I fiddle around with the hair elastic, stretching it and shrinking it. I look up at Aurelia, packing her backpack. She's wearing a long-sleeve with a plaid overall skirt. I adore her outfit. Or maybe I just adore her.I look back down at the elastic. Do I even want to see Everest? I'm not sure. I don't feel any sort of excitement towards seeing him. Maybe it's because I haven't seen him in a while. I'm sure once I see him, I'll gain my feelings back.
"Hey you," Aurelia says, shaking me awake from my daydreams. Seeing me jump, she apologizes. "I'm sorry, I thought you were frozen."
"That's okay," I smile at her. "I was just thinking."
"About what?" I think a bit before answering. "About Everest," I lie. It's not technically a lie. I am thinking about him, just not in the way she expects me to. I'm surprised by myself. I thought I liked Everest, but if I did, I'd surely be jumping out of my chair to see him. Instead, I'm ruining my hair elastic, thinking about what happened.
Maybe it's Odette. It's a possibility that she could be ruining my mood. I haven't heard from her since she called. I just have this horrible gut feeling that she's planning something. She wouldn't just let me get away with standing up to her, oh no. I just know she has some terrible idea up her sleeve.
I rub my forehead, tired from thinking. Odette, Everest. I just don't want to think anymore. Why can't this be more simple?
"Can I be honest with you, Aurelia?" Aurelia turns to me and smiles. "Of course," she says, but I notice the nervousness in her smile. "It's not about you," I reassure her. "It's just"—I take a deep breath—"I kind of don't want to go."
Aurelia looks at me carefully and slowly asks, "Why?" She walks closer to me and asks, "Is everything alright?"
I watch Aurelia's face, coming to a realization. She was excited to go to this game. I can't just say I don't want to go. She actually won't go and I'll ruin her night. I'll fix this.
"I'm just kidding," I smile as I scratch the back of my head. "Are you sure?" Aurelia asks, hesitant since I brought it up in the first place. I nod. "I'm just feeling nervous. This is the first time I'll see Everest since getting drunk." I look away from her and say, "It's sort of embarrassing."
That is definitely not a lie. I truly am embarrassed by my behavior that night. I hope I didn't scare him off.
"Don't worry about that," Aurelia comforts me. "He didn't mind one bit by the way you were acting. In fact, I think it made you two more closer since there was no barrier of awkwardness to break through."
I stand up, getting off the bed. "Yeah, you're right." Aurelia turns to me and says, "Of course I am—" She stops short, looking at me.
"What?" I slowly ask. Do I have something on my face?
YOU ARE READING
Starting Off Wrong [𝐠𝐱𝐠]
RomanceWhen Calista Lillian switches place with her twin sister the least thing she expects is to find love in an unexpected way. Calista Lillian is forced to attend Octavian Padella Boarding Academy, a boarding school for troublemaker teenagers, after her...