‘He had his nose stuck in a book, I doubt he was waiting for me,’ said Anna screwing up her cute freckled nose.
‘But everyone knows we always sit here, it’s our spot and nobody comes near, unless they’re new or unbelievably stupid.’
‘Who’s unbelievably stupid, I hope you’re not talking about moi?’
They both looked up. ‘Taylor, don’t sneak up on us like that,’ said Jaz almost gasping for air, but she was always gasping for air around him. He always managed to make a pair of black school pants look delectable, and with his blond hair flicked up at the top he could have easily come from a modelling shoot. Not that she was into the good-looking types but Taylor was different. She knew him well and he wasn’t vain and up himself like the other good-looking popular kids.
‘So do I get to find out what you were talking about?’ he said raising a perfect eyebrow, his school bag hanging from his shoulder. He could make the simplest things look cool.
Anna shook her head and tried to hide behind the cascade of strawberry blonde hair.
‘Ricky was on our seat this morning and Gutless Wonder here didn’t go talk to him.’
‘Jasmine Thomas, how dare you!’ Anna looked horrified.
Jaz put her hand on Taylor’s arm and enjoyed the warmth through his shirt. ‘Anna, it’s only Tay, he’s like…been our friend since the first grade. He probably knows more dirty secrets about you than I do!’
Anna sobered up instantly, her face now showing an intense expression. ‘You know, you might just be right. How lucky we are that you don’t blab to your other friends about us,’ Anna said, squinting up at Taylor.
‘I wouldn’t dare. Jaz would likely kick my butt and have me begging for mercy,’ he said giving her a wink. ‘Besides I don’t think they would be interested in you two rejects,’ Taylor finished jokingly. The girls automatically lashed out. He caught Anna’s hand but took a hit to the guts from Jaz. ‘Oomph, no fair Jaz,’ he said rubbing his belly. ‘You know it doesn’t do much for a bloke’s ego when he’s always getting beaten up by a girl. Blokes like to be the stronger ones…or at least think we are.’
‘Oh please, somebody give him a tissue,’ Anna laughed.
Jaz smiled. ‘Maybe next time you’ll think twice about a smart arse comment. You know we don’t like your other friends, they’re very snobby and mean.’
‘Yeah, and why is it that you like them again?’ asked Anna tilting her head to the side. But they weren’t expecting an answer. They knew that Taylor moved in different circles with his family and deep down they knew he liked being popular…hey, who wouldn’t! But he’d never once dissed them, and because of their friendship all the other kids left them alone. Besides the odd snide comment from Minka when he wasn’t looking.
A short blast rang out over the PA and small groups slowly merged together as they headed inside the building.
‘Come on we better get moving, I’ve got Mr Noble up first and you know how he likes to make a spectacle of anyone who’s late, so I’ll catch up with you two later,’ he said before taking off. ‘Oh, Jaz, you gonna be at training?’
Her heart pounded an extra hard beat as she nodded.
‘Cool,’ he replied before striding off into the merging traffic of uniformed bodies.
Anna watched her friend for a while before speaking. ‘And you think I’m chicken — when are you going to fess up your feelings for Tay?’ she asked as they moved off.
Jaz reluctantly took her eyes away from Taylor’s lean figure. ‘Come on Anna, it’s different. We’ve been friends too long, I can’t risk losing that. Besides I know he doesn’t feel the same way,’ Jaz said sadly.
‘How would you know when you haven’t even asked him?’ Anna said before putting her arm around Jaz’s shoulders. ‘Don’t worry, we’ll sort something out. Come on, let’s get to another exciting lesson of biology, whoopee…not. You might be able to dissect a frog…I know how much you love gross stuff.’
Jaz smiled. ‘And Minka likes to faint at anything gross-related…that would cheer me up.’
‘Remember the last time she fainted and hit her nose?’ Anna laughed.
‘You always know how to cheer me up.’
On her way to her form room she passed a circle of guys on the inside quadrangle who looked like they were shoving someone around. Jaz kept walking, more concerned about getting to class, but in the gap of the guys she saw a familiar face. Simon. Then she heard what the guys were saying, teasing her brother, trying to get him to fight. She skidded to a halt just as one guy punched Simon somewhere near his chest.