A/N – This is a repost of the original, which I deleted.
Disclaimer – Not mine.
The Jock And The Nerd
Human beings could be awfully cruel to one another.
Mark Twain had written something along those lines in Huckleberry Finn, and for Bella, she had never read words truer than those. Sometimes people were cruel for the simple sake of being cruel, because they could, because they found amusement in it, and she knew that well. She wasn't naïve. She knew her peers singled her out for liking to read, and to write, and to spend her lunch breaks in the library studying.
For wanting to go places in life, for wanting to make something of herself, she was picked on.
So yes, she knew exactly how cruel people could be. She lived it every day. Even that very moment she knew, without a doubt, that the giggling girls sitting at the back of the bus were laughing at her. Apparently the sweater she'd gone to school in that morning was funnier than she'd first thought.
Typical, really. But at least she was fucking warm.
So she did her best not to let it bother her. She would be graduating in a few months, she thought as the bus rolled closer to her stop. She would be going off to school in Chicago and those people would be out of her life forever. No more name calling, no more being pushed around, no more being laughed at.
She'd be free to be herself without being bullied for it.
The bus came to stop and Bella, with her bag over her shoulder and her folder pressed to her chest, slid out of her seat before the other students could pass her. As soon as the door opened she was off, but before she could get too far, a shoulder collided with hers from behind. She stumbled and lost the grip on her folder. It smacked onto the footpath and her papers went flying.
"Watch where you're walking, loser."
Bella didn't make a sound as she caught her footing, didn't even look up at the girl who had pushed her and was now laughing with one of her friends as she walked off. She just she knelt down to begin picking up her papers, thanking god that it wasn't windy and she wouldn't have to chase her assignments down the street. The girls would have just loved that.
She did look up when a pile of her papers were held out in front of her though, right into a pair of warm butterscotch eyes that she would have recognised anywhere.
"Thought I'd save you some trouble." The owner of the butterscotch eyes said. Her voice was one the softest, sweetest melody's Bella had heard in a long time. Blushing, she reached for the papers and hoped to fucking god the girl would not notice the way her hands trembled as she did. "I'm Leah," The girl then said when it was clear Bella wasn't going to say anything.
Not out of rudeness, of course. Bella just didn't know what to say.
A thank you, perhaps?
Frowning at her mind's biting response, Bella shoved her papers back into her folder and stood on shaky legs.
"I hope that frown isn't because of me…?" Leah smiled unsurely.
"No, no. Sorry." Bella apologised in a quiet voice, a timid smile on her face. She was almost embarrassed by how not like a melody she sounded in comparison. "Just a little surprised, I guess. I'm Bella."
Leah rose a fine eyebrow. "Surprised, eh? Why?"
"I um…" She cleared her throat and felt her cheeks grow hot. "Well, I guess no one has really ever bothered to give me a hand before. You know, when this sort of shit happens."
And god, that sounded so much more pathetic when she said it out loud. Thankfully Leah didn't seem to find it important enough to dwell on though, as she shrugged and casually told her that it was no big deal.
"First time for everything." She finished with a playful wink, leaving Bella wondering if she really had just winked at her, and if so, what the hell? Leah must have read the look on her face though, and she laughed as she buried her hands into the pockets of her shorts. "Sorry. Too soon?"
Too soon for what exactly, Bella wanted to ask as her eyebrows rose. She was so confused. Before she could ask though, before she could even open her mouth, Leah turned butterscotch eyes down the way Bella had been heading before being rudely shoulder.
"Want some company on the walk home?" She asked, looking back to Bella with a smile and adding playfully, "I could do with some intelligent conversation for once, aye. Plus c'mon, I likes the little accent thing you have going on."
As they started on down Marshall Road together, Bella had to smile to herself. She honestly didn't think it was noticeable.
"I spent some time in Australia with my aunt before I moved here. It's kind of hard not to pick up at least a little of the accent, you know?"
Leah nodded and for a while the two strolled along in a comfortable, shared silence. Bella was thinking of how nice it was to finally have some pleasant company and sneaking looks at the girl in question, but she honestly had no clue what Leah herself could possibly be thinking. She was looking ahead of them with a small smile curling at the corner of her lips. Bella took the time to look the girl over properly, and she wasn't disappointed.
"So you don't mind if I walk with you?"
Bella wasn't so sure that she minded exactly, but it certainly made her nervous. Leah took her silence as an affirmative and started to walk ahead, waiting patiently for Bella to follow her a few steps behind. She then slowed down to match her pace so they were walking side by side. Bella gave the girl a sidewards glance, blushing and ducking her head when she was caught. Not before catching the grin pulling at Leah's lips though.
"So…" Leah started casually. "You ride the bus home every day?"
"Um, yes. I do. To school as well."
"No car?"
Bella shook her head. "No car. Can't afford to keep it on the road."
"Ah. My baby wouldn't start this morning. Managed to grab a lift off my mum this morning, but had to take the bus like a big girl this afternoon."
"No practice today?"
"Football isn't my whole life, you know." Leah laughed, bumping Bella's shoulder with her own. It was a little shocking not to have it result in her tripping or dropping her things. She wondered if they'd been talking long enough to be on such friendly physical terms. Shoulder bumping was done between friends, wasn't it? Bella was confused, but she wasn't silly enough to say anything and have the other girl think she was actually as socially awkward as everyone assumed she was.
That would have been even more awkward.
"Do I look like your typical Hollywood jock? I'm offended."
It was clear to Bella that she wasn't offended at all, and she laughed a little as they turned onto Marshall Road.
"Sorry." She said with a small smile. "Just assumed you'd have practice."
"It's cool." Leah shrugged. "I actually am meant to be at practice, but I spoke with coach and he let me take the afternoon off to take a look at my car. Can't really afford to pay someone to fix it, and I sort of need it to get around, you know?"
"I'm sure it's a much nicer way to travel than the bus." She agreed. "Quieter."
"Oh I don't know," Leah hummed, turning playful butterscotch eyes on her again. "I'm rather glad I took the bus this afternoon…"
That she was glad it was because she'd had the chance to speak with Bella was implied, and it made the shorter girl's cheeks flame like crazy. She was flattered really, and not entirely capable of saying she had a different opinion. Her crush on the taller girl was hardly something new to her. In fact, she was fairly sure almost every girl in the school knew who Leah Clearwater was and wouldn't have minded her attention. That she seemed to be getting that attention made Bella's stomach twist in excitement.
Almost as though she could tell of the effect she was having on her, Leah grinned and looked forward again, hands still casually resting in the pockets of her shorts, like she was completely unaffected by the entire situation.
Bella was so distracted she'd nearly walked right by her house.
"Oh, um, this is me." She slowed to a stop outside of a small white house with a white picket fence. The garden was bright and beautiful, blossoming with flowers of all colours, the lawn neatly mowed. She blushed under Leah's scrutiny of the place. "My parents are kind of anal about their pretty yards being, well, pretty…"
Leah turned dark eyes to her and smiled. "It's nice, Bella. Very homey."
Bella nodded. "Um, thanks. Anyway, it was nice, you know, walking back with you. You live far from here?"
"Nah, just a few streets away." Leah was still watching her, smiling in a way that made Bella's heart start to race. "I'm glad we got to talk. You're a cool chick, Bella."
Bella only blushed, but it seemed to be enough of a response if the pleased look on the taller girl's face was anything to go by. Still smiling, Leah glanced off down the street.
"Anyway, I should get going." She said as she turned back to Bella. "I'll see you around?"
"Yeah." Bella certainly hoped so anyway. "Have fun with your car."
Grinning, Leah bought her right hand to her head and saluted her. "I'll do my best." She said as she started to walk backward, apparently not wanting to break their gaze. "See you later. Enjoy your afternoon."
Bella waved, and as she watched the taller girl leave and disappear around the corner, she knew without a doubt that her planned afternoon of study would not be happening. She was sure she would not be able to concentrate on anything, let alone something as complicated as Trig. No, she was fairly sure all that would be going through her head until she fell asleep later that night would be those butterscotch eyes and that smile.
And she was perfectly fine with that.