~Zinnia~

"Running should be listed under cruel and unusual punishment." I panted as I struggled to keep up with the long graceful strides of my best-friend, Gemma, who looked as if she could continue running for hours and not even break a sweat. Bitch.

"You should lay off the brownies and choose more healthy food, like spinach." Gemma replied as she always did. I made a face and tried not to trip over my ugly gym shoe laces that had somehow come undone.

"You're just jealous because you're mom doesn't allow you to partake of the chocolaty food of the gods." I laughed, or attempted to laugh. It really came out as embarrassing wheezes. Gemma rolled her large brown eyes at me, as she picked up and even more ungodly pace.

"Come on Gem. I was only kidding. Slow down!" I whined as I pushed the river of sweat from my forehead and hoped like hell I wouldn't kill over before I finished my ten laps. Nothing would be more embarrassing than face planting in front of the whole co-ed gym class. Again. Gemma chuckled lightly as she slowed down to a more reasonable, though still ungodly, pace, having the audacity to smooth back her smooth glistening black hair from her mocha face, while my own blonde waves no doubt stuck out at all angles while my bangs seemed to be glued to my no doubt tomato red face. Very attractive.

"You finished your reading assignment right?" Gem asked as we neared the finish line. Someone up there loved me!

"Of course not." I panted as I threw myself on the ground, wanting nothing more than to sink into the ground and sleep for a million years. A plague on the house of whoever decided P.E. should be considered a class.

"We're supposed to turn that in today you know?" Gemma scolded as she started her cool down stretches, her tight school issued gym shirt rising slightly to revel her new flower belly button ring.

"It's practically the end of the year Gem. I doubt Ms. Cooper will fail me now." I replied as our P.E. teacher, blew the whistle signaling it was time to start the main torture event.

"I know it's hard, but you should take school a little more seriously. You could have called me. I would have helped you." Gemma spoke softly as the teacher began talking about something unimportant. Gemma's words instantly made me feel bad. She knew about my trouble reading do to dyslexia, and I knew I could always ask her for help, but sometimes I felt useless and sick of myself when I did.

"I'm sorry Gemma." I apologized. She smiled before she hugged me tightly, not caring that I was grossly sweaty.

"We have a new student joining us today!" Mr. Turner yelled in that unnecessarily loud way he always yelled. That instantly got Gemma's attention. Here at our little backwoods school, we rarely got new students.

"He's pretty hot." She spoke as she raised up on her toes, her already long body allowing her to see over the heads of those in front of us. I took her word for it as I made a failed attempt to look at the front, but I was only five-five and that wasn't enough to look over the gigantic people ahead of me.

"This is Nicholas Forester! I want you all to be the nice kids I know you to be." Mr. Turner finished before announcing that we were going to play flag football. Great. More running.

"He hates me." I groaned as I followed Gemma to the front where we would be chosen to either join team Kevin or team Ashley.

"He does not hate you Z." Gem laughed as she nudged me with her elbow. I offered her a light smile before they began choosing teams. We were supposed to divide the boys and girls up evenly on the teams, but by the time only five of us were left, Ashley had mostly girls and Kevin had mostly guys. Granted most of the girls in my P.E. class were snobs and probably wanted nothing more than to go back to painting their nails in class and taking about how perfect their pig boyfriends were.

"Gemma!" Kevin called with a wink as she rolled her eyes at him. Kevin had been after Gemma since she came back two years ago with boobs and clear skin, but just about everyone knew about her boyfriend who lived in New York. I'd only ever seen pictures of him, but she reassured me he was 'fated to be with her forever'. Her words, not mine. I, personally, was not a fan of Kevin, and it had nothing to do with him thinking he was a sex-god. Okay, it did a little, but it mostly had to do with him spilling coke all over my favorite rolling stones tee, before attempting to mop up my boobs in the most pervy manner known to man. All in all, Kevin was a pervious ass-hat.

"Nicholas!" Ashley called with a giggle as she waved her perfectly French manicured fingers at the boy at the end of the really short row. Trust her to try and get into the pants of the new kid, though I could see why she would want too. He was rather tall with shaggy black hair that brushed the top of his deep brown eyes, and tanned skin. He was muscular, but in a lean athletic way, not the 'I may do steroids' way that a lot of the athletes here were. His shirt clung to his body and allowed the impression of sculpted abs, and his shorts revealed great calves.

"Zinnia!" Kevin called, smiling knowingly at me. I hated when people called me by my whole name. I rolled my eyes at him as I took my spot next to a smiling Gemma.

"Told you he was cute." She whispered as she wiggled her eyebrows at me.

"He's okay." I mutter nonchalantly as I offered her a light shrug. The choosing ended with Fred, who wasn't really chosen but ended up on Kevin's team by default, which was to bad. Fred was actually really nice.

"I don't know why I even bother coming to class." Fred muttered as he hung his head in shame. I felt really sorry for him. Fred wasn't a bad looking kid. Sure he was on the lanky side, and his flaming curls could use a bit of a trimming, but he had nice blue eyes and a cute splash of freckles across his nose where his glasses rested.

"Don't say that Fred. P.E. may not be your thing but you're awesome in math class." I encouraged with a smile as I nudged him gently. He looked startled for a minute before he looked at me and smiled, his cheeks flushing scarlet.

"Thanks Zin." He replied, holding his head up a little higher.

"No problem. Talk to you in class." I called before I jogged to catch up with Gemma who was rushing onto the field.

"Seems Fred has a little crush on you." Gemma teased as the coach handed out our flags. We were team yellow while team Ashley was red. Kevin's friend, Marshal once suggested we do team shirts and team skins, but you can imagine that was a big fat no. Just goes to show that some guys are complete pigs.

"I doubt it." I laughed as I took my flag and began to buckle it around my waist, pleased to see that it was a little looser than at the beginning of the year.

"If you say so." She finished before the coach walked to the middle of the field with the coin.

"Kevin has chosen to defend." Coach Turner shouted; whatever the hell that meant.