Third Installment

emily skipped down the stairs, thrilled at her new plan. 'see ya later, xanthus!' she called after him as he slouched down the street. 'oh, he's a funny boy...' she muttered to herself, 'why isnt he happy? we've made the most wonderful plan! why cant he be happy for ME?' she turned and thumped her way up the stairs, as happy as she was about the new plan, she just couldnt be happy if xanthus wasn't. the next day at school, xanthus was no happier. 'hey emily...' he mumbled, looking at his feet. 'xanthus!' emily said firmly, 'cheer up! today is going to be the best day of my life! just be happy for me! you should want me to be happy! you're always thinking about yourself.' xanthus looked deep into emilys eyes, his anger growing 'OH OF COURSE, EMILY! we're not thinking about YOU enough! just leave me alone, you're such a self-centred b-b... bi...' emily stared at xanthus, 'xanthus?' she asked, and thats all it took "A SELF CENTRED BITCH!" he screamed before running down the corridor. emily gazed after him in wonder, she was upset about their fight, but she had bigger andmore important things to think about! just as she began to enter her homegroup classroom, the person of her thoughts walked past. 'steven!' she said, 'hey!' steven stared at her once more, but this time didnt run away in fear. instead he grinned. 'hey em, i didnt know you followed soccer' emily gulped, this would prove how much her studying would actually pay off... 'yeah man! i freaking love adelaide united!' she adjusted her hat, which she had dyed the previous night to red and white. ' i mean...' emily paused, 'that game… against that team…’ steven stared at her, confused, before his face broke out in a smile. ‘I know!!! I mean, when that umpire was just like… uhh nuh-huh, you tripped him… and I was just like, uhh yeah-huh, he’s fine.’ Emily ignored her disappointment of his personality and concentrated on what he looked like. Meanwhile, as Emily bluffed her way through soccer knowledge, Xanthus was crying in the boys bathroom. “why cant emily love me the way I love her?!” he asked the toilet door, “why cant she see that we’re perfect for each other?” he cried some more, but eventually the sobs of sadness turned into sobs of anger. he made a decision, he was going to forget about emily! he stormed out of the toilets and down to the English wing, where he knew emily would be waiting for him, saving him a seat. he saw her from across the hall, their eyes met, and he knew he couldn’t be angry at her. after all, how can you be angry at the person you love? he walked up to her, anger melting away.. ‘xanthus…’ she said tentatively, ‘shh’ whispered Xanthus soothingly. ‘I have something to tell you.’ she stared at him wide-eyed, waiting. ‘emily,’ whispered Xanthus, ‘I think that im in lo-‘ but at that precise moment, emily became distracted, ‘STEVEN!’ she called across to the tall brown-haired boy walking past. she ran up to him, and they began talking. ‘that’s it.’ muttered Xanthus. ‘no more, im not putting up with this anymore.’ and he walked away, emily and steven talking animatedly behind him.