CHAPTER 6- STONE FACED BUT NOT FOR LONG

I couldn't find the right frame of mind to lure me to sleep. I kept tossing and turning in bed with my mind racing and playing around with the encounter at school today following Chloe's outburst. I reached out to her out of concern and she just blew me off like that.

"Does she know who I am? My reputation in this school? And the number of girls that tried so hard to get my attention?" I kept thinking about that and shook my head dispelling the thought.

"She probably has a lot going on in her mind and I was in her way, I'd just let her be." I thought.

As painful as the resolution to stay away from Chloe was, I just had to give her time to figure some things out on her own. With that, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

My alarm clock and its obnoxious ringtone woke me up from sleep indicating that, the time was past the hour of 6 o'clock. I had thirty minutes to get in sync with school preparations and I knew it was so little time. I had overslept.

"Skye darling, come downstairs for breakfast," I could hear my mum call out to me from the kitchen."

"Coming mum." I raced downstairs.

"Someone slept in late last night. Good morning dear." Mum observed as I was still in my PJs.

"Hi mum, good morning. I had a hard time sleeping but I'm fine. How are you?"

"Well, up and running for the day's job...Eat up, today's a busy day." She kissed me on the cheek and walked out the door yelling the "have a great day today son."

"You too mum."

I ate breakfast in a hurry, chunking down the bacon and eggs without much consideration as to chewing before spiralling out to the bathroom to have a hurried shower, racing to get dressed and not miss the first class.

Looking petulantly at my closet, I scanned for my PE wear for the gym class and stuffed it into my bag. I dressed up and left the house for school, not forgetting to get my car keys from the storage rack.

I drove in a rush and heaved a sigh of relief when I saw the school gate because, I didn't kill someone on the road on the account of reckless driving. Then I pulled over in the school's garden where I love to park my convertible and got out of the car, locking it behind me.

I had just stepped into the walkway and I heard my name...

"Skylar, Skylar...please wait up."

I stopped in my tracks and a great deal of will power gave me the footing needed to resist the urge to march furiously out of the sight of the young lady approaching whose voice I was certain of.

I could sense that she was gaining in on me yet I feigned annoyance. "Chloe!" I said with all the harshness I could muster in my voice.

"Hi, I got off on the wrong footing yesterday and I am sincerely sorry for being so insensitive towards you. Please forgive me." She pleaded and I felt the ice melt around my heart and my cheek twitched.

I glanced in her direction hoping she did not see my cheek twitch; it's one of my weaknesses. I could not possibly keep up with the "I'm upset act" because, a sincere apology just makes all hard feelings evaporate as if they were never there.

"I was really upset about how badly you treated me yesterday. Honestly, I had made up my mind to follow your advice and leave you alone to sort things out on your own...but with that sort of apology, all is forgiven." I smiled at her.

"Oh, thank you very much for accepting my apology. It will certainly not happen again; the yelling I mean." Chloe stuttered.

"It's fine, you can choose to talk about it later if you don't mind. I'd be here to help."

"I really appreciate your concern but I'm fine, it was just the stress of moving and settling in. Sorry."

"Let's go down to class before we end up being late." I gestured.

"Haha, it's good to have you back. Let's go."

Soon enough, the bell rang indicating the end of the class.

I was packing my books into my bag when she walked gingerly to my seat.

"Hey, I have looked through the schedule and I have seen that it is the club period right about now. Please enlighten me on the intricacies. What clubs are available for membership? How do I join?" She kept throwing questions in my direction.

"Relax Missy 😁, one question at a time. The team leaders of all the clubs in school are setting up their tents just by the school garden and they're open for inquiries and signing up. All questions will be attended to by them, alright?" I smirked.

"Oh great, I love that. I suppose there is a ballet/dance club where I can hone my dancing skills and improve my talent for the championship "Balletopia contest" which happens yearly." She quipped with happiness radiating all over her being.

"Another mystery unravelled, how did I miss the dance part? Your legs and gait should have given you away." I laughed heartily.

"Come on, come on. Let's go register." She tugged at my sleeves.

Just outside, we walked over to the ballet stand and she was very excited to be picking up the registration form and I was very glad she was free to discuss her ambitions with me.

"On the part to stardom girlie. All the best buttercup." I had not called her that since our misunderstanding and I could tell she was surprised as her cheeks coloured with blotches of red in a bid to mask how shy she was.

"Relax dear, I don't bite. You'd make a great dancer, I can sense it."

"Way to massage my self-esteem and confidence, eh?"

"Haha, not at all. I am just being honest. I see you leap and succeed in dance."

"Awwwwn, thank you very much. I'd keep that in mind." She grinned.

"Besides, I have a ballet dance club to join and the form to fill. I suppose you have football practice, you should get going."

"I can skip today," I protested.

"Oh no, you won't. I can handle myself. Go ahead. We'd see later after the meetings."

Resigning to her insistence, I raised my hands in defence to indicate surrender, "Alright then, have a great time. See you soon bunny."

"Haha, move along." She rolled her eyes at me and walked into the designated venue for the dance class.

I watched her go in before moving to join my team mates in the field, I could tell I'd get asked a plethora of questions by other team mates who didn't see me during practice yesterday. I was ready.