Antsy Rant

Chapter 2

"Let's go!"

"I'm coming!"

"Well come faster!"

"You shoved me into heals and a skirt, I can only go so fast."

"Well if you wore them more often you wouldn't be so out of practice."

She rolled her eyes in response and they made their way to the school.

She and her friends sat around chatting as some of the upperclassman rambled rowdily around them. She refused to get up any more than necessary; it'd been less than an hour and her feet were already killing her.

"Look!" her best friend, cleverly gothed out in her newest and spookiest outfit, half whispered, half shouted.

She looked and laughed at the seniors who'd taken to playing leapfrog in their game gear while singing various pitches of 'We Will Rock You'.

Someone pulled her out of her seat and she limped over towards the far corner of the room mumbling, "Ow! Ow ow ow…"

"Shh… You'll get us noticed" He whispered, smiling at her surprised expression.

"What are you doing here?" She chided, though she was smiling.

"I promised I'd take you to the dance." He answered, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. "And well, I didn't really bring you here…"

"My feet are killing me…" She mumbled, pulling off one shoe and falling another inch shorter than he was.

"You look beautiful…" He whispered, smiling and planting a kiss on her neck.

"People are starting to stare…"

"Let 'em look." He replied smoothly, moving in for another kiss.

"Mister O'Conner." Came a booming authoritative voice.

He visibly winced in mid-kiss and turned to face the principle, holding her safely behind him.

"Hey Prince! What can I do for ya?" He replied in mock pleasantry.

"I thought I told you that you would not be welcome at this years dance after your… presentation" The principal lectured.

"Oh why Prince I could have sworn you meant next years dance!" He exclaimed earnestly.

"And Miss Clement, I would certainly expect you to have higher standards…" The principal chided, ignoring his excuse and glaring over his glasses at her now.

"Well Mr. Andrews I don't expect that you have too many expectations for those students who don't have their noses shoved up your butt, and especially less expectation for those students whose minds aren't quit as narrow as your own. Now, if you'll excuse us, it's about time Mr. O'Conner and I take our leave." She said this with such an astonishing polite flourish that both the Principle and Cole were left gaping.

She and Cole left, she carrying her shoes and Cole still staring at her in astonishment.

"Did I ever tell you?" He asked as soon as they were outside.

"Tell me what?" She asked turning and smiling modestly at him.

"I love you Keira."

"Mm."

"We tried that before, remember?" She replied, struggling to keep her tone calm.

"You'd swear they were already married." Mumbled a girl in the other room.

"Yes I know we tried before, but why not again? That was back when you were the boy stealing whore or whatever and we were all a mess." He replied.

"You mean back when I could tolerate having things go on behind my back?" She snapped.

He sighed. "Keira, please."

"Please what?" she growled.

"You let that best friend of yours go the same time you cut me off—"

"I never cut you off! Do I stop you from all the touchy stuff you insist is just friendly?" She interrupted.

"No, but Keira, its like-.. I feel like I got caught in your whirlpool when you were letting go of everyone who ever hurt you."

"So what? So I shouldn't want to be happy? I shouldn't want my best friend to not talk shit behind my back and I shouldn't want to have a boyfriend who—who can handle being with one girl at a time?"

"I was drunk!"

"So what?"

"So I was drunk and I had you on my mind so I went and—"

"So you associate me with the whore you hooked up with that night when you were drunk?"

"No! No Keira, never. Why would I have called you up right then—"

"Drunk."

"Yes I was drunk damn it. Why would I have called you up and confessed?"

"To clear your guilt?" She snapped.

"Keira…"

"Cole..." She mocked.

"Do you think they'll ever realize they just need to get over themselves and get married?" Ellie mumbled to Tyler in the other room.

"And let go of their stubbornness? Never." Tyler replied in a hushed tone.