Linnea's page

Tick. Tock.Tick. Tock. His golden watch mocked him as he rushed down the pathway, past the topiary, and locked the metal gates. As he continued down the cobblestone road his stride was quick, as he had forgotten his early cricket practice. Only pausing to give a wave to Ms. Maitland, a nobleman’s widow, who was sipping tea, with a muffin and bacon on the front porch.   

“Good day, Thomas!”, Ms. Maitland smiled. “Off to lessons early today?”

“I’m afraid not, only cricket practice.” He replied.   

   
    He noticed his teammate Peter, also on his way to towards the school. Meeting his eyes, he gave Pete a nod and shouted, "Hey mate! Ready for practice?"

Aproaching Peter he noticed his hair was a mess, his white collared shirt half unbuttoned, and the Nottingham High School striped tie loosely hanging on his neck. His eyes were drifting across the plane of the school, and glancing back to his hand which tighly gripped his cracked blue cell phone."Oh hey mate. Sorry, I didn't get an hour of kip last night. With History Exams, applying for Uni, and Marianne I'm just fed up. Mari is giving me loads of cack because of some rumor that we were having it off in the lou, which is just crap some mingers probably dreamed up."     

It seemed that Peter and his girlfriend were always in one ruck or another. The two of them were making their way now down the green fields to the courtyard toward the lockers. If it was him he would never be with someone that mad to begin with. "Everyone knows she's not a slut. She needn't worry."

"Well obviously. I guess I'll just never understand women. They're just all mental." Running his hand through his dirty blonde curls, tousling it further, he looked at Tom. "You know what I mean?"  

Tom nodded although he never personally had to deal with one. Although many girls have fancied him, he had never had a real girlfriend. Even what all the lads would describe as the fittest girl in the set, didn't spark his interest. Something about their shape didn't appeal to him, as he perferred the smooth muscle tones and strong figures that men carry, which just always seemed superior to him. And he wouldn't last a day with all the crying and gossipy nonsense. For girls were just another worry his parents and the county seemed to be forcing on him. Now approaching the lockers, he shook his head, as if to shake away the all the needless worries, and only think about the cricket game ahead.

-  - -

As they left the office, Arthur looked at his schedual with satifaction radiating out of him, a slight bounce in his step. It was pure god he was able to get the same classes he had been taking the previous semester at his former school, especially so late in the year. Thanks to his mum's new job, his whole family had to pick up and move suddenly.

"I can't believe they put me in advanced maths just like that." His sister Victoria grinned, her long bonze hair swaying with her step. "I was sure they would test me first."

The hallway was lined with thick wooden doors, all slightly ajar. As the passed he could see all eyes of the classroom pupils moving to stare at them as they passed, the lads especially looking toward his little sister.

"Oh, no!" Victoria gasped. "There are mulptiple schools! I need to go to the Emma Darwin Hall." Her deep blue eyes clouded with confusion. "I'd better find someone to help. Catch you later Arthur, good luck!"

He nodded as she ran off, with the plaid school skirt trailing behind her. His looking again to the paper in his hand, he checked again the number for the Art History classroom he was seeking. Finally seeing the room 205, he approached the door  to see about a dozen pupils with a wrinkled professor lecturing in front.

"It is always difficult to focus on the post renassiance art period without looking at a broad spectum of art forms," the man said, scribbling down his words in his neat cursive script on the whiteboard.  "With the enlightenment on it's way, some civilians were focused on the natual beauties of life." He stopped, noticing Arthur in the doorway, smiling and watching him. "May I help you?"

"Yes sir, is this the..." He glanced toward the paper clasped in his hand. " Art Histoy Set? With Ravencroft?"

"Yes, it is. You must be one of the transfer students." He replied. "Please let me verify your schedual, then feel free to take any empty seat."

Handing Professor Ravencroft his scedual, he quickly skanned the class, surveying the students. The girls all looked at him with interest, but he payed them no attention. He noticed a of the few free seats there was one in the very corner of the room, next to a slender brown haired boy with a cricket bag perched on his desk. The boy seemed to be looking him up and down, in a way of more than curiosity. Seeing Arthur staring straight back at him, his fair skin flushed pink in the cheeks, and he looked back down to his desk. Arthur, now interested grinned as he took the corner seat.

Up close he could see the boy was quite clean, with perfectly groomed light brown hair, a slightly freckled face, and full red lips, and ivory teeth. It almost make him insecure about his appearance, because although he had a tall broad shape, with large dark eyes and bronze shining hair, his lips were quite chapped and his teeth slightly tea stained.

Just as he was about to speak, a long fillled the room and all the students sprang out of their seats, shoving their books and papers into their bags.

"Hey hang on a second, " he said to the boy, who was quickly backing his supplies. The boy looked at him, in surprise. "I'm Arthur. What's your name?"

"Uhm.. it's T-t-tom..." He stuttered, not meeting Arthur's eyes.

Arthur smiled. He'd never made a boy so nervous. He was cute though. "Well, Tom, it is the lunch period correct? Do you mind helping orient me towards the economics class? If you know where it is even. I have it aft-" he stopped, because Tom was now looking to him in surprise. "What is it?"

"Oh, sure I'll help you. That's my next period too." he answered, a little less apprehensive. "If you want you can eat lunch with my mates then, and we can show you around the school. A few of them have economics next as well."

"Perfect," Arthur grinning at him, causing Tom to look away and blush again. "Lead the way."