A/N Quick, cute oneshot. Would be great to know what you think. Confusing? Not long enough? Spelling/Grammatical errors? What you like what you don't. Or just "Not my kind of thing" Or "Nice" I don't mind, but would be great to hear your opinions.

My terribly romantic notions :)

Petals of Roses

White Roses - Can mean that the person is heavenly, or that they are pure and innocent, also it can mean secrecy and silence.

"Let those petals drop Rose!"

I caught myself from swivelling round and facing whomever was shouting at me, I couldn't take anymore teasing. Rose, the name of a flower the name of a girl. What is peoples fascination with such a plain name, are they fascinated by the fact that this Rose is white? Pale haired, pale skinned and pale eyed. Does my innocent look make them think that I am a prime target? Because I am, I'm not going to fight them. They can jeer at me, and shout from afar and I won't do a thing, say a word.

"Rose, Rose let those petals fall."

The voice was closer this time, I felt the words brush against my skin. They didn't usually try to talk to me, they just taunted me from across the street or hallway or classroom. I turned round slowly, making sure to keep to one side of the pavement as I did so.

Surprisingly I was faced with a boy I recognised from some of my classes, and from my form tutor. Spencer Owen, a clown by reputation. I turned and tried to walk faster steps away from him, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me and I was twirled round to face him.

"You...w-what are you doing?"

Yeah, I was a force to be reckoned with. Oh dear god why is he touching me?! I raised my eyes to meet his and was greeted with the impish smile that Spencer Owens was known for. He used it on any female staff member that decided to challenge his behaviour, they folded quickly at seeing the boyish smile a fifteen year old wasn't expected to produce.

"Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose..."

I was officially scared and wishing that I'd took the pepper spray that the police officer had offered round last week at our annual 'Be Smart, Keep Safe' day at school.

"Umm...yes?"

Keep calm, keep calm. Scream straight away and the attacker may think they have to take direct action to restrain you.

"Rose...why call this flower by any other name."

Another cheeky smile greeted me and I was momentarily confused, what was he saying?

"Are you attempting to quote Shakespeare to me?"

He started laughing at me, it was a cute laugh. A quiet laugh, a chuckle of sorts. But oh god he was laughing at me. I hadn't meant to say that, it was a thought! They generally stay inside my head. What's wrong with me? More to the point what's wrong with him? He's stopped laughing and is now just standing there staring, still with his hand on my shoulder. Oh god, he's still touching me. Why is he still touching me...?

"You like Shakespeare don't you?" It didn't actually seem to be a question, more like a statement. "I've seen you reading some of his plays at school, and you get this little beamer of a smile when Mr Lindmen says were doing one of his sonnets..."

He just stopped and smiled as me oddly. Wait a second...he watches me, does he realise that he's being stalker-like? Wait...Spencer Owen watches me, what is wrong with that sentence, a lot actually including the fact that -

"You're doing that weird thing where you have an inner-conversation with yourself Rose."

He's doing that drool-worthy grin thing again...

"Stop bloody smiling at me!!"

"Good, good Rose, you're letting those petals fall."

What the hell does-

"What the hell does that even mean Spencer?"

And that grin gets bigger, should that even really be possible?

"Exactly as it sounds Petal, you got a layer around you that no one can get through. I wanna let the real Rose out and you are dropping petals...albeit slowly."

He sounds so very serious right now, Spencer Owen is a clown. He does not do serious. Why is he even bothering with me? Is this some kind or trick or dare? Maybe they've decided to up their game in tormenting me, though Spencer's never done anything to me before...

"Why are you bothering?"

"'Cus I've noticed you Petal, when you think no one's looking, I've been looking. Those little smiles you get when we're reading a certain book in English. Or those little grimaces and shudders that go through you when we have school mixers and mandatory plays. And that you check your seat over each time you go to sit down, why'd you do that Petal?"

Oh god...

"Umm, people leave things on my chair sometimes."

I gave him a weak smile but he didn't take it. For the first time on Spencer Owens' face I saw a frown.

"What sort of things Rose?"

His voice became darker and his eyes bore into mine, insisting for an answer.

"You know, like chewing gum and stuff like that..."

I whispered it quietly, though I had thought that Spencer has never noticed me before and therefore wouldn't care what happened to me at school I now wasn't so sure. I didn't know how the usually funny-boy would act.

Instead though he gave me a giant smile, "That sort of thing won't happen again Rose. So Petal, give me a smile."

I looked at him a little uncertain before giving him a curious and slightly suspicious smile. How would he stop them, I know that he's got friends, he's got influence but they won't stop in the classes he's not in with me.

"A real smile now, I'll look after ye'. Promise. My Heavenly white Rose."

I fought the smile that was creeping on my face, but as he gave me a cheeky wink I lost. He gave me a gleeful smile in return, one of triumph and secrets.

"Gotta go catch a bus now, keep on smiling for me Petal."

He removed his hand from my shoulder for the first time since he'd come up to me but continued to look at me as he walked away, if he continued walking backwards he was going to-

"Fuck...!"

-walk into something. I made a move to walk over and help him, but he scrambled back up on his feet and smiled clumsily at me, a streak of red tinting his cheeks.

"I'm alright Petal, I knew you cared!"

He was far away now but for the first time in the conversation I realised what he'd been calling me.

"Petal...?!"

"Yeah! My Petal!"

Spencer Owen just called me his. Maybe this is all my imagination and I'd walked into that lamppost back there, and I'm really unconscious lying on the floor.

Urgh, I'm going home. And to bed.

-

The next morning at school I felt wary as I entered my form tutor, maybe I'll find it was all a joke, a dare of some kind. Talk to the freak. But as I approached my chair to sit down I checked it like always and a small smile curled on my lips, a beautiful, fresh white rose with the petals pulled back sat there waiting for me.

I felt a hand on my shoulder suddenly and was twirled round for the second time in as many days, his face held that gleeful secret smile that he'd given me the day before.

"Alright Petal?"

Deciding to be bold I answered him.

"No petals."

He gave me a grin then, his pearly whites on display. Slowly he lent towards me and brought his lips to mine.

Whispering as he did so, "Lets find out shall we..."

A/N Review/Criticism?