JAMIE'S LAUGHTER IS irking me and I've never felt the need to strangle her until now.

"Shut up else I'll hose you." I threaten looking up at her from my squat position. She responds by taking more pictures.

"This," she points to her camera, a picture of us I couldn't even see. "This should go on the cover of the year book."

Christine and I growl at her and she laughs, going on and ignoring us. "Headline 'Educational System Turns To Dry Cleaning'."

At that, I and Christine and some other girls listening in burst out laughing. "I hate you, J."

"I know and this is gold." She directs her camera to the boy section, taking a picture of them too.

I look over at their direction. We separated ourselves, the girls wash and the boys rinse off and spread to dry. The only boy I'm interested in is Ian, I can see his shoulder tense as he worked. All eyes were on him and many people where whispering and talking. Its as if a bright spotlight is over his head and he is the center of attention and I know why. Not only did he just show incredible skills in playing basketball but his tattoos are showing. We changed back to our uniforms so we could wash the gym clothes and as he rinsed, he had to roll up the sleeves of his hoodie. I don't know why but he doesn't look okay with the fact that everybody can see his tattoos and now I see that he's hiding them. All these while with the long sleeve, he was hiding them.

And now Coach Martin has literally forced him to come out. I don't understand why though. Apart from the bad boy picture, I don't see why he's hiding his tattoos, they are beautiful, impressive and something to go jealous over. And its not as if he was asleep or drugged while the tattoo was being drawn on him, right? Needless to say he has a permanent frown and his eyes are narrowed, keeping everybody at arms length. Even Finn that was talking to him before isn't doing so anymore.

I return back to the task at hand. My heart aching to talk to him and my fingers itching to touch him, to touch his tense shoulder. Dare I say, he looks fragile, exposed.

"I didn't know the new guy has tattoos." Christine says her eyes glued to his arm. His sleeve wasn't even rolled up to elbow yet everyone couldn't keep their eyes off him.

Do they not see how uncomfortable he is?

"Stop looking at him," I muttered and Christine mouths 'o'.

"Yeah, I know right?" Jamie says having not heard me and even goes as far as taking pics of his arm. "I've been with the guy for almost a week and I had no clue. Me, the one who usually has clues. But, damn I never knew tattoos looked so... sexy."

I throw the short I'm washing back into the water, huff and storm away in obvious anger. "Anna? What did I say?" Jamie shouts after me but I ignore her and walk back inside the school.

I'm not just angry at Jamie, I'm angry at everyone in this freaking class. Why can't people just mind their freaking business? Can't they see how uncomfortable he is with their freaking eyes watching him like a hawk. I just want to cover him from their eyes. Find out what's wrong and why he's that tensed up. I want to ease his worries. I want to help in some way and I can't. I just...

"Woah!" Someone exclaims as I walk into the person, slamming our foreheads together. The person - male - places a hand on my shoulder to steady me and stop me from falling to my butt.

The pain from the head surges through my head right into my brain and I feel like I'm gonna pass out. "Jesus." I slowly pry my eyes open and I see Finn Sullivan. "Finn!" I slam my palms into his shoulder shoving him backwards. "What the hell?!"

"Its not my fault. You're the one walking blindly." He accuses.

"And you're the one coming out from nowhere and hitting your marble head over mine!" I glare massaging the still aching spot with two fingers.

"Marble head?"

"Well, how else do you explain your freaking concrete head?" I ask pointing at his forehead.

He shrugs, "Years and years of heading a soccer ball."

We stare at each other and finally break into a laugh.

"You're an idiot, you know that right?" I ask running a hand through my hair.

"You're the one walking into people. Therefore, the bigger idiot." He points out.

"Well, You're the one--" I stop as the door Finn just came out from – which is the boys restroom – opens up and a petite red hair comes out. She's shy and doesn't let me see her face, her red hair serving as a curtain. She turns to Finn for a second before running down the hallway leaving me astound.

I stare at Finn and he looks away a blush forming at his cheeks.

"You're the one having rendezvous in the boys restroom." I say, still surprised. "Which, by the way, is super gross." He doesn't say anything and I punch him making him look at me with wide eyes. "Finn! You didn't say anything."

"There's nothing to say." He says rubbing his arm. "She's not important."

"She doesn't look like the 'not important' type. She looks innocent." I say frowning at him.

"See? That's the problem. I feel like I've corrupted her or something." He groans walking away. I follow behind him, gasping.

"Was she..."

"No but she doesn't remember her first time. Something about a drunk one night stand." He slides down to the floor, drawing his legs to him.

"Oh." I imitate his position on the hallway. Thank God the janitor just cleaned here. Now I regret not putting on my socks after gym class. I don't even have my blazer on, just the white coloured long sleeved shirt with the school logo at the breast pocket and my short plaid skirt. Finn's dressed just like me too, but instead of skirt is pants. Both our sleeves are up.

"Yeah."

"How did you meet and how many times have you--" I stop when I see Finn chuckle.

"I'm not telling you."

"Why not?" I grab his hand, "I tell you all about me and my boy rendezvous. Its what besties do. Now fess up."

He sighs, "That party I told you about, she was there. She was one of the reasons why I didn't drink. She kept me company. Turns out she's a junior here. We've went out for coffee and after that my house. She's cool and we've done it..." He raises two fingers up.

My smile is painful, "aww and you like her."

"I don't and stop troubling me, what about you and Hulk?" He asks.

"Tell me her name first." I said loving the way I was teasing him.

He groaned, "ugh, Jade, happy now?"

"Yup and about Hulk... He's name's Ian and he's awesome. I had dinner with him on Saturday and it was everything a first date should be." I say with a dreamy look.

"Ian? I don't know him."

I nudge him, "The star of your team in gym class."

His eyes widened, "That guy? Maurice?" I nod. "Wow Anna, I never would have thought. He doesn't look like your type."

"And what's my type?"

"Aiden." He simply states and I roll my eyes.

"Aiden, he talked to me in class today. Know anything about that?" I ask.

"Not really. He's been sulking lately and getting into fights with Evelyn."

"Are they going to break up?"

Finn shrugs, "I don't know but everybody can tell that he misses you." I look at him, my face a mixture of many emotions. Finn smiles to break the sullen atmosphere and pulls me to him. "I miss you too. Even my cat misses you ."

I laugh, "I doubt that. Come on, let go before coach Martin finds us."

We stand up to our feet and do back to the field. Everybody is already done with the washing and now students are just sitting on the bleachers and loitering around waiting for the clothes to dry. I search around for Ian and I see him sitting at the top of the bleachers all by himself. I say goodbye to Finn and bound up the bleachers taking it two at a time. I finally reach Ian and he doesn't notice my presence, he's busy looking down at his fingers and playing with them.

"I can see they are beautiful, you don't have to adore them so much." I say clearly startling him.

He looks up at me and sighs, "Roxanna."

"In the flesh." I say sitting down beside him. His rolled sleeves are down again.

Ian smiles, "is there anytime you aren't in the flesh?"

"No, but I could be just bones or even a ghost." I say then shake the ghost thoughts out my head. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing." He says looking out to the field. I do the same and we just sit there in uncomfortable silence. I want to say something but I don't know how to start.

Should I talk about his tattoos? Ask him why he's hiding them? Apologize on behalf of everybody that couldn't stop staring at him?

"Why don't you wear the school's uniform?" I ask instead.

"Because the damn thing costs a fortune." He says, "so much zero for just a piece of sewed material."

I laugh, "isn't it like compulsory?"

"It is, unfortunately. I'm saving up for it and would probably get it this week." He says relaxing on the bleacher and stretching out his legs in front.

"Oh." I'm surprised.  "What about your parents?"

"They gave me the money but I had to buy fucking textbooks out of it and now it's short."

"They didn't give for textbooks?"

"Wasn't enough. I don't think they know just how expensive this school that I'm being forced to go to is." He says cracking his knuckles.

"Forced?" My confusion obvious.

"Yeah, forced." He says and I don't press it. He clearly doesn't want to elaborate.

We stay silent again, "Why don't you just ask them for more money?" I ask.

"Because I don't want to. What's with the questions?" He snaps.

"Sorry." I say, even I feel like I'm being nosy. I guess Jamie and I aren't that different.

"Let's talk about you instead." He says and I light up happy that he's still speaking to me.

"What about me?"

"Everything?" He asks then smile at me, "anything."

"Well..." I don't really know where to start from and I cock my head in thoughts. "How about you ask and I answer?"

"Sounds good."

"And vice versa." I add smirking at him.

He frowns but his eyes don't. More like a pout. "Rain check?"

"Not fair!" I protest, "its not like I'm doing it for an interview. I just want to get to know you."

He turns around to me, crossing one leg in front of him so he's left facing me. "And why is that?"

I shrug, blushing slightly. "I don't really know. You seem amazing and I guess... everything about you intrigues me."

He stays silent and I close my eyes wishing for the ground to open up and swallow me. Why the hell did I say that?

"I-I-"

"Trust me Roxanna, I'm not amazing." He says cutting me off. Not exactly cutting me off since I didn't have anything to say. I open my eyes, "and you're definitely going to get bored sooner than you think."

I nod, "Great, you've warned me. Now let me be the stubborn one and make my own mistakes."

He smiles, "how did you get to be so wise?"

"By having a mother as the Principal and eating an unhealthy amount of pretzels." I answer.

"And stubborn?"

I pretend to think about it, "by having a mother as the principal and eating an unhealthy amount of pretzels with chocolate."

Ian laughs and I do too while swooning over his perfect laughter. Is there anything that isn't perfect about this literal perfection?

"Fine. Ten questions?" He bargains.

"Its usually twenty but for your sake I'll keep it at fifteen." He rolls his eyes and I copy his posture, silently deciding to go first. "What's your biggest peeve?"

He answers immediately, "gossip."

"Yesh." I say folding my lips in as I guilty look at my scandals.

Ian laughs, "you're guilty aren't you?"

I slowly nod then look up with a sheepish smile, "I'll repent?"

He rolls his eyes, "my turn, what's yours?"

I think about it for some seconds. "People dragging their feet on the floor while walking. I mean if you aren't up for walking, loan a wheel chair. Its so annoying and abusing to everybody's ear."

Ian nods, "note to future self, never drag your feet in Roxanna's presence, you might just get your head chopped off."

I chuckle, "shut up. My turn, tea or coffee?"

"Coffee." He answers quickly, "My turn, how are you so good at basketball?

"I play a lot with my dad and I'm into sports. Plus when I was friends with a certain group of boys they engaged me in all their activities and I'm not really one to back out or miss out on a challenge." He looks at with slightly narrowed eyes as if seeing right through me. I blush and loudly clear my throat, "My turn, apart from the building job what other thing do you spend your time doing?"

"Photography. Kick boxing. Gym. Tutoring." He list off and ignore my surprise look, "my turn, what kinds of sport are you into?"

"Mainly soccer and a little tennis." I say then jump to the question burning my mind. "You tutor?"

He shrugs, "pays well and I get extra credit."

"Wow, you don't look like the tutor type." I blurt out.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oops. I mean--"

"Anna?" I look up and notice Aiden standing right next to us. I didn't even notice him and from Ian's face, neither did he. I raise my brow at Aiden. His brow ticked, an obvious sign that he's keeping himself from blowing off. "We need to go?"

I'm confused for some time before I remember coffee. I made a dumb agreement. I turn to Ian with an upside down frown. I don't want to leave and I'm tempted to say no to Aiden. Ian must have sensed my internal debate because he smirks and gets up.

"I've got to go too Roxanna. See you around." He didn't even let me say a word as he leaves not even sparing a glance at Aiden.

I watch him go down the stairs, regret washing over me. We were having a great time and I didn't want that to end. Suddenly unable to bear it, I leap off my feet and go after him.

"Ian!"

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