HIS POV
She was so quiet, but quite smart, so I thought maybe I could get a good grade, so in a way I was glad to be partnered with her for this project. I needed to pass this class, I pulled my chair in under her desk, my knee knocking hers, she looked up at me with big green eyes and I noticed a faint blush creep across her cheeks, and then it hit me, she was beautiful. Why had I never realised this before? Probably because she was so quite. I swallowed suddenly finding my throat dry and unable to speak, everyone was already into a discussion about what they would do as a project. She blinked and looked away from me, I noticed she had already had a load of notes of what she wanted to do as her project, she was prepared, but that didn’t bother me anymore, just me wanting to know her all of a sudden. “Er... hey Gemma, I guess we have been partnered huh?” she nodded her blush deepening that blush, her beautiful skin. I should have noticed before, I guess being part of the popular group full of attractive girls, piled on with makeup and the lads I never really noticed the real beauty in the school.
That night all I could think about was her big beautiful green eyes looking shyly up at me, her pink blushing cheeks, the more I spoke the redder they got, her long black silky looking hair, she could never make eye contact with me, a couple of times she did and I found myself blushing also as hers turned even darker if that was possible, but she was so beautiful and so cute I couldn’t resist her. Why did I never notice her before? I’m stupid that’s why, too self absorbed. I would make more of an effort, I needed to know her more, and she intrigued me.
There was something dark behind her eyes and I want to find out what that is and help her. She needed someone and I think that someone is me; I want it to be me at least. To see those big eyes shine with happiness and to know I caused that happiness would be brilliant, I just have to think of how to get to know her and to how I can find out what that darkness is, I could always ask her over or me to her to work on the project together, that’s it! The teacher had got us to exchange numbers, much to her shaking as she gave me it she did, I would ring her, arrange a date, well not a date but a project study session, yes, that’s what I will call it, I shall phone her after dinner, now what to eat?
Her sweet nervous voice on the end of the phone had made my heart leap, she sounded so frightened and innocent, I suggested coming to hers to maybe make her feel more comfortable but her voice suddenly changed and got quicker when she replied a hasty no! I told her my address as I had football after school and didn’t want her to have to wait as it was cold; she said she would, that made me happy. I had to wonder why her voice had changed so suddenly at the mention of me going to hers, was there something happening there she didn’t want me to see or find out about? I would need to find out.
She had waited like she said she would, an A1 piece of paper rolled up in her hands, she was squeezing it I could see, trying to steady her nerves, I was sweaty and hot from football, I needed a shower, so after and awkward walk of silence home I left her in my bedroom/living room and went for a quick shower, to tell you the truth I was as nervous as her.
HER POV
I couldn’t stop myself shaking, I was sitting on his bed, I Was in his studio flat, I hadn’t realised he lived alone, and here I was worrying about my family and he didn’t even live with his, for all I knew they could be dead, the thought made me sad. I shook my head as I rolled out the A1 sheet of paper for our project on his table and tried to concentrate on that. I couldn’t concentrate at all, all I could hear was the sound of running water and thinking about him under that water. I had liked him since I had first seen him at the aged of 12, his striking blue eyes, his messy brown hair, laid back attitude, he was still the same, but he had never looked my way, back then was when all the troubles started, all the bulling at school, the things at home, I withdrew into myself keeping quiet, talking to people made me nervous and shaky, and to be put into pairs for our final year project had made my day, it was when he had first looked at me, when I same his eyes gleam at me.
I had hoped that something would happen but I never expected him to ring me that night, I panicked when he suggested coming to mine, no way! I had checked my appearance a number of times and was doing so again when he come back into the bedroom/living room, I turned as I heard the door close, his hair still wet, he was wearing a white t-shirt and black trousers, looking as handsome as always, little droplets of water hung to the end of his hair, his skin had a tinge of pink from the water
“How rude of me, did you want a drink?” he asked heading towards the open kitchen
“N-No I’m fine, let’s get started with the work shall we?” he smiled at me, why in the world had I stuttered like that! I’m such a geek! I couldn’t help grimacing inside, I swallowed as he sat beside me and I felt his leg brush mine, he leant over to look at the project I had compiled so far, he smiled at me again, that smile! Always gives me butterflies inside, and makes my heart race.
“You seem to of already done it, you work fast” he turned to me, I smiled a small smile, he was so handsome.
“I sort of got carried away last night, do you want to add anything to it?” the first proper sentence I had been able to get out, I was hoping he wanted to work on it more so we could hang out more.
“Nope, nothing, its brilliant” he closed his eyes, running his hands through his hair, disappointment crashed through me, then he spoke again “I guess that means.... we can hang out without worrying about work” he smiled and got up to walk to the kitchen area “Do you want some dinner?” I smiled to myself, he still wanted to hang out with me and he was asking me to stay for dinner, I guess that meant I didn’t have to go home yet, thank god! I nodded and got up to join him in the kitchen, unfortunately I tripped over the edge of the table and landed bashing my knee on the corner and then the floor, I cried out in pain, he came to my side, his warm hands picking me up into a sitting position and then I felt his warm fingers gently gripping me knee, the pain was unbearable and a felt tears sting my eyes. “We may need to go to the hospital” Hospital? That meant calling my parents, no! That can’t happen, my tears where for a different reason now.
“No! Please no I don’t want my parents coming for me please, can’t we just wait and see?” I could feel the tears rolling down my cheeks as I cried, I couldn’t bare them finding me like this, “Please” I looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. He looked at me worried; he picked me up and gently placed me on his bed. What was he going to do?
HIS POV
The next day at school I watched from the crowd of my friends as she slowly limped through the school gates, as she disappeared into the hustle and bustle of people I thought about how bad I had felt letting her get a cab home, she really needed to go to hospital but she was so scared about her parents finding out. I felt in the pit of my stomach something had happened when she got home yesterday, as the day went on I noticed how she always kept her cardigan on, even in in door sport. I still couldn’t believe she had taken part in it the condition her knee was in, she grimaced each time she put weight on it, she had to sit down through the class, I noticed some of the popular girls that my friends and I hung with where picking on her, at the time it wasn’t my turn to come up to do the exercise so I ventured over to her, to see if she was alright. “Hey Gemma, how’s your knee?” I noticed the expression on the girls faces as I completely ignored them, gemma looked up at me her eyes glazed with unshed tears, that blush was there again, that beautiful face.
“Hurting a little” she looked away from me “What will your friends think of you talking to me?” I heard the coldness in her voice “You haven’t said a word to me all day”
“I don’t care what they think to be honest” I leant back on my hands and looked at her as she looked up at me with surprise in her eyes “I have been busy just like you, I don’t honestly care what other people think of me I just ended up in that crowd since the start of high school, some of them are friends, some just hang around cause they think they are popular” I saw a faint smile reach her lips, that blush was back, and growing deeper as she looked up and saw some of ‘that’ crowd whispering, I smiled and wrapped an arm around her and gently pulled her against my side, whispering in her ear “I would rather hang around with you, your far more interesting” I let her go and her face flared up red in embarrassment.
“I’ve got to go, it’s my turn” she stood too quickly to get away from me and stumbled on her knee, I caught her before she fell. I expect she had thought she would hit the floor as she had her eyes closed braced for an impact, she slowly opened them looking up at me, that blush grew darker in colour, if that was possible.
“I’m taking you to the nurse” she swallowed and looked away.
“Okay” I picked her up in my arms and told the teachers, she hid her face in my shoulder as I carried her out, I honestly didn’t care what people thought of me but I hated the fact that she was being picked on and bullied by the people I hung with. I let her down as we reached the corridor and put her arm around my shoulders, I helped her limp to the nurses office, she didn’t look at me, she just looked at the floor, her cheeks now a faint pink, I helped her onto the nurses bed and then went to find the nurse.
What the hell had gotten into me? Why had a said such a silly thing to her knowing how embarrassed she easily gets? I’m so stupid, she could of injured that knee further. I told the nurse what was wrong with her and waiting while the nurse examined her knee. I couldn’t just leave her there. I needed to find out about her knee and if she was going to be ok.
“She just needs to rest it for a few days and it should be find, its bruised and swollen but will be fine, no major damage” the nurse told me as she drew back the curtains. Gemma was tucked into the covers under strict orders to not move till the end of the day. The nurse left us alone, Gemma was blushing but wouldn’t look at me, her face expression I couldn’t work out
“Are you ok?” I sat on the bed watching her face.
“Not really” she turned to me and I saw tears, had I caused them “Don’t say things like that to me to just please your on lookers” I knew what that expression was now, anger, directed at me, I didn’t say it for them, I said it because I meant it.
“I said it to you because I meant it not for them” her eyes looked away from my face. I had to make her believe I was being truthful. “I told you I don’t care what they think, I want to know you and hang out with you more” she took a brief glance at me, her cheeks turning pink, I leant forward on the bed my hands bracing myself and kissed her forehead, her skin was so smooth, I really wanted to kiss her on the lips but I didn’t want to scare her. She stiffened but relaxed as I cupped her cheek, lifting her face towards me, I leant down and kissed her lips, they were so soft. She kissed me back! I was so happy and caught up I didn’t realised her hands had come around me till I felt them in my hair, her gently fingers, wrapping them in my hair, trying to keep me close. We pulled away needing breath, her cheeks where flushed and I felt mine where as red as hers, both gasping for air, I watched her, her beautiful face full of happiness and her green eyes sparkling at me as she looked at me.
“I guess you meant it” she laughed; I smiled and stroked her cheek.
“Yes I did” I was glad it was the weekend tomorrow she didn’t need to come to school she could rest her knee. “I’d rather be here with you”
“But you barely know me” she looked up at me her face worried
“I know enough to know I want to be here” I kissed her again, she was surprised but kissed back, this wasn’t as intense as the first, I hoped there would be many more.
That night, I had helped her home; she invited me inside, this was a change in attitude I thought but I noticed there looked like there was no one home, I said yes and helped her inside, her home was huge inside and was decorated lovely, she showed me the living room and hobbled out to make tea. I didn’t like her waiting on me, then I heard a gasp and something crash, I hurried to the kitchen an saw her face to face with her mother, but she looked angry and I could smell the alcohol from where I stood in the doorway.
“You retched child, why are you back here?” I could just about make out what she was saying, her mum advanced on her and grabbed her by the arms, she cried out in pain, I knew it was none of my business but I had to do something, I somehow got between them
“Stop it” Gemma cowered behind me, gently gripping my arms, pulling at my sleeves “Leave her alone”
“And who are you?” her words where slurred and could barely be made out but we knew what she was saying “None of you should be here! She nasty and vile, a whore and a disgrace for a daughter!” her words hurt Gemma as I heard her whimper behind me.
“You should go Joe” Came her small voice, it shock with sadness
“I’m not leaving you” I still looked at the woman who was meant to be her mother, I turned and lead Gemma out taking our bags, helping outside as she shut the front door, I heard glasses smashing and things being thrown and more vile words, Gemma I think was glad I was there, even if she didn’t admit it, I had found out what the darkness in her big green eyes was and I had to get her out of there.
Once I shut my front door behind us she broke down in tears, I caught her as she collapsed, all I could hear from her sobs where the words “Why” I held her as she cried, this was what had been wrong with her.
