His Secret Admirer

Chapter 2

The bell rang after that, and everyone scattered out of the room. Or the freshmen did, we lower class-men were scared of being late, or running into anyone. It was sad really. Like cockroaches fleeing from the light.

I shook my head while picking up my books from the floor. To think next year they'll be laughing at students who are doing exactly what they are doing now.

I looked up to see Aidan looking at me, slight surprise on his face. I quirked an eyebrow at him, I didn't expect him to wait for me. Though I did get butterflies while he looked at me.

"Is there a reason you're staring at me" I asked, pulling my books against my chest. A nervous habit I had, holding my books like this was my security blanket. He seemed to snap back to reality, shaking his head a little.

"Sorry, I was just...nothing" he said shaking his head again. "Why aren't you running to your next period?"

I snorted, "like I need to run to Study Hall. Lucas knows I'm usually a few minutes late."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise, "I thought you said you didn't like him? Wait, what did you say?"

I shrugged one shoulder, "I have Study Hall with him. We talk sometimes cause none of his friends have it with him."

"Oh, so you're the his adopted freshmen" he said, as if it made any sense. I must have looked as shocked as I was, because he did his one ha laugh. "It's just a thing we kinda do. Chose a freshmen that we think of as a sister."

"Do you have one" I asked. Not sure if I wanted him to have one. If he did, it meant he talked to other freshmen girls. If he did though, it meant he didn't like her that way.

"No, not yet anyway" he said. "I don't really talk to freshmen." He looked at me with wide eyes, realizing what he just said. "Not that I wouldn't it's just-" I cut him off there.

I laughed, "dude relax. I know what you mean." I laughed a little again.

He had a small smile, "that's a cute laugh." I blushed and looked down at my feet. "Well I gotta get going, tell Lucas I said hi, will ya?"

I glanced up, he was smiling at me. I smiled back, that shy, embarrassed smile. I nodded and he left the room. He thought my laugh was cute! Now my smile turned into that stupid love struck one. Where you're smiling like a complete madman.

That's how I entered, grinning like an idiot. Lucas waved me over, he was sitting alone at a table. This was how I usually spent my free period. Sitting on the library with Lucas talking about nothing.

"What's got you in such a good mood" he asked when I sat down at the table.

I shrugged, "can't I be happy? Oh, and Aidan says hi." He raised his eyebrows, as if saying 'how do you know him' and 'please explain'. "I have art with him, we got paired for a stupid project."

He looked at me strangely, like a father would look at his daughter. Protective, like he didn't trust anyone with me, even his best friend. It was an intense stare, I had to look away.

I decided to change the subject, "so I heard I'm your adopted freshmen?"

He groaned and let his head fall back. "He told you? That idiot" he groaned again. I giggled a little.

"Want to explain that a little" I asked with a hint of a smile. Some teasing laced into my voice. It was fun teasing him sometimes.

He sighed, "it's just something stupid my friends and I do. Almost everyone in the band has their adopted freshmen. It just a kid we like as a sister or brother. That's all."

"Seems interesting" I said. The teasing smile stayed on my face as I saw him squirm under my questions.

"So, what do you have to do for this stupid project" he asked uncomfortably. Trying to change the subject.

"We need to get to know each other and make a painting for the person we're paired with" I said with a shrug an he chuckled and shook his head. "What's so funny?"

"This will end in either 3 ways" he said. "One: you'll both fall for each other. Two: friend zone. Three: one will fall and the other will be crushed."

"Yeah" I snorted. "Like any of that will happen."

"Just wait" he clucked. "Just you wait..."

~*~

When I got home I started thinking about what to paint for Aidan. What could I paint to make him see me as more than just some little girl. When I got a text from Shara.

'Hey, I gotta ask something' it said.

'Shoot'

'You like him don't you?'

'Who?'

'Don,t play dumb, you like Aidan don't you? You wrote that note'

'...how did you know?'

'Don't insult my intelligence, it's obvious'

'Yeah, but he seems to like me right?'

'He doesn't know it's you'

'So?'

'What if he doesn't anymore when he knows it's you?'

'I haven't thought of that'

'It could happen, it probably will too'

I could talk to her anymore, he might not. We might it off. He might like me even if he knows it's me. She was just being negative, I needed to be positive.

That's when I knew what I'd paint. He'd be on the stage with his band, a crowd around him. And then I'd be off to the side, waiting for him like a loyal girlfriend. I'd be wearing a red dress and looking at him cheering him on.

No other girl will be back stage, only a few girls in the crowd, something do subtle, but so obvious, even the most oblivious person could figure it out.

This would work, this will work. It had too. I knew I could never tell him flat out, but I could tell him in a painting. This was the only way I could ever tell him. And if it didn't work, I'd never be with him.