Autumn

3: Kept Promises and Incidents

" "You don't get to decide, she said, "where I go, or when."

"I know." His voice was ragged. "I've always known that about you. I don't know why I had to fall in love with someone who's more stubborn than I am." "

That was the last thing I had read from "City of Fallen Angels" by Cassandra Clare before Elle had stolen the book from me. She's gets very frustrated when people read books in front of her (even if she's already read and she's dying to tell them the ending). "Come on Autumn," she said, strangely polite. "We're going over to Emily's, so you'd better be social."

Smiling at her, I reply "Fine, Elle. What are we doing exactly?"

Elle grinned, but said nothing. We split towards different halls. I made my way to the study hall area without running into anyone. Good job so far. After the incident with Grace Everlend, Diana and Emily secretly Facetimed me about the entire situation before I went to bed last night. Apparently now, there's this feud that everyone's talking about between us. I once heard from Clarissa talking to Grace's little sister, Campbell, that before Collin dated Grace but I've never actually seen them together. Maybe this rumor was fake but from hearing from Diana and Emily, it seems like people are just trying to gossip and drama. Two things everyone needs right?

For the moment, everything in the study hall looked at peace. Except for the fact that there was someone sitting at the table that I usually sit at. Le sigh. I walk cautiously toward the circular table, setting down my book bag and the contents in my hands: "City of Fallen Angels", my expensive blue carrier bag filled with sketches my friend, Regina, lent me to look over, and my lunch box, which fell off the table next to the space between my foot and the leg of the table. The boy, who now is looknig up at me with the same curiosity that I had when staring at him from the study hall entrance, glanced up from his book to examine my expressionless face.

"Never seen you here before," I say plainly.

The boy shrugs. "Isn't it obvious, I'm new." At that remark I shrug, pulling out a notebook and a pencil. I frequently tapped the pencil back and forth in between my fingers, rapidly hitting the table.

"So what's your name?" I ask.

He looks at me puzzled, tilting his head like a puppy would do confused at his master's wish.

"Why should I tell you?" he asked, trying to answer me with questions like most handsome fictional characters. This boy was handsome, but not fictional. I let it slip.

"It's not personal, and this is a school, not an interrogation. We're not trying to sentence you to death or anything."

He laughs.

"Doubt it." After a pause, he held out his hand. "Blake. Andrew Blake."

I smile. "Nice to meet you, Andrew."

As if on cue, he answers back: "Now what's your name?"

"Autumn Linwood."

Andrew smirks, looking back to his book. Lifting his eyebrow curiously, he shoots a glance over to "City of Fallen Angels". Closing his textbook, he turns his chair, moving it closer to my direction. "Tell me, Autumn," he says, irritated at the loud sounds coming from the moving of the chair. "How is that book your reading?"

Puzzled, I hesitated before I answered. No guy I have ever met has taken an interest in reading before. In many schools, there are three types of guys: the jocks who think reading is for nerds or just hate it in general, populars who just hate reading at all or who only read because he teacher asks them to, and those who "read" children's picture books and pass it off for reading. Many Collin reads, but I'm not sure. Haven't been with the guy since tenth grade so how should I know?