Postby Jon Snow » Sat May 09, 2015 12:42 pm
Part 2 - Alex's POV
I returned to the seat I had saved next to my friend Michael. Unfortunately, although we were good friends, I disagreed with many things he said and did. One of them was the way he behaved to the gymnastics girls.
I loved them all, those girls. Holly, with her fiery personality and good leadership. Drew, with her tough, no-nonsense attitude that turned into girlish blushes if you gave her a compliment. Piper, with her shy looks and amazing contortions when she was on the gymnastics mat. Rachel, with her predatory attitude that made me laugh. And Bianca....
I loved the girls in the team as friends. All of them. With the exception of Bianca. I loved her in a completely different way.
It wasn't even because she was beautiful. And she WAS beautiful. Drop-dead gorgeous. And, of course, completely out of my league.
No, it wasn't that that attracted me to her, nor the amazing ways she contorted her body when she moved on the gymnastics beam.
But both of those things helped, of course.
No, the reason I was attracted to her is because of something she did two years ago.
You see, my cousin, a young, socially awkward girl two years below me, had had a crush on a guy two years older than her, one of my classmates. Unfortunately, I didn't know the guy well. If I had, I could have talked to him. But as it was, my cousin got depressed when she couldn't pluck up her courage. I felt terrible, seeing her mope around at school, her eyes red.
And then she met Bianca.
Bianca found her crying one day and got the story out of her. Then Bianca took her home and apparently taught her some good lessons in getting a boy. My cousin came home as normal, but a little quieter than usual.
The next day, she was a knockout.
She was wearing an outfit that would have made any guy at school go wild over her. All her social awkwardness had evaporated, and she emitted a sense of control and power that I could tell really intimidated and attracted the other boys.
When she got to school, she had boys all over her. But she only had one guy in her mind. And when she went up to him he was begging on his knees like all the rest.
My cousin looked him up and down, then pushed him over with her foot, stepped over him and kept on walking. Because Bianca taught my cousin how to be an independant young woman - how to not let herself get depressed or distracted over a boy. And after that day, I never saw my cousin without a confident, contented smile on her face. And that's all thanks to Bianca.
I admired Bianca deeply for how she saved my cousin from depression. And that admiration soon grew to love when I began watching the gymnastics meets. Holly says she has a thing for me, and that's why she's always flirting with me. But I shake it off, thinking that she's just teasing me, as Bianca was way out of my league.
The one bummer? Michael. I could see from his body language that he was ready to criticise the girls yet again.
"Michael? Could you give them a rest for once? Please?" I begged.
He smirked. "What? I'm helping them. It's called "constructive criticism"."
I sighed. "If you say so."
Nowadays, resigned to the fact that I can't stop him, I only try half-heartedly.
But my thoughts are wrenched away from him when the girls walk out onto the mat.
Immediately the catcalls begin. For now, however, Michael keeps quiet. For all the things he is, Michael is certainly not a pervert. He doesn't come to the gym meets for the same reason as most of the boys in the gym.
I look at Holly, notice her gritted teeth and feel huge pity for all the girls.
Then, to my immense surprise, Michael snaps at the other boys, "Knock it off, would you?"
I am was the only one surprised: the girls all look totally shcoked. Holly looked at me quizzically. I shrugged.
The girls step forward and the jeers die down. Holly bows and the other girls follw her lead. Bianca locks eyes with me and blows me a kiss.
She does this every meet, but it still makes my heart beat faster.
Of course, a large number of the boys think its meant for them and begin to jeer again.
I am distracted by my friend Amanda sliding into the seat next to me. "Hey, you." she says with a little smile.
"Hi, Amanda." I hug her tightly: we're super close.
Amanda smiles dryly. "Hey there, Michael."
Typically, Michael grunts, his eyes fixed on the girls as they prepare.
Amanda rolls her eyes and leans her head on my shoulder.
"Tired?" I ask.
"You bet. My maths teacher gave us a huge lecture about doodling on out books. I think most of us were doodling by the end of it."
"And you?"
She snorts. "Me? I usually sleep in maths. He ruined my naptime."
I saw Bianca narrow her eyes at Amanda, then she turned away and continued preparing.
"They're about to start." I say as the girls gather together for the final team talk.