Who is She?

Chapter 1

I sat against the wall of the small basement room.  My friends scattered around not paying attention to each other.   My eyes searched the room, Cade, My best friend rested against the opposite wall, blaring music in his ears.  Lucy and Damian were lying on the couch watching the flat screen mounted on the wall.  My sister Valeria was hunkered down scribbling away on a piece of paper.  I was nothing like my sister.  Valeria was beautiful; her long, brown hair cascaded down her back in bouncy waves, while mine was always pulled back in a thick, frizzy bun.  Valeria’s eyes were a bright green, almost a mint colored, while mine were a deep emerald.  

Then there was Aaron, tall, dark, and handsome, I had had a crush on him since the group had first met in 5th grade.  He was the kind of guy to sit and read a book, he was gentle.  Standing at 6’2 he towered over small me, since I was only 5’5.   He was Cade’s older brother; I had always heard him call me his “little sister”.   Aaron was constantly picking on me and playing around, but in the back of my mind I knew I would never get past the “friend zone” with him.

“Guys, we need to do something fun. We have been sitting here for hours, killing our brain cells,” inquired Damian with pursed lips.

“Why don’t we go to that pizza place, Franco’s Pizzeria?  I heard it’s pretty good. Wanna check it out,” Valeria spun around in her chair with a smile on her face.

“God I could eat like 9 pizzas right now,” Cade babbled, taking his headphones out and stuffing them in the pocket of his hoodie.

“I’ll drive,” I added in a barely audible voice.

“Let’s go then,” Lucy squealed and bounced up and down, making her blonde hair fly.

The six of us bounded up the stairs and through the garage, loading into my pick-up truck.

                .                                               .                                               .

After 20 minutes of driving in circles, finally we pulled into the parking lot of the pizza diner.  The lot was almost empty and the sign flashed open in the window.

“How many will it be,” a familiar voice greeted us as we opened the door.

Barry Franklin stood in a t-shirt and faded blue jeans.

“Dude, how long has it been,” hollered Cade as he shuffled forward, his smile wrapping from ear to ear, “when did you get back?”

“Few years, right? Ha-ha, I got back to this crappy little town about uh week ago,” Barry scratched the back of his head and I had to do all I could to tear my eyes away from his biceps, “Eloise?”

“Hey, I didn’t think you would notice me. I am the shortest,” my voice quivered as I greeted his open arms with a hug.

“You look the same,” Barry confided.

My thoughts were running wild as I lost myself in them.  I just had to be noticed; I have to be the one that looks the exact same as I did when I was 15; I’m always that person.  I’m the one that looks the same.  That walks the same. That does everything the same.  I’m 18, I want to be different, not the same.

“Eloise? Are you okay,” Cade whispered in my ear, waking me from my thoughts.

“Uh, yah, I’m fine, just hungry and tired,” I said, calmly.

“You didn’t have to come,” Cade stated in a monotone voice, his blue eyes burying into mine.

“I didn’t want to let the group down, we do almost everything together.  I couldn’t miss out on one of our eat-out nights.”