XashXdawnX - Here's another chapter. Enjoy!
Last time:
She looked at Gary who was still watching her. She glanced at his lips and then back at his eyes.
He cupped her cheek and brought his lips to hers.
The two broke apart after a few moments and looked at each other, right as the bell signaling lunch was over.
"I guess it is a real relationship after that." Serena commented. "I was doubting it."
Serena and Shauna left the table to throw their plates away.
"That was just for show. It meant nothing." Leaf said, getting up and walking to throw her trash away.
But unknown to Gary once she had thrown her trash away, she touched her lips and her mind wandered back to when they had been best friends.
Leaf laid on Gary's bed as he sat on the floor, finishing up an assignment.
"I'm bored, Gary!" she whined.
"I told you I had this assignment to finish, but you insisted on coming over after school."
"My mom had to work late. I didn't want to be home alone, bored. But I'm bored here."
Gary sighed and shut his laptop. He looked at Leaf who wasn't look at him. He smirked and jumped on his bed, tickling Leaf. She screamed and wiggled, trying to escape.
"S-Stop!" she cried.
Gary laughed. "Still bored?"
"N-No! S-Stop! P-P-Please!" Leaf cried, laughing and still trying to get free.
Gary stopped and looked at her.
"You suck." Leaf said, as she caught her breath.
"I'm still your best friend and you love me."
"Debatable right now." Leaf muttered.
She laughed as Gary began tickling her again.
"I'm s-sorry!" she cried. "Mercy!"
Gary looked at her and he brushed her hair out of her face. She looked at him with her eyes questioning him.
A knock on the door, broke the trance and the two broke apart.
Leaf shook her head.
"Get it together Leaf. It meant nothing." she muttered.
She couldn't actually get feelings for Gary. She couldn't. If she did that, she would lose. And she didn't just mean lose the bet.
Gary texted Leaf close to the end of the day asking if she needed a ride home. He wasn't sure if she would even be willing to talk to him after the kiss that had happened at lunch. He couldn't believe that had happened.
But he knew where her friends had been coming from. Before he and Leaf started "dating" she had always been attached to a guy's lips. That was who she had became with this new Leaf. She dated around and was always letting people know who her current boyfriend was at the time.
He zoned back into his class as his phone vibrated with a notification.
Yes, since I have no way home. Thanks
Gary waited by his car for Leaf to arrive. He was currently talking to Ash.
"So I heard today that you and Leaf kissed." Dawn said as she walked up to Ash and Gary.
"Yeah we did, at lunch because of her friends." Gary said.
"But it was all for show, right?" Ash asked.
"Exactly."
"Honestly, you two should just date for real." Dawn commented.
"That will never happen." came Leaf's voice.
The three looked over and saw Leaf.
"I bet it will. One day it will." Dawn said.
"Maybe in your dreams." Leaf replied.
"You'll see." Dawn said and took Ash's hand as the two walked over. Ash casted a wave over his shoulder.
Leaf laughed at Dawn's remark as she opened the passenger door to Gary's car.
"She's delusional." Leaf muttered as she buckled up as Gary started his car.
"You know how Dawn is though." Gary said as he backed out of the parking spot.
The ride back was silent except for the music from Gary's radio.
As Gary pulled to the curb of Leaf's house, he turned his car off.
"Listen Leaf, about the kiss at lunch. I'm-" Gary started, but was cut off as Leaf's lips met his.
He was shocked to say the least and when she didn't instantly pull away, he kissed her back. His hands cupped her cheek and tangled in her hair while hers went to his shirt and tugging at his hair.
When the two pulled away, both of them were panting for breath.
"That..." Gary trailed.
"That will never happen again." Leaf said, opening the door and getting out.
Gary stared at her back as she walked to her house, confused. She had kissed him without any kind of pressure from her friends.
"What the hell?" he muttered as he started his car.
Leaf walked into her house and straight to her bedroom. Closing the door she leaned against it.
"What the hell, Leaf?!" she muttered, touching her lips.
That kiss had been nothing like the one at lunch. There was more to it, but it was obvious that both of them were holding back the extent of it.
Why had she done that?!
"Stupid memories..." she muttered.
That's what she would blame. The memories had caused that. Plus, she had wanted control of the kiss. That's what she would go with. Nothing else. The kiss was nothing. There was nothing there. Gary- No Oak...he's Oak. Oak was merely playing a role in her school reputation. They were both just playing the game. Neither wanted to lose the bet. Leaf couldn't lose the bet.
Leaf woke up the next morning, running late. She hurried into her bathroom and out of habit grabbed her contact case, before remembering she didn't have any. Sighing, she threw her hair into a messy bun and slipped on a floral print dress and slid her feet into some white sandals. She hastily brushed her teeth and ran into her bedroom to pack her bag.
She hurried downstairs, nearly tripping and saw that her keys were missing.
"Seriously!" she cried.
She was going to be late today because her car had been taken this morning without asking. She swung the front door opened and stood in the doorway, staring at Gary.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, looking at him.
He had been walking towards the door, but had stopped when it opened. Her eyes then traveled to the coffee cup.
"I figured, I could help get your friends off your back by giving you rides to school." he replied.
"Good thinking, Oak." she said, pulling the door shut behind her and walking over to him.
She took the cup he held out to her.
"No contacts again?" he questioned.
"They haven't came in yet and I was running late this morning."
"Long night?"
"Stupid lab reports."
Gary chuckled and started his car. As Leaf leaned back into the seat, she suddenly sat up straight as she realized something. She was being way too nice and relaxed around Gary right now.
She shook her head. Right now, she didn't care. She just wanted to enjoy her coffee and just relax for a little bit before she had to actually be Leaf to everyone. She could be a little relaxed for now.
"Two days in a row. Wow," Shauna said as she walked over to Leaf's locker.
"He's being generous, plus I get coffee out of it." Leaf replied as she shut her locker.
"Why don't you invite him out to the party that the Waterflower sisters are throwing?" Serena asked, joining them.
"What?"
"The party this weekend."
"Oh...he's not really the partying type." Leaf said.
"But you are. Bring him. Let's see if Gary the nerd has a wild side." Serena said, smirking and quirking her eyebrows.
Once again Leaf felt anger flare at Serena's comment, just like when Serena had commented on Gary's looks.
"Watch it, Serena." Leaf muttered as she walked off.
"Jealousy isn't cute, Leafy!" Serena called.
Leaf stopped walking. She turned on her heel and looked at Serena.
"What did you just call me?" she asked, walking over to Serena.
"You heard me."
"Don't you EVER call me Leafy again, Serena."
"Or you'll do what?" Serena asked, raising an eyebrow.
She was pushing Leaf's buttons and Leaf knew it.
"You don't want to find out."
"Maybe I do. I know you won't do anything about it."
Leaf saw that a crowd was watching them, curious to see what would happen. Leaf noticed a few phones.
"Don't try me." Leaf muttered, turning and walking towards her class.
"Knew Leafy was too scared." Leaf heard Serena say.
Before Leaf could even register what had happened she had swung.
"FIGHT!"
... ...
"Gary!" Dawn cried, running over to him.
"What?" Gary asked as he shut his locker.
"It's Leaf! She's fighting Serena!"
"What?!"
"Help!"
... ...
The two ran to where the fight was happening. Gary pushed his way through the crowd and saw Leaf on top of Serena, hitting her.
"Leaf! Stop!" he cried.
He grabbed her and pulled her off of Serena whose nose was bleeding. Shauna ran over and knelt beside her friend.
"Green, my office now." the principal said.
"Take her to the nurse and get her cleaned up. Oak, escort Miss Green to my office."
"Yes sir,"
... ...
Gary wasn't allowed to wait for Leaf and was told to go to class.
"Miss Green, we do not tolerate fighting at this school." Principal Rowan said.
"With all due respect, sir, she provoked me." Leaf replied.
"From a video I saw, it looked to be just talking. You were the one who seemed agitated and provoked the fight."
"No sir,"
"Given your past, Miss Green, I find that hard to not be true."
"I've learned from those mistakes, sir."
"I sure hope so, Miss Green. Regardless, you are still suspended for the week. You may return next Wednesday."
"Yes sir,"
"Please leave campus."
"I don't have a way to leave, sir. I caught a ride with my boyfriend this morning."
"Very well, you will assist in the office until school is over."
Leaf waited outside in the parking lot beside Gary's car.
"What happened this morning?" he asked, once he saw her.
"Get in and I'll explain." she muttered.
Gary got in and Leaf followed suit.
"She said something that angered me. I told her to stop and she kept on and I lost control."
"What did she say?"
"She called me Leafy."
"I don't understand..."
Leaf clutched her bag and Gary noticed.
"Do you want to go to your thinking place?" he asked.
She nodded her head.
The two walked in silence once Gary parked by the path. Leaf sat down and looked at the water. She was now clenching her fists, digging her nails into her palms. Her knuckles were turning white.
Gary sat down beside her and very carefully, reached for her hand.
"Hey, relax..." he said, running his thumb along her hand.
She didn't jerk her hand away like he expected her to. She looked at him.
"Take your time." he said, grabbing her other hand, too and running his thumb along it.
He was trying to get her to relax her hands and it was working some.
"She called me Leafy..." she muttered.
"I...I know it shouldn't have bothered me so much, but it was the tone she used. It just...I didn't like it."
She looked at the water.
"Only one person can call me Leafy and it won't bother me. You're the only person that can. Anyone else who calls me that...the way they say it..."
She pulled one of her hands away and swiped at her eye.
"It just...I don't like when other people..."
She wiped at her eye again. The hand that Gary still held was finally out of a fist and he laced his fingers with hers.
"Hey...it's okay." he muttered.
She looked at him. He frowned as he saw the tears falling from her eyes. He carefully brought his hand to her face and wiped the tears. He ran his thumb along her cheek.
"Why does it bother you so much?" he asked, softly.
"The tone. It was the tone she used. It was teasing...like talking to a baby..."
Gary looked at her eyes. He couldn't make out if she was being truthful or not.
"You know that whenever I call you that, I don't mean it to be teasing or mean, right?"
She nodded her head. "I know that."
"Good," he said, kissing her forehead before he could think about his actions.
"Umm...sorry..."
"It's okay, Gary." Leaf said, softly.
She leaned forward and pecked his lips.
She wiped her eyes and stood up, acting as if nothing had just happened. While Gary was still processing what she had just done.
"Thank you for making sure I was okay." she said.
Then it was like a switch clicked and Leaf was suddenly back to being her closed off self.
"So before I attacked Serena this morning, she mentioned a party. Since I'm suspended from school, I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to said party this weekend? It's definitely bound to be something after what happened. I know she'll be there and I would like to see just how bad her nose is."
"A party?"
"Yes, Oak. A party. Ever been to one?"
"Yes, I've been to some."
"Really?"
"Yes. Dawn dragged me to some along with Ash."
"Hmm...a lot has changed." she muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing. So are you in? I can't show up without my boyfriend.."
Gary stood up. "I'm in. Might as well accompany the baddest girl of our school who just helped solidify her reputation."
Leaf smirked.
So any guesses on why Leaf snapped? Will she go back to being the old Leaf soon?
Please R&R