KARINA'S POV

Lunch seemed to come hurtling towards me and, when I was waved over to a table by Owen, it hit me like a freight train. I wasn't nervous because I particularly liked him: I was nervous because this was a rare occurrence for me, and a date was an alien activity.

"Hey," he said as I sat down, placing my tray on front of me.

"Yes, hi hi hi," I mumbled, fighting with my water bottle cap. To say it was on tight would have been an understatement.

"Want me to get that?" He chortled. Nodding, I rolled the bottle across the table. As I watched him open it with ease, I prayed that nobody was watching us. If Elise was right, then people might start talking. I didn't want rumours; I didn't want the attention.

Taking the bottle off him, I gulped down a fair portion as I gave a thankful thumbs up. His handsome smile didn't falter. "I love water," I stated bluntly.

Owen chuckled, showing off his perfectly white, straight teeth. "Yeah, I can tell. So, have you had a good day so far?"

The whole thing wasn't as awkward as I'd expected it to be. Conversation flowed without force, I didn't spill anything on myself, and he was a sweetheart. Since this was our first time properly talking outside of class, I got to see a new side of him. He was far more joking, fair more laid back.

I learned a lot about Owen that afternoon. I learned that he had a dog called Maggie, a younger sister called Penny (who was an avid pianist), a dad who was a lawyer and a mom who enjoyed her fair share of cupcakes. It seemed like your average textbook family, exactly what my dad wanted for me. Happiness - beige, comfortable, settled happiness.

"You wanna head outside until lunch is over?" He asked, scrunching up the wrapper his sandwich came in.

"Yeah, sure," I smiled, grabbing my rubbish and my bag.

Owen Sullivan was the kind of guy a parent would love (mine especially). He was polite, he got good grades, he had a bright future, he was talented, and he was 'normal'. Although this might sound like perfect boy to some people, it was far too plain for me. He was like a Ken doll, and there was no way I wanted to become Barbie.

Heading outside, we decided just to walk around the school grounds. The sun was splitting the sky, and there wasn't a cloud in sight. Everything was bright, vibrant. I cursed the lack of wind as I wiped a bead of sweat off my temple, but I still enjoyed the sun.

As we strolled behind the bleachers, I noticed two familiar figures in the distance. Mike was leaning against a large metal bar, legs crossed casually with a lit cigarette between his lips, whilst Tony - who was topless - poured a bottle of water over himself, Mike laughing through the smoke as he did so.

"You wanna turn around?" Owen whispered in my ear, assuming I was scared. In one sense he was right, I was terrified. But I wasn't terrified of the guys because they intimidated me, I was terrified because my stomach was whirling as water cascaded down Tony's toned back.

Before I could respond to Owen, Mike was calling my name. We approached the pair at a painful pace, and my heart felt the consequences. Tony turned round when we were a few meters away - his brown hair soaking wet and a massive, goofy smile on his face. When his dark eyes landed on Owen, it faded a little.

"What are you kids up to?" Mike questioned, blowing smoke right at me in a teasing manor.

"Hey, watch," scolded Owen, tugging me back a bit. "Im sure she-"

"Wants a puff? Tell me about it," chuckled Mike, which caused me to smile. He was a nice guy - a little off the rails, but that didn't mean he wasn't nice. I watched him for a second, just wondering what exactly enticed Elise. Mike flicked the cigarette to the ground and stomped it out, reaching into his bag and pulling out a set of battered drumsticks. He rolled one over his bony fingers a few times, watching it twirl with great speed, before turning and whacking the bleachers with it. A fast, rhythmic beat boomed through our quiet surroundings. Seconds later, he was singing the guitar part too.

Tony headbanged with a massive, daring smile on his face - his hair drying speedily. There was something great about that moment. The way they both got totally consumed by the music, not a care in the world.

"Come on," said Owen lowly, hand resting on my waist.

Tony put one foot on top of Mike's bag and pretended to shred on a guitar, tongue out and eyes shut. Mike was shouting Down With The Sickness lyrics, and it was hilarious. As he reached the chorus, I dropped my bag and joined in.

Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Open up your hate, and let it flow into me.
You mother get up come on get down with the sickness
You fucker get up come on get down with the sickness!

As Mike yelled "Madness is the gift, that has been given to me", I grabbed Tony's snapback off the ground and dashed round the end of the bleachers. I felt wild and free, like nothing could stop me. Something about music gave me this energy, and I felt like I was invincible when it coursed through me. I also, for some reason, wanted Tony to notice me. I figured it was a comeback for all the teasing - I just wanted to get even, really.

"I can see inside you, the sickness is rising!" Tony yelled, the sound of his feet against the ground matching the rate of my heart. When I went to shout a retort, the fear of being caught crashed over me like a wave and my legs began to wiggle below me. I kept laughing, and I kept mumbling parts of the words, but I was just waiting to hit the deck.

Feeling someone's body slam into the back of mine, I went flying towards the ground. Everything was a blur for the moment that it took me to become horizontal but, when I opened my eyes, I was surprised to see Tony above me. The aching in my bum from landing so harshly was no competition for the feeling in my stomach.

"Don't try to deny what you feel," he recited in a quiet voice, barely above a whisper. I giggled underneath him, trying to mask the fact my stomach was full of butterflies. There was a moment of silence as we both stared at each other. No movement, no interruptions, no words.

"I, uh- sorry for, like, ba-"

"You're starting to crush me, Tony," I laughed, prodding his bare chest.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," he mumbled, rolling off me and brushing himself down. "You run fast, y'know. Especially for such a small person."

"Shut up," I chuckled, setting his snapback on top of his head. "You are a douche, Mr Perry."

"I'm the only douche for you though," he winked jokingly. His voice seemed far more gentle that it did - well, than it did when we were screaming - but it also felt more raw. Not like he'd been crying or anything, more like he'd dropped a guard.

"C'mon, we better get back before Mike starts trying to fight with your little boyfriend," Tony said, giving me his hand and pulling me up. Part of me wished that I crashed into his chest, just like in the movies, but I didn't.

When we headed back to the others, we were welcomed by an uneasy silence. I turned to Owen, who looked extremely bewildered, and smiled sweetly. I didn't want anyone to notice how happy I was that Tony had chased me, but I was. He seemed so casual about it, but I felt like my legs were about to give way. I felt like Kansas again.

"We should probably go," I rushed, now fearing for my balance. Mike nodded, whilst Tony simply glanced between me and Owen.

"See you later, guys," I waved, letting him take my hand and lead me off.

C'mon legs, just to the car park, you can do it. Don't fail me now.

Notes

Sooo... 2 updates in one day...
thoughts?
I kinda sorta like that the chapter title is the part that follows what tony whispered to her.. idk. Initially, I just chose a song I was enjoying at the moment, and that one came to mind. The more I wrote, though, the more it fitted, so I was pleased ^.^

thanks for reading!<3