The Fine Line

What would she know of embarrassment? Of pain? What would she know of what I feel? She sits there happily swinging her legs; knowing something that I don’t. And for that I hate her. Hate her calm coolness, her smile, and her ready-for-anything attitude. With a swish of long ebony hair, her emerald eyes meet my blue-grey ones.

“What you looking at, Hunter?” she smiles coyly, as though she can see right through me.

That makes me hate her more. I glare. She’s still looking at me for an answer. I need something to say, something that won’t give away anymore; like she needs to know anymore about me.

“Absolutely nothing,” I snarl. Its okay to let her see my hate, hate I’m not ashamed of. She just rolls her eyes, still totally unfazed about sitting in the ‘waiting room’ to the principles office, awaiting our mums. Our mums had been best friends since they were our age, and they had stayed best friends. We live next door to each other. They even named us both after the Tawnie Frog mouth, an owl; a hunter. Our mums made us spend nearly everyday of our childhood together, hoping we’d end up like them, or even better: married. Every time they’d say ‘Well, when you two are married’ or ‘At the wedding I was thinking’, it made me scoff, it was ridiculous! I would not, no, could not marry Tawnie. We’re complete opposites! She’s happy, perky, and perfect, with long, dark hair and green eyes, while I had messy fair hair, pale blue eyes, and a temper that was always bubbling near the surface.

“So you two finally got caught, aye?” Dale asks. He’s come to see what’s going on, along with the rest of her friends. I look away from the popular bunch, with their new clothes, and stylish hair cuts, and look at the plastic plant next to me. My friends wouldn’t come near this place while they’re around.

“Apparently they’re calling our parents.” Tawnie states as she walks over.

“I still can’t believe that you of all people, was caught doing that, with him. I mean, he’s a total dork! He reads comics Tawnie!” Erina squealed. I scoff accidentally. Feeling their gaze on the back of my head, I redden.

“But I like comics.” Tawnie laughed.

“But not everyone has to know that Tawnie.” Erina retorted, grimacing. I roll my eyes. They were so superficial. I shake my head to remove fair hair from my eyes. Abruptly, their whispering stops. I turn and see why. Our mums had arrived. You could tell straight away, whose mum was whose. Tawnie’s mum, Akira, was tall and slender, with dead straight jet hair, and a confident, sharp face. She was a model, and you could see some of her traits in Tawnie. And in her black suit, she looked very intimidating. My mum was totally different, she was short, and wore a white sundress on her average body, her hair was blonde and curly; she was your regular, warm hearted mother. They glanced around the room and then walked into the principal’s office.

Tawnie waved her friends away and sat next to me. And the wait continued. Tawnie started twirling pitch hair around her fingers. A habit she’s had since we were four. I sigh.

“Sorry about what they were saying.” she mumbled. I sneer.

“Sorry that they voiced your thoughts?” I say as my sneer widens. She scowls.

“What is your problem? You think everyone that’s not in your punk, gothic, bad arse group, is out to get you!” She snapped. My problem? She’s the one who acts different when we walk through the school gates. She’s the one that doesn’t want to be caught dead with me. Sure my group of friends are punks and some are gothic, but at least they show their true colours, err, shades.

“You’re the one with the problem.” I mutter, her jaw drops in disbelief.

“Imbecile!” she snarls.

“Pansy!” I snap back.

“Jerk!”

“Show off!”

“Arse!”

“It’s ass, Barbie!” I growl standing up

“Barbie? I am not a hunk of sexist plastic!” she roars, standing and looking ready to kill.

“Look at you. And your mum’s a model”

“So?” acid eyes narrowing. “This is so immature,” she shakes her head and sits down again. I follow suit and we both begin to stare at the closed office door, waiting for the principle and our mums to emerge. “How long is this going to take?” she snaps after a minute or so.

“Well, it’s your fault we’re here in the first place!” I growl, and she starts laughing.

“Yeah, sure.” she smiles, her normal self again. I can’t help it, I find myself smiling as well.

“I’m sorry…about calling you a Barbie that is” I state and she smirks.

“Nah, it’s okay. I suppose at times I can be a bit of a Barbie doll. And I’m sorry about calling you a jerk- though you are one! I shouldn’t have said it to your face.” she grins.

“I prefer it that way; does a good friend not stab you in the front?” I ask innocently.

“Ooh, we’ve made progress, so you’re finally calling me your friend? And a good friend at that.” she raises an eyebrow. “But I could never stab you, who else would be my partner in crime?”

“Dale.” I state without hesitation.

“An idiot. Jaydon, too self absorbed. Trent, well, to be frank, he’s a bigger jerk than yourself.” she smiled, closing her eyes and leaning back, content. The office door opens and out walk our mums, smiling widely.

“That’s not how you should leave a principles office,” I point out.

“Well, my little love bird-” my mother gets cut off by my scoff. “Oh, come now, you could scoff all you wanted before, but my boy, you were caught kissing in the school grounds. A big no, no.” My mum finished with a Cheshire cat grin. I roll my eyes, and Tawnie and her mum laugh.

Yeah. I was caught kissing Tawnie Lea, behind the tool shed. That was embarrassing. I’m constantly in pain, from denying my feelings. Tawnie doesn’t know that’s why I can be so cruel. I love Tawnie, and everything about her. She holds my heart in her slim hands, and for that, I hate her.

They do always say that there’s a fine line between love and hate.