Chapter 3

Matilda checked her watch anxiously. Surely it was time for recess! She shifted in her seat uncomfortably.

"Yes, you would like to say something Matilda Aster?" The teacher asked curtly with a stern expression. The whole class turned to face her, suddenly interested.

"Jeez! Such unwanted attention!" Matilda thought sinking deeper into her seat wishing to disappear all together.

"What's the matter Matilda? Cat gat your tongue?" Lucinda asked her voice dripping with spite.

Matilda bit back a quip and turned to the teacher. "No Mrs Louis."

"Then am I boring you Miss Aster?" The teacher pressed dangerously.

Matilda bit her lip remembering why this teacher and her were next to enemies.

Classes were bearable when Kelly was around. However their schedules weren't entirely the same. And it just had to be with one of her least favorite teachers.

The class was boring alright! It had already tugged on the last strings of her attention span.

She lowered her head looking as humble as she could manage. "No Mrs Louis," perfect Matilda, now we're lying through our teeth. She thought.

The teacher moved closer about to pass out a stern warning when the bell sounded.

Matilda sighed in relief just noticing she had been holding her breath and literally scampered out of the class.

"Bye Mrs Louis!"

This time she didn't care to linger and hurried off to find Kelly.

Her mind wandered to the blonde tanned dude from earlier. "I wonder how he's getting along…." She mused. Her mind replayed their short "encounter" in slow motion and she subconsciously broke into a grin. Even though he probably wasn't smiling at her it was nice to imagine that was the case. At least he was in the boys school… she wouldn't have to worry about other girls stealing him. "Wait… doesn't that mean that I also can't get him..?" Matilda tapped her chin entering the locker room. "Who cares!" She shrugged. It was a big school, she probably wasn't gonna see him again. One wink wasn't enough to give her the butterflies. Unless it's love at first sight…." Her mind whispered. Shut up Matty, now you're thinking like a hungry man.

"Oi, Mat!" Kelly caught up with her, holding some textbooks under one arm.

Matilda eyed them suspiciously.

"What? First day… still gotta start hard."

Matilda rolled her eyes, "Sometimes I forget my best friend is a nerd."

Kelly posed cheekily giving her the peace sign.

They crossed the locker room into the cafeteria, arriving through one of the many side doors.

They walked over to the canteen and made it back to a free table without anyone dramatically bumping into them and giving them a high five with their plates… which was a personal best.

"Man, the bitches crew must be awfully busy for us to get here unscratched," Kelly muttered setting down her tray and looking around. "They usually go an extra mile to prepare some first day surprised just for us."

Sure enough, Lucinda was no where to be found.

Kelly shrugged sitting down. Like she could be bothered. She dug her fork into the noodles.

"So…." Kelly began between bites, shuffling through the textbooks that were now on the table. She produced a black jotter from between them and shifted it closer to Matilda. "Remember this?"

Matilda gasped causing some heads to turn. She grabbed the tiny book and flipped through it transfixed.

Kelly smiled smugly pleased with her reaction.

"How the hell Kells!" Matilda broke into a grin. "Like we got into sooo much trouble last term… the whole prefects league felt so dissed, heck I thought they were gonna bring in the apocalypse!" She chuckled remembering all the situations they had not so accidentally gotten themselves into.

"Hey look Kell, there's still some tasks we haven't ticked off,"

Kelly inched closer and peering over the book. Indeed if she remembered quite well they had gone quite overboard last term hoping to finish it off but there was only so much the authorities could take. "The term's started, so ought we."

Matilda tapped on the first task. "Girl I like the way you think." Her green eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Yo girls, have space for another?" A girl asked drawing a chair over and sitting down anyway, popping a straw into her yoghurt box.

"Of course Betty, the more the merrier." Muttered Kelly halfheartedly.

Nosey Betty as they often called her was the press club senior assistant and the girl was quite a tagalong once she sensed "opportunities." So while Kelly and Matilda were busy getting into trouble, they could be rest assured that a nerdy brained copper haired girl would be sneaking up from behind and adjusting her star rimmed glasses before taking a swift picture.

Luckily she didn't have her camera with her so the girls were safe for now.

Betty smiled at them. "We had so much fun last term, we'll have more fun this term also!"

"Mmmm…."

Matilda and Kelly were suddenly very interested in their food, slurping in all the noodles most enthusiastically.

Matilda took her drink in one hand. "Boy this is some iced tea!"

Betty chuckled. "It's fine you two, I'm not a fool. Pity though, was really looking forward to it."

"Hmm not as dense as I thought. Right I remember, you're a nerd too." Thought Kelly with a slight smile.

"Luckily I have a new major project, very promising too…." She lowered her voice. "Lucinda Courtney."

Both girls were suddenly very interested.

"The Lucy?" Matilda asked.

Betty smirked. Apparently she had created her desired effect.

"Who would have thought the little twit could be up to something," Kelly shook her head incredulous. "So there's actually a reason she's not in the cafeteria. I should have known, she's usually easy to spot."

"Interested in press gossip now are you?" Betty simpered guzzling the last of her yoghurt and squeezing the box, childishly leaving the straw in her mouth.

She stood up adjusting her glasses. "You know Kelly, that offer is still open. The press club would like to have you."

Kelly snorted, "Except they've been trying to recruit all the senior nerds. You sure are persistent aren't you? I'll pass… I'll always pass. Don't bother getting your hopes on."

Betty sighed, "Whatever Kelly…." The psychology She thought, It was supposed to work… pique her interest first and make it seem like an opportunity. Betty knew that the girls and Lucinda had some bad blood between them. Well Lucinda hated anyone who drew attention that wasn't her, and the girls had been hugging the spotlight lately.

"But honestly, who wouldn't mind digging up dirt about your nemesis firsthand? So what was the deal with Kelly!" She thought in frustration as she headed out of the cafeteria.

Kelly smirked behind her, "Betty darling, maybe you just hadn't tried hard enough yet." She thought.