CHAPTER 2 - SAVANNA

My satchel was heavy on my shoulder as I kicked myself for the hundredth time that fternoon for not accepting Jess' offer of a ride home. No! I had to be in the mood to walk! I groaned and shifted the bag to my other shoulder, running my fingers through my black hair. With a dull thud, my Italian dictionary fell out of my satchel. A shadow fell across me as I bent to retrieve it, a hand brushed mine and handed the book back to me, I looked up into Luke Rowling's blue eyes. I glared at him,
"What do you want?" He laughed.
"I was wondering if I could walk you home?" I rolled my eyes.
"Give me a break Luke! I can walk home on my own!" I flounced off but he grabbed my arm.
"Please?" He pleaded. He batted his long eyelashes at me and my heart melted. I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Fine! But if you tell anyone abou this, I will kill you!" He laughed again and we walked slowly towards my home.

"No I swear I didn't really say that!" I cried. Luke laughed and leant against the gate to my house. He glanced around.
"Uh...Savanna...maybe, I meqan we're already near there...would you like to maybe go and get a coke?" I looked down at my suddenly fascinating shoe-laces. My heart jumping for joy that maybe, just maybe that cutest guy in school could like me. He groaned.
"And I've blown it. I'm sorry, I'll go now" I looked up quickly.
"No Luke! I mean..." He looked at me hopefully. "I was just trying to decide whether going for a coke would require me to forgive you for calling me a...what was it? Gypsy hlaf-breed finicky bitch?" He blushed.
"I just...sorry again" I punched his arm.
"You don't have to be, you were right. But, isn't it getting too late to walk?" He grinned and I noticed a shining red and black Honda parked along the side fence. I was confused.
"I came here earlier and your brother said you were at Baileys' " He quickly explained, tossing me one of the helmets. I jumped onto the bike behind him and he gunned the engine.

I nudged the door open and attempted to creep past the kitchen. Inch by inch...mum couldn't hear me or she'd hit the roof.
"Hold it right there missy!" Boomed a loud, authoritative voice. I groaned...caught! I turned to face the most formidable force in the world...
"Sorry I'm late mum" I whispered meekly. I looked a little like mum. I had her gypsy blood coursing through my veins but she was tall and strong looking, so was my brother Cameron. But I was small and looked as though I'd be blown over in a slight breeze. But don't let that fool you, I have a temper to be reckined with. Mum placed her hands on her hips and gave me the evil eyes. Cameron was hanging over the back of the couch looking interested now. I poked my tongue out at him and he flipped the bird. I rolled my eyes. Cameron was eighteen and a pain in the ass.
"weell?" Mum prompted.
"Well what?"
"Well miss smarty pants, where the hell have you been?"
"At Bailey's?" I replied.
"And?" She continued, unfooled.
"And eating nce-cream with a guy from school"
"Not that lout on the bike?" She gasped. Cameron giggled.
"Luke Rowling? As if he'd like you! He probably wanted your help with homework!" I glared at him and he shut-up quickly. I stood there while mum dished out my punishment, a lecture and kitchen duty for three weeks!

I lay in bed that night thinking about Luke Rowling. He was pretty cute...well alright, very cute! in a grungy sort of way. You know, spiked, peroxide blond hair but with huge blue eyes. I'd hated him since year seven...but maybe for all his teasing and tormenting he wasn't that bad. He was sixteen like me and lived not far out of town. We'd had so much fun that night. We'd ridden the bike to a near-by McDonalds and gone through drive-through. Angela Creeves, the school gossip queen was on duty and so we knew it'd be all around town by the next morning. Then Luke took me down the scenic drive that wound around the picturesque river, and, onto the makeshift jetty. It was really beautiful.

I banged my head against the brickwall. If one more person asked me if I was dating Luke I was going to scream! It had been going on for a week now and I hadn't so much as spoken to him since the ride. I mean, you would think he would've called me! He wouldn't even smile at me in class! I was totally humiliated! He was obviously a jerk! Just like I'd first thought!

Ms. Walsh chirped happily throughtout our English class. I scribbled quickly on my notepad, taking notes for our new assignment. I heard a low Pssst. I glanced up and saw Luke staring at me from across the room. I narrowed my eyes at him and continued to scribble.
"Damn!" I exclaimed as my pen gave up the fight, running out of ink. A quick rummage through my pencil case revealed a lack of pens. A biro suddenly landed on my table. I looked up to see Luke smiling at me. I glared at him and shoved the biro back to him. He frowned and quickly sat in the empty seat next to me.
"What's up Sav?" He whispered. I ignored him and sucked the nib of my pen in an effort to drawn ink. It finally began to write again and I resumed note-taking.
"Sav? Savanna? What did I do wrong?" I turned and glared at him.
"Please Shut Up!" I hissed. He grinned.
"Not this old game gypsy! I thought we were past it"
"Yeah? Well so did I! I was obviously wrong!" The bell clanged and I scooped up my books and hurried out the door.

I saw Bailey across the hall talking to a couple of year ten bitches. I made my way over to them.
"I told you already moron! So listen hard and maybe some thread of inteligence will make it through through your thick skull! I don't know anything! Leave me alone!" She cried. I smiled, underneath that meak exterior, Bailey was a bitch waiting to happen. She caught my eye and smiled.
"You do not want to speak to me likle that Bailey" Hissed Kiley Anderson. I'd had enough.
"Kiley! Take a hint and piss off! Nobody likes you! You are not a nice person!" I screeched. She turned on me.
"Oh here it is! The lying little gypsy!" I felt my blood boil.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked calmly.
"Just that the only time you'll ever be able to get Luke Rowling is in your dreamworl and even then he won't like you!" She glanced at me defiantly and I smiled back at her. Becuase I knew something she didn't, I knew that Luke was standing right behind her. He tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around,
"What!...oh, Luke...hi"
"Hi Kylie. Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with fire? Especially a gypsy's?" I grinned triumphantly at Kylie.
"Hey Savanna" He said, smiling. I grinned back.
"Hey Luke"
"So...I was wondering,..." He began "I don't suppose you'd like to go for a ride?"
"Sounds great!" I replied, he slipped his arm around my waist and we walked out together.

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