Okay...boredom is useful when you wanna write...stuff... err...
ENJOY!!
Seasons Love.
The teacher gently placed an arm on her back and nudged her forward, just as a cat may do to her kitten. Quietly, she slipped into a seat next to a boy with short jet black hair, who was idly scribbling on a torn piece of lined notepaper. Elizabeth proceeded to dump her bag on the floor, and pulled out her equipment. She spared the boy next to her another glance, noting his dark brown eyes staring intently down at his paper.
"Hey, I'm Elizabeth, nice to meet you," she introduced herself quietly, as not to rouse the teacher's attention.
The boy blinked slightly, his pen ceased its scratching across the surface of the paper. He turned to glance at her.
"Err…Okay…" he replied, slightly perturbed at her friendliness.
"It is customary, I think, to reply back with your name too?" Elizabeth pointed out, grinning slightly.
"I'm Mark," he replied grudgingly, frowning faintly.
Whereas most girls seemed to take this as a sign of coldness and ignored him from thereon, Elizabeth laughed warmly, and her lips curved into a smile.
"Do I frighten you?" she teased gently, her dark chocolate eyes sparkling with humour.
"More like pissing me off slightly." He stated, rolled his eyes at her expression, before concentrating once again on the maths sheet in front of him.
Elizabeth just smiled again, and turned to stare at her question paper.
Their ballpoint pens simultaneously scribbled furiously on the paper, each wanting to beat the other to the finish. Elizabeth paused, "Hey, Mark, what's the answer to this question? I don't get it. Could you please show me?" she asked finally, her head slightly tilted on one side, ready to listen.
He stared at her for a minute and began to explain slowly and patiently, starting with how the distance formula had to be applied into the question.
Elizabeth learnt quickly and looked up directly into his eyes. "Thank you!" she beamed and happily continued her work more fluently.
Mark's heart beat faster. Somehow, he coloured up just ever so slightly, a very vague blush on his complexion. WTF! He thought to himself. You only blushed because she thanked you, not because you like her or anything. Wait. You did not blush. YOU DIDN'T! Only vaguely comforted by his own thoughts, he set off to complete the task at hand.
--
Elizabeth leaned over, the tips of her silky hair just softly brushing his shoulders. "Hey, may I sit here?" she inquired, gesturing to the seat next to Mark. He assented and tried to sink further into his seat as his teacher, Ms Schausberger swept into the room. Great. English. The subject he liked least.
Battered copies of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" were handed out and Ms Schausberger reminded the class that they would be analysing the renowned play this term. Several students groaned, and Schausberger gave them pointed, affronted glares. Each student after the next was appointed to read out a paragraph.
Mark drifted off and was wondering how to finish his Maths homework when it was his turn to read. He stared at the book. Where were they up to? He'd already lost track. All he gathered was that this random guy called Romeo was hitting on some 13 year old called Juliet. Elizabeth gently nudged his arm and mouthed "Top of page ".
Mark cleared his throat. "She speaks: O, speak again, bright angel!" he read, and almost felt like head-desking at Juliet's next part.
Elizabeth continued, "O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?" with such expression most of the sleepy students stirred and paid attention. Argh/puke/mdahoi, thought Mark. Just my LUCK. And he slumped back into his seat, wondering what the answer to, one of the maths problems the teacher gave them, was.
--
The class finished and Mark thought he should thank Elizabeth. He turned towards her and awkwardly looked at her. "Um. Thanks for telling me the page number," he mumbled sheepishly. Elizabeth beamed. "No problem," she smiled, walking off to her next class.
--
The rich violin music drifted out the windows and Mark focused on how accurate his pitch was. He lost himself in the notes and the sound wrapped around him, comforting and familiar. He glanced outside the large bay windows and saw his friends sitting in a circle on the grass, laughing and having casual conversations. Evan, who was trying to squirm free of Jason's tight grip. Ivan eating his sandwich and choking with laughter at Evan and Jason. Tony, who was brandishing his hat like a weapon. Blair, who was talking to Denise. Sean, hunched over his PSP, with Dennis leaning over and watching over his shoulder. Richard, busily Rubix-ing.
There was a slight knock at the door of the music room and Elizabeth slipped in. "Oh, sorry" she said, flustered. "I'm really sorry. I'll go…" she apologized and turned. "Er. It's okay, you can stay," Mark said, the words leaping out of his mouth somehow. "Really? Is it okay if I stay here and watch you?" she asked, almost timidly.
"Yeah it's okay." Elizabeth slipped onto the piano stool and smiled as Mark resumed playing his violin. He finished soon and she applauded. "That was REALLY good," she said enthusiastically, her eyes shining. "How about an encore?"
There was a silence and Mark started to play another piece, while Elizabeth reached out and picked out a melody on the piano, weak at first, but growing stronger and stronger. The two instruments complemented each other, and soon Mark's violin piece had become a duet. The song ended; the violin with a single, deep stroke and the piano with the last note softly echoing throughout the music room.
Elizabeth looked at Mark, and smiled.
--
Third period, Agriculture, ended.
"Hey Mark, come have lunch with me!!" Elizabeth laughed, dragging him out the door. "Not that you have much choice…" she added, her lips twisting into a lighthearted smirk.
--
Days turned into weeks, weeks into months.
Mark and Elizabeth grew close, relishing in each other's company, and at lunch, always retreating under the shade of an old willow tree; the willow branches swaying slightly in the summer breeze and gently stooping low to caress their heads.
Elizabeth bit into her salad sandwich chewed thoughtfully, her hair blowing freely in the wind, making her redeem the appearance of a beautiful goddess.
"Hey. What's with the dreamy expression??" Mark pointed out.
"Err…just thinking about something," Elizabeth sighed dismissively. "Don't worry about it."
--
The autumn maple leaves gently drifted to the ground, giving the clump of trees a magical vibrancy and a mood of content and happiness rested in the atmosphere; a world with washes of red, orange and gold.
"The chemistry Olympiad is so hard!" Elizabeth claimed, sprawled at the base of one of the maple trees, forehead slightly wrinkled in concentration and chewing her pencil.
Mark, who was sitting close by, cross-legged, looked over at her booklet. "Oh. That question. Nice!" he said, going back to his own work. Elizabeth teasingly whacked him over the head, putting on a mock hurt expression on her face. "You're supposed to help me, dingus!" she pouted playfully, using one of Mark's all-time favourite phrases.
Two leaves lightly glided down into Elizabeth's silky hair. Mark looked at her scornfully. "You've got leaves in your hair, dufus!" he said, pulling them free. He looked into her eyes and his face softened. He stared into the depths of her eyes, suddenly realizing what a beautiful shade of brown they were and how it captivated him.
"All right! I'll explain!" he muttered, looking away from her and writing out the equation on her notepad.
--
The spring had arrived and the aroma of fresh violets and various wildflowers planted in the school fields wafted everywhere. Freshly mown grass and fresh air completed the lovely atmosphere and Elizabeth felt full of liveliness and vigor and a glow of happiness surrounded her.
"Hey, you didn't wish me a happy birthday!" Elizabeth said, whacking Mark's head jokingly, as usual. "Didn't you remember?" she whimpered in a mock hurt tone, but her eyes were alight with flickers of genuine sadness and incense.
"Oi, you think I'm that stupid??" he replied gruffly. "You'll just have to wait for the surprise!" he added mysteriously, as an afterthought, not giving anything away.
Showing signs of affection were not common around Mark, but Elizabeth knew him well enough that his "cold, unforgiving" nature was only an exterior which disguised a warm, loving character underneath.
Grinning, she accused him, "You DID remember!" and pulled a face.
"Thank you so much anyway! I can hardly wait!" she laughed and hugged him.
"Hmmm…." A faint line creased Mark's forehead. "Can you stay after school till like 8-9 p.m. tonight?? I mean, we'll be doing homework and we'd be attending Cabaret Night…"
"Oh…that's no problem! I'll call Mama to tell her. I don't think she'll mind!" she beamed.
Just as true to her word, Elizabeth met Mark at their normal place, under the willow tree after school. For an hour, there was silence; the only exception was when one of them paused working to explain to the other how to do a question. Mark turned around often and tutored Elizabeth in various aspects of Maths, while Elizabeth in turn helped him with his English homework. They worked with such conscientiousness that they jumped with shock when a wolf-whistle pierced the air.
"Oi!! Mark!! Got anything planned for tonight?? It's CABARET night after all!" Jason, one of Mark's friends, yelled suggestively and laughed, leaning haphazardly out a window in the Art block, glasses splattered with various paint on the edges.
"Up yours!!" Mark shouted back, glaring. "I'm gonna rip you!!"
"I'll rape you!!" Jason shouted back.
Jason was given the finger, and Mark resumed work, while Elizabeth observed the scene with amusement.
"I'm having such a good time on my birthday!" Elizabeth told him cheerily, eyes sparkling with delight.
"It gets better," he promised, smiling lopsidedly.
As soon as the dark crept in, they changed from their school uniform into various costumes for their performances. Elizabeth emerged from the PE change rooms and twirled around in a black silk dress, and a veil that was beaded around the edges, with crystals rested on her hair. "Voila!" she smiled and pulled on her netted black gloves, ready to play the part of a widow in her class play.
Mark glowered at her, impatient, for he had been waiting for ten minutes until she appeared. He tugged on his tuxedo, grimacing. Formal attire was not for him.
Elizabeth surveyed him and pulled his collar around properly and made sure he didn't crease his shirt, and then pulled him inside the hall. "Come ON, Mark!" she said, tugging violently, her voice unnaturally reaching an octave above her normal voice with nervousness. "We might be late. And you've got the SOLO!"
All in all, it was a very fun night. Mark got to spend most of the time with his group of friends, and Jason couldn't resist slipping in a few implications, to which Mark answered with "Screw you!" or "Up yours" or simply an obscene gesture. Blair couldn't help remarking on how they made such a good couple, but Mark denied it, replying with "HAXOR!" Tony, the ever mischief maker tried to get Jason to "rape" Mark by hugging him tightly, but received a shouted reply of "RIIIIIPPPPP!"
On the other side of the hall, Elizabeth was talking to her friends Angela and the twins, Amy and Anna.
"You guys look fantastic!" she exclaimed, and linked arms with them. "And your performances were AWESOME!!"
There was a heated debate on how Elizabeth was so much better than them, and at 8 o'clock, Mark swept over and asked Elizabeth if she wanted to go home. Elizabeth agreed and they trudged through the school grounds.
The ancient willow tree stood out, a silhouette before the moon. "Let's watch the stars," Mark suggested, and they lay sprawled under the velvety night sky, the stars gently winking at them. For an hour they just lay there, watching the heavens and laughing as they recognised each constellation.
"Crap. It's 9 o'clock. We'd better go" cursed Mark.
"Yeah…" Elizabeth sighed softly. They got to their feet, but Elizabeth tripped on the knarled roots of the tree in her sandals. Mark caught her just in time. "So is this how a romance starts?? How gay…" thought Mark disbelievingly and his mind chose to react to this comment by leaning over and brushing his lips against hers.
Elizabeth tightened her arms around his neck. "This is the best birthday present ever..." she murmured and gazed into his eyes that reflected silver in the moonlight, and once again, they were lost into idyllic oblivion.
--
FINIS.
A/N: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...