Not as they seem...

The first meeting

The girls saw the bus approaching, so they rose from the freezing seat, collected their bags and dug their bus passes out of their pockets.

“Do you think...” Belle started as they entered the bus.

“Shhh!” Anna cut her off. The front of the bus was fairly full with office workers and other school kids. She didn't want anyone to overhear their conversation. They had to shuffle their way down to stand in the middle of the bus.

They braced themselves as the bus took off.

Anna distracted her friend from asking what she really wanted to ask by continuing her story of Benny, her outwardly gay co-worker,'s latest escapades. All the while she was trying to scope out who was on the bus.

She felt Belle clutch at her waist as the crowds shifted around them.

“OMG- they are on!” she exclaimed under her breath. Anna felt her cheeks automatically warming up. She hadn't even seen him yet, but the mere thought of him possibly seeing her made her flush.

“Be cool,” she warned her friend quietly, trying to remain casual and non-chalant.

As the bus opened it's door at the next stop and more people filed on, Anna instinctively looked towards the back of the bus. She caught sight of them as other passengers shuffled in and tried to find a place where they wouldn't fall over.

He was there, reclining over 2 back seats like the rest of the passengers weren't packed in like sardines. His friends occupied another 2 seats nearest him and they too also had their legs hanging across the seats in almost matching poses.

“Oh god- Rocco looks soo cute today!” Belle shuffled in closer to her friend, both because the bus was so full but also so no one else could hear them talk.

“Did I tell you I had an actual conversation with Rocco on Saturday?” she whispered.

“Umm, yes, only about 50 times.” Anna laughed, “And I am pretty sure he was slushed by then, so don't hold out hopes that you guys are now 'besties'!”.

Belle gave her friend a whack for her cheek. Anna struggled to get a clear look at the one who interested her the most. The one who she'd had the most ferocious crush on for the last 4 years- ever since they had been catching the same bus.

His name was Zander and he was heaven. He was like a younger Eric Northman off True Blood, with a slightly more surfer vibe. He was all sun bleached blond hair and crystal blue eyes. Anna had spied him in the first week of year 7, but had pretty much just watched him from a distance since then. He went to the posh co-ed school Eton College and travelled in circles that only seemed to include other hot a sexy people, so they seemed to have nothing in common except catching the same buses to and sometimes from school. That was until the last few months....

In a twist of good fate, their friend Lana had begun going out with a guy from their school. A guy that also hung in the same cliques as Zander. Since then, they had started to frequent some of the same events that Zander frequented. They had now been to exactly 4 of the same parties but only this last one, on the Saturday just past, had anything remotely interesting happened.

Anna, Lana and Belle had turned up together. Lana immediately went looking for her boyfriend. Belle and Anna ventured into the depths of the party together, not yet feeling entirely welcome or comfortable in this new crowd.

They had headed down the corridor to where someone had told them the drinks were when they literally came face to face with Zander and Rocco.

Both the girls had frozen in panic as the boys approached, stuck midway down the darkened corridor. Then, instead of ignoring them and turning their backs to them as they passed in the narrow corridor, Zander had, miraculously, stopped and faced them.

“Hey,”Zander greeted them, his grin eminating through the darkness.

Anna likes to think one of them responded coherently in some way, but neither of them were sure this happened.

“Don't I know you?” Zander had said, his brows darting downwards and a lop sided smile emerging as he tried to think of where he knew them from.

“Umm, no not really,” Anna had stammered over the loud music. Belle had nudged her in her back.

“Yeah- I do know you!” he clicked his fingers, “Don't we catch the same bus?”

“Oh yeah!” Anna exclaimed, “Yeah, you do look familiar.” she said, nodding her head like she hadn't covertly examined every aspect of his face and body every day for the last 4 years, “Yeah, that must be it!”

Rocco nodded in agreement, “Yeah, they def catch the same bus!”

Anna felt Belle grab her wrist in excitement that Rocco had acknowledged 'them'.

Zander nodded and gulped at the Carona bottle that was in his hand.

“You guys going to get a drink?” he asked.

“Yep,” Anna squeaked, “Just heading there now.”

He nodded, “Cool.” he looked at her intensely for moment, his head c****d to one side. She had known he had a scar that seared through his right eye brow, but it was the first time she had seen it so up close. She had wanted to reach up and run her finger along the scar line. Actually, if she was perfectly honest with herself, she had wanted to reach up and run her tongue along that curious line on his brow, as well as every inch of his body, but soon enough someone was heading down the corridor behind them, knocking in to them and breaking the stare between them.

“Anyway, I'm Zander” he continued. As if she didn't know that already! As if everyone at this party didn't know that.

“This is my mate Rocco” he indicated to Rocco standing behind him. Anna and Belle both managed a wave in acknowledgement.

“Maybe we'll catch you later?” Zander had said as he cleared his throat and took another swig from his drink.

“Sure,” Anna exclaimed, trying to summon up her best light hearted voice. She grabbed Belle's hand and willed herself to move. “Catch you later!” and pushed past the boys before they had a chance to move on.

“Oh hey?” Zander had called back to them. Anna had felt her heart literally pound in her chest. Belle emitted a tiny squeak of surprise. In her mind Anna was hearing "Oh hey.... do you want to make out later?”and "Oh hey, I actually really love you and want you to be the mother of my children”. But what he actually said said was “What's your names?” whilst flashing that dazzling grin in their direction.

“Oh yeah- I'm Anna. This is Belle.” she'd called back to him. He'd smiled brightly at them.

“Nice to meet you........ at last.” he said pointedly, before turning and heading in the opposite direction.

Belle had to stop her friend from following him down the hallway and throwing her arms around him. Instead, she pushed Anna in the direction of the drinks. They went straight to the esky and grabbed a Ruski each and only drew a breath when they had downed half the bottle. Then, making sure there was no one important around them, they grabbed each others hand and squealed. “s**t!” Belle had exclaimed, “He was totally into you!”

Anna found her hands shaking as she gripped her bottle. “That was intense.” Anna breathed, “but the single fucken best moment of my life!”

While the rest of the party was pretty good, as far as party's went. The mood was high as it was the end of holidays and everyone was after a good time before having to go back to school.

Anna was on high alert for Zander. She caught glimpses of him, but they didnt cross paths again. Belle had bumped into Rocco when she went looking for the toilet. He'd pointed her in the right direction and asked her where they were hanging out. She was so excited to get back and tell Anna that she forgot to go to the toilet.

As good as the party was, Anna spied Zander in a pretty heavy make out session with some other skinny, blonde girl by the end of the night. Belle took her by the arm and steered them out of the party. They were both due home by 1 and their Uber had arrived.

She'd probably had too many drinks, as evidenced by her hang over the next day. Anna was bummed, but the fact that they had finally spoken actual words together was more than enough for her. She never really expected that they would ever be making out. She had survived 4 years on watching him from afar. Seeing him up close and actually talking to him would probably get her through the next couple of years!