striking against her fair skin and smoldering eyes.68
Which were now narrowed in a glare directed at him. He gave her a beguiling smile, and her eyes flickered, indecision flashing weakly through.69
While she mused, he reached out, twisting a bronze strand between his fingers. He tugged it gently and she shook her head, pulling back, swatting at his hand. 70
“First you ruin it, now you’re trying to bald me?” she snapped in her usual endearing way. He raised an eyebrow.71
“I’d rather spare my virgin eyes the sight of you bald,” he replied dryly. It was something he’d never have said to any other girl, but it just worked with her. He knew he’d scored a point when her jaw clenched.72
“A playboy with virgin eyes, huh? There’s something I’ve never seen before,” she said cuttingly. She reached up to pull her hair back with a scrunchie from her wrist.73
Impulsively, he grabbed her wrist, tugging her hand back down. She gave him a questioning look.74
“It looks better that way,” he muttered, softly, barely noting how she caught her breath at the unintended husky note in his voice. Her penetrating gaze was on his again, unbreakable no matter how hard he tried. He found himself being irresistibly drawn to her again.75
A sudden silence broke the trance between them. The wild song had stopped; someone had requested a slow song to end the evening.76
“Wanna dance?” he asked, a challenge in his voice. She would read it, he knew. Her eyes twinkled in confirmation of this as she nodded.77
The opening soft tones of the song began as he led her to the dance floor.78
“I love this song,” she murmured as he slid his arms around her slender waist, pulling her closer. He smiled faintly, finding it ironic that this was the song he’d been humming in his subconscious for a while now.79
“ . . . Do you ever think, when you’re all alone,80
All that we could be, where this thing could go?81
Am I crazy or falling in love?82
Is it really just another crush? . . .”83
This was no crush, he saw that now. Her arms slipped around his neck and his heartbeat accelerated in response. She raised her head so their eyes met, searing blue to hypnotic green. The lyrics flowed through his mind until he realized, as they circled the room once more, he was singing them, softly, true, but loud enough that she heard, and was listening, eyes lost in thought.84
“. . . Do you catch a breath, when I look at you?85
Are you holding back, like the way I do? . . .”86
She swallowed as he lowered his head, his breath tickling her lips as he sang in his husky voice, forehead resting against her so their faces were level. He could hear her breath coming in small pants now, yet she still trained her eyes resolutely on his. That was fine by him; he could’ve died and not noticed it as long as he could stare at her this way and have her not look away like she always did.87
“. . . Cause I’m trying, try to walk away,88
\But I know this crush ain’t going away, going away . . .”89
She shivered suddenly and his arms tightened so she was pressed closer to him, her small form fitting easily in his arms. She always came on as a cold Amazon Warrior, but it was only a shell. He pitied the idiots who hadn’t bothered to figure that out. This girl was worth breaking through walls for.90
“. . . Has it ever crossed your mind when we were hanging91
Spending time girl, are we just friends?92
Is there more, is there more? . . . ”93
She bit her lip and he swallowed, watching as it reddened. Her eyes were suddenly clouded, troubled, but she made no move to look away as he sang on.94
“. . . See it’s a chance we’ve gotta take,95
Cause I believe we can make this into96
Something that will last, last forever, forever . . .“97
The song had influenced him, was his only excuse, as he abruptly leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.98
His insides were suddenly on fire, passion that he’d long since buried running alive through him as his hands worked their way through her long mane, caressing her; her soft lips manipulative under his. His heart thumped madly, longingly, inside him as she made no move to push him away, her hands digging into his shoulders as she responded. Her lips tasted tantalizingly like cherry, and even though he’d forgotten to breathe, he couldn’t pull himself away, instead leaning forwards and deepening the moment.99
And then the song ended. Both broke apart, realization dawning as they took in the stares of their fellow partiers. Her cheeks reddened and she pulled away, but he’d made up his mind. The worst had already happened, and now he couldn’t back off; he was in too deep. He tugged her back towards him and she hesitated, still perturbed.100
“I—I—” For once, she had no smart comeback. He smirked at the irony, lacing his fingers together behind her back.101
“I’ll make it easy,” he said, glad his voice betrayed none of his rushing emotions. “Wanna go out with me?”102
She blinked, bewildered, and then raised an eyebrow. She’d always been quick to recover.103
“I’d have thought you’d at least do it in some floor-me-to-defeat way,” she commented, fingers playing with the lapel of his jacket. He waited patiently.104
“But take what you get, so sure,” she added, a shy smile breaking over her face.105
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Gold trophy winner
Honorable winner
Bronze trophy winner
Silver trophy winner
Adding your comment:
But this is by far one of my fav storys you have written. 
)
No more typos, hopefully. 
