The Makeup (Chapter 3 - By the Cover)
"For the rest of the day, I avoided Nathan..."
Rose
For the rest of the day, I avoided Nathan, darting from lesson to lesson.
After the first incident, Nathan didn't show up outside of anymore of my classrooms, but just in case, I decided against riding the bus. Mum, as expected, was late, having been staying to discuss the terms of the promotion in more depth with Keith. I didn't mind really.
I had my headphones, so I listened to my music on full blast, watching as Nathan boarded the bus all the way at the other end of the building.
It felt almost unnatural getting into my mum's clunky red BMW, a holdover from the '70s that really should have been off the road years ago.
Getting in the back seat, I fold my knees up to my chest.
"How was school?" Mum asked, trying to make eye contact through the rear view mirror.
I don't speak. I just slide down into the chair, my headphones on full blast, successfully ignoring my mum.
When we finally got home, I darted up the stairs, not even giving Mum a chance to ask me what was wrong.
I just lay under the covers trying to smudge away everything that happened to today, still feeling the tingle on my lips. It was not going away. Part of me wanted it to stay, yet another part of me wanted to slap him.
Bunching my fists in my pillow, I scream in frustration, the fluffy fabric muffling the sound. I couldn't stop shaking. That night, I fell asleep crying angry tears.
I woke some time later as my mum walked into my room. "What the hell happened today?" she asked gently, wiping my face with a tissue. Tears started streaming down my face as I started to bawl. "Oh darling, shh," Mum soothed. "Everything will be alright."
Nathan
I missed Rose today on the bus home. Harry didn't give me any shit. Nobody did. It was official, I was invisible again.
When she wasn't at school the next day, I was worried. We had never gone this long without talking, not ever since our first day in primary school, when those other kids had first ridiculed her. That was one of the few times I had ever seen Rose cry. She's always been such a strong person, one of the strongest I've ever met actually. She's stubborn as hell, yet one of kindest people I know, always willing to help those who need it, myself included. Especially me, really. It was Rose who helped me get along after my dad's death and I love her so dearly for that.
And now I may have lost her, all because of a stupid dream. But all this moping would do nothing to change that. I needed talk to her. I needed to be near her.
Jumping up off the sofa, I ran for the door and snatched my coat off the rack, quickly shrugging it on as I walked down the street, though I hardly felt the cold. I was too busy rehearsing what I was going to say. By the time I reached the Willow's front door, I had it down. I knocked immediately, hoping my courage wouldn't desert me.
When the door opened, I was ready, but it wasn't Rose who stood in the doorway. It was her mother. A lump started to form in my throat. "Um, uh, is Rose there?"
Mrs. Willow looked at me sadly. "She is, but I'm afraid she's a bit under the weather. I'll let her know you stopped by."
I nodded, feeling my heart sink, but I thanked her anyway.
Rose
I watched as Nathan shuffled sadly away, his head down, a well-aimed kick sending a pebble flying through the slush. Part of me wanted to run after him. To catch him and kiss him back. But that other part put its foot down. I chastised myself for being such a wimp. What was I afraid of?
Nathan
Rose returned to school on the first day of exams, acknowledging my presence this time, but still refusing to talk. I couldn't stand to be near her with so much silence still separating us.
She would occasionally glance at me, but only to let me know that I should keep my distance, but I'll wait for as long as it takes, even if it kills me, and I'm pretty it sure it will. I sigh, thumping my head down on the desk.
"Trouble in paradise, eh?" Harry's voice asks, unwelcome.
"Not in the mood," I warn.
Harry continued to run his mouth. "You never are... If you ask me, that's probably why she's giving you the snub."
He opened his mouth like he was going to say something else, but I cut him off. "Whatever you're going to say, don't." Harry backed away, holding his hands up in mock defence.
Ms. Lewis walked out from behind her desk. "You may turn over your exam. You will have two hours to complete it. Good luck."
As I turned over my test, a folding sheet of paper fell to the floor. It was a poem: The Boy Who Makes Me Laugh. I recognised her handwriting immediately, hiding it before the teacher could see.
I tried to focus on the exam, but that was pointless. I couldn't stop thinking about the poem. The first time Ms. Lewis looked away, I had it out of my pocket, reading it quickly before returning it to its hiding place.
Rose
The English exam soared by, my fingers aching by the time I had finished writing, still with fifteen minutes to spare. After that, I was taken out into the hall to wait with all the rest who had finished early. The worst part was having no one to talk to about the exam or anything. Life really sucked without my best friend.
I missed Nathan so much. I needed him more than anything else in the world. And we needed to sort this out.
Nathan
The English exam finally ended, and as lengthy and tough as it was, I was glad to see Rose soaring through it like she always did.
Afterward, I spotted Rose loitering, clueless of what to do or who to talk to. I don't think she was as furious with me as she was before. We need to fix things between us, and what better time but the present. No matter the situation, we both knew we couldn't stay mad at each other forever. It's just the way we are, the way we've always been.
I summon the courage to go over and talk to Rose, gently tapping her shoulder.
"Hey," I managed.
"Hi." Rose started to blush, subconsciously brushing hair back from her face. But before I can say anymore, the bell rings and it's time for the next lesson.
Rose
At the end of the day, I stood out in the cold, waiting for my mum to turn up. Mum's not the most punctual person in the world. I hoped she'd show up before I turned into a Popsicle.
I turned as the doors behind me slammed shut, surprised to find Nathan walking towards me.
"Hi." I tried to smile.
He smiled back. "Hey." Nathan had such an easy smile.
"You miss the bus?"
He nodded. "I was hoping your mum could give me a ride."
Before I could reply, my mum's ugly old BMW pulled up to the curb. Nathan climbed into the back seat like it was the most natural thing in the world, scooting over to make room for me.
Mum glanced at him through the rear view mirror. "Nathan, dear, so good to see you."
Nathan smiled once more. "It's good to see you, too."
"I was starting to wonder where you'd gotten to, but I can imagine school must have been quite busy with preparing for all those midterm exams." Nathan nodded.
"Well it is good to see you." Mum smiled, turning her attention back to the busy road in front of her. The rest of the drive passed in silence.
As we pulled into the driveway, Mum broke the silence. "Oh, Rose darling, I forgot I needed to pop over to the grocery to get some things for dinner. It shouldn't take me very long. I'll be back shortly."
"Alright," I replied as Nathan and I got out of the car.
Once inside, I sat down in the lounge, not entirely sure what to do. "So?"
"So," Nathan repeated, plopping down onto the sofa next to me.
"Yesterday." He nodded. "I'm sorry I freaked out on you."
"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have sprung that on you." I felt myself start to blush.
Nathan
Sitting there with Rose just then, I wondered if her heart was beating as fast as mine.
Rose
My heart was pounding so fast, I hoped to God Nathan couldn't hear it. When he rested his hand on my knee, I felt myself start to melt.
Nathan
I felt my heart skip a beat as I looked into her beautiful blue eyes and the need to kiss her was almost overwhelming. I realised then that I had unknowingly started to lean in closer, and to my surprise, Rose had started to do the same.
"Wait... I don't think we should do this," Rose interrupted, probably thinking about our friendship
I cracked what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "Don't worry." Gently pulling Rose to me, I kissed her like I had wanted to for so long. And amazingly, this time, she kissed me back.
Rose
Everything melted away as he kissed me. In that moment, nothing else mattered.
Nathan
One moment I was kissing her and the next Rose was scrambling back to the other end of the sofa. "Mum!" she screamed.
"Oh," Mrs. Willow exclaimed, nearly dropping her groceries. "I, um, I'll just go put these away," she muttered, hurrying off towards the kitchen.
Rose
I could feel my face flush as I leapt away from Nathan. I can't believe that just happened. Oh God, Mum just walked in on me kissing my best friend.
Even Nathan was blushing. "I should go," he whispered and headed for the door.
"Oh Nathan dear, are you leaving already?" Mum asked as she walked back into lounge.
Nathan nodded and finished tugging on his coat. "I have some more studying to do and I figured I'd go to sleep early."
"Alright, well won't you at least stay for dinner?"
Nathan managed a smile. "I would love to."
...
When dinner was over and Nathan had gone home, I holed up in my room, claiming I needed to do some studying, too.
I fell asleep that night thinking of Nathan and wondering what all this would mean for our friendship.
Nathan
Lying in my bed that night, I could hardly sleep. I left Rose's house only a few hours ago and I already missed her. And what I wanted now, more than anything, was for her to be lying next to me. I feel the beat of my heart quicken just thinking about her. Taking a deep breath, I try to steady its erratic pace, letting my eyelids fall closed as my mind starts to drift, wondering what this could possibly mean for our friendship.
...
The next morning I awoke to a loud banging on the front door. I sat up quickly, scrambling to get out of bed, but instead falling face-first to the floor in a tangle of sheets.
Rose
A loud thump sounds from the second floor, making me cringe. A minute or two later the door opened, revealing a slightly dishevelled Nathan, still in his pyjamas, a hand rubbing his sore red cheek. "Rose?" he yawned. "The bus doesn't leave won't come for almost an hour."
"I know, but I wanted to talk to you."
"Um, ok, sure." He motioned for me to come in. "Can I get you anything?" Nathan asked, always the gentleman. "Tea maybe?"
I nodded, feeling myself start to smile. "Tea would be lovely."
He smiled back, humming softly as I followed him into the kitchen. Waiting quietly as he fixes me some tea, I begin to plan what I would say. We sat ourselves on the sofa, steaming cups of earl grey in hand. I silently sip my tea, slowly so as not to burn my tongue. I can feel Nathan looking at me, his gaze intense, as if waiting for me to have the first word.
"Nathan?" I asked, suddenly feeling a bit nervous. I knew what I wanted to say, yet the words simply dissolved on my tongue.
"I.." we said at once.
Nathan laughed. "You go first."
I nodded. "I don't know where this is going, or even what this is, but I do know that no matter what happens, there's no one else I would rather figure this out with." Giving him a quick hug, I added, "Now go get ready or we're going to be late."
While Nathan showered, I set about fixing some breakfast. Nothing fancy, just some toast with jam, though definitely better than the soggy cereal we'd had before.
As Nathan walked down the stairs, now clad in his school uniform, he grinned. I handed him his toast. "Thanks," he said, a full smile spreading across his face.
"Well, we had better get going."
Nathan nodded, slinging his bag over one shoulder. "Yeah, we wouldn't want another incident like last time." He took a bite of his toast and opened the door for me.
"Thanks."
Nathan held my hand as we walked to the bus, reaffirming the new turn our relationship had taken, and kept on holding it all the way to school. He even walked me to my lesson, kissing me on the cheek before he let me out of his sight. In that moment, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. I practically floated to my seat.
"Good morning class," Ms. Masters began. "Today you will take your mathematics exam. You will have two hours to work. Turn over your test. Time starts now."
Besides english, math was pretty much my only other good subject. I had studied for days and now, hopefully, it would pay off.
Nathan
If I could just get through my science exam, everything else should be pretty easy.
Rose
The rest of the exams flew by until, finally, it was the last day.
The bell rang and everybody took their seats. Mr. Grant at the back of the room, nearly finished with the instructions, the same ones we'd heard twice a day for almost a week straight. "You will have two hours to complete the exam. Turn over your test. Time starts now."
Nathan
With only five minutes remaining in the exam, I was now on the last question. Luckily, I finished with almost a whole two minutes to spare. I stretched, resting my hands behind my head. I was free.
I sighed, relieved to finally be done with mock exams. Only one more lesson before we would be free for the Christmas holiday.
...
When I walked out of my exam room, Nathan was waiting. He smiled when he saw me, stopping to give me a quick kiss. "How was it?"
"Not as awful as I thought it would be, but I'm just glad it's over. German was by far my worst subject." I crossed my fingers that I hadn't failed it. "So how was yours?"
Nathan grinned. "Piece of cake. It's actually ridiculous how easy science is."
Not that he ever had trouble with any of his lessons. I couldn't help but feel a little jealous.
Nathan held my hand as he walked me to my next lesson. I felt almost giddy, not wanting him to leave. "I'll see you later?" he asked, carefully untwining his fingers from mine. I nodded, turning to walk into the room.
Nathan
As I walked to my own lesson, I couldn't get how happy Rose looked out of my head. I doubted I would be able to focus on my teacher, especially one like Mr. Hughes, who's known for being monotone. I sighed.
Upon taking my seat, I see Harry sneering at me. "What?"
"Oh, nothing," he replied in an almost sickly sweet voice.
I could feel the anger rising in my throat. "I doubt that very much," I countered, unable to keep the edge out of my voice.
Harry raised his hands in mock surrender. "Since you've all but beat it out of me," he paused, making sure everyone around us was listening. "So, tell me, your new little girlfriend any good in the sack?"
"Don't," I snap, feeling my cheeks turning bright red with rage.
"What, you don't want to share?" he grinned. "'Cause I think my mates here want to hear all about it."
"Oh shut up, Harry. We all know you're just trying to compensate for your recent lack of action, but it's nothing to be embarrassed about. We all have our dry spells now and again."
The sudden uproar caused old Mr. Hughes to turn around. "Anything I should be aware of, gentlemen?"
"No sir," Allen Mayhew answered quickly. "Nathan was just telling us a joke."
Hughes raised an eyebrow. "Well, I like a good joke just as much as the next man. Let's have it, Mr. Johnson."
I gulped, trying to think of a joke Mr. Hughes would appreciate. My mind went blank.
It was Jack Schultz who came to my rescue. "A frog telephones the Psychic Hotline. His Personal Psychic Advisor tells him, 'You are going to meet a beautiful young girl who will want to know everything about you.'
The frog is thrilled, 'This is great! Will I meet her at a party?'
'No,' says his advisor, 'in her biology lesson.'"
"I'm glad to hear you're taking an interest in the subject matter, Mr. Johnson." Mr. Hughes sounded somewhat sceptical. "Now then, enzymes are molecules in the body that help break down food..."
I mostly zoned out after that, my mind consumed with thoughts of Rose.
Rose
Only ten more minutes until the bell. I couldn't wait to see Nathan. I was practically bouncing in my chair. Finally, the bell rang and the whole school was dismissed for the Christmas holiday.
Nathan
As I waited on the bus for Rose, I couldn't help but be excited. Every moment with her was frozen in my memory forever, I hoped it would always be like that.
"Hey." Rose tapped me on the shoulder.
I felt a smile spread across my face. Rose has that effect on me. "Hey."
She smiled back. "So what should we do first?
"Well, are there any good films out?"
"The Perks of Being a Wallflower."
I grinned. "Alright then, it's a date."
Rose intertwined her fingers with mine. "Okay."
Rose
Mum was still at work and wouldn't be home for a few hours, so we went straight to Nathan's house.
One of my favourite parts of his house was the media room. With its giant screen, popcorn and soda machines, and the big, comfy chairs, it was just like a mini theatre.
Plopping down in my usual spot, I got the TV set up while Nathan made popcorn and got us some drinks.
He popped the DVD into player and dropped into the seat next to me. I grabbed the remote, immediately pushing play, my body buzzing with anticipation. This was my all time favourite film. And Nathan had never seen it, but I already knew he would love it. Charlie, the main character and fellow wallflower, was an outcast just like us.
I sat on the edge of my seat, anxiously waiting for it to begin. "Seriously Rose, you should see your face," Nathan joked.
"Shh!"
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