I've read a lot of stories where Cosima is the geek, and Delphine the popular girl, and even though that idea does fit for me, I can also picture it the other way around! So I thought I would try! Reviews are very appreciated. Thanks!

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Cosima Niehaus sauntered down the hallway with entirely too much swing in her hips for a high school student and I was mesmerised. Mesmerised from the very first moment I saw her, walked straight into the open locker door in front of me and dropped all my newly purchased books on the floor like a fool. Mesmerised by the soft smile that was always spread across her mouth, mesmerised by the way her hands flew and danced when she spoke, mesmerised by the curls that bounced behind her while she walked.

Where Cosima was all smoothness and ease, I was something much more rigid. All long torso and gangly limbs, I watched Cosima, and envied the fluidity of her movements from a far. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. Girls like Cosima Niehaus, student body president, unfathomably popular and sweet,star of the school, did not talk to girls like me.

I stared at her constantly, and I'm sure she knew it. While I had never spoken to her, she often shot me bemused smiles across the hall, across the cafeteria, in the car park. I always turned my head as quickly as possible, and pretended to be admiring a smudge of grime on the wall, or be utterly enthralled by the latest text message Maman had sent me. Anything but the truth. Anything but have her know I was slightly in love with her.

When I had first transferred to the school, fresh off the plane from France, a bundle of nerves topped by a scraggily pile of blonde curls, it struck me as odd that she was so popular. Cosima Niehaus, in all of her wonder, did not seem like the girls I had seen on the many American films popular with my friends back home. She did not seem mean or callous, and I couldn't imagine her dunking some poor soul's head in the toilet, or whatever it was American teenagers did for fun.

It was the first day back of school after summer, and I was nervous. My only friend from the year before, Mia, had moved to the other side of the country, as her father had been promoted, and I felt doomed, as I would be yet again starting the year with no friends. At first when I had arrived, many people had wanted to be my friend, enamoured with the idea of an exotic and sophisticated French girl. I imagine they thought I would skip classes, smoke cigarettes and read cosmopolitan magazine with them, and the reality of an entirely too tall, awkward, dork was nowhere near as desirable, and so I was ignored.

I prayed to every god I could think of that somehow this year would throw Cosima Niehaus into my stratosphere, and I went to all of my classes with my fingers crossed in frenzied excitement, hoping to see her delightful brown curls bob into the classroom. I was out of luck with my morning classes, but did catch a glimpse of her, sitting at the best table in the cafeteria, surrounded by her friends at lunch time. Her arm was draped lazily around the girl next to her, and every so often her face lit up in laughter. I sat alone and prodded at my raspberry jelly miserably.

By last period, gym, I had all but given up hope, and when I saw her march through the doors, her gym shorts scandalously tight and short on her perfectly tanned thighs. I felt my stomach drop.

I wanted her to be in a class with me! Any class but gym!

Of course fate would twist its wicked fingers and drop the girl of my dreams, quite literally, into the one class where I couldn't hold my own. I was terrible at gym. After my growth spurt a few years ago, I'd never really felt at home in my body. My limbs seemed to work against me, most obviously in gym class. I was consistently picked last, with a roll of the eyes and a begrudging acceptance, sometimes less with the acceptance, and more with varied balls and occasionally more creative sports equipment being intentionally thrown at my head. I sighed, and resigned myself to the fact that Cosima Niehaus was never going to see me as anything but target practise.

Ms North, our slightly stocky teacher announced we were to play my least favourite game in the history of awful high school gym games, dodge ball. My stomach dropped even further down, more so than I had thought possible as I envisioned receiving at least one ball smack in the centre of my face.

We were separated into two teams, and as usual Ms North picked her two favourite students to captain the teams. Beth Childs stood on one side, a cocky grin spread across her face, and of course Cosima Neihaus stood on the other. One by one, the rattled off the names of their desired team mates, and I willed all the bones in my body to cross, wishing for once to not be picked last. After selecting her best friend, Sarah Manning, and her twin sister Helena, who would probably have tried to burn down the gym rather than be separated from her sister, Cosima grinned widely.

"I'll uh, I'll take Delphine"

Cosina Niehaus said my name? Cosima Niehaus knew my name? I felt my heart race, and I was sure Cosima could hear it's overzealous beating. I bit my lip, and although I couldn't believe it, I didn't dare argue. I grinned like an idiot and hoped the blush on my cheeks wasn't terribly obvious, and trotted to join Cosima's team like a dumb puppy.

Our group gathered into a huddle, and while I thought Cosima would take charge, it was Sarah Manning who spoke first "So like, I think we should just throw the balls at Rachel. I'm thinking a good walloping might dislodge the stick from her arse, yeah?"

Cosima snorted loudly, and gently nudged her elbow into Sarah's side. "Nah Sarah, it's only the first day back, it's totes too early for you to dance with detention"

When our strategy was decided, we spread across our side of the floor and I braced myself.

While our group strategy was to win, my personal strategy was to avoid the ball at all costs. I did not want to get hit and embarrass myself in front of this girl who knew my name. I did not want to touch the ball at all, fearing if I missed a shot I might fall out of Cosima's apparent favour.

I was so caught up, a bundle of nervous energy, that I didn't even see the ball coming for my head. I fell directly backwards and began to cry. It didn't hurt, the balls were so soft. But I had ruined my chance to impress Cosima. How terribly typical of me. My heart thumped and I sobbed louder.

I felt a strong hand grip mine and swiftly pull me back onto my traitorous feet. Cosima beamed at me quickly, before turning to our teacher and annoucing rather loudly she was going to escort me to the Nurses office. Her hand gripped mine and she led me out of the room, down the hall and towards the Nurse.

It hit me suddenly, harder than the force of ball, harder the ground I had fallen back on; Cosima Niehaus was holding my hand.