A Mis-Match Made in Heaven Part 13
~*~*~*
CrimsonCat: glad you liked chapter 12... :) as for Amazons, did you find Finn? And I didn't have any better reason for Roxton to leave the auditorium... so I just stuck with that lame-o excuse ... anywho, glad you found the chapter entertaining... I try my best. :)
Rollypolly: I'm just lucky my sense of humour is being appreciated... :) sorries for the long wait.
Alanna: Danielle bashing... oh it was so fun to write. Believe me, I prolly had as much fun making it up as you did reading it. M/R interaction... coming up... soon...
Galxychld: Finn is slowly becoming one of my fave characters to write. The inner conversations are always enjoyable to write. Glad you like them. As for the talk... coming soon.
Anyanka: hee hee... I thought the running into a table was cheesy... but a lot of my stories are cheesy... hmm... pizza with cheese. (yes. I'm a nut)
Nicky: Glad you liked Finn's reaction and the running in the table scene. Reminded me of George of the Jungle tho. And as for Roxton's lame excuse... eh... we know how he can be a blubbering fool when put on the spot... (well, not really... but that's how I made him...)
A. Windsor: Thank you for the review... mucho appreciated.
EIE: Careful now... wouldn't want you to fall out of your chair from spinning too hard... and groovy? Hee hee... hmm... I honestly wasn't thinking about another Danieele encounter.. but hmm... now that you mention it... ;) thank you so much for your encouragement, support and the wonderful boosting of my ego... lol... ;) it means so much to me!
Erica: sorry about the whole inner conversation thingy... was it just confusing in general or was it the format of how it showed up? I didn't think about how the text would transfer to ff.net so the italics didn't show up..
Melanie-Anne: M&R will soon be put out of their misery... I wouldn't dare leave their relationship as it is...
Lixta: I know... it's quite funny how this fic centres on m&r yet there isn't much interaction between them... :) I should work on that... ;)
Robin2409: How was your vacation? Hope you had fun!
Ascamelien: "And ha-ha! Danielle ran into a table! Sucker! Muhahahah!" That alone made me laugh out loud!!! Thank you for the entertaining review!!!
Michi: Thank you so much for the compliment! I know for myself that fanfic helps me make it through the school term/work term as well! I'd go crazy w/o it! Hmm... can you say obsessed? ;) and the talk will be happening... soon...
Lora: Wow... my fic is all that stuff? *blushes* thank you SO much for that compliment! :)
~*~*~*
Alright. I apologize for the delay. I had this chapter started.. but work has been a little bit busy and I just haven't had as much time as I usually do to write this. I'm still not sure if I'm completely happy with the way this turned out... but it'll have to do for now. Enjoy! Oh and let's see if you can catch my subtle references to TLW in this alt-u.. ;) if you figure it out... I'll give you a cookie... or something...
****************************
Marguerite stumbled out of the auditorium with one hand on her hand and the other clutching at her chest where her heart was. She needed to get out of there. There were too many things jogging through her mind. Too many conflicting emotions. Oh. And not to mention that weird sensation she was feeling in her chest and the butterflies in her stomach.
*Why did HE have to show up? After all those years! I was perfectly fine. I don't need this anymore. I left those feelings behind when he... Augh. Why am I so confused? It's like I'm back in high school all over again.*
She was trudging through the hallways aimlessly until she looked up and realized where she was - back at her old locker. Of all the places to end up, she had to come here. She lightly fingered the locker. When she looked down at herself, she suddenly found herself in jeans and a t-shirt - not the same thing she had walked into the reunion with. She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Sure enough, she was still in the jeans and t-shirt. Confused, she reached the handle of the locker. She closed her eyes and pressed two fingers to her temples trying to hold back the tears. It was as if she was reliving that heart-wrenching moment all over again. As she pulled the locker door open, a flurry of loose-leaf papers flew out like a whirlwind to the floor. *No... It can't be possible!* With a shaky hand she reached for a sheet of paper. Half expecting to see the same cruel words scrawled over the sheet, she held her breath and turned the sheet over in her hands. Nothing. She frantically flipped the page to the other side. Blank. She scrambled on the floor tossing the papers looking for that ONE paper. And in a blink of an eye, she was back in her satin dress staring at an empty locker. An empty locker that still held a lot of painful memories that haunted her to this very day. She searched her mind to try and figure out what she did to deserve that kind of treachery. Even after 10 odd years or so, her mind drew a blank. She thought back to when it all started. All the way back to that silly major assignment they were given in Family Studies.
flashback
"Alright class. This assignment will be worth 20% of your mark. So it is especially important that you do well on it. This can be the deciding factor between a pass and a fail. A good mark and an extremely good mark. But it's not an individual project. You WILL be working in pairs."
As soon as Mr. Summerlee said the word "pairs", about a dozen hands went up.
"And no. You don't get to choose your own partner." Slowly the hands went down. "We are extremely lucky that the class is evenly split. So, everyone will have a partner. I expect that you will both share the workload equally."
A hand rose. "Sir, are you going to tell us what the project is?"
"All in due time. As you should all know, high school is a place of learning. A place to prepare yourself for the future. And this is one project that will most likely become a reality. Hopefully not in the near future but eventually." Summerlee had now won the attention of his students. They were all curious as to what the project was.
"This project will teach you how to budget your money and also teach you the meaning of responsibility. Otherwise known as the "Marriage Project".
At the word "marriage", there were a lot of groans.
Another couple of hands rose.
"And when I said that you don't get to choose your own partner, I meant it."
The hands remained up.
"And there will be no swapping spouses either."
An echo's of whiny "Awwww." rang throughout the classroom as the hands went down.
"I've put the guys and girls names in separate piles. So this will be entirely random."
Marguerite looked at Veronica worriedly. "I can't believe they're making us do this. Isn't it unconstitutional or something?"
"Sure, Marguerite. Whatever you say."
"Marriage? Pah! I'm not going to get married! Why would I need to do this project? I should be exempted!" Ned said matter of factly.
"Bet you'll be the first one of us to get married. You know, to a rich supermodel or something. You'll never have to work again! You'd be set for life!" Marguerite laughed and nudged him playfully. Turning to Veronica, she noticed Veronica's face falter slightly before covering it up with a weak smile.
"And how about you, Marguerite?" He laughed.
"What about me? I plan to be successful in the future. Being tied down will just get in the way." She said in a dignified tone.
"Yah right, Marguerite."
"Contrary to popular belief, I don't need a knight in shining armour."
"Whatever. You're just waiting for your dashing prince to sweep you off your feet." Veronica smirked.
"How romantic..." Ned squeaked in a girlish voice while batting his eyelashes.
Marguerite swatted him in the head. "Oh, grow up, Ned."
"Shush you two. Mr. Summerlee is drawing a name."
"Danielle Curst, do you take..." He reached in the other pile, "... Ned Malone to be your lawfully wedded husband 'til death do you part or until this project is due. Whichever comes first."
"You have GOT to be kidding me!!!" She screeched.
"Trust me, the feeling is completely mutual." Ned muttered under his breath.
"Look, they're already fighting like a married couple." A voice shouted out loudly. The rest of the class erupted with laughter.
"Settle down." Mr. Summerlee said sternly. "Ned Malone. Do you take Danielle to be your lawfully wedded wife 'til... well, you know the rest."
Ned sighed in defeat. "I don't think I really have a choice, now do I."
"That's the spirit!" Mr. Summerlee said cheerfully. "Alright. Let's quicken the pace a bit. When I announce the pairings I don't want to hear any fussing." He reached in the pile again. "Veronica Layton and Dan Uze."
Veronica grinned in her seat. Not a terrible choice considering that Ned was already partnered up with Danielle.
*Of all the bloody luck! Of course Veronica had to get Dan, the only other decent guy in the class, Ned being the other one of course.
By now, most of the class had been paired off. Marguerite was still waiting for her name to be called.
"Augh." She muttered. "Just look at who's left."
Veronica scanned the classroom and spotted the remaining possible choices.
"How about Roxton? He's a fine looking specimen, if I do say so myself." She said wistfully.
"Roxton? That blubbering imbecile? He probably can't even tie his own shoe, let alone work on a school assignment. I bet he has to pay someone to do his homework." She glared at Veronica for even suggesting it.
"You mean, you wouldn't want to be married to THE John Roxton?" Ned clasped his hands together and sighed airily.
"Are you mocking me?" Her eyes shot daggers at him. "Stop being an idiot." Veronica slapped him up-side the head.
"Ow." He rubbed the sore spot on his head. "That's going to leave a bump."
"What's wrong with Roxton? I mean, you don't even know the guy." Veronica turned back to Marguerite.
"Please. He's arrogant, pig-headed and probably doesn't have much going on for him upstairs, if you know what I mean." She said as she tapped her head indicating his brain.
"But he's so easy on the eyes." Veronica she teased as she nudged Marguerite in the ribs.
"True. But how on earth is that going to help me on this project? So what if I could stare at him for hours... the report isn't going to write itself just because he's gorgeous."
"Whatever. You can't mean to tell me that the thought of being Mrs. John Roxton doesn't appeal to you even the slightest bit."
"Not even a bit. There's nothing I wouldn't want any less. If I ever decide to get married I would like my husband to have a brain... that works. And definitely not a brain that just needs its ego stroked 24/7."
"Liar. I mean, look at him. Did you see the guy's..."
"I SO don't want to be part of this conversation. Just because I have two girls for best friends that does NOT mean that I will engage in 'girl talk' about how hot a guy is. THAT is where I draw the line." Ned interrupted.
"No one asked you to join, Neddy-bear."/ "There is nothing to discuss!" Veronica and Marguerite said at the same time.
"Stop talking when I'm talking."/ "Stop talking when I'm talking."
"I'm not talking when you're talking! You're talking when I'm talking!" They said again simultaneously.
"Argh!"/ "Stop it!"
Ned stared at the two and couldn't help but laugh. Marguerite and Veronica were still glaring at each other when they too also noticed how funny the situation must have looked. Soon they were all laughing uncontrollably.
"Ahem. Marguerite Krux. John Roxton." Mr. Summerlee's said as he looked at the three disapprovingly.
"On the contrary, my dear Miss Krux. I believe there is PLENTY to discuss now..." Veronica smirked and gestured at Roxton who was sitting in the back of the class with his friends.
~~~~~
Danielle pouted and was clinging to his arms, whining about how unfair it was that she had to be married to a geek. "Who on earth is Marguerite?" Roxton completely ignored Danielle's comment.
One of his pals, pointed at Marguerite who was sitting up at the front of the class. "You sure lucked out, Johnny."
"What are you talking about?" Roxton was obviously getting annoyed with his 'friends'.
"Buddy, look at your wife to be! Pretty hot, don't ya think? Too bad she's a loser." His friend wiggled his eyebrows and smirked.
"Loser?" His brow wrinkled in confusion.
"Of course. If she's friends with that nosy kid, Malone, she's GOT to be a loser. No doubt about it." Another guy chimed in.
Roxton mentally shrugged. He didn't know Ned Malone very well but they did talk briefly when Ned was on the football team last year. Ned wasn't half bad at football but the way the rest of the jocks treated him was enough to send anyone off the team and never try-out again. Sometimes, Roxton didn't know what he saw in his friends. In all honesty, they were shallow and more than often, totally annoying. He took another quick glance towards Marguerite - his so-called wife for this assignment. His friends WERE right. She did have a certain aura that seemed to radiate off her. The glow surrounding her was attracting him like a moth to a flame. Not to mention her eyes. They sparkled like diamonds and her smile caused his insides to melt. *Get a hold of yourself. It's not like you've never seen a girl before!* He berated himself. *There's nothing different about her. You're working on a project together, that's all. A project. School assignment. Work. Nothing else.*
Roxton was so busy trying to get a hold of himself that he hadn't even noticed her approach his desk.
~~~~~
"He's staring at you." Veronica said plainly.
"Me? Sure. Uh huh. I believe you." She looked at Veronica as if she had grown another head out of her shoulder. "Maybe he's staring at you."
"I have to agree with Veronica, Marguerite. His line of eyesight is pointing directly at you." Ned nodded his head and gestured towards Roxton.
"Probably because he's disgusted to work with me. I mean, a popular guy like him having to work with such a commoner. Either that, or he prolly doesn't have the slightest clue who I am. Invisible. That's what I am to people like that."
"You've got to be joking. You're beautiful."
"Ned. If any other guy said that to me, it might actually mean something. But since you ARE one of my best friends, you HAVE to say stuff like that."
"But it's the truth. And I don't HAVE to say..."
"Yes. You do. Or else I would be forced to kick your..."
"Stop dawdling. Go on. Introduce yourself or something." She tugged on Marguerite's arm.
"But..."
"You're stalling, Marguerite." And she tugged even harder.
Marguerite struggled to keep her balance and avoid falling out of her chair. "Alright. I'm going. Just stop pulling on me."
Slowly but surely, she marched to the back of the room. Standing in front of his desk, she became a little self-conscious being surrounded by the "cool" people.
Taking a deep breath and putting on a radiant smile she extended her hand. "The thing about marriage is that it's probably a good idea to know what you're getting yourself into. I'm Marguerite. You know, your uhm... partner for this assignment."
At first he just stared at her. Not saying a word. Maybe she had crossed the line in approaching THE John Roxton. Or maybe he didn't want to be seen speaking with a commoner. Or maybe he was ignoring her like she was vapour. Or maybe...
"You can call me Roxton." He smiled back and accepted her hand.
end of flashback
Marguerite was so wrapped up in her memories that she didn't notice the sound of footsteps getting louder or even the shadow that was slowly approaching. Sitting on the ground with her back against her locker and her arms wrapped around her legs and her head resting on her knees she stared blankly across the hall to another locker - a certain locker that she used to steal quick peaks at. The locker that belonged to...
"The thing about marriage is that it's probably a good idea to know what you're getting yourself into. It's me. You know, your husband. Well. At least that's what Danielle and the others think." A voice brought her out of her reverie. She slowly let her gaze travel upwards and found herself face to face with Roxton who was kneeling beside her with a look of complete compassion and deep concern.
TBC...
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So whadya think? I'm not sure myself... but eh... we're getting somewhere... plus I wanted to put in another flashback... so sorries for delaying the m/r confrontation... it will happen... :) sad thing... I had the ending of the fic done before I had half of this chapter written up... sad.. but true... Alright.. now's your turn to clicky on the review button and speak your mind!
~*~*~*
CrimsonCat: glad you liked chapter 12... :) as for Amazons, did you find Finn? And I didn't have any better reason for Roxton to leave the auditorium... so I just stuck with that lame-o excuse ... anywho, glad you found the chapter entertaining... I try my best. :)
Rollypolly: I'm just lucky my sense of humour is being appreciated... :) sorries for the long wait.
Alanna: Danielle bashing... oh it was so fun to write. Believe me, I prolly had as much fun making it up as you did reading it. M/R interaction... coming up... soon...
Galxychld: Finn is slowly becoming one of my fave characters to write. The inner conversations are always enjoyable to write. Glad you like them. As for the talk... coming soon.
Anyanka: hee hee... I thought the running into a table was cheesy... but a lot of my stories are cheesy... hmm... pizza with cheese. (yes. I'm a nut)
Nicky: Glad you liked Finn's reaction and the running in the table scene. Reminded me of George of the Jungle tho. And as for Roxton's lame excuse... eh... we know how he can be a blubbering fool when put on the spot... (well, not really... but that's how I made him...)
A. Windsor: Thank you for the review... mucho appreciated.
EIE: Careful now... wouldn't want you to fall out of your chair from spinning too hard... and groovy? Hee hee... hmm... I honestly wasn't thinking about another Danieele encounter.. but hmm... now that you mention it... ;) thank you so much for your encouragement, support and the wonderful boosting of my ego... lol... ;) it means so much to me!
Erica: sorry about the whole inner conversation thingy... was it just confusing in general or was it the format of how it showed up? I didn't think about how the text would transfer to ff.net so the italics didn't show up..
Melanie-Anne: M&R will soon be put out of their misery... I wouldn't dare leave their relationship as it is...
Lixta: I know... it's quite funny how this fic centres on m&r yet there isn't much interaction between them... :) I should work on that... ;)
Robin2409: How was your vacation? Hope you had fun!
Ascamelien: "And ha-ha! Danielle ran into a table! Sucker! Muhahahah!" That alone made me laugh out loud!!! Thank you for the entertaining review!!!
Michi: Thank you so much for the compliment! I know for myself that fanfic helps me make it through the school term/work term as well! I'd go crazy w/o it! Hmm... can you say obsessed? ;) and the talk will be happening... soon...
Lora: Wow... my fic is all that stuff? *blushes* thank you SO much for that compliment! :)
~*~*~*
Alright. I apologize for the delay. I had this chapter started.. but work has been a little bit busy and I just haven't had as much time as I usually do to write this. I'm still not sure if I'm completely happy with the way this turned out... but it'll have to do for now. Enjoy! Oh and let's see if you can catch my subtle references to TLW in this alt-u.. ;) if you figure it out... I'll give you a cookie... or something...
****************************
Marguerite stumbled out of the auditorium with one hand on her hand and the other clutching at her chest where her heart was. She needed to get out of there. There were too many things jogging through her mind. Too many conflicting emotions. Oh. And not to mention that weird sensation she was feeling in her chest and the butterflies in her stomach.
*Why did HE have to show up? After all those years! I was perfectly fine. I don't need this anymore. I left those feelings behind when he... Augh. Why am I so confused? It's like I'm back in high school all over again.*
She was trudging through the hallways aimlessly until she looked up and realized where she was - back at her old locker. Of all the places to end up, she had to come here. She lightly fingered the locker. When she looked down at herself, she suddenly found herself in jeans and a t-shirt - not the same thing she had walked into the reunion with. She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Sure enough, she was still in the jeans and t-shirt. Confused, she reached the handle of the locker. She closed her eyes and pressed two fingers to her temples trying to hold back the tears. It was as if she was reliving that heart-wrenching moment all over again. As she pulled the locker door open, a flurry of loose-leaf papers flew out like a whirlwind to the floor. *No... It can't be possible!* With a shaky hand she reached for a sheet of paper. Half expecting to see the same cruel words scrawled over the sheet, she held her breath and turned the sheet over in her hands. Nothing. She frantically flipped the page to the other side. Blank. She scrambled on the floor tossing the papers looking for that ONE paper. And in a blink of an eye, she was back in her satin dress staring at an empty locker. An empty locker that still held a lot of painful memories that haunted her to this very day. She searched her mind to try and figure out what she did to deserve that kind of treachery. Even after 10 odd years or so, her mind drew a blank. She thought back to when it all started. All the way back to that silly major assignment they were given in Family Studies.
flashback
"Alright class. This assignment will be worth 20% of your mark. So it is especially important that you do well on it. This can be the deciding factor between a pass and a fail. A good mark and an extremely good mark. But it's not an individual project. You WILL be working in pairs."
As soon as Mr. Summerlee said the word "pairs", about a dozen hands went up.
"And no. You don't get to choose your own partner." Slowly the hands went down. "We are extremely lucky that the class is evenly split. So, everyone will have a partner. I expect that you will both share the workload equally."
A hand rose. "Sir, are you going to tell us what the project is?"
"All in due time. As you should all know, high school is a place of learning. A place to prepare yourself for the future. And this is one project that will most likely become a reality. Hopefully not in the near future but eventually." Summerlee had now won the attention of his students. They were all curious as to what the project was.
"This project will teach you how to budget your money and also teach you the meaning of responsibility. Otherwise known as the "Marriage Project".
At the word "marriage", there were a lot of groans.
Another couple of hands rose.
"And when I said that you don't get to choose your own partner, I meant it."
The hands remained up.
"And there will be no swapping spouses either."
An echo's of whiny "Awwww." rang throughout the classroom as the hands went down.
"I've put the guys and girls names in separate piles. So this will be entirely random."
Marguerite looked at Veronica worriedly. "I can't believe they're making us do this. Isn't it unconstitutional or something?"
"Sure, Marguerite. Whatever you say."
"Marriage? Pah! I'm not going to get married! Why would I need to do this project? I should be exempted!" Ned said matter of factly.
"Bet you'll be the first one of us to get married. You know, to a rich supermodel or something. You'll never have to work again! You'd be set for life!" Marguerite laughed and nudged him playfully. Turning to Veronica, she noticed Veronica's face falter slightly before covering it up with a weak smile.
"And how about you, Marguerite?" He laughed.
"What about me? I plan to be successful in the future. Being tied down will just get in the way." She said in a dignified tone.
"Yah right, Marguerite."
"Contrary to popular belief, I don't need a knight in shining armour."
"Whatever. You're just waiting for your dashing prince to sweep you off your feet." Veronica smirked.
"How romantic..." Ned squeaked in a girlish voice while batting his eyelashes.
Marguerite swatted him in the head. "Oh, grow up, Ned."
"Shush you two. Mr. Summerlee is drawing a name."
"Danielle Curst, do you take..." He reached in the other pile, "... Ned Malone to be your lawfully wedded husband 'til death do you part or until this project is due. Whichever comes first."
"You have GOT to be kidding me!!!" She screeched.
"Trust me, the feeling is completely mutual." Ned muttered under his breath.
"Look, they're already fighting like a married couple." A voice shouted out loudly. The rest of the class erupted with laughter.
"Settle down." Mr. Summerlee said sternly. "Ned Malone. Do you take Danielle to be your lawfully wedded wife 'til... well, you know the rest."
Ned sighed in defeat. "I don't think I really have a choice, now do I."
"That's the spirit!" Mr. Summerlee said cheerfully. "Alright. Let's quicken the pace a bit. When I announce the pairings I don't want to hear any fussing." He reached in the pile again. "Veronica Layton and Dan Uze."
Veronica grinned in her seat. Not a terrible choice considering that Ned was already partnered up with Danielle.
*Of all the bloody luck! Of course Veronica had to get Dan, the only other decent guy in the class, Ned being the other one of course.
By now, most of the class had been paired off. Marguerite was still waiting for her name to be called.
"Augh." She muttered. "Just look at who's left."
Veronica scanned the classroom and spotted the remaining possible choices.
"How about Roxton? He's a fine looking specimen, if I do say so myself." She said wistfully.
"Roxton? That blubbering imbecile? He probably can't even tie his own shoe, let alone work on a school assignment. I bet he has to pay someone to do his homework." She glared at Veronica for even suggesting it.
"You mean, you wouldn't want to be married to THE John Roxton?" Ned clasped his hands together and sighed airily.
"Are you mocking me?" Her eyes shot daggers at him. "Stop being an idiot." Veronica slapped him up-side the head.
"Ow." He rubbed the sore spot on his head. "That's going to leave a bump."
"What's wrong with Roxton? I mean, you don't even know the guy." Veronica turned back to Marguerite.
"Please. He's arrogant, pig-headed and probably doesn't have much going on for him upstairs, if you know what I mean." She said as she tapped her head indicating his brain.
"But he's so easy on the eyes." Veronica she teased as she nudged Marguerite in the ribs.
"True. But how on earth is that going to help me on this project? So what if I could stare at him for hours... the report isn't going to write itself just because he's gorgeous."
"Whatever. You can't mean to tell me that the thought of being Mrs. John Roxton doesn't appeal to you even the slightest bit."
"Not even a bit. There's nothing I wouldn't want any less. If I ever decide to get married I would like my husband to have a brain... that works. And definitely not a brain that just needs its ego stroked 24/7."
"Liar. I mean, look at him. Did you see the guy's..."
"I SO don't want to be part of this conversation. Just because I have two girls for best friends that does NOT mean that I will engage in 'girl talk' about how hot a guy is. THAT is where I draw the line." Ned interrupted.
"No one asked you to join, Neddy-bear."/ "There is nothing to discuss!" Veronica and Marguerite said at the same time.
"Stop talking when I'm talking."/ "Stop talking when I'm talking."
"I'm not talking when you're talking! You're talking when I'm talking!" They said again simultaneously.
"Argh!"/ "Stop it!"
Ned stared at the two and couldn't help but laugh. Marguerite and Veronica were still glaring at each other when they too also noticed how funny the situation must have looked. Soon they were all laughing uncontrollably.
"Ahem. Marguerite Krux. John Roxton." Mr. Summerlee's said as he looked at the three disapprovingly.
"On the contrary, my dear Miss Krux. I believe there is PLENTY to discuss now..." Veronica smirked and gestured at Roxton who was sitting in the back of the class with his friends.
~~~~~
Danielle pouted and was clinging to his arms, whining about how unfair it was that she had to be married to a geek. "Who on earth is Marguerite?" Roxton completely ignored Danielle's comment.
One of his pals, pointed at Marguerite who was sitting up at the front of the class. "You sure lucked out, Johnny."
"What are you talking about?" Roxton was obviously getting annoyed with his 'friends'.
"Buddy, look at your wife to be! Pretty hot, don't ya think? Too bad she's a loser." His friend wiggled his eyebrows and smirked.
"Loser?" His brow wrinkled in confusion.
"Of course. If she's friends with that nosy kid, Malone, she's GOT to be a loser. No doubt about it." Another guy chimed in.
Roxton mentally shrugged. He didn't know Ned Malone very well but they did talk briefly when Ned was on the football team last year. Ned wasn't half bad at football but the way the rest of the jocks treated him was enough to send anyone off the team and never try-out again. Sometimes, Roxton didn't know what he saw in his friends. In all honesty, they were shallow and more than often, totally annoying. He took another quick glance towards Marguerite - his so-called wife for this assignment. His friends WERE right. She did have a certain aura that seemed to radiate off her. The glow surrounding her was attracting him like a moth to a flame. Not to mention her eyes. They sparkled like diamonds and her smile caused his insides to melt. *Get a hold of yourself. It's not like you've never seen a girl before!* He berated himself. *There's nothing different about her. You're working on a project together, that's all. A project. School assignment. Work. Nothing else.*
Roxton was so busy trying to get a hold of himself that he hadn't even noticed her approach his desk.
~~~~~
"He's staring at you." Veronica said plainly.
"Me? Sure. Uh huh. I believe you." She looked at Veronica as if she had grown another head out of her shoulder. "Maybe he's staring at you."
"I have to agree with Veronica, Marguerite. His line of eyesight is pointing directly at you." Ned nodded his head and gestured towards Roxton.
"Probably because he's disgusted to work with me. I mean, a popular guy like him having to work with such a commoner. Either that, or he prolly doesn't have the slightest clue who I am. Invisible. That's what I am to people like that."
"You've got to be joking. You're beautiful."
"Ned. If any other guy said that to me, it might actually mean something. But since you ARE one of my best friends, you HAVE to say stuff like that."
"But it's the truth. And I don't HAVE to say..."
"Yes. You do. Or else I would be forced to kick your..."
"Stop dawdling. Go on. Introduce yourself or something." She tugged on Marguerite's arm.
"But..."
"You're stalling, Marguerite." And she tugged even harder.
Marguerite struggled to keep her balance and avoid falling out of her chair. "Alright. I'm going. Just stop pulling on me."
Slowly but surely, she marched to the back of the room. Standing in front of his desk, she became a little self-conscious being surrounded by the "cool" people.
Taking a deep breath and putting on a radiant smile she extended her hand. "The thing about marriage is that it's probably a good idea to know what you're getting yourself into. I'm Marguerite. You know, your uhm... partner for this assignment."
At first he just stared at her. Not saying a word. Maybe she had crossed the line in approaching THE John Roxton. Or maybe he didn't want to be seen speaking with a commoner. Or maybe he was ignoring her like she was vapour. Or maybe...
"You can call me Roxton." He smiled back and accepted her hand.
end of flashback
Marguerite was so wrapped up in her memories that she didn't notice the sound of footsteps getting louder or even the shadow that was slowly approaching. Sitting on the ground with her back against her locker and her arms wrapped around her legs and her head resting on her knees she stared blankly across the hall to another locker - a certain locker that she used to steal quick peaks at. The locker that belonged to...
"The thing about marriage is that it's probably a good idea to know what you're getting yourself into. It's me. You know, your husband. Well. At least that's what Danielle and the others think." A voice brought her out of her reverie. She slowly let her gaze travel upwards and found herself face to face with Roxton who was kneeling beside her with a look of complete compassion and deep concern.
TBC...
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So whadya think? I'm not sure myself... but eh... we're getting somewhere... plus I wanted to put in another flashback... so sorries for delaying the m/r confrontation... it will happen... :) sad thing... I had the ending of the fic done before I had half of this chapter written up... sad.. but true... Alright.. now's your turn to clicky on the review button and speak your mind!