Recruiting

Linda didn't reply to Steph's proposal for a while. Steph, who had taken up a rather cute pose, with one had on the curve of her hip and the other, holding the box of chocolates, reaching out to Linda, had leaned too far forward causing her to tumble onto Linda's chest.

"S-sorry." Steph said colouring and leaping back.

Linda, who didn't seem to have either noticed it or minded, continued looking pensive for a few more moments before relying quietly. "Fine, but no tricks."

"Yay!" Steph raised her fist into the air triumphantly untucking her shirt and reviling the soft milky skin on her midriff and began to jump around, causing the rim of her skirt to dance playfully up and down her smooth thighs. A smile played on Linda's face for a moment, but only for a moment – "What if this is an act too?" She thought.

"Come on, we'll go find May right away."

"May? Who-" Before Linda could finish her question, the fair-haired little girl grabbed her hand and began to run.

By the time Steph had come to a stop behind the shade of a tree, Linda was keeling over, out of breath.

"Look, there she is." Steph said to Linda, who forced herself to look up to where Steph pointed, still gasping. Where on earth did this girl get all her energy from? Linda thought to herself. "See, she's the one with the long hair."

Linda nodded. She had seen this girl before. This girl, May, sits next to her in computer science, but, as you can image with Linda, they rarely spoke except, maybe, when May had a bit of trouble with her computer.

"Do you know her?"

"I know she's an airhead."

"Are you just saying that because she's blonde?" Steph asked, puffing out her cheeks. No, it probably had more to do with how May keeps pestering Linda for help after playing on her phone at the start of the lesson while the teacher explained what to do. Or possibly because she plays with Linda's hair and touches her unnecessarily while she is trying to work. And it likely had something to do with the fact May almost always shuts down her computer at the end of the lesson without saving anything and cries over it.

"Look, here's the plan." Steph said. "I'm good cop, and you're bad cop, got that?"

"Bad cop?" Linda thought to herself. "Does that mean I won't have to talk very much?"

Before she could voice that thought, however, Steph was already on the move. Linda watched her walk toward the bench full of girls in the shade of an umbrella.

"Is this really a good idea for me?" Linda thought to herself as she watched Steph go. "What if I just end up being a nuisance – Steph already seems to have everything covered."

Although this is what she thinks, the real reason for Linda shyness is at her fingertips – she's been curling a lock of her hair for a while now. Although she's far too proud to admit it, Linda's embarrassed by her boyish hair…

But she, didn't she say that would help Steph out? Could she really go back on her word? Linda bit her lip.

No, I'm not backing out, she concluded, finally stepping toward out from under the tree. Cautiously, she made her way towards the bench with her hands close to her chest.