Many and much thanks to Moonchild_0613 and blurredlines! Your golden tickets made my week! I saw UH on the 50th mark in the golden tickets round and I was so touched, it was really exhilarating. I hope there are more UHmies very soon to take this book to the very top . Okay, okay, I'll stop now. Read on. Love you all!
***
Santa Maria High
The morning drizzle had just ended, and students were running towards the school gate with their bags over their heads. It was nearing the middle of autumn, so the rain was more frequent.
"What are you doing, Matteo?" Lisa yelled from inside watching Matteo tarry at the gate.
Matteo was slowly becoming a truant in the last month.
A feeble girl came running towards the gate, drenched and without socks. Matteo ran towards her, putting his bag over her head.
"Why are you so wet from just a drizzle?"
"Uh, I fell into a puddle," Rosalie said without raising her head.
Matteo clenched his jaw, frustration bubbling inside him. "Can you just keep your head up for once? Doesn't it hurt?"
At first, Matteo thought Rosalie was just being shy, but her behaviour and appearance since she started school said otherwise. He knew she was going through something at home, but she always insisted everything was fine. It felt maddening; no one ever made him so pissed and sorry for it at the same time.
"Let's go to my place. I'll get you Lisa's uniform."
Rosalie looked at her clothes. Even though she wouldn't feel cold because the sun would be out later, she couldn't sit in class dripping wet.
"You should go into her room and change your clothes," Matteo said, handing her the crisply ironed uniform.
While she changed, Matteo called Lisa.
"Lisa, I need a favour."
"Tell me why the hell you're not in class right now?" Lisa whispered with her teeth clenched.
"Rosalie got into a bit of a situation, so I gave her your uniform."
"You mean she's at our house?"
"She's in your room."
"My room?!"
"Yes."
"Why would you let her in there? She must have seen my underwear," Lisa whined in a low tone.
"I packed them up already. Why were all your clothes on the ground again? I spent my weekend arranging them," Matteo said, rubbing his forehead.
"Just shut up and come to school already. Miss Vittoria has asked after you."
"We'll be there soon."
He ended the call and turned back. "Oh my God, you startled me," he said, holding his chest.
Rosalie was a bit taller than Lisa but much leaner, so the clothes looked skimpy and loose. Matteo scanned her and his eyes stopped at the slopeless bust area. He remembered having to adjust the clothes because Lisa complained they didn't fit, but Rosalie's bust wasn't even...
'What am I thinking about?' he thought, coughing as his eyes watered from blinking so much.
"Thank you, Matteo."
"Hmm, let's go," he replied, walking away.
They took a taxi back to the school. Matteo led her to a lower part of the fence behind the school.
"Hand over your bag. You'll climb over now. I'll meet you in class."
"Meet me?"
"Everyone already knows I'm not yet in school. Just climb."
"I can't climb," she stuttered.
Matteo took off his school shirt, leaving only his undershirt. "Climb on my back and jump in."
"It's fine, we'll probably just run some laps."
"You'll be too tired to focus in class then."
She always looked like she'd pass out at any moment. He couldn't stand seeing her move around so much. After she got in safely, Matteo strolled casually towards the gate.
"Son, what are you doing outside?" the gateman said.
"I had an urgent matter to settle at home."
"Is the matter resolved now?"
"Yes, it is. Thank you, sir."
"Come in, come in. I know you're not like those truants."
Matteo got into the school without any punishment. On his way to class, he saw Rosalie at the stairway.
"Why are you standing here?"
"I was waiting for you."
"You could have gotten in before Mr. Theo arrived. Why did you stay back?"
"But that would be selfish of me."
"So you decided to be selfless, huh? What makes you're in a position to do such? "
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way."
Matteo held her chin and raised her head. Taking one of his beads, he held up her long mass of hair and tied it up.
"Stop going around looking like a pathetic ghost. If you want us to be friends, raise your chin and talk to me."
"No, I can't tie up my hair!" she pleaded, her voice trembling as she tried to stop him.
"Why? Because of your scar? How long are you going to be this way?"
She bowed her head again, tears streaming down her face as she tightened her fist.
Matteo felt a pang of guilt as he watched Rosalie's tears.
"Rosalie, I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice cracking.
Rosalie snatched her bag, the beaded band falling loose from her hair, and bolted towards the class. Matteo's heart sank as he chased after her.
"Where are you both coming from?" Mr. Theo probed as the duo entered.
"We're sorry, sir."
Lisa snickered as she watched the duo.
"Woah, this boy should consider nannying as his career path," Lisa mocked in a whisper.
"This is not the time to be rebellious, Matteo," Mr. Theo chided.
"I'm sorry, sir."
"Go to your seats, both of you."
Greta, Lisa's sworn enemy, watched Rosalie walk towards her seat. She had overheard Lisa talking to Matteo earlier and was green with envy when she found out that he had taken a girl home. She was smart enough to guess who the girl was, judging by the way they entered at the same time and the weird uniform. She gritted her teeth as she glared at Rosalie.
Greta watched Rosalie put Mateo's beaded band in her bag and she suddenly snapped her pen.
At the cafeteria, Greta sat close to Matteo, chest puffed and head high like a proud peacock. All the time, he was staring at Rosalie, who never accepted his offer to eat together.
Soon, murmurs filled the cafeteria. "Everyone check this out," a girl gasped aloud. "Look, isn't that her? The new girl?" whispered another student. "She's so bold. The silent ones are the worst," another sneered, all eyes narrowing at Rosalie.
Rosalie's phone lit up with notifications. Her eyes widened in horror as she read them, her hands beginning to tremble. The cafeteria buzzed with whispers and sneers. "I can't believe it," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the rising commotion.