Colt looked up. Glancing around, he noticed Ginny walking up to him. "Geez,
Collllt, you're scaring me. Usually, no one reads except me." Colt started
grinning rather stupidly.
"Shut it, C," he said, smiling at her. She smiled back and jogged out. Colt looked around the library. Lauren Baines was sitting in a corner, nose in a book, biting her lip, flaming red bangs covering her eyes. Something twitched inside of his stomach as he stared at her. She was so....innocent. Something grabbed his heart and twisted it. He fell in love.
~☼~
"Mr. Franklin!" Professor Sinstra shouted. Colt had been staring at his crystal galaxy for the past half hour. He looked up at her and apologized. "Fine. Now, since you did not take the opportunity to choose a partner, I shall choose one for you." Colt tried desperately to stop her. "Lauren, come sit next to Colt." Sinstra continued preaching about nebulas and centaurs, and Colt's heart was beating wildly. Lauren sat down softly in the empty chair next to him. He turned his head and smiled rather stupidly. Lauren looked confused but gave a quick, shy smile back.
~☼~
Colt began to shift his schedule to see Lauren. She was always quiet, always listening. Colt's heart fell.
One thrilling time, Lauren was walking quickly to her dormitory when she tripped, right as Colt, walking in front of her, spun to see her. She ended up on top of him, hands on either side of his shoulders, fiery hair hanging next to her face, eyes wide, and Colt's chest about to explode.
Colt just laid there, staring up into her eyes. He wished she would stay forever, but she was probably just going to jump up, blush until her cheeks were matched her beautiful hair, get even shyer, and never want to talk to him. So Colt enjoyed her there while he could.
Any second now, he thought. She's going to shriek and get off me. Why isn't she shrieking and jumping off?
She was still there, caught in his eyes. Her heart was beating wildly. What would Mother think? she thought. Lauren kept torturing herself. I'm on top of a boy in a deserted corridor, he's looking like he's going to, I don't know, burst, or something, and yet I'm not moving.
Lauren had never, EVER had a boyfriend, or kissed a boy, or even talked much with a boy. Yet she was still there.
The only thing that Lauren could think to do was roll of him, or something. That's not what she did. Leaning forward, she inched towards Colts face.
What? Colt asked himself wildly. She's....what?
What? Lauren asked herself. No! Get off him! No! No....no....don't....
But they were still there. Lauren finally, well, she got to be where her nose was touching Colt's. She didn't move. So Colt moved his head upward and kissed her. Dammit, Colt thought, Now she'll hate me more.
Oh my.....Lauren closed her eyes. She kissed him back, lying there half on top of him. If a teacher came now, another student, anyone....she would be saved. Though in trouble. But she didn't want anyone to.
He kissed her for a minute, until Lauren pulled back and sat up. "Oh, my," she mumbled. Colt sat up finally.
"Lauren," he said, "Lauren, wait--" She had gotten up, grabbed her books and stood up. She ran down the hallway and Colt ran after her. He caught up and flipped her to face him. "Lauren, I'm sor--"
"No," she said firmly, not meeting his eyes. "It's my fault. Good bye." She started to walk away again but Colt pulled her back around. Now he caught her in his eyes, she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. All of a sudden she grabbed his shoulders, slammed him against the wall, and, on tiptoes, kissed him again. Colt was shocked, frankly, and slid to the ground.
"No, no, no, no, NO!" he said. "I can't, no, YOU can't, I can't...." His voice trailed off as Lauren struggled to pull him up. He finally stood and Lauren kissed him lightly on the forehead. Then she ran away.
~☼~
Sheila Winn had a great hatred for Colt Franklin. She had never, ever, ever liked him one bit. It wasn't as if he had been extremely rude to her, or even spoke to her. He was one of those people she just despised for living.
One day she saw Colt in the library looking at her best friend, Lauren Baines. Loathing sprung up in her chest. He kept looking at her, until he looked away with an odd look on his face.
A few days later Lauren ran up to her in the hallway. She burst into tears and kept running all the way to their common room. Lauren followed after her, not knowing what was wrong.
Lauren had always been Sheila's friend, and their mothers had met also. She finally followed her all the way to their dormitories, where she found her friend thrown on her bed, sobbing. "Lauren, what's wrong?" Sheila sat down next to her and patted her back comfortingly.
"It's not fair," Lauren said through wild tears. "It's not fair. I don't know him, my mother would disapprove, and you hate him. It's not fair." Sheila was taken aback. A boy? She had done what with a boy? And what boy?"
"Lauren," Sheila said soothingly. "Lauren, what did you do? You can tell me." Lauren rolled over and looked up at her friend.
"A boy. I tripped, and I was on top of him, and he kissed me, and then I wanted to leave, and I kissed him, and--" she cut off. "And you hate him. But I don't." Okay, Sheila thought frantically, She wasn't just over- exaggerating in her sorrow. I do hate him. Hate who?
"Lauren, who did you kiss? Because I'm sure I--"
"Colt. You hate Colt. I kissed Colt. I'm sorry." She burst into sobs again and Sheila's eyes got wide. Lauren, and, and Colt? Tears sprang into her eyes. What had she done?
"Lauren! I don't care what you do with him; you have to be happy--"
"You hate him. So I can't like him. You don't want me to."
"No!" Sheila stood up. "I am not going to let you. I'll learn to like Colt. I'll deal with it. Lauren, you don't deserve this." She sighed. "I'll be right back."
Sheila's heart pounded along with her feet as she ran through the school. Ha. Good, Colt was right there, in plain sight. Sheila's heart lurched. He was sitting with his back against the wall, legs bent up close to him, arms crossed and resting on his peaked knees, head resting on those.
"Colt," she whispered. "I'm so sorry. I haven't liked you a lot, for no reason, you don't deserve that, and I'll try not to." Colt looked up at her, his eyes watery.
"Fine. That's good, whatever. This is not the time."
"Colt, my friend," Sheila said, "there is no better time. Lauren--" he glanced up at her name "--said, without detail, that you two, had....yeah. And now she wont like you because she knows I don't." Sheila sighed again.
"Fine. I don't care if she doesn't like me. That's just fine." His face said something different. Sheila tried to catch Colt off guard.
"Colt, I've had a crush on you since first year. You are the only one for me, let's blow off that slut Lauren. Come with me." Colt looked up, startled. Sheila smiled at him. "Face it, weirdo," she said, grinning wider. "You cannot live without Lauren. Go, I don't know, go kiss her or something." Colt stood up. He hugged Sheila, much to her surprise. Then, grabbing her hand, he ran off to the Gryffindor common rooms.
Sheila's hatred dissolved. It was as if Colt had been her best friend for years. They ran, and, getting to the portrait of the fat lady, stepped inside.
~☼~☼~☼~
"Shut it, C," he said, smiling at her. She smiled back and jogged out. Colt looked around the library. Lauren Baines was sitting in a corner, nose in a book, biting her lip, flaming red bangs covering her eyes. Something twitched inside of his stomach as he stared at her. She was so....innocent. Something grabbed his heart and twisted it. He fell in love.
~☼~
"Mr. Franklin!" Professor Sinstra shouted. Colt had been staring at his crystal galaxy for the past half hour. He looked up at her and apologized. "Fine. Now, since you did not take the opportunity to choose a partner, I shall choose one for you." Colt tried desperately to stop her. "Lauren, come sit next to Colt." Sinstra continued preaching about nebulas and centaurs, and Colt's heart was beating wildly. Lauren sat down softly in the empty chair next to him. He turned his head and smiled rather stupidly. Lauren looked confused but gave a quick, shy smile back.
~☼~
Colt began to shift his schedule to see Lauren. She was always quiet, always listening. Colt's heart fell.
One thrilling time, Lauren was walking quickly to her dormitory when she tripped, right as Colt, walking in front of her, spun to see her. She ended up on top of him, hands on either side of his shoulders, fiery hair hanging next to her face, eyes wide, and Colt's chest about to explode.
Colt just laid there, staring up into her eyes. He wished she would stay forever, but she was probably just going to jump up, blush until her cheeks were matched her beautiful hair, get even shyer, and never want to talk to him. So Colt enjoyed her there while he could.
Any second now, he thought. She's going to shriek and get off me. Why isn't she shrieking and jumping off?
She was still there, caught in his eyes. Her heart was beating wildly. What would Mother think? she thought. Lauren kept torturing herself. I'm on top of a boy in a deserted corridor, he's looking like he's going to, I don't know, burst, or something, and yet I'm not moving.
Lauren had never, EVER had a boyfriend, or kissed a boy, or even talked much with a boy. Yet she was still there.
The only thing that Lauren could think to do was roll of him, or something. That's not what she did. Leaning forward, she inched towards Colts face.
What? Colt asked himself wildly. She's....what?
What? Lauren asked herself. No! Get off him! No! No....no....don't....
But they were still there. Lauren finally, well, she got to be where her nose was touching Colt's. She didn't move. So Colt moved his head upward and kissed her. Dammit, Colt thought, Now she'll hate me more.
Oh my.....Lauren closed her eyes. She kissed him back, lying there half on top of him. If a teacher came now, another student, anyone....she would be saved. Though in trouble. But she didn't want anyone to.
He kissed her for a minute, until Lauren pulled back and sat up. "Oh, my," she mumbled. Colt sat up finally.
"Lauren," he said, "Lauren, wait--" She had gotten up, grabbed her books and stood up. She ran down the hallway and Colt ran after her. He caught up and flipped her to face him. "Lauren, I'm sor--"
"No," she said firmly, not meeting his eyes. "It's my fault. Good bye." She started to walk away again but Colt pulled her back around. Now he caught her in his eyes, she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. All of a sudden she grabbed his shoulders, slammed him against the wall, and, on tiptoes, kissed him again. Colt was shocked, frankly, and slid to the ground.
"No, no, no, no, NO!" he said. "I can't, no, YOU can't, I can't...." His voice trailed off as Lauren struggled to pull him up. He finally stood and Lauren kissed him lightly on the forehead. Then she ran away.
~☼~
Sheila Winn had a great hatred for Colt Franklin. She had never, ever, ever liked him one bit. It wasn't as if he had been extremely rude to her, or even spoke to her. He was one of those people she just despised for living.
One day she saw Colt in the library looking at her best friend, Lauren Baines. Loathing sprung up in her chest. He kept looking at her, until he looked away with an odd look on his face.
A few days later Lauren ran up to her in the hallway. She burst into tears and kept running all the way to their common room. Lauren followed after her, not knowing what was wrong.
Lauren had always been Sheila's friend, and their mothers had met also. She finally followed her all the way to their dormitories, where she found her friend thrown on her bed, sobbing. "Lauren, what's wrong?" Sheila sat down next to her and patted her back comfortingly.
"It's not fair," Lauren said through wild tears. "It's not fair. I don't know him, my mother would disapprove, and you hate him. It's not fair." Sheila was taken aback. A boy? She had done what with a boy? And what boy?"
"Lauren," Sheila said soothingly. "Lauren, what did you do? You can tell me." Lauren rolled over and looked up at her friend.
"A boy. I tripped, and I was on top of him, and he kissed me, and then I wanted to leave, and I kissed him, and--" she cut off. "And you hate him. But I don't." Okay, Sheila thought frantically, She wasn't just over- exaggerating in her sorrow. I do hate him. Hate who?
"Lauren, who did you kiss? Because I'm sure I--"
"Colt. You hate Colt. I kissed Colt. I'm sorry." She burst into sobs again and Sheila's eyes got wide. Lauren, and, and Colt? Tears sprang into her eyes. What had she done?
"Lauren! I don't care what you do with him; you have to be happy--"
"You hate him. So I can't like him. You don't want me to."
"No!" Sheila stood up. "I am not going to let you. I'll learn to like Colt. I'll deal with it. Lauren, you don't deserve this." She sighed. "I'll be right back."
Sheila's heart pounded along with her feet as she ran through the school. Ha. Good, Colt was right there, in plain sight. Sheila's heart lurched. He was sitting with his back against the wall, legs bent up close to him, arms crossed and resting on his peaked knees, head resting on those.
"Colt," she whispered. "I'm so sorry. I haven't liked you a lot, for no reason, you don't deserve that, and I'll try not to." Colt looked up at her, his eyes watery.
"Fine. That's good, whatever. This is not the time."
"Colt, my friend," Sheila said, "there is no better time. Lauren--" he glanced up at her name "--said, without detail, that you two, had....yeah. And now she wont like you because she knows I don't." Sheila sighed again.
"Fine. I don't care if she doesn't like me. That's just fine." His face said something different. Sheila tried to catch Colt off guard.
"Colt, I've had a crush on you since first year. You are the only one for me, let's blow off that slut Lauren. Come with me." Colt looked up, startled. Sheila smiled at him. "Face it, weirdo," she said, grinning wider. "You cannot live without Lauren. Go, I don't know, go kiss her or something." Colt stood up. He hugged Sheila, much to her surprise. Then, grabbing her hand, he ran off to the Gryffindor common rooms.
Sheila's hatred dissolved. It was as if Colt had been her best friend for years. They ran, and, getting to the portrait of the fat lady, stepped inside.
~☼~☼~☼~