Interschool Day, Part Two

Anna finished dabbing her slightly pink face, and stuffed her sports towel into her bag as we walked down the corridor together after practice. My pants were still in a massive twist over how badly it had gone. We'd both changed back into our blazers and our pleated school skirts.

"I didn't mean the hair-pulling or being beastly kind of teasing," I pleaded. "Not letting me catch that ball's a kind of teasing too, when you know I'm desperate to build up a little confidence before Saturday."

On hearing my own indignant voice, I cringed.

"You've got to get used to girls not being the pushovers you think they are," Anna told me in reply. With one thumb and forefinger she plucked at her thigh, smoothing an imaginary stocking-crinkle.

"And you've got to get used to boys not appreciating being teased!" I flung back, as we reached the stairs. "And you know exactly what sort of teasing I mean this time," I added nastily. "I mean combining that little mini-skirt of yours with your prissy silver vee-pin!"

Anna stepped onto the bottom stair before me, as one who saw going first as every girl's unquestioned right. As soon as the back of that much-discussed school skirt was on a level with my nose...flip! Using both hands she gave as much reply as she felt my petulant words deserved.

No pair of clean white knickers should have made me so mad.

Something snapped inside and I stumbled up the stairs past Anna to round on her. She looked back at me, very mild.

"Don't show those off if you're never going to let boys near them!" I flung at her in a hot-faced fury. "I'm not even sure I want you cheering for me on Saturday anymore! The way you're being, I'd just as soon do without that kind of school spirit!"

"You know I've got to come," Anna said, pushing past me with one hand so that I nearly slipped down the stairs, which frightened me.

Anna's reddish-brown hair, bobbing on her slim shoulders and topped by her straw school hat, proceeded up the steps away from me. She didn't spare my struggles a backward glance. Her school skirt swished, so short that in a step or two her white knickers were before my gawping gaze again.

By Saturday morning, as I rode the bus to Interschool Day, I was no longer even sure why I was there! Swirling inside me was the need to take Anna down a peg or two, and this had become so urgent as to obscure all other goals. It was as if the competition had nothing to do with our neighbouring schools or the girls who went there, but rather was against this cheerleader who went to the same school as me!

That changed somewhat when my opponent for the day joined me on the bus, though. Not that I knew then that that was who she was, but I couldn't help noticing her right from the start.

Into the aisle she strode. Some smaller boys sitting towards the front were on their way to the stadium like me, and they shifted flickily in their seats when the girl breezed past. I could tell how much she liked having that power over us. It was worst for me though, because I was older than them.

My blush was mounting fast as she sat down near me. Smellily she pulled at the strands of blonde hair that fell across her pretty face, arranging them so they were just right, making me weak. Then she put her feet up on the seat. Her tiny black school socks had one thin white stripe running along the tops, and her ankle-bracelet winked at me. I couldn't bear it.

When she got off the bus at the same stop as all of us boys, my heart lurched and I hurried after her.

"Hey, I guess you're going to Interschool Day too?" I panted, trying to keep up with her brisk step. "Maybe we could - "

I tripped over my own feet and went sprawling helpless on all fours. She strolled away without a backward glance, just like Anna.

END OF PART TWO