Chapter Three
2206 Words
After much struggle to actually fall asleep, the next morning I wake up and it takes a minute to click that I’m at Rivaux. I roll over and Katie’s face is right there. I jump and scream,
“Did I scare you?” she asks.
“Oh no, I’m used to having people watch me as I sleep.” I say sarcastically.
“Good, now go shower. We need to explore!” I sigh,
“I don’t want to explore.” I say.
“Angie for crying out loud! This is all new territory! You can’t tell me that you’re not the least bit interested of everything that Rivaux has to offer.”
“They have hockey, that’s all I care about.” I say turning over. She shakes me,
“Get up!”
“Katie it’s Saturday, I like to sleep on Saturdays.”
“I’m not leaving you alone until you get your butt out of bed!”
“Go bug Makayla,”
“She’s already up and gone, thankfully. Why are you so anti-social?” I throw my head back,
“Move and I’ll get up.”
“No way!”
“Katie, move!” I say pushing her. She hops down. I swing over the side of the bed and leap down.
“You know they have ladders for a reason.” she says.
“You should just be glad that I’m out of bed.” I say annoyed. I go over to my dresser. I grab some clothes and a towel and head to the bathroom to shower. I look in the mirror and see the bags under my eyes. I didn’t cry or anything last night, but it was amazing how long it took my mind to shut off so that I could actually fall asleep.
I knew that moving away from home would be hard, but I never would have guessed that it would be this hard. It almost feels like a piece of my heart is actually missing and it’s back in Sylvania, a place that I couldn’t go back to even if I wanted to. My family, friends, and even Jon were way to supportive and are way too proud of me for getting the opportunity to play for Rivaux to even consider looking back. I have to stay and I have to thrive here.
~~~
After I shower Katie drags me to the cafeteria for breakfast. We find an empty table in the back of the cafeteria. I sit down,
“Why don’t we try sitting with somebody?” Katie asks standing next to the table.
“Because apparently I’m anti-social.” I say joking.
“I didn’t say you were I asked if you were.” Katie argues, “By the way, you aren’t helping your case by sitting alone.”
“Katie if you want to go and sit with other people go for it, I’m not ready to attempt it.” I say, the combination of lack of sleep and homesickness is making me feel irritable. Katie sighs and sits down next to me,
“What do you mean you’re not ready to attempt it?”
“C’mon Katie were not in kindergarten anymore, people aren’t as accepting. A lot of people already have their cliques.”
“People are also a lot more mature.” she argues, “This is high school not middle school.”
“Oh please! People are still overly dramatic, and I don’t know if being here 24.7 is going to make matters worse or better.”
“So, if people are establishing cliques shouldn’t we join one?”
“Honestly I won’t establish a clique, if I do establish one it won't be until I meet our hockey team.” I tell her.
“What about until then?” Katie asks.
“I can hang with you, Derek, Jared and, Brian.”
“Why did you put me and Derek together?” she asks blushing.
“I don’t know, I was just listing names.” I say confused, “Why?”
“Nothing!” she says quickly.
“Okay?” I say really not caring enough to pry. We continue to eat and eventually Brian, Derek, and Jared approach us.
“Good morning ladies,” Brian says.
“Angie’s anti-social!” Katie blurts out.
“Whoa Angie your anti-social?” Derek teases me.
“No, I’m not!” I object.
“Then why are you guys sitting at a table alone?” Brian questions.
“No one asked you Brian!” I say.
“You just don’t want to make friends!” Katie pouts.
“Don’t let me hold you back, you can go make friends if you want.” I tell Katie. Brian laughs,
“I don’t know if Angie is actually anti-social, she just doesn’t like doing things she isn’t interested in doing. So, if she doesn’t want to socialize, she won’t, I think stubborn is a better word.” I roll my eyes,
“Yeah because you know me so well.”
“Well enough to know that I am right,” Brian says.
“You’re not right,” I say with a little bit too much of a snap.
“Dang girl, what’s wrong?” Brian asks.
“Nothing,” I say.
“Angie,” Brian whines. I pick up my plate,
“Nothing’s wrong!” I say throwing away my stuff and leaving.
Okay so maybe homesickness is bugging me a little but it’s not my reason for not making friends. I have never been a social butterfly. I’m more of a get lost in the-
THUMP!
I fall over running into someone.
“Sorry I should have been paying attention.” I say.
“It was my fault,” I look up and find a rather tall boy. “Need help?” he asks offering me his hand. I take it and he helps me up. “Do you have a name?” he asks smiling at me.
“Angie Miller,” I say quickly walking away.
“Liam Harding,” he says following me.
“Nice to meet you.” I say.
“So, is Angie short for anything?” Liam asks.
“Uh yeah Angela.” I answer.
“So where are you heading?” he asks.
“I honestly don’t know.”
“Well would you be interested in exploring campus with me later?” he asks staying persistent.
“Nothing against you or anything but not really.” I admit.
“Don’t you wanna be here?” Liam asks confused.
“Yeah of course but for one reason and one reason only.”
“Which is?” he presses.
“Hockey.” I tell him shortly.
“No way! So, you play?”
“You act like that’s uncommon.” I say confused.
“Oh, uh yeah, I’m from Sota.” he says which actually grabs my interest.
“No way, I’m from Ohio.” I say with a smile.
“Really? Never thought I would find someone from the States here.” Liam says.
“So why did your parents send you to a boarding school in Canada?” I ask.
“More like I begged them to send me here.” he tells me.
“For?”
“Hockey.”
“Doesn’t Sota have good hockey programs?” I ask.
“Yeah, but nothing like Rivaux.”
“True,” I agree.
“So, are you sure you don’t wanna walk around with me this afternoon?” Liam asks again. I sigh,
“Well I guess I could.” I say coming to my door. I can’t believe he followed me all the way from the cafeteria building to the dorms.
“Is this your room?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I say opening the door.
“So, meet you here at 1:00?”
“Sure,” I agree.
“Sweet, see ya!” Liam says leaving. Katie, Brian, and Derek come around the corner and push me into the room.
“Who was that?” Katie asks shutting the door.
“A guy,” I say flatly.
“Angie, give me more!” Katie complains.
“Yeah Ang, who is he?” Brian asks.
“Why does it matter?" I ask amused.
“It doesn't.” Brian says.
“So, what’s his name?” Katie asks.
“Liam, he’s from Minnesota, plays hockey and, that’s all I know.” I say crashing on a bean bag chair.
“What are you guys meeting up for?” Brian asks. I laugh,
"Does it really matter?"
“Gonna tell Jon?” Brian asks.
“He’s my boyfriend, why wouldn’t I?” I ask him.
“Gonna tell Liam about Jon?” Brian drills.
“Yes!" I say becoming annoyed.
“So, what are you meeting up for?” Derek asks getting back to the original question.
“Going to explore campus,” I say.
“So, you’ll go with him but not us?” Brian asks.
“Last time I checked it was just Katie and me anyhow and Katie can come along if she wants.” I say irritated with him.
"Seriously can I?" Katie asks.
"Sure, why not?"
"What time's he coming by?" Katie asks.
"1:00,"
"Why do you bother hanging out with other guys if you have Jon?" Brian asks me.
"Cuz sometimes it’s good to have these things called friends." I say sharply getting sick of his attitude.
"Whatever," Brian says leaving. I turn to Derek,
"Why is he like this?" I ask him.
"He's Brian who knows?"
"So, what are you gonna do now?" Katie asks Derek.
"Crash here and let him pout over whatever his issue is." Derek says taking the bean bag next to me.
"He seems irritated that there’s a possibility of Liam being into Angie.” Katie says. I laugh,
“Which is so stupid because he’s not.”
"What if he is interested in you? What are you going to do?" Derek asks.
"Friend zone him, Jon is still my boyfriend." I say.
"You should never officially friend zone a guy as cute as Liam." Katie says.
"Oh, is that so?" Derek asks Katie.
"Yes," Katie says confidently.
"I don’t even get it, let’s say that Liam is interested, what difference does it make to Brian?” I ask looking for clarity.
“Well, didn’t he used to have a crush on you?” Katie asks.
"You would know better than me, you're around him a lot more." I say looking at Derek.
"Didn't he ask you out when we met at shinny?" Derek asks.
"Whoa wait what, Brian asked you out?" Katie asks.
"Yeah, almost a year ago when we met. I said no because Jon and me had just started dating and we lived way too far apart." I tell her.
"I bet he still has a crush on you. That's why he freaked out when you said you were meeting up with Liam." Katie says. Derek laughs,
“I mean he talks about you all the time, he’s never came out and said that he likes you. But I honestly only think that is because you’re dating Jon and he knows that nothing will happen as long as you two are involved.”
"You two are so delusional." I tell them.
"No, I think you're the delusional one." Katie says.
“Even if you are right, Brian needs to either be up front with me, so we can work through it, or just drop it, because I am with Jon and that’s not changing.” I tell them both which just leaves us all silent. "So, what are you doing today?" I ask Derek changing the topic.
"Ah I should probably help Jared unpack then I'll be just hanging out with him and Brian."
“Livin’ the best life.” I say joking and Derek laughs and nods.
“Most definitely,”
Derek hangs out a little bit longer and we have fun just catching up. Katie and him seem to get along really well which is super nice, talking to them has distracted me a little bit so my mood isn’t nearly as bad as it was earlier, but my homesickness still has me a little bit irritated. I mainly just listen to them talk and try to wrap my mind around the idea that this is my new reality.
- Writer
