My feet and I had a special relationship. Some of the time they were nice, and would take me to places without a problem. The rest of the time they took pride in embarrassing me. Because of this, the ground and I have become quite close over the years. Not a day went by that we did not "meet". I was able to get over my humiliation, though, by knowing that I brought a little bit of joy into my classmates otherwise bleak and boring lives.
Which was why, when I bounded down the hallway towards my friend's classroom, no one was surprised when I tripped over air and crumpled to the ground face first. Everyone who had seen the event burst out laughing as I picked myself off the floor and, due to a nervous habit, tugged on the hem of my shirt. A deep chuckle coming from next to me made me jump, and I looked up to see a good looking blonde haired blue eyed boy, Tobias Donnall.
"I think this is yours." He said handing me my book as the crowd that had surrounded us dispersed. I grabbed it and held it to my chest.
"Thanks," I said, avoiding his gaze and tucking a strand of my shoulder length dirty blonde hair behind my ear.
"Are you okay?" He asked as I searched the crowded hallway for my friend, Madeline.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It happens all the time." I replied distractedly, brushing off his concern with a wave of my hand. As I glanced up at him I saw his lip quirk into a half smile.
"Well, I saw you go down and-"
"Wait," I interrupted. "You saw me trip, and you didn't even try to help me?" He looked like a deer caught in headlights at this, and if I wasn't so irked I would have laughed.
"How could I have helped you? Should I have told your feet not to just suddenly trip?" He countered just as I caught sight of Madeline exiting the classroom a few feet away from us. She noticed me immediately and walked over.
"Sorry I took so long. Mr. Jenkins made us stay a few minutes late because Jake and his friends were goofing off the entire class." Madeline said frustration evident in her voice.
"Those guys are real idiots sometimes." I said, to which Maddie nodded in agreement.
"Hey listen," Toby cut in and we both turned and looked at him. "I got to get to class or I'll get a detention, but I'll catch you later." He smirked at his pun while I rolled my eyes.
"Sure," I replied sarcastically. He ignored it and, with a smile towards Maddie, walked into the classroom that Maddie had just walked out of.
"What was that about?" Maddie asked sounding very confused. I patted her head.
"Nothing that is of importance."
--
It was a Saturday which meant that Madeline and I were exploring the wonderful hustle and bustle that was the mall. We didn't do this every Saturday, more like every other. Now, we weren't those sorts of people who had tons of money to spend, and we didn't go through our clothes that fast, it was just the most interesting thing to do in our town. Plus, they had delicious foods to indulge on.
I plopped down onto a bench, exhausted not only mentally but physically from all the walking around and browsing we had done. Madeline sat down next to me with a sigh as she stared at the windows of one of the stores longingly at a shirt she wanted desperately, but sadly didn't have the money to buy it.
"I'm so tired, and my mental list of things to buy is so long that I probably won't remember more than half of those things the next time we come." I moaned as I rested my head on Maddie's shoulder, and as the kind hearted best friend that she was, she pushed me away. "Why do we come here again?" I asked in exasperation.
"That's why." Maddie replied, staring at something over my shoulder with an dreamy smile on her face.
"Where are the hot guys?" I said loudly and turned around before Maddie could stop me.
There stood Toby and his best friend Sam who was also blonde haired, blue eyed and good looking. I assumed that they had heard my question for Toby smirked while Sam turned a light shade of pink. I gaped at them in humiliation before quickly turning around to meet Madeline's glare.
"Well," I said quietly. "At least I found them?" My joked seemed lost on her as her glare kept up. "Um… Sorry?" I said, and she shook her head.
"I really need to help you work on being subtle." She said while running a hand through her dark brown hair.
"So, you two think we're hot?" Toby asked from behind me. Immediately Madeline blushed. I knew it was up to me to do some damage control before Madeline's face got and redder. I slowly faced him.
"No," I said thinking quickly. "They walked into a store before I could see them." Toby didn't look convinced.
"Whatever you say, Grace." He said with a laugh.
"Dude, the plan was to just go in, grab my sister a present, and go out." Sam spoke up impatiently, pointing to a cute little girl store.
"I know that's exactly what we're doing." He glanced at me. "Well, looks like I have to go. Bye Madeline. Catch you later Grace." He winked, ignoring my scowl, and sauntered off.
--
"Hey Maddie, what's up?" I asked into the phone, while I sat on my bed, flipping through a teen magazine.
"Nothing much, but Matt's having a friend over and I don't want to be the only girl here, so will you come and help me battle against the evil male species?" She got more intense as she spoke, and I laughed.
"Of course, you know how sneaky they can be. I need to be there to watch your back!" I replied, equally intense.
"Cool, come here as soon as you can." In the background I heard a door open. "Matt what are you doing in my room? Is that my underwear?" I heard her yell, it was a bit muffled. Then she came back on the line. "See you soon." She said then hung up.
I laughed, and changed out of the sweats I had first decided wearing that day and into a pair of jeans and a light blue t-shirt. I quickly brushed through my dirty blonde hair, relieving it from the snarls, and put some makeup on. I shoved a few tampons into my front pockets, since it was that time of the month and I didn't like carrying around purses. After checking to my sure that I looked presentable I grabbed my car keys, and phone and walked outside.
I got into my car, and turned it on. My ipod was already hooked to my radio and started playing as I pulled out of my driveway. I rolled down my window and started quietly singing along as the warm air rushed at me. Madeline's house wasn't that far from me, but it took half an hour to get there on foot, and I didn't think that Maddie could handle Matt and his friend on her own for that long.
Finally I reached my destination and parked across the street. I crossed the street and walked up to the door, savoring the fact that it was starting to get warm out. I rang the doorbell and waited, tapping my palm onto my thigh to the beat of the song that I had been listening to just moments before. Behind the door I heard a thump and a bunch of yelling before the door was flung open. I stepped back in surprised and my pair of light blue eyes met a pair of equally blue ones.
"Toby?" I asked after a moment of silence fell between us. He grinned just as I heard someone curse. I peered over his shoulder to see Maddie lying on the floor with her twin brother Matt pinning her down. They looked identical with their caramel brown eyes, dark brown hair, and the same dimpled smile.
"Hey Grace!" He said cheerfully while Maddie struggled to push him off. He didn't seem to notice.
"Uh…Hey Matt." I said as Toby stepped aside, letting me walk into the front hall. I brushed against his shirt, and felt little goose bumps on my arms. I quickly shook it off as I turned to Maddie. "Do you need some help?" I asked.
"Yes!" Maddie yelled at the same time that Matt replied, "No, we're good." He gave me an innocent smile.
"Don't worry, I remember the plan." I said to Maddie, trying to sound cool. I grabbed Matt's arm and started to pull with all my might.
"Toby, man, I need backup!" Matt yelled when he noticed that I was stronger than he had originally though and was starting to drag him off of Maddie.
"I got you!" Toby replied before grabbing me around the waist and picking me up. I squealed, but kept my hold on Matt's arm.
As if on cue, Matt started to pull his arm forward as Toby pulled me away. I couldn't keep a grip, and with a curse I let go, sending me and Toby crashing to the ground. He landed on his back and I landed on top off him. He grunted at my wait, as I stood up and dusted myself off. As he sat up I noticed him holding something in my hand.
"Is that my phone?" I asked and he nodded and began to press buttons on it.
I felt my front pockets, and found them empty. Which meant… I looked down to see my tampons sitting in his lap. I turned a deep shade of crimson and cleared my throat.
"Toby…Are those mine too?" He glanced down at his lap, and seeming unfazed, nodded.
I quickly bent down, grabbed them, and shoved them in my pocket, hoping that Matt hadn't seen them. Just then Toby handed my back my phone, I took it gratefully, and looked at him questionably. It was like he could read my mind because he answered my unsaid question.
"I have two older sisters. You get used to seeing those in the bathroom after a while." He said as he stood up, and I laughed.
"That must suck." I said and he shrugged.
"Like I said you get used to it after a while. Hey, we need to finish our game!" He turned to Matt who instantly jumped off Maddie, and ran into the other room, followed by Toby.
I glanced down at my phone, and after searching around to see what he did, found that he had put his number into it.
--
Monday morning came, along with a very unhappy Grace. I was not a morning person, and getting up early just come to school just put me into an even worse mood. To make up for it I decided to make myself look as cute as possible by wearing shorts that were obviously shorter than the rules allowed, and a striped tank top. I even decided to put my hair up into a ponytail.
As I walked into school I bumped into a happy looking Toby. I mentally scowled wondering how he could be so cheerful on a Monday morning.
"Hey," I said tiredly, and watched as he looked me over. Starting at my feet and slowly going up to my face. He nodded and gave me a charming smile.
"Don't try to sound too excited to see me." He joked and I gave him a half hearted smile.
"I'm just tired." I said with a yawn. He laughed.
"I noticed. Do you want me to carry your backpack for you? You look like you're going to fall asleep standing up." I shook my head.
"No, I'm not one of those girls who needs guys to hold their books for them." He took my backpack from me anyway, and grinned when I glared at him.
"But I'm not offering to hold your books; just your backpack." He gave me a look of triumph while I rolled my eyes.
"Come on." I said, motioning for him to follow me. As I made my way down the hall he fell into step with me.
"So, this Friday the movie Over and Over Again is premiering." Toby said casually, staring straight ahead. I perked up.
"I know! I really want to see it, it looks so funny." Toby cast me a look and gave me a shy smile.
"Me too, and since my sister works at the movie theater I was able to score some tickets." He boasted, and I pouted.
"What?! You lucky pickle head! I'm jealous." When he gave me a look I shot him a confused one. "What?"
"Pickle head?" He asked with a hint of a chuckle.
"Yes, pickle head." I replied as we reached my locker.
I unlocked my lock on my first try and took my backpack from Toby.
"Thanks for carrying my backpack for me, even though I was perfectly capable of carrying it on my own." I announced flexing my bicep. Toby poked it, and laughed when he was able to push it down. I gave him an appalled look and dropped my arm to my side.
"Whatever you say, Grace, whatever you say."
--
For some reason that was beyond my comprehension Maddie and I sat with Matt and his friends, which included Toby and Sam. They had bottomless stomachs, and would constantly ask us if we were "going to eat that". They talked about girls in such a degrading way that Maddie and I had to slap the ones sitting next to us on the arm, and couldn't say one sentence without being perverted. But, they were all hot, and, not that we would admit this to them, hilarious and very entertaining.
"Your dad must be a hunter 'cause you're a real fox." Christian said as he sat down across from me.
"Christian, I've told you time and time again. The only women you will pick up with those lines are paid to have sex with you." Maddie said as she slid in next to me. I smirked as he glared at her.
"So, I sense that there is some attraction between two people at this table." She whispered to me, her caramel brown eyes sparkling mischievously. I gasped.
"You like one of the guys! Which one?" Before Maddie could reply Toby, Sam, and Matt sat down. Matt and Sam sat across from us, while Toby sat down next to me, which was something that he had never done before.
"Ladies," He said with a nod of his head.
"Tobias." I said with a smirk as he winced. The other guys snickered.
"I thought we agreed to never say that name a loud." He replied and swiftly stole a fry from my tray.
"Hey!" I said indignantly and he threw me a smile.
"That was your punishment." He replied and turned to talk to Sam.
Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see Becker McCormick standing behind me. His bright red hair was hard to miss in a crowd. His blue eyes looked down for a second before returning to my face.
"Could I talk to you for a sec?" He asked and I nodded, vaguely wondering why he wanted to talk to me, as I stood up and followed him out of the cafeteria and into the hallway.
He leaned against the row of lockers and stuffed his hands into his pocket. I stood in front of him awkwardly with my arms crossed, studying him. He had a splatter of freckles all over his face, and his nose was a bit crooked. He probably broke it playing football, since he was on the team.
"So, you wanted to talk to me?" I said after he didn't say anything. He nodded slowly and cleared his throat.
"Yeah, I was wondering if you wanted to do something this Friday." I looked at him in shock. He had never expressed interest in me before. As I opened my mouth to reply Madeline interrupted.
"Could I borrow Grace for a quick second?" Becker looked like he was about to refuse. "It's a girl thing." She explained quickly and Becker's face turned red.
"Oh… Uh… Y-Yeah. Sure." He stuttered as Madeline grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the girl's bathroom.
"What the heck?" I asked rubbing my wrist where she had been holding it. Madeline paced to the end of the bathroom and then spun around to look at me.
"You cannot say yes to Becker." She said loudly and slowly as if I was hard of hearing. I gave her a strange look.
"Why?" I asked, and she threw her hands up in exasperation.
"You are so oblivious." She muttered before grabbing both my arms suddenly. I jumped and hesitantly looked into her eyes. "Toby likes you."
"What!?" I shouted, pulling my arms out of her grasp and tugging at the hem of my shirt. "No he doesn't." I said in a softer voice.
"Yes he is. He's been flirting with you for a while now. For God's sake didn't you notice him checking you out when you walked into school this morning? He wasn't even subtle about it!" She said, looking as if she wanted to slap some sense into me.
"He checked me out this morning?" She nodded and I blushed. "Oh my God."
"He even tried asking you out, but you didn't understand when he implied that his sister had gotten him tickets to see Over and Over Again." My jaw dropped.
"I thought he was just boasting that he had tickets to make me jealous!" I replied and Madeline sighed.
"Grace you are such an idiot sometimes." I pulled away from her. "But you're my idiot?" She said with a hopeful smile.
"Fine, I let this one pass. But next time…" We both knew I had nothing planned for next time and laughed. When our laughter subsided Maddie was all business again.
"Look, Becker is not the one for you. The only reason he likes you is because you ass looks great in those shorts." She grinned again. Madeline couldn't stay serious for too long.
"You're right! I mean, he's never talked to me before besides if we were partners in class or he asked me a question about homework." I let out a disgusted snort. Guys could be such pigs sometimes.
"Exactly, so I'm going to go into the lunch room, while you do what you need to do." At her instructions I nodded my head, and we marched out into the hallway.
When Becker noticed us he straightened up and watched as I walked back over to him. Madeline was already in the lunchroom, which left us alone.
"Hey," I said, scuffing the toe of my sneaker on the floor. "So, while I was helping Madeline out with her, um, problem, I thought about what you said…" I trailed off. I never was really good at rejecting people.
"And?" He asked eagerly, and I pulled on the hem of my shirt.
"And I… Well I… I don't really like you like that. I'm sorry." I said, fixing my stare on his shoes.
"Whatever." He snapped and stormed away. I watched him go then turned and went to finish eating my lunch.
--
I was late. Well, almost late. I rushed down the hallway that was filled with stragglers who always came to their classes late. Apparently they thought it made them cool, or something. My ponytail swung back and forth as I weaved through the slow moving people. I kept my light blue eyes on the door as I got closer. I was almost there and the bell wasn't set to ring for another few seconds.
Suddenly my foot stepped on something wet, and I slipped and fell forward. I closed my eyes as the floor came flying up to meet me. Before I could fall, though, I pair of arms wrapped around me and pulled me up. I opened my eyes just as Toby set me back on my feet. He grinned.
"See, I told you I would catch you." He explained and I let out a snort.
"Well, I guess I owe you my life now." I said noticing that his arms were still around me when he pulled me against him.
"No, just a date." He replied and kissed me. This time I got the message.
Just a one-shot I wrote for my friend. And the main character is loosely based off of her. I just skimmed it after I wrote it so I'm sorry if there are some errors. Hope you liked it. Oh, and I would love to hear what you think about it so...
Please review! =]