Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2003 22:20:42 -0400 From: Steph and Jenn Thornhill and Granato Subject: The Perfect Love, Chapter 3 By: Jennifer and Stephanie Disclaimer: You guys all know the rules by now, but if it's illegal for you to read this kind of story for any reason, or if for any reason you're not supposed to be reading this kind of story, don't read it! Just click the back button. If you still read this and you get into trouble, it's your own fault. We've warned you. Chapter 3 The next day passed by pretty uneventfully for Amanda. She went to her classes, did her work, and constantly thought about what had happened the afternoon before. What had that look meant? What had the feelings that she'd had afterwards meant? Why couldn't she stop thinking about it?! And where the hell was her last class of the day??? At least it was study hall. She wouldn't miss any work. ***** Nicole's day was going a pretty much the same as Amanda's. She'd asked around to see if anyone knew who the girl was she'd seen in the gym the day before, but no one seemed to know her. Jamie didn't even know who she was and she knew just about everyone in the school. As she drifted in thought, the door opened and in stepped a bashful looking girl. It was her! After talking to the teacher for a moment, she started to make her way down the aisle. Nicole was staring at her hard. Just then, the girl chose to look up and glanced right at Nicole. ***** Making her way down the aisle, Amanda could feel someone looking at her... again! She looked up and right into the stare of the girl she'd hit with a basketball the day before. "Oh God!" she thought in a slight panic. Unfortunately, she didn't see the backpack in the aisle in front of her. ***** Seeing the girl fall and drop the few books she was carrying, Jamie started to snicker. Nicole shot a quick, piercing look in her direction and immediately stood up and walked toward the fallen girl. Bending down, she started to help the girl pick up her books. "Hi. You okay?" Nicole asked kindly. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm good," replied the girl quietly. "I'm Nicole by the way." "Oh. I'm... um... I'm Amanda." "It's nice to meet you. You wanna come sit over here?" "Sure... I guess." After they picked up all the books, Nicole led the way to some seats in the back of the room. There, Nicole returned to her seat, and Amanda slid into the only open seat. Nicole watched as she sat down. "God, she really is amazing," thought Nicole, "She looks so graceful even though she's about to fall apart with shyness!" ***** Amanda slid into her seat and quickly became entranced in doodling on a sheet of paper. Anything to keep her from looking at Nicole. "She gave me that look again," thought Amanda. "What is it about her? I've never felt this way before! Hell, how exactly is it that I feel?" ***** "Why did you ask her over here?" whispered Jamie lowly. "Why shouldn't I? She's new here and she doesn't know anyone," replied Nicole. "Still... I wish you'd have just let her find her own seat." "What other seat is there? The class is full!" Nicole replied scathingly. Why was Jamie acting like this? Normally she welcomed people into their group of friends. Did something happen between her and this new girl that Nicole didn't know about? Finally, Nicole turns to Jamie and asks, "Jay, what's your problem with her anyway?" "I just don't like her," Jamie replies hotly. "But why? You've never had an issue with anyone before. You don't even know Amanda at all." "Why are you being so defensive over a girl that you don't know either?" "I... well... never mind." "Yeah... I thought so." Turning back to the front again, Nicole mumbled, "If you liked someone, you'd be acting the same damn way." Amanda jumped up from her desk just as Jamie screamed, "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY?!" at the top of her lungs. The entire class turned to stare at Jamie, providing the perfect escape route for Amanda to leave the room. "God Jamie, shut up!" Nicole whispered harshly. "You obviously heard what I said! I like her." Seeing the shocked look on Jamie's face, Nicole continued, "There's something about her that shocks and hypnotizes me at the same time! I... I love her." Leaving Jamie and the rest of the class staring after her, Nicole picks up Amanda's book (which she'd left behind in her hurry to leave the room) and left to find Amanda. Looking up and down the halls, she sees Amanda toward the front doors. After chasing her all the way to the bike rack at the edge of the student parking lot. "Wait," panted Nicole, "Oh fuck, for the love of God, please just wait! You're gonna kill me running so damn fast! Hey, have you about signing up for track?" ***** Amanda finally stopped by the bike rack. Her heart pounding both from the run and from the emotions and thoughts rushing through her body, she turned to look at the girl she'd come to know as Nicole. Beautiful, charming, nerve-racking Nicole. "Wait," panted Nicole, "Oh fuck, for the love of God, please just wait! You're gonna kill me running so damn fast! Hey, have you about signing up for track?" Amanda didn't know whether to laugh or to stare blankly at her. She chose the latter. "C'mon," Nicole said, seeming to get nervous for the first time Amanda had seen so far. "Will you say something?" "Why?" questioned Amanda. "Why what?" "Why did you come after me? Why did you say that stuff in class? Why did you want me to wait? And, what the hell was it that happened in the gym yesterday???" Taking a deep breath, Nicole began, "Well, I came after you because I felt bad about what happened in class and because I wanted to talk to you. I said the stuff in class because I meant it, and yes, I said more after you left. You'd better be glad that you left when you did, because if that little bit you heard caused you to leave, you'd have dug a hole straight through the floor to get away from what I said afterwards. I wanted you to wait because I wanted... no... I needed to talk to you. And what happened in the gym yesterday. That part I'm not even sure of. All I know is that I felt something really strong, and from the way you've been acting in the last couple of minutes, I'd say you felt it, also. God, I'm out of breath!" All of a sudden, Amanda started laughing. "So, what now?" "Now, now we sit down for once and actually talk." Thanks for reading this chapter. Hope everyone enjoyed it! Let us know what you thought of it. So far, we've managed to write back to every email we've received. Hope to hear from everyone soon!!