THE ROSE AND THE THORN

Chapter 6

I opened my eyes groggily, feeling a hand supporting the back of my neck as cool air was being fanned onto my face. I felt the grass sticking into my bare legs underneath me. I groaned, trying to sit up, but a hand firmly pushed me back down.

"India, lie down, you fainted," a familiar voice said. It was Miss Rose.

"No I didn't, I took a micro nap," I joked, trying to sit up but being denied. Again.

"Are you unwell?" she asked me, concern filling her voice. My eyes finally focused and I looked up at her, her eyes as concerned as her voice. Her hand that wasn't supporting my neck pressed gently against my forehead, feeling my temperature.

"Apparently," I tried to joke.

"You know what I mean, do you have any idea why you fainted?" she asked me, and I felt her gently move a strand of my hair that was stuck to my clammy forehead.

"Nope," I said, trying to stay calm as her hand still rested against my forehead.

"Is there any chance you could be pregnant?" she blurted out, and I laughed slightly.

"Definitely not," I replied, trying to get up again, and being denied, again.

"Are you sexually active?" she asked me.

"Yes," I smirked.

"No birth control is one hundred percent effective, India!" she told me seriously.

"Mine is," I told her.

"I've studied PDHPE for four years and never have I heard of a one hundred percent effective contraception," she tested.

"Trust me, mine is..." I assured her.

"And what is that?" she asked me.

"Lesbianism," I stated simply, and even from lying down I could see the blush creep to her cheeks. Her hand retreated from my forehead and she didn't protest as I sat up and turned to face her.

"Right, well I'd say that's definitely one hundred percent effective," she laughed awkwardly, smiling at me.

"I think your gaydar is malfunctioning," I teased, and her eyes widened.

"How did y - ?" she asked incredulously, trailing off as I laughed.

"My gaydar happens to be very much intact, and it was practically screaming when I saw you in Mr Geoffrey's office!" I told her, and she smiled at me.

"I don't think this is an inappropriate conversation to have between teacher and student," she chuckled, standing up and extending her hand to me.

I took her hand and let her help me up.

"There's nothing inappropriate about being gay, Ruby..." I said with a smirk.

"I know there's not, and it's Miss Rose to you," she fake scolded.

"Just teasing," I said, poking my tongue out.

"Come on, let me drive you home," she said.

"It's okay, I can just skate home," I told her, but she shook her head at me.

"You think I'm going to let you skate home when you've just fainted?" she asked me, and I shrugged in response.

"Not happening, Thorn. Now lets go," Miss Rose said, putting her hand on my shoulder and steering me towards the car park.

We made small talk until we reached her car. It was a bright red sports car, unlike anything I had ever seen.

"Sweet ride!" I exclaimed.

"Cheers, saved up for years to get this baby!" she said, patting the top of the car affectionately.

I climbed into her car and she started the engine, hearing it roar into life was incredible.

"Damn, this thing is powerful!" I commented.

"Sure is, now where do you live?" she asked me.

"17 Highfield Court, Varsity Lakes," I told her, and she typed it into her GPS.

"Not far away at all," she commented, checking the directions on the GPS.

"I told you I could skate home," I told her.

"And I told you I'm driving you," she stated simply, and she pulled out of the carpark and began driving.

"It's that one on the left," I said, pointing to my overly large house.

"Geez, do you have sixteen siblings?" she joked.

"Nope, just me and my mum," I said simply. "Well, when she's not going away on her little holidays..." I rolled my eyes.

"What? She just leaves you here alone?" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, but it's not too bad," I explained, "Just lonely sometimes."

There was a comfortable silence between us as I grabbed my skateboard and bag, opening the car door.

"Well, thanks for the ride Miss Rose," I thanked her, opening the door of the car and stepping out.

"You're welcome, I'll see you on Monday India. Enjoy your weekend," she said.

I closed her car door and walked up to the front of my house. I unlocked my door and turned around, seeing that she had waited to see if I had gotten in safely. I smiled and waved at her, and she waved back before speeding off in her car.

I sighed as I walked into the empty house, my footsteps echoing loudly as I made my way to the kitchen to grab something to eat. I opened the fridge and grabbed some leftover dinner that I hadn't eaten last night and put it in the microwave. I pulled out my phone and messaged the group chat I had between Aimee, Scott and Connor:

FUCKWITS (Indi): hey guys, stay at mine this weekend? come over anytime 🖕🏼

FUCKWITS (Scotty): I'm down, I'll be over in an hour 💩

FUCKWITS (Aimz): dude, are you okay? I'll be there in 20 ❤️

FUCKWITS (Aimz): also you have to tell us what happened with Miss Rose!! 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩

FUCKWITS (Condawg): I'll ride with Scotty, and what the fuck happened with Miss Rose???

I sighed and threw my phone on the lounge, shaking my head at my friend's replies. I grabbed some packets of chips and poured them into bowls, that's as much preparation as I was going to do for my dickhead friends. Before I knew it Aimee was barging right through my door.

"INDIA! I was so worried but Miss Rose sent me home and told me she would take care of you! Are you okay?" she asked, pulling me into a hug.

"Dude, I'm fine!" I said, patting her back lightly. "I just hadn't eaten much today, but I feel fine now."

"Did you take advantage of the alone time with Miss Rose?" she asked me, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"No Aimee," I rolled my eyes, "she just helped me up and drove me home."

"That's boring," Aimee frowned.

"We also talked about how we're both gay," I laughed.

"What?" she exclaimed, "How on earth did that subject come up?"

"She asked if I was possibly pregnant because I fainted, I told her I'm gay so there's zero chance, then I told her that her gaydar is malfunctioning and it all went from there," I explained.

Aimee and I continued to talk, discussing Miss Rose, the soccer team and Aimee's crush on a year eleven boy named Damien Douglas. Scott and Connor arrives an hour later, and we all settled in for the night with some bottles of cheap wine  and beer, snacks and terrible TV movies.