Chapter 6 - "Baseball Jacket..."

Clara's PoV

'Did you want a drink?' I asked being sort of polite, and wanting to get away form all the crazy amounts of team spirit for a moment.

I wanted to go and grab my jacket from my room anyway.

'Umm sure. Diet coke though' she smiled as Richard came to sit down next to her, stealing my seat.

'Hey. Shorty? Where you going?' Matt yelled across the centre of the grounds right by the laundry room.

'To grab a jumper. It's freezing out here' I mumbled.

'Okay' he shrugged and then I felt him come up behind me and follow.

'Why you following?'

'Because it's half time and I'm playing a really great game and I'm waiting for you to tell me I'm an amazing footballer'

'Like you need an ego boost. You already know your an amazing footballer - that's why your at this school'

'Hah. You admitted it. Awesome' he grinned, following me in the room as I found my jumper strewn on my bed completely destroyed.

'For gods sake' I mumbled, looking at it. 'That was my favourite fleece' I groaned holding the White Hollister fleece in my hand, in pieces of fabric.

'What's up-- Did she do this?' Matt snapped.

'It's not the first thing she's destroyed' I mumbled, slinging it in the bin with everything else of mine she's destroyed.

'Here. Put this on' he smiled as he shrugged out of the pale blue and silver baseball jacket, and held it out for me to shrug into.

'Bit American isn't it?'

'Just put it on. There's no point you freezing, and I want you to come back to the game' he pouted.

I thought about it and put it on anyway. It was massive but really quite cosy.

'Well... Thanks. Oh my god this is so cosy' I said, extremely comfy'

'Your welcome' he chuckled, as I grabbed the drinks and followed him out of the room. 'So this roommate - she's getting on your nerves then? You could always request to switch?' He suggested.

'It's not that simple'

'It's exactly that simple. If she's bullying you or doing things like that report her and either you'll get moved or she will' he shrugged.

'No. It's just one year. I can put up with it. I can't get picky - I'm here for free' I pointed out stubbornly.

'Your one stubborn neat freak' he chuckled.

'I might be stubborn but I can't and won't just move for no reason. I just have to give it time. That's what you said to Lilly to do'

'It's different with Lilly - it's not that she can't get on with other people it's that other people can't get on with her. Trust me she's a nightmare to live with but she doesn't break people's cables - you'd probably get on well. She loves to get up early and doesn't stay out late very often'

'She can't be that bad'

'Oh she is. Take it from me... She is'

'Have you two got history or something? She seems so relaxed around you. But then there's moments of tension as well' I asked, as we entered the courtyard breeze again, making me shiver slightly.

'Yeah. I guess. We dated for about 3 months. She dumped me to be fair. She said that my football schedule was making it hard for us to be together and she was probably right. All I ever do is from September to December is train and play away games. It different this year because there's a lot more home games but it doesn't change my schedule'

'Why are you still friends then?'

'We broke up on pretty good terms and then Richard started hanging around with Douglas, and Lilly had more free time so Hung around with them. They hit it off pretty well. Richards my best mate so I let him have her' he smirked.

'What like your the king of something?' I laughed. 'Giving him your sloppy seconds?'

'Something like that. What about you? You got a lucky fella?'

'Huh?'

'You can quiz me about my dating life but I can't ask you?' He joked raising an eyebrow.

'Oh. Umm. Well there's nothing to tell really. I've not really had a boyfriend. I had a few friends back at my last school but never really spoken to guys in that way I guess' I shrugged.

'Really?'

'You sound surprised'

'I am. Your cool and pretty attractive. Can't think why any guy wouldn't want to tap you'

'I'm not an object Matt. I'm an actual person. Guys can't just tap me like I'm some sort of table' I scoffed walking ahead of him.

'Did I say something or do something wrong?' He asked catching up.

'Go and play football Matt' I scoffed, sitting back in the chair next to Lilly slightly angry. A nice conversation had turned pretty sour, pretty quickly.

In the end we won the game which was good but I left the stands before Matt had any reason to corner me again.

He was taking way too much of a liking to me.

- - -

'Matthew. You do remember I exist?' Rose scoffed as she opened her dorm room door.

'I need you to go and buy one of those White Hollister fleeces you've got with the pink writing down the arm in a Small. I'll give you the money'

'Hi Rose. How are you? I hope your okay. It's been almost two weeks since I've last seen you'

'Don't be sarcastic and just do it please?'

'Why? You won't fit in small... And it's girls?'

'It's not for me?'

'Oh. It's for the hippie that keeps following you around'

'Her names Clara and she's my friend' Matt scoffed.

'You've known her less than two weeks and your buying her clothes?'

'Just do it' he snorted throwing £50 at her.

- - -

'What the hell?' I snapped, wandering into my room after breakfast Saturday morning and looked at all my things that were practically in ruins.

'Why do you keep doing this?' I scoffed.

'The more annoying you are the more I'm going to hate you'

'I don't even dry my hair here anymore. What is your problem? These straighteners were expensive' I snapped, having bought another pair after the last time.

'Tough' she scoffed making me want to cry, but I stayed strong, in that moment.