Picking the Wallflower

The next morning brought sun, and a cloudless blue sky. I figured it was a good day to go for a walk in the field. Just a short walk. I still had that assignment to do. I scowled. I didn’t want to work for MJ, but it seemed I had no choice. I pulled on some leggings and walking shoes, and a light jacket. Even though the sun was shining, it was November.

I strolled through the field, taking in the sights around me. It was relaxing, knowing I was alone. Most football matches happened in the morning, meaning I was free from torment for a short while. As I ambled along, I began to plan my weekend. I needed to work on that assignment, which I could finish in one weekend if I wanted. Part of me wanted to get it over and done with as fast as possible. Another part – the part born of a need for safety for as long as possible – wanted to drag the whole thing out so I wouldn’t be harassed.

I had made up my mind by the time I returned home. There was no reason to drag the unfortunate pairing out for longer than necessary. So I traipsed up the stairs and sat at my desk.

I was locked in my house, and I worked quietly. Sometime later, I pushed to my feet. I needed to clear my head. I pulled on a loose shirt and shorts, and headed up to the gym room my parents had installed. When they had realised I would do no sport at school, they had agreed to allow me to keep fit on my own time. It worked, as far as compromises went.

Once I had jogged myself to exhaustion, I took a long shower. It was as I was in the process of drying off that the knock came on the front door. I frowned. Who could be knocking on my door now? I pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie, and went down to investigate. As I stepped into the hallway, I saw the shape. It wasn’t hard to miss, since he hadn’t been far from my thoughts for the last day. But what was MJ doing at my house at five o’clock on a Saturday afternoon? I left the security gate locked, but pulled the front door open. “Can I help you?”

MJ grinned, but I didn’t move. He was classically handsome, in an arrogant sort of way. His short black hair curled, and his blue eyes sparkled. But there was a superior edge to him that said, I’m better than you, and I know it. His pristine white shirt was sitting comfortably over a pair of worn jeans. Black boots completed the look.

I watched him watch me, and scowled. He eventually sighed. “Miss Partridge said we needed to work on the assignment together. So she sent me over here.”

I shrugged. “I’ve finished it anyway, so there’s no point. Go away.”

MJ made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl, and I took a step back. “I’m going to give you ten seconds to leave, or I switch the sprinklers on again.”

MJ folded his arms. “I had to explain to coach why I had green dye on my pants, thank you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Ten. Nine. Eight.”

He raised his hands. “Fine. I’m going. But Miss Partridge isn’t going to like that you chased me away.”

I frowned. “She should have thought of that before she decided to pair me with bread mold.”

He blinked. “What?”

I shook my head. “Go. Now. Ten seconds, or you end up with pink blotches all over that shirt.”

He turned and ran down the driveway to where his car was parked. I didn’t turn the sprinklers on. But I locked the front door again, and made my way upstairs. The entire bottom floor of my house was virtually unused. Sure, it had furniture in it, but that was more as an aesthetic than any sort of function. That was the sadness, really, in me rattling around in this huge house by myself. So much of it went to waste.

I glanced around, and pulled my bedroom door shut. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and pulled a face. Unruly blonde curls, dark grey eyes, and a pointed face like a pixie. Although, that was what I had been told. Whether anybody saw any actual mystical qualities in me was irrelevant.

Looking away, I sat down on my bed to brush my hair. A long time later, I pulled out my laptop.