My Childhood sweetheart

Leewood

Derek's P.O.V

School had been hell. Most of the time I've been daydreaming. I guess all my teachers just gave up on me.

English was torture! That teacher ignored the fact that I wasn't actually going to pay attention. His monotonous voice kept droning on about "how important metaphors were" or "how difficult it was for one to write a sonnet". And all the time, he kept picking me to answer questions on a particular stanza. Of course, I couldn't care less, and simply ignored them. But it didn't deter him...unfortunately.

I didn't really care about all of that at the moment though. To me, it felt like a total waste of time.

~~~~

The last lesson was dragging on.I kept glancing at the clock on the wall, willing the hands to get to quarter past. Arrgh! Someone kill me now! I swear, maths gets more annoying each passing day! If only they were all like my lesson with Hannah....

I quickly scribbled down an answer for 'x' before my teacher noticed I hadn't actually worked. Everyone around Mr had finished ages ago. I sighed as the teacher started dictating another gruelling homework task for us and began penning it into my homework diary.

Eventually, the bell rang, signalling the end of the school day.

Throughout the lesson, I'd oh so obviously been thinking of Hannah again:

What was she doing right now?

kept repeating in my mind over and over.

On my way to the lockers, I decided that I would take a detour on my way to Hannah's house through the shopping complex called Leewood, Lee's for short. It's where all the local secondary kids hang out after school or catch a bus home. Perhaps I'd see Hannah there?

Hannah's P.O.V 

A bunch of my friends, including Maria, caught me at the lockers after school.

"Hey Hannah!" a girl named Sarah called. Argh! I really didn't want to face them all now! I just wanted to go home...

"We're going window shopping down at Lee's," Charlie annoced

"As well as boy spotting," Rachel added. causing all of them to giggle.

"Nah, Hannah's spoken for!" Maria helpfully informed through their laughter. I swear, if looks could kill...

"Ooh really Hannah?"

"You've got a boyfriend!!!!???!!??!"

"What's his name then?"

"Does he have a brother?"

" Is he a good kisser??"

That last one caused me to blush so badly... I was completely overwhelmed with all of their girly questions. Maria came to my rescue in the end,

"Shush guys! She wants to keep it on a low," she told them, winking at them. They burst into fits of laughter, echoing in the corridor. I shot Maria another "I'm-going-to-murder-you-later" look but she just shrugged and grinned.

"Come on girls, lets go!" Maria hollered, leading the way with me in tow. Great.

Derek's P.O.V

At the last minute, my mates decided they'd like to come along. I really didn't want them to though. Wherever they go girls follow. Literally!

I believe they're considered "fit" or "sexy" and sometimes even "cute" , by a large percentage of the teenage girl population. I mean, it was cool in in Year 8. We had all the girls trailing us at every waking moment. But now it was really embarrassing. I try to act like them and play along, so I never seem the odd one out. It's kind of like a hive mind or something... I'd hate it for anyone other than my friends too see me this way, well except from the strangers we annoy along the way.

I don't know what gave me the idea that Hannah'd be up here; her school's miles away...I think. But thank goodness she wasn't. I'd be mortified if she'd seen me along side these buffoons.

They're not all that bad. Its just how they behave in public. But from experience, I've learnt it's best to copy them and hope everyone will just see you as 'one of those boys' instead of 'that one'...I was constantly checking my watch though: I don't want to be late to Hannah's place.

Hannah's P.O.V

We'd got to Lee's a few minutes after the other schools. The place as alive with lots of different groups of people. There were school children(obviously) mucking around and making a racket. Pensioners doddering about and talking to themselves or old friends. Parents dragging their screaming toddlers from shop to shop. Couples... kissing and cuddling. I even noticed this cute pair that were whispering in each others ear and laughing at their own little jokes...

I sighed. If only...

Snapping back down to earth, I registered what we were doing and where we were going. Personally, I find window shopping is absolutely boring. Especially clothes! I'd never understand what the pleasure was of trying on shoes you'd never in a million years be able to wear, wheter it be due to the ridiculous price tags or their erotic designs. Then they don't pay for them in the end which makes me feel even worse!

We were outside again when we all spotted a gang of St James' boys mucking about. My friends got all excited and started fixing whatever they thought needed "fixing" , making it so obvious that they were oogling at the boys.

Of course, the guys caught on quickly (who wouldn't? ). St James', St James'...why does that ring a bell? A book or something? No, that can't be it..It's, erm...It's Derek's school, isn't it? Oh my gosh! Please, please, please don't let Derek be here. I also discreetly checked my hair was alright in my glittery pocket mirror.

I didn't want him to think I'm actually with this crazy lot!

Derek's P.O.V

I saw a group of girls from Hannah's school from a distance. Their red blazer is very stand-outish, I guess. However, it was the one colour I didn't really hoping that I want to see.

But there they were, just coming out of some clothes shop.They'd clocked us about a minute later. I tried hiding behind everyone else but it proved useless as my friends came up with a 'genius' idea of walking in a horizontal line to block the girls' path.

Then I attempted to stay in the furthest edge of the line. It wasn't hard cos most of the lads were braking "ranks" (haha) to get as close to the girls as they could.

I'd quickly spotted Hannah amongst them. Damnit! She was glancing down at something I couldn't really see.But she hadn't quite noticed I was here yet. I looked around for an escape route or a shop I could pop into. I was in for some luck! The main shopping mall was right next to us. I casually slunk away from the group, hoping that the boys would distract them long enough for Hannah not to spot me. There's no way I'd be associated with those doofuses!

From the cover if the shops, I made my way over to the nearest bus stop outside and waited for one to Hannah's area. Phew, I didn't get caught.