CHAPTER EIGHT
"Romeo and Juliet, ladies and gentlemen, is a wonderful play that has stayed with us through the ages. As you all know, you have been chosen to portray these characters." Mrs Burdette paced across the stage back and forth as she had all the speaking characters stand in front of her.
I fidgeted a little but stood tall and strong. Surprisingly, everybody turned up on time, despite the fact that it was all afterschool practises.
"Every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday you will have afterschool practises. For those of you who have other after school activities you will have to study harder." She stopped and stared at the boys who played contact sports. "And for those of you who get tackled too hard you better hope that you don't get brain damage."
"Or you don't make your case worse for some people," I whispered a little too loudly.
The group laughed and Mrs gave me a disapproving look before she walked off the stage. I bit my bottom lip to contain my smirk. Zach and I had been doing that a lot lately. Saying little things here and there that only we knew were directed at each other.
I didn't mind so much to be honest. Being angry at Zach was easier than being nice. You could find anything to be angry at him about.
His cocky, arrogant attitude... his smirk... the way his hair is never a hair out of place... the fact that he's my neighbour...
UGH!
"Now, get with your respected partners and we shall practise the art of dance!" She clapped her hands in joy.
I felt like clapping that smirk off Zach's face as he looked over in my direction.
I walked onto the stage and we stood in two lines, facing our partners. We followed her instructions in silence, placing our palms flat in the air, a few centimetres apart.
As we spun, Zach ducked his head close and whispered, "Why so mean, Gallagher Girl?"
I ground my teeth together. Curse him and his little pet name for me.
He did not get to be a total asshole to me for the past few weeks and then is allowed to act like I'm the one who started it all! No. Way.
"Don't, okay? I'm not the one who started this."
Zach rolled his eyes. "Sure"—he dragged out the 'u'—"you didn't. It's not like you ever make me want to tear my hair out of my head."
I gasped in mock horror. "Oh, we're that angry that we want to damage the hair? Not the hair!"
He took deep breaths. "Trust me, if it weren't for the fact that you are Grant's cousin and we're doing this stupid play together, I wouldn't even have bothered with you in the first place."
Ouch. That stung.
"Don't pretend like this is a favour you're doing for me. Don't pretend to be nice or actually have any feelings because I'm Grant's cousin. Heaven forbid the day when you realise that I'm actually a human being with a name that does not include the words 'Grant's cousin'."
We stopped dancing.
"Hmmm," Mrs hummed, walking up and down the lines. "That was good. But let's try it in singular pairs. Cameron and Zachary, you're up." She clicked her fingers.
"Heaven forbid the day you actually learn some manners," I whispered heatedly as I walked to the centre.
"You just don't stop, do you?" He shook his head in amazement.
"If you just tell me what's gotten you so angry..." I suggested.
Zach's expression darkened. "It's nothing, alright? I'm keeping my promise."
Oh. "Your promise wasn't to be an ass, Zachary. It was for us to not date."
He rolled his eyes. "I know the terms."
"Then what's with you being an ass?"
The music drowned to a stop as the last note hummed in the background.
"Foreheads together, act like you're in love!" Our teacher called.
Zach pressed his forehead against mine, and his hair fell. He looked up from his eye lashes and whispered, "It's just easier this way, Cam."
"And... Cut!" Mrs Burdette clapped her hands and Zach pushed me away gently. "Excellent! That last part..." She sighed. "Wonderful! Okay, next is..."
I grabbed my bags and waited at the front of the school for Bex. She had been avoiding me all day and there was no way she was going to avoid me now. Besides, she needed to take her bag home. She had a three week overdue assignment in here.
I leaned against the brick wall and waited, tapping my foot as I got impatient.
But the next person to walk out the door and head towards me wasn't Bex.
Or Grantie.
Or Zach.
It was... Marc.
Talking to Marc hadn't been very high on my to-do list this week. In fact, avoiding Marc, was extremely high on the yearly to do this, just falling underneath 'do not fail high school.' I shifted my weight and glanced towards the car park, pretending I didn't see him.
Mean, I know. But it was for his own good. And Grant's.
"Hey Cam," he said, coming to a stop.
I smiled and brushed away the hair from my face. "Hey Marc. What's up?"
He glanced around the parking lot.
"Grant isn't here right now," I said. He could be making out with Rebecca Baxter, but with Bex avoiding me all day, I wasn't so sure anymore.
Relief coloured his face. "Phew. Anyway, I was kind of wondering if you wanted to go out with me sometime...?"
Dear Lord, where is Grant when you need him?
"Umm..."
Marc blushed, wincing. "That came out wrong."
"Sorry?"
"I didn't mean as a date," he said and squinted. "Well, not now, I mean. What I meant to say was..."
Marc blathered on and his voice faded out as Zach and I linked eyes. His eyebrow was raised and for some bizarre reason I thought he was challenging me.
"Yes," I blurted out.
My heart pounded. What. Did. I. Just. Do?
"W-What?"
"I said yes."
"Okay." Marc nodded his head slowly before regaining his composure. "So, your house or my house?"
"Grant will be there," I said, shrugging. CrapcrapcrapCRAP!
"It won't matter, will it? I mean, we're only going over the script."
"Yeah," I said, happy with relief. "Grant will be fine with it. He could even pitch in on the voices."
Heart attack over!
"So, I'll see you around seven on Friday?"
"Friday at seven."
Marc smiled, little dimples showed, and he walked away. I closed my eyes for a brief moment and sighed in relief. I hadn't agreed to an actual date. It was all fine. Everything was well.
"You get a hot date?"
I could feel the glare behind my close eyelids. "No," I said, peeling them open. "It's not a date."
Zach raised his eyebrows. "Huh? The kid is practically peeing happiness." He eyed his back as Marc got in the car.
"Jealousy is a sin, you know."
His eyes were sharp. "I'm not jealous."
"Never said you were."
"You were implying it which is pretty much the same thing."
I shrugged. "Get over yourself, Goode. You made it very clear that you wanted nothing friendly to do with me. So what are you here for?"
"Rehearsals."
"Well, rehearsals have finished now so there's no need for you to linger around me. I know what I can do to men has obviously affected you, but your moods are starting to give me whip lash."
He rolled his eyes. "Oh, and they say I'm the cocky, ego-headed one at the school."
I rolled my eyes and caught a sight of Bex.
"Eat my dust, Goode," I said, pushing off the wall and grabbing onto Bex's arm and lead her away.
"Ouch, Morgan," she hissed.
I stopped walking and push her in front of me.
"Well," I said.
She rolled her eyes.
She rolled her eyes!
"I said no."
"No?"
"No."
"So you said yes?"
"No."
"You said no?"
"Yes."
"But I thought you said—"
Bex glared at me and I shut up.
For a second.
"But why? Why did you say no?" This is getting ridiculous.
"What?" she said innocently. "I need to keep him on his toes."
I repeat earlier thought statement.
"On his toes?"
She waved a hand at me and continued walking to her car. "What'd you expect me to do? Say yes?"
"Yes, actually I did." I stepped in front of her, blocking her way. "Bex, sooner or later he's toes are going to bruise and he'll stop chasing you. Please. Stop leading him on!"
"I'm doing no such thing!"
"Bex," I said softly. "Grant's my cousin and you're my best friend. Don't act like that between the two of you I wouldn't have the majority of the story."
Bex stepped around me and got into her car. She clenched the steering wheel and hit her head against it. I waited patiently. She needed a moment.
Bex wound the window down.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "But I'm scared, Cam. I'm scared of what saying yes means. He's liked me for so long and we have the same circle of friends. What if I stuff it up? What if we broke up and we broke the group up as well?"
I pulled Bex out of the car and hugged her.
"Let's just take it one day at a time, 'k? One day at a time."
Mehh. This was very much a bludge chapter so I don't get murdered :D And don't murder me yet. I know a lot of you were hoping that Bex would say yes, and I know I am a horrible person cause she said no, but stay with me, please! They will be making progress, just you wait and see.
And is anybody else getting dizzy with Zach's mood swings? I mean, honestly, Zach, what the hell are you doing?
And you'll probably be asking that question in huge capitals for the next chapter, I'm guessing ;D
Also, for those who didn't get the sneak peek That's What You Get was nominated for a Gallagher Girl Award. It was nominated for Most Fantastic AU (Alternate Universe). And voting is now up!
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Just take out the [] in the address and it'll take you to the forum. So go support your favourite stories and vote for them! I know I'm crossing fingers for a lot of stories!
Oh. And I've put that new story on hold. I figured that considering I rarely update this one, it would be pointless to start a new one :S
But I'm on my holidays now, so hopefully, you should expect to see me a lot more! :D
Ellen.