Dear CEO

Chapter 4 - Jealousy is a sickness

“Come with me.” Tiffany marches towards me, as soon as I enter the school building. She’s holding a huge duffel bag in both her arms and her eyes gleam with a mission.

“What now?” I ask. She never comes this early to school. This sun is still just a red stripe at the horizon. One or two stars are still visible in the dark blue sky.

“You’re make-over.” She says with an attitude in her tone, lifting the heavy duffel bag with a little strength.

“Tiffany.” I drag her name with my tongue in a naggy voice.

“Come on.” She says sternly and I know I won’t be able to get out of this.

“No.” I try, but her eyes don't show any sympathy.

She starts to walk, almost tripping over a steady rock. She makes a grunting noise, trying to recover her composer.

I look at the fountain we're passing with, always intrigued at the statue with a little baby shooting an arrow. It’s supposed to be cupid, shooting arrows of love, but I never get why it's standing in school. I mean,do they really encourage students to fall in love in school, when it’s supposed to be about learning and teaching?

When we enter the halls a petite woman is busy mopping the halls.

“Sorry.” Tiffany apologies as we need to step on the wet floor to enter the bathroom.

I nod with an sorry look as she stops moping and stares at me with angry eyes.

“Sorry.” I mumble before I enter the bathroom, to assure her that I feel bad for stepping on the wet floor.

“It’s so quiet.” Tiffany sighs, throwing the duffel bag to the ground.

“Yeah.” I nod, staring at the dim flickering light of the bathroom.

“So, let’s get started.” She clasps it together and rubs it together with force.

“But I can’t.” I look down at my orange oversized shirt and black pants, “my mom makes me these. I’ll hurt her feelings.” I say.

“You can change back before you go home.” Tiffany says understanding me.

“But people will wonder-”

“No buts. Stop caring what people think.” Tiffany says sternly and I know that she’s right.

I need to take my first step out of my comfort zone, to improve.

“Okay.”

—

I swallow.

1,2,3.

I open the bathroom door, feeling my nerves eating me alive. I look back at Tiffany but she pushes me ahead.

The halls aren't empty anymore. Students are scattered everywhere.

“No, no, no.” I plead with Tiffany, feeling like a dumb puddle of emotions, “I can’t.”

I push myself back in the bathroom, unable to escape this invisible barrier.

“Calm down.” Tiffany whispers, probably seeing the state that I’m in.

“I can’t do this, Tiffany.”

“Yes you can.” She encourages me and positions me in front of the mirror, reminding me of her lecture a few days ago.

I still can’t recognize the person I’m looking at in the mirror.

My hair is in a high pony and it somehow makes my face look different. I can’t describe but Tiffany says it’s sexy. She also gave me a winged eyeliner to add to thec ‘sexyness’.

I’m wearing a short flowery skirt and a pink tank top. The outfit is beautiful but also too open for my liklines but compared to the other outfits, this was the most decent.

I take a deep breath and count to a lot of numbers before I turn and look at Tiffany with despair.

“Just keep your head up high, queen.”

I nod and bite my lips. I'm taking this too seriously. There’s worse things happening in the world and here I am, too scared to exit the bathroom.

This time when I open the bathroom door I keep my chin up high and walk towards Tiffany’s locker.

I try not to look at the people around me but I notice stares. The talking noise even died down making me glance right into a tall nerdish guy, string with his mouth agape.

I smile at him lightly, feeling my face turn red.

“Wow, slow down.” Tiffany comments a few feet behind me.

Now she’s making me worse. I don’t want to stop between all these people and wait for her. But it’ll also look silly if I just keep walking ignoring her call.

So I stop and turn and I can’t help but let my eyes wander. I need to see what people are thinking.

My eyes first land on three boys, standing in a circle next to the lockers. Their voices are low but I can see them talking to me. I quickly shift my eyes, to land on a girl , thick with dark makeup and black hair, who’s eyeing me with a filthy glare whilst taking things from her locker.

“Hey, new girl.” A handsome guy greets walking towards me with a wide smile.

I swallow, looking behind me.

“I’m talking to you, silly.” His warm brown eyes smile at me.

“Oh, I’m not new.” I say biting my lips.

I notice his eyes intensely fall down to my lips as he flips his blonde hair behind.

“Really?” He frowns whilst giving me a toothy grin.

His smile is so wide and beautiful.

“Yeah.” I say, fiddling with my fingers. I try to ignore a smiling Tiffany passing me, leaving me with this guy.

“Well, what is your name?” He asks, folding his arms over his chest.

I look down at his pink T-shirt and jean shorts, giving him a complete surfer-boy look.

“Rosalie.” I say with a small smile.

“A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.” He flirts.

I don’t understand. I don’t look so different than before. I literally just have a winged eyeliner, a high ponytail and different clothes.

I guess my poor outfits really sucked.

“What’s your name?” I ask politely back..

“Ashton.” He says, licking his lips and looking at me with droopy eyes from under his long dark lashes.

“That’s a nice name.” I compliment just like he complimented me.

I swallow, hoping it wasn’t too much.

He laughs, flipping his hair back again.

“So can I ask you a question?” He folds his arm over his chest and looks at me with fake concern and a devilish grin.

“Sure.” I say with a frown, feeling nervous.

A girl, known as Nessa, part of the popular group walks past me and does a double take, with wide unbelievable eyes.

She’s probably going to tell Mia and all the others and they’ll try their hardest to get me down.

I sniff and continue to look at Ashton questingly.

“So, I would like to get to know you better.” He scratches the back of his neck, swaying his body from left to right.

“Oh.” I say, feeling somewhat surprised.

I still don’t understand why all of a sudden. It doesn’t feel right.When I open my mouth to answer another guy appears, seeming hotter than Ashton with his dark brown waves and hazel eyes.

“Who do we have here?” He asks, ogling me from head to tie, leaning with his arm on Ashton’s shoulder. He doesn't look at me but rather holds his eye contact on Ashton.

“Oh, this is Rosalie.” Ashton smiles at me and the other guy finally looks at me, holding out his hand.

I stare at it and take a step back, feeling confused and awkward.

Ashton starts to chuckle and I see the other guy start to feel embarrassed, his cheeks glowing red.

“Oh.” I say, surprised. He wanted to shake my hand and I made him feel like a fool.

I quickly take his hand in mine and give him a nod, making his cheeks’s redness fade away.

“Connor.” He says, nodding back at me.

I laugh and smile, not knowing what to say next, so I awkwardly look down and once again feel my cheeks feel warm again.

“So Rosalie.” Ashton starts again, clearing his throat afterwards, “can I see you in break.”

I grit my teeth feeling astonished.

I open my mouth but no words come out.

They both smile at me and I can say with full honesty that no one has ever looked at me that way.

“Okay!” I blurb nervously, turn and quickly stomp away.

I keep my head low, until I reach Tiffany at the locker.

“See!” she squeaks, shutting her locker door with force.

“See what?” I ask, acting dumb.

“See how that guys ogled you?”

“He just wanted to spend break with me.” I say, too much excitement.

“Really.” Her smile fades, as sharts to get her thinking face.

“I guess.” I say frowning at her thinking face.

“That actually fits perfectly.” She says, nodding.

“What do you mean?”

“I think I’m going to hook up with someone.”

“Really.” I try to hide my surprise, as she said it so calmly and normally.

“Yeah.” Her eyes stare forward dreamily.

“With who?” I ask, hoping I’m not invading her privacy, but if she told me in the first place, I guess it’s not so private.

“Terrace.” She says without any hesitation.

“Who’s Terrace.” I ask, having somewhat of an idea, but I hope it isn’t who I think it is.

“My crush.” She squeaks, taking both of my hands, jumping up and down.

“Your crush.” I swallow, feeling jealousy surrounding my aurora.

“Yeah man, the guy you bumped into the other day.” She says as we start walking towards our first class. English.

We’re only doing revision for a month before the exams begin. I have to start studying.

I try hard to take my mind off the green eyed jerk, who’s name I now learned is Terrace.

“”Where are you even going to hook up?” I ask, shaking my head.

“Uhm, in class, in the bathroom? Wherever.” The attitude in her voice comes with a click of tongue.

“Oh, well enjoy.” I say entering the class, glad that I’m early and go sit at the back on my usual seat.

—

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