Blossy

"Your solution in class today was so accurate!" exclaimed Blossy Harvard, of whom I was ever so fond. "You're really good at this subject. Can I sit near you again next time?"

We were walking down to corridor to the sports hall in our gym kit. Almost dizzy with excitement I told her she sure could!

"Aw," said Blossy gratefully, and gave me a pretend-kiss that made me swoon.

"There'll be plenty of time for the rest when we're ready to date," declared the girl, the front of her sweatshirt bumping with every footstep.

As soon as we entered the sports hall Blossy whipped away, and shot her ball in a kick of skirt. Bright orange ones. I went weak. Somehow I'd been expecting white!

Suddenly I was fidgeting to mention her underwear aloud. I so wanted to, but would she think it was inappropriate? I was so excited that that last question almost didn't seem to matter! In the end though I settled for buying her something nice at the canteen, and then looking knowingly at her while she ate it as if to somehow tell her what I badly wanted to do. The sweet sharpness of chocolate cheesecake was only adding to her smell, which was no help at all!

In fact it was too much. I had to say something!

It all came out in a rush. "Um, the most embarrassing thing for me about netball is people seeing my underpants through my white shorts!" I confessed.

"Then you shouldn't wear bright red ones," Blossy teased me.

Whew! She hadn't taken it as a hint that I'd just seen hers. Or had she?

"Let's play now," she proposed naughtily, finishing the cheesecake and jumping up.

"Don't we have to wait until after we're dating?" I cried, which made her giggle.

"Netball's the one place a boy and girl can get as hot and bothered as they like," she then promised in a whisper, her eyelashes half-lowered.

So I stood up too, albeit with excruciating shyness because I actually did have my red underwear on. Blossy giggled again, so I knew she'd seen.

We went to the centre of the court. "Now don't get your red ones in a twist if this turns out to be one subject I'm better at," said Blossy rather smugly.

I sure wasn't going to take that from some girl, even if I did like her! "We'll just see who's better!" I pronounced, haughty in my bright red pants.

She just smirked, maddeningly. We started, and Blossy was so quick that she flustered me, catching hold of the netball before I even knew what was going on. All I could do was hurry after her, almost frantic with fear that a girl might get the better of me. There'd never been one who did that quite so well as this girl was doing! All I could conclude was that they played this game very differently from how we boys did!

I told her so, indignantly, after she'd scored.

"That's hardly my fault," was Blossy's reply. "Never realised you were so behind at this. Want me to give you a few tips?"

It felt like she was teasing me with some secret knowledge. "I happen to be one of the best in my year at this game!" I flung back, incensed.

"Funny then that Red Team's losing by two points to Orange," Blossy scoffed.

Next time we started out, she made sure to remind me just what she meant by that! Catching the ball right away, Blossy whirled into a run as I stumbled to intercept and her gym skirt fanned up and up, so that for a second time I came face to face with those bright orange knickers she was wearing underneath. I gasped, hardly able to believe it. She'd done that on purpose!

"Hey, if you can show yours, I can show mine!" Blossy sang at me over her shoulder as she ran, and poked out her tongue.

Infuriated by this girl's cheekiness I made all possible speed after her, determined to show her up this time. She slowed down and I hurried in close, so much so I sniffed lingering hints of chocolate cheesecake smell. It was tantalizing, but just when I was near to Blossy she kicked up the heels of her sneakers and sped off again, and though I tried to give chase she was faster than me and I was soon puffed.

Then she slowed down again! So once more I tried, infuriated, my nostrils working frenziedly to try and catch another little bit of her. For a second time she let me, and then she shot away!

First she showed me her knickers, then she teased me like that...! I was about ready to explode!

"Alright, Blossers, you win!" I blew at her. "I'll keep helping you in class if you help me get better at netball, OK?"

Beaming she danced back over to me, and once again I smelled chocolate cheesecake. That was heaven in itself, but next second I tasted it too.

Because this time, for the first time, her kiss wasn't a pretend one.

"I thought you'd never ask," Blossy smiled.

THE END