Vicious Habits

Chapter Three

As life goes on, you realize one simple rule: Don't be stuck in the past because the present can be changed, and the future will be its outcome. Just because you've tainted your way through doesn't mean you can't wash it out and have a fresh new start. It's easy to understand, really. So don't think for a second that it's all over, because you might just sabotage your next big chance.

So there I was, frozen like a penguin in a snow blizzard, the moment I saw Andrew's face at the end of the hall, how pathetic, I thought. Luckily, I came to the realization that I wasn’t just some girl. I wasn’t going to get stuck in my head over someone who wasn’t going to appreciate me.

But then, I started doubting myself again, unsure of what to say when he was coming my way. But I knew one thing: I wasn’t going to run away from the situation. Well, at least, that’s what I thought, until the moment my phone went "ring-ring." My anxiety instantly shifted from Andrew to my phone—it was my dad calling me.

I had so much going on: Kenan was to my left, talking to the girls on my right, and Andrew was coming towards me with some of his friends. I was nervously looking down at my phone while it rang, debating whether or not I should answer it.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" Kenan said, looking at my phone and then back at me.

"Uh, I don't know. I don't think I should," I replied with a reluctant tone.

Just as the phone stopped ringing—missing a call from Dad—the bell rang again in my favor. When I looked straight ahead, Andrew was nowhere to be found. Good thing he chickened out before I did.

"What's your first period again?" I asked.

"It's 12B Chemistry," he replied.

"I have History right now, but I'm pretty sure 12B is down this hall," I said, pointing behind me.

"Okay, thanks. See you later," he said, smirking slightly as he walked past me.

Lily and I headed to our history class, while Priscilla pointed to her phone and mouthed the words, "Text me."

By the time I had settled into class, I had already received so many frantic texts from my dad saying all kinds of things. I obviously skipped those.

Text messages:

Priscilla: "Kenan, huh? 😏 How did you meet him?! I heard he came to school with you!!! Is he like a distant cousin or something? He kinda resembles you. 🤔"

Viviane: "Crazy story 🤪 I almost ran over him on his bike today. His bike got a little beat up, but thank God he was okay. I offered him a ride to where he was going, and it turns out he was heading to the same place. 😅"

Priscilla: "No way!! 🤯 Did you call dibs already? Jk 🤣 And have you spoken to Drew yet? I heard he looked pissed all morning. He asked me about you, but I told him you hadn’t arrived yet."

As I was about to type my response, Mrs. Collins deliberately called out my name, saying:

"Ms. Florence, am I interrupting something?"

"Sorry, I'll put it away," I replied, my face turning rosier than usual.

I tried to focus on the lesson, but my mind was racing a million miles per hour. I had so many questions and not enough answers. Was Andrew mad that I showed up with Kenan? He probably wants to talk to me, I thought confidently. But then my thoughts shifted to the car issue, and I suddenly wondered, did I wreck Daddy’s brand new car too? With everything going on, I had completely forgotten about it. My mind was tormented by the thought. What was I going to do if I had? This was way more important and serious than all the other things I was dealing with.

As soon as the bell rang, Lily and I headed straight to the parking lot to check on the car. To my surprise, there was only a small scratch—nothing too serious. "A good polish will fix everything," I told Lily, feeling relieved.

I decided to call Daddy back between classes. I wanted to get that out of the way. I hated that I had made him mad, but no matter what, I would always be his little girl—well, one of them at least—and I always found a way to get my way.

Call:

Daddy: "Viviane, why didn’t you answer my call? And where’s my Lamborghini? I bought you the G-Wagon for your birthday this year so you could leave my cars alone. Why did you take it without permission?"

Viviane: "I’m really sorry, Daddy. I know you did, and I’m grateful. I just wanted to prove a point to someone. I promise I won’t do it again, I’m sorry!"

Daddy: "Okay, but please bring it straight back home. I’ll be waiting for you. We need to talk." His voice was stern and disappointed.

Viviane: "Okay, Daddy, I will. Sorry."

I sighed with relief after hanging up, feeling a little lighter. Lily waved as she headed to her next class.

"Glad that’s out of the way," I muttered to myself, remembering that my next class was math with Kenan. I couldn't help but smile at the thought.

When I got to class, I remembered that this teacher didn’t really care for designated seats, so I tried to find a spot where I could reserve a seat for Kenan. To my satisfaction, I found a spot in the back corner, so I could talk to him more easily.

Minutes passed, and he was nowhere to be found. I began to think that he had gotten lost since it was his first day, and he didn’t know the school very well. But soon, word spread that he was in the principal’s office—with Andrew, of all people! Apparently, they had gotten into a bit of a brawl. Boy, was I confused. I wondered why and started to feel anxious about the situation.

Twenty minutes later, he rolled into class with a small red bruise on his left cheek. As he opened the door, all eyes were on him. The teacher raised an eyebrow at the interruption. "And who might you be?" he asked in a condescending tone.

"My name is Kenan Bamford. I’m new here, in case you don’t know," Kenan replied, matching the teacher’s tone.

The class started laughing at his boldness.

"Quiet down, everybody!" the teacher shouted. "Okay, take a seat in the back, at that empty desk," he said, pointing to the vacant seat next to me.

Kenan’s face was blank as he walked toward me and sat down without so much as a glance in my direction. I started to wonder if he was mad at me for some reason. I couldn’t decipher his expression, and it made me feel like the fight might have been my fault. Then, I finally worked up the courage, turned to him, poked his arm with a finger, and asked, "Hey Key, are you okay?" Realizing I had already asked him this before made me think about how his day must have been off to a bad start.

He turned to me, and I could see in his eyes that he wasn’t okay, but he replied, "I’m fine, don’t worry about it," and quickly turned back to face forward and didnt say a word to me for the rest of class.

Ouch! It felt terrible to get the cold shoulder; it was something I wasn’t used to. I felt like I was getting my heart broken by someone I wasn’t even dating.

Mortified by his reaction, I left him alone after that, beginning to think that he wasn’t the guy I thought he was, which saddened me. Math officially became my most hated subject after that.

When the bell rang, I went to my next class, feeling like my day had been a roller coaster of emotions, and I hadn’t even gotten to lunch yet. When would I finally have some peace of mind? I thought to myself.