Hi Guys! OK first off I want to make the biggest of all apologies to you all! I am sooooooo sorry it's taken me so long to update. My job has gotten so crazy the past couple of months and I've been so burnt out I just haven't had the energy to do anything which is no excuse but it's the truth. But everything is starting to calm down now and so I have no excuses whatsoever. So from here on out, feel free to poke, prod, harrass and embarass me until I post more, I need the pushes!
So anyway, here is another chapter. I'm sorry if it's crappy or rubbish but it's the best I could do with so little thought processing time :P.
Although I am terrible person for leaving so long to update, I would be so especially grateful if you could find the time to review. It would make my day!
Love xx
Christina sat in the back booth at Nicky's listening to Una Wallace moan about her latest boy trouble and wishing Lily would hurry up with their drinks. The rest of the girls were scattered around the room, Olivia over by the jukebox and Iz having a heart to heart with Alfie who had insisted on coming out despite her protests.
So far the night was a bust, Christina had spent a good twenty minutes getting ready and for what? To listen to the other girls discuss their latest relationships apparently and then get stuck with the infamous Miss Wallace, a notorious cry baby and drama queen but also the current holder of the school's best 200m fly time.
The blue cotton dress that Christina had wasted at least ten minutes picking out, trying to find the perfect 'I just threw this on' outfit, was already starting to crease as if personifying her restlessness and motivating her to move. The only good aspect of the night was the perfect view this particular booth gave her of the pool tables. In particular, the pool table where Reid Garwin and Tyler Sims were playing. She been watching Tyler as much as she was able to as he talked, laughed and took each shot with so much longing she was sure it would drive her crazy eventually.
Una's crying suddenly kicked up a notch, her face scrunching tighter and her words completely undecipherable, clutching her used Kleenex as if it were a life raft keeping her afloat. Christina placed a hand on the distressed girls back trying to comfort her but her agitation made her a little unsympathetic to say the leas and she couldn't help her attention shift away from Una. It had been at least 15 minutes since Lily had left, was she making the coke herself? And since then all the garnered from Una was that Rick Steinburg had gone to a party with Mumble Mumble and hadn't called her for either four days or more lays. It annoyed her so much that some girls became so hung up on their boy troubles it was almost as if they couldn't function without some kind of drama or soap opera taking over their lives.
Suddenly Lily appeared, in a swathe of pink, and placed 3 coke glasses on the table along with a tall tan blonde (on the seat next to Una of course and not the table).
"Una, sweetie" Lily smiled, causing the depressed redhead to look up, "This is Mark"
As soon as Una saw him her expression suddenly brightened and she hastily began rubbing her smudged mascara away, trying to regain some form of grace and elegance. Christina shot Lily a look that showed both her immense relief and amazement.
The blonde continued with a smug smile on her face, "Mark is the president of the Environmental Awareness Club and he's been telling me all about his latest fundraising idea. Mark, Una has been the chair of the last 3 school dance's, she's a pro at organizing events: you two should talk"
And with that, she pulled Christina out of the booth and over to the pool tables, chucking her a cue as she went.
"OK, that was…magic!" Christina breathed, "How did you just conjure that guy up like that?"
Lily just shook out her hair, and smiled, "Practice, luck and a little bit of fair dust"
"and besides", she giggled, sweeping her long, curly blonde hair over her shoulder, "I couldn't leave one of my best girls drowning in the sorrows of Una cries-a-lot Wallace"
They laughed and Christina began lining up the balls as Lily took a sip of her drink.
"Why, hello there gorgeous"
The brunette looked up from the table to see Aaron Abbot standing a couple of feet away, cue in his hands.
"Can I help you with something?" she replied as Lily took her first shot.
Aaron chuckled lightly, taking a couple of steps closer, "Lets just say I have an itch only you can scratch, beautiful".
Christina couldn't help a burst of laughter escape her mouth but this didn't seem to deter him at all.
"Did you seriously just use that line?" she giggled, shaking her head as she bent slightly to take her shot, and saw Lily's green eyes watching Aaron carefully.
He took another step closer, within touching distance now.
"Come on, baby, you know you want to" he drawled and began trailing his finger up her leg and giving her ass a little slap. He barely touched her skin but it felt dirty and wrong.
She jerked away from him, walking to the other side of the table, "Take the hint Aaron and leave me alone".
As she moved to take her shot again, she felt his breath on her shoulder, far too close for comfort. She was aware of people watching now.
"Just one kiss, babe, one kiss and I'll go" he whispered, gently pushing her dark brown hair behind her shoulder, exposing her pale neck. She couldn't help it but the feeling of his hot breath on her neck did something to her although in her mind it was Tyler's sweet exhale that tickled her throat. He fed on her distraction and quickly tilted her head with his fingers, kissing her fully. Her mouth moved automatically, still caught up in her fantasy until reality caught hold. Suddenly and violently she pulled away, slamming her fist hard across the jaw.
"Get away from me, jerk" she cried, moving further around the table but the persistent Aaron followed her. It was that yell that alerted Tyler, and most of the other people in the bar, that something was going bad.
"Come on, you know you liked it really" he heard Aaron purr but Christina was having none of it. He watched as she dropped her cue, walking back to the booth where the rest of the swim girls sat but Aaron grabbed her arm, pulling her closer. Tyler watched as she squirmed.
As calmly as he could he walked over.
"Come on Abbot, she's not interested" Tyler said, trying to hide his anger but Aaron shrugged off his hand, barely noticing it.
"Why don't you go back to your boyfriend, Sims. This doesn't concern you"
He tightened his grip on Christina's arm and she gasped lightly, her eyes no longer filled with anger or disgust but fear. He was hurting her now, his bruised ego making him act a little more irrationally than normal and it almost looked as though he was taking some pleasure from her main. Tyler's rage built and he struggled to hold it back.
Aaron made to drag Christina and that's when Tyler erupted. Before he knew what he was doing, he slammed his fist into Aarons face, watching as the older boy dropped to the floor, blood already spilling into his hands.
"You little prick" Aaron growled, standing back up and squaring himself off, ready for a fight. That was until Caleb and Pogue turned up, Reid already flanking Tyler - if you take on one Son of Ipswich, you take on them all.
"What was that Aaron?" Caleb asked, though they all knew exactly what Abbot had said.
Realizing he had no chance, Aaron left with a growl, slinking off to lick his wounds.
By now the entire bar was aware of what had happened and therefore so was a majority of the Spenser student body. Tyler was aware of their eyes but his attention was focused solely on Christina. She looked shell-shocked to say the least, her entire frame shaking uncontrollably.
Christina looked down at her arm and rubbed it lightly, knowing it was going to bruise. Tyler watched her, checking for any other signs of hurt or damage. She looked up, silver eyes shining and nodded her thanks but as she tried to smile he noticed tears forming. Without any conscious thought he pulled her into his arms, ushering her to the backdoor. He heard whispers behind him as he led her out but it didn't matter. He'd deal with the fall out later.
She clung to him as she cried, fingers grasping at his jumper. How had this happened? First the incident with Aaron and now she was breaking down in front of Tyler. He probably thought she was such a loser right now.
If only she knew that he was only, no, could only think about the feel of her soft hair against his arms and her chlorinated-sunshine smell.
Abruptly though she pulled back, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Sorry" she apologized, embarrassed for her breakdown.
Tyler smiled at her, slowly wiping away the trails her make-up had left as she cried, "Don't apologize, you've got nothing to be sorry for"
She smiled a little, looking deep into his bright blue eyes as he stared back, lost in her silver gaze. Without warning though, the backdoor creaked open and out came James.
"What the hell happened in there Chrissie?" he asked, voice full of concern, "Lily said Aaron Abbot practically raped you"
As much as she wanted to stay in that tight embrace with Tyler, she was sure he felt as awkward about it as she should have. She looked to James and let her body drift away from Tyler. James placed his arm protectively around her and nodded to Tyler, who nodded back.
"Thank you Tyler" Christina breathed.
Tyler smiled, "Anytime".
Christina smiled back, keeping her focus on him as long as she could whilst James ushered her back into the bar leaving Tyler with a new feeling of emptiness that he knew only she could fill.