When Sparks Fly... Chapter 6

*Sorry for the wait, writers block, which I hate and I've been struggling, but I hope you enjoy, also, please suggest some ideas to give me inspiration! Much appreciated! And please comment! Picture is of in this order, left to right, Eddie, Emily and Hayden. Hope you like...*

‘What time are you going in today?’ Emily asks Monday morning bringing me a coffee into my room to wake me up.

‘Um, I have a lecture at 10am. What’s the time?’

‘7.45am.’

‘You’re up early.’

‘Yeah, well Hayden had to go to a morning gym session so he woke me up, but I’ve got to go in about the same time so I’ll come with you.’

I take a sip of my coffee and nod.

‘What are you doing after that?’ She asks.

‘Don’t know, why?’

‘Shall we have a picnic park trip?’ She grins tying her brown locks back.

‘If you like.’ I say rolling away from her, putting my drink on the side.

‘Loving your enthusiasm, Chick.’

‘Will you stop calling me that?’ I retort instantly.

‘Why? Is that his pet name for you?’ She says giggling. She cosies herself up on the other side of my bed, ready to hear some juicy gossip. Sham she’s not going to get any.

‘No, it’s not. It’s a derogatory term he likes to call me because he’s a bastard like that.’

‘Ouch, you meanie. I like him. I think he’s a perfect mix..’

‘Of what? Torture and pain.’

‘Oh shut up, drama queen-he’s a nice guy; he’s witty, kind and extremely hot. He keeps you on your toes and that’s what you don’t like about him. He’s beating you and is too quick. He’s ready to test you-which I think can only be good.’

I look at her and think there is some truth in what she’s saying. I don’t like to be beaten. I like to be on top and in charge of everything I do. I like that I can plan stuff and it always going my way. I love competition, but only when I know I can win; but with Caesar, he has every trick to beat me and I’m not sure I can win.

‘You just want to amuse yourself.’ I comment and stand up, grabbing a dress and some flats.

‘I want you to get over Eddie.’ She says casually.

I turn around quickly and say ‘Maybe I don’t want to get over him. Maybe I still want to be with him, oh and maybe, I still love him.’

‘How can you love him when he hasn’t showed the slightest bit of interest in you? Did you not understand the meaning of the song LOVE FOOL?’

I look at her fiercely and warn ‘Don’t start this or we will fall out.’

‘Tor, Eddie’s with Roxy now!’

‘They’ve only been out once! They could have had a crap time together, you just don’t know.’

‘Come on, you know I’m right. You need to move on.’

I walk into the bathroom and ignore the conversation we’ve just had. She doesn’t get it. No one understands me, not unless you have been in the same situation. I’d wait for Eddie regardless of what anyone else says. He’s perfect for me. He’s the ideal for me. I just need the chance to prove to him we can be more than that; that we can work, because I know we can. I know it.

‘You need to let go.’ She says curled up in my bed.

‘And you need to stop pestering me about it. Please, Em or we will fall out.’

She huffs then says ‘Fine, I don’t want to fall out, so I’ll leave it there for today.’ She grins and says ‘Can I wear your green cardigan?’

‘Sure.’

We make it into uni at 9.50am. We arranged to meet up after our lessons for our picnic later. So I stroll along the corridors and walk into the lecture room which is slowly filing up. I look around and see Caesar isn’t in yet. Thank God. It is going to be so awkward seeing him again since Friday night and well, when I nearly throttled him-stupid bastard, shouldn’t have called me a love-fool then, should he?

I unpack my bag and get out my note book and pen. I then soon see the tousled Caesar walking in leisurely. He catches my eye and smiles, a little nervously so. I should really apologize for nearly assaulting him.

When he comes over, we both start to talk at the same time and he laughs, grinning widely ‘Were you going to say sorry?’

‘No.’ I scoff.

‘Yeah right, you so were.’

‘I have nothing to be sorry for.’ I say credibly.

‘Is that how you usually treat people then, by and I quote ‘I will throttle you.’?’

‘You shouldn’t have provoked me.’

‘The truth hurts.’ He says nonchalantly.

‘Yeah and so does my hand.’

He looks at me and a smile emerges ‘you’re so feisty, Chick.’ He looks in his bag then brings out a galaxy chocolate bar with ‘Sorry Chick’, written on it. He cautiously hands it to me and says ‘Well I am sorry for making you cry and getting you worked up over Eddie. I should have backed down and seen you were angry and upset.’

I blush and take the chocolate bar and I’m quite lost for words. Why did he get me this?

‘Thanks.’ I mumble. Then I pluck up the courage to say ‘I’m sorry too. I was just, well, drunk.’ I whisper.

He grins ‘Nah, you were happy, Chick, until I pissed you off with that comment.’

‘No I wasn’t.’

He sits in front of me and says ‘Oh really?’

‘Yeah, really.’

He studies my face then turns around. ‘Whatever, Chick.’

Debbie then comes in and sits down and takes her glasses off then looks around the class. ‘Right, well I may as well tell you now. In a months time the English department have been lucky enough to book a trip to…’

We all hold our breath. I’m praying for Australia or America. Actually, anywhere abroad would be like a gift from God right now. I need some sun to liven my skin-tone up.

‘Brighton!’ She exclaims.

The whole class groan and I think I’m the loudest. Brighton? Why Brighton? Every other subject is doing a bloody world tour and we’re going to Brighton, well that’s just unfair.

Debbie laughs and says ‘Oh come on! We’ll be down there for three days and two nights because it’s like a whole set of activities’ especially for students studying Literature.’

‘Can’t we do that in London? It’s closer and well, just better.’ I say.

Debbie shakes her head and hands the letters out ‘Victoria, the event is in Brighton and I don’t think they’ll move the whole event for you.’

The whole class snigger and Caesar laughs at me ‘Sorry, Chick, you’re just not special enough for that to happen.’

I poke my tongue out and he licks his lips ‘You disgust me.’ I say.

He winks and laughs to himself ‘I’ve never met someone who gets so easily aggravated before as you do.’

‘That’s because I’m one in a million. I’m unlike any other.’

‘Oh for sure.’

‘Debs…’ Tyler begins

‘Debbie.’ She corrects him.

‘Yeah, well is this like a school trip where we’re supervised and stuff.’

‘It’s a trip, but I’m not mothering you, only making sure you go to the lectures and activities on time.’

‘So we can do what we like?’

‘Within reason, but if you end up in prison, I will not be amused.’

‘But everything else we can do.’ He was a definitive answer, bless him.

She looks at Tyler and smiles ‘Darling, as long as you go to the lectures’ and behave, I don’t care.’

‘Can we drink?’

‘Yes Tyler, you can drink, you can have sex and you can party, you can do whatever you want when you’re not in the lectures’, but if you turn up drunk, I will not be impressed. Just act responsibly and we’ll all have fun.’

After our in depth discussion of the trip, we focus on our plays and novels we have to read. I love reading; it is such a passion of mine. I get really entranced by the stuff we study. I don’t know what I’ll do after uni, but for now, studying English cannot get any better. Well only if we went somewhere sunny, but Brighton it seems to be.

After the lesson, I walk out and wait for Emily. But before she joins me, I see Eddie and Roxy, hand in hand smiling together. I gag and turn away. That sight is my worst nightmare, I'm telling you.

Not fair. Really not fair.

I turn back and see them kiss and my knees buckle. Oh God. This hurts. This really hurts.

‘Chick, are you ok?’ Caesar says from above.

He crouches down to my level and tilts my chin up. Tears start to water my eyes and he sees where I’m looking. He sits in front of me and says ‘I don’t know what to say.’

I look down and mope, wiping my tears on my jumper; but he moves my arm away and says repulsed ‘How old are you? Three? Do you want a tissue?’ He hands me a tissue and I wipe my tears and blow my nose. ‘You can keep it.’ He says.

‘Well I wasn’t exactly going to hand it back to you, unless you’re a weirdo who likes to collect people’s left over tissues.’

He laughs and says ‘Yeah, because I have a shrine dedicated to that sort of stuff.’

I chuckle and he says ‘don’t cry over him is all I’m going to say.’

‘You don’t understand.’ Is all I reply.

‘Maybe not, but you shouldn’t cry over a guy.’

‘Let’s not talk about it, thanks for sitting with me, but you can go.’

‘Are you waiting for anyone?’

I nod ‘Emily.’

‘Talk of the devil.’ He says looking up.

I look up and see Emily skipping over to me, but when she gets closer, she sighs ‘I don’t even want to ask, sweetie.’ She looks at Caesar who is sitting opposite me and she grins ‘Hey Caesar, you’re brave being near Tor again.’

They laugh, but I don’t find it that amusing. ‘No harm done.’

‘Are you busy this afternoon?’

‘No, why?’

‘Well we’re having a picnic. Do you want to come?’

‘Yeah, why not? Do you mind, Chick?’

I glare at him and he smiles. That bloody name, just when I thought he was being sincere for once.

‘Why do you call Tor, Chick?’

‘I think it suits her.’

‘Saying she looks like a chicken?’

He laughs ‘No, I just think it’s cute.’

He stretches out his hand to help me up and I take his hand and stand up.

‘So Caesar, apart from English, what else interests you? What are your hobbies?’ She asks him.

‘I play the guitar and piano.’

‘Really! I always wanted a musical guy, but Hayden’s a sportsman.’

‘I play rugby, that’s all.’

‘Can you sing?’

He smiles ‘I do sing.’

Emily swoons at this and I think Caesar nearly catches her. She looks at me with puppy dog eyes and I think Hayden better beware! No, she wouldn’t dump Hayden, they’re practically engaged.

‘What else do you like to do?’

‘I like photography.’ That surprises me, but is he any good?

‘Do you have a really cool camera?’

He shrugs and pulls his camera out ‘I’ve got this one. I bought it last year.’ Caesar shows Emily how to use it and she gets all excited as we arrive at the park with a new toy to play with.

‘Can I take some pictures?’ She asks.

‘Knock yourself out.’

‘Get together you two.’ She says, grinning from behind the camera.

Caesar looks at me and sees I’m still upset. ‘Are you ok, Chick?’

I don’t reply and he says ‘Hey I know I’m not Eddie, but come on, lighten up.’

‘Go away.’

‘No.’ He says coming towards me with a smile.

‘Go away.’ I say again.

‘Nuhuh.’ He says starting to move closer towards me as I move backwards.

I then chuck my jacket off and shoes and start to run away from Caesar calling out ‘STOP CHASING ME!’ I feel like a little girl again playing with my brothers when they would chase me. ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING?’ I say laughing as I see he is really fast and quickly catching up with me.

‘Catching my dinner.’ And then I’m lifted off the ground by two strong arms that swing me into their body. I kick my legs in the air and Caesar laughs, spinning me around in his arms.

‘Put me down.’ I giggle.

He laughs ‘Nah, I’m gonna eat you up!’ He then turns my body so he’s holding me bridal style under the bend in my knees and takes me back to Emily. I’m not holding onto his neck so my arms are just hanging limply, hoping he will put me down any second now. But Caesar being Caesar then he pretends to drop me and I hold onto his neck so quickly it’s untrue.

‘Bastard.’ I say angrily.

He smiles down at me and says ‘Comfy, Chick?’

Emily then joins us and he finally puts me down. But as he does so, he slaps my arse and smiles. I hit his arm back and say ‘Perv.’

‘You wish’

‘Why did you slap my arse then?’ I say raising an eyebrow.

‘You had a fly there.’ He says smirking.

‘Murderer.’

He grins and takes his camera back to see what Emily’s done. ‘Look Tor, isn’t this a cute picture?’ I look at the one she’s pointing out and it’s of me and Caesar as he just picks me up. I’m grinning and Caesar is smiling widely ‘I think I captured the moment.’ She declares.

‘Yes you did, Chick’s laughing.’

‘Oh shut up.’ I say.

‘What? It’s a good thing. You have a beautiful smile.’

Did he really just say that? I look at him to see if he’s lying or doing it to get a reaction, but he looks deadly serious. Emily swoons and says ‘Ahhhh.’

Caesar blushes and winks at me when Emily isn’t looking. ‘So, what did you buy?’ He asks Emily…

*
After spending the whole afternoon eating, chatting and mucking around, we decide to head back home.

‘Thanks so much for inviting me.’ He says to Emily.

She grins and gives him a warm hug and he kisses her cheek. She then looks at me and Caesar smiles ‘Come here, I won’t bite.’ He opens his arms for a hug and I slowly return the hug, linking my arms around his waist and feeling the closeness of his body against mine.

‘You two are so cute.’ Emily mouths to me.

’Shut up.’ I mouth back. ‘See you in English.’ I say pulling away, looking at Caesar.

‘See you there.’ He salutes us both then strolls off in the opposite way.

As we walk off, Emily says ‘How are you not falling in love with him?’

‘I don’t like him in that way.’

‘Liar.’

I roll my eyes and she says ‘But he’s so much fun.’

‘Well you’re easily impressed.’

‘I think you like him.’ She still says undeterred by my brutal bashing of Caesar.

‘And I think you’re delusional.’

‘Opposites attract!’

‘Oh shut up, Emily.’

She links her arm with mine and says ‘Love is like wild flowers, you find them in the most unlikely places.’

‘What? Have you been internet searching love quote again?’

‘But it’s so true!’

I can’t help but smile at her. I really am lucky to have her, bless her heart. ‘Whatever, Em.’

‘I think you’d be perfect together.’

‘What? Arguing all day, yeah, sounds romantic.’ I reply sarcastically.

‘Bantering, sweetie. That’s the best part of love, challenging each other and able to delve deeper.’

I smile at her and she grins ‘Are you falling for him already, Tor?’

‘No!’ I say exaggerating the word.

‘I don’t believe you.’

‘I give up.’

‘Does that mean you do!’

‘Emily!’

‘Ok, ok. I’ll stop, well for a few minutes then I’m asking more questions.’ She grins.

I knew she would.