Chapter 13
1117 Words
Kallen is home earlier today, a couple minutes past six. Marielle comes with him with a dark red scarf around her neck. While he's in his bathroom, I keep her company at the dining table. I haven't seen Marielle around in weeks, my brother's beautiful girlfriend. She hasn't changed, not like I'm expecting her to, but her eyes seem tired. Maybe their work in college is a bit overwhelming, and that gets me a bit scared for my future.
"Why don't you come often?" I ask her. "I mean, Kallen is your boyfriend. Doesn't he try to invite you?" Marielle nods her head and tells me he does ask her to come over but not as often as he used to.
"So, I find it weird that Kallen never talks about you," Marielle tells me. She smiles. "You're such an sweetheart." We hardly had a chance to talk last time. I want to know more about her.
"I don't know much about relationships but how are you and Kallen doing so far? I get it that you guys are swamped with work and college, so how do you even manage?" Marielle shrugs, looking at the table.
"I wonder why Amy is so curious," Ruth buds in out loud from the kitchen. I want her to kill any such thoughts. She doesn't have to worry because Matthew and Oren already taught me that lesson to be patient and let the right person come to me. Besides, I'm just trying simple-talk with Marielle.
Kallen and her leave an hour later to go shopping, leaving me with Ruth in the kitchen. I've already finished my homework, so I'm hanging out with her. She wants me to go outside, though. And worse yet, she suggests I go to Alistair's house and have a play-date. For one thing, I'm not five anymore. Secondly, it's dinner time and mostly dark outside. Thirdly, it's risky to go there because of the three leeches sucking to his house. I know Alistair will get in trouble somehow if they see me with him. We haven't talked to each other very much, just exchanged glances and resumed to do whatever we were doing. Is it creepy that I miss him? Miss having long conversations with him or even spending some time with him?
It isn't anything new anyway. Before we talked to each other, I had the same feeling just looking at his house through my bedroom window. Wanting to go up and talk to him, and now even if I'm not afraid to anymore, I can't.
**Next School Day**
Halloween is in a week, and there are posters of the Halloween party plastered across the walls. It's not in school, though--Elsen High will never risk it's reputation with its pesky students. In fact, it's not the school hosting the party but Carla and Delilah. They have one every year, and everyone is invited.
There is a murmur at the beginning of math class, and students whispering in curiosity. It takes me a while to know what they're talking about. Two new students have joined class, and I've seen them before.
"Okay, guys! Seems like you all figured out we have two unfamiliar faces in class today," Ms. Ally says, pulling in the two girls. "This is Phoebe, and you...?" She looks at the other blonde girl. Her name's Sienna. Sienna's got strips of purple, red, and green in her hair, a ring is through her nose, and her eyes are very smoky. Phoebe is like a ballroom princess who stepped out of a fairytale, curled hair, pink glossed lips, bright smile, very fit, and dandelion earrings hung beneath her lobes. All the class is staring at them with wonder as if they're some sort of new species.
"They're hot," I hear Greg whisper to Leif. Then he catches me looking and smirks at me, mouthing, "I still love you." I roll my eyes, not caring the least bit. What is it with Greg? He's so much more flirtatious to me, and always acts naughty whenever he's around me.
"Sienna and I wouldn't mind sitting together at the very back," Phoebe says. By how her gaze falls near Alistair and me, I know she's planning to sit near us. If she is, she succeeds. Sienna and Phoebe are sitting right behind us, and I have to avoid the thoughts buzzing in my head. I've seen these two before, and they seem so familiar to me.
When we're given homework and have the rest of class to work on it, the entire classroom turns to the new girls as if they're a miracle on stage. Most of them don't go to them though, and I know why. They sit too close to Alistair. I may not be scared of him, but everyone still is.
After some time, one of the girls speaks up. "Hey." I turn around, but Alistair doesn't. It's Phoebe who says hi. "I'm Phoebe, if you don't know already." I nod, smiling politely. "You? And also...him?"
"I'm Amy, and he's..." I pause. Alistair still doesn't turn around. "Um, his name's Alistair. It's nice to have you in our class." Phoebe smiles and she nudges Sienna's elbow. Sienna musters a smile but turnsher attention back to her phone.
"So, is this a..." she's still smiling as she eyes Alistair, "seating arrangement?" When she says this, Alistair twists his head at once to look at Phoebe. He answers for me, says this is a seating arrangement. "Oh, alright," she says brightly, and continues doing her work. Phoebe's nice, a little lively, and very colourful. Exactly like a princess, but without the tiara. She doesn't even need one with half the class looking at her.
Carla walks to them with the friendliest smile she can pull. Obviously she wants to befriend them when she starts a conversation. By the looks of it, Sienna is very interested in Carla. In appearance, she and her to look somewhat alike and their personalities vaguely seem familiar. I hear her invite Phoebe and Sienna to sit with her table at lunch, and they agree. Phoebe and Sienna ask if they can bring two more friends, and Carla is delighted.
To distract myself, I read Alistair's reactions to the two new students; he's impassive. Either he's a little too shy, doesn't like them, extremely likes them and hides his emotions or doesn't care. It's definitely not the first one, and it leaves me with the other three options. Then I learn something about myself: I think way too much about Alistair.
I have been since kindergarten. To him back then, I bet I was just an ordinary face disappearing into the crowd.
- Writer
