Cindy: A Highschool Cinderella

Chapter Ten

“OMG,” Emma said as she came rushing towards me during lunch time. “Have you heard?”

“Heard what?” I asked as I took a seat and took out my lunch.

“My sources say that Jeremy’s looking for you!” she whispered to me.

“And who are your sources?” I asked and took a bite of my sandwich.

“Anna of course!” Oh right. Anna Olsteen. She’s the school’s resident Gossip Girl. I don’t know how she manages to know everything about everyone. It must be some piece of work. You have to keep socializing and stuff. Maybe she’ll end up in a tv magazine like Entertainment Tonight or Extra or E! News, something like that.

“And how did she know that Jeremy’s looking for me?” I asked Emma as she sat down in front of me.

“Well, he’s been asking around if anybody knows the angel girl from the party. And that angel girl is you.”

“Did you tell him yet?” I asked her hesitantly.

“Not yet, silly!” she said and raised an eyebrow. “Not unless you want me to.”

“No, no,” I said. Thank God that I have Emma as my best friend! She’s a life saver!

“Wait,” I said as she began forking down her salad. “Michael knows that it’s me.”

“No he doesn’t,” Emma said coolly.

“How can you be so sure?”

“No introductions happened during the party. Jeremy already whisked you away before you can even introduce yourself.”

“But we were invited at the same time,” I said.

“Yeah, but he’ll probably forget about it,” Emma replied. “Michael’s not really the sharpest knife in the drawer.”

“Just make sure he does,” I pleaded and continued eating.

“Oh, that would be no problem. Just leave the brain washing to me, honey.”

 We were happily eating our lunches and talking about the ridiculously long homework for math when I spotted Michael making a beeline towards our table. And he's not alone, he's got Jeremy following behind him! Oh no, did they know? They can't know or else my step sisters will know! I quickly turned around on my seat and pretended to reach for my bag which was on the floor and covered my face with my hair. Surely they wouldn't notice me, would they?

"Hey, Em," I heard Michael say and he sat down beside her. I suddenly felt the weight shift on the bench and I knew someone was sitting beside me and that someone was probably Jeremy but I’m not sure. I risked a peek and just as I thought. Oh. My. Gosh. I might as well fall over now and get a coma, Jeremy is sitting beside me!

“Em, you were at the party weren’t you?” Michael looked intently at her. Emma smiled at him and said, “Of course I was! I will never forgive myself if I missed the party of the year!”

“How about you?” I heard Michael ask and I knew that the question was directed at me.

“What about me?” I said with a bit of an attitude as I finally sat up straight and got my bearings.

Jeremy turned to look at me and asked, “Were you at the party?”

I tried to put on my best disappointed face like I lost the lottery or something. Or a facial expression that Emma will pull when Forever 21 doesn’t have the item that she wants. “No, I couldn’t,” I finally said and I could see Emma through my hair that she was trying to stifle a laugh while chewing on her salad.

“Why?” Michael suddenly asked. “I gave you an invitation.”

I was quite for a few seconds, trying to make up a lie when Emma groaned, “It’s because of her sisters,” the disgust on her tone was obvious.

“Why? What’s up with her sisters?” Jeremy asked and gave me a concerned look. Oh, please stop looking at me like that! You’re melting me!

“Cindy, tell them,” Emma suggested.

I looked at my sandwich and said, “They’re Hayley and Mackenzie. They’re just my step sisters but they, uhm, they’re hard on me,” I finally managed to spit out and I looked at Jeremy and he gave me a look that made me feel like he knew what I was going through.

“They’re hard on everyone,” I said. “Well, at least Hayley is.”

“I’m sorry,” Jeremy suddenly said and I gaped at him, confused on what he just said.

“Sorry for what?” I asked confusedly but I managed to smile even just a little bit.

“Sorry that you have Hayley as your step sister,” he finally admitted and I couldn’t help but laugh at that and he gave me a cheeky grin.

“I’m pretty sure everyone is, even Hayley,” I said and finished my sandwich.

And speak of the devil, I saw Hayley at the counter looking straight at me and my smile left my face and I looked down again just to avoid her face.

“Anyways,” Michael began. “Jeremy here’s looking for a lass he met at the party,” Michael grinned at him and I could see Jeremy’s face turn the slightest shade of pink.

“Blonde, bit tall maybe 5”7? And she was wearing an angel costume during the party,” Jeremy described. He’s describing me! Emma was right, he is looking for me! I looked up at Emma and she was trying to suppress a smile at me but she said, “I may have run into her once. She was pretty.”

I smiled at her and gave her a mental thanks. When I looked at Jeremy he seemed a bit disappointed but kind of relieved at the same time, I think? “So you don’t know her?” he asked Emma.

“Hmm, I don’t think so but I was pretty drunk that night so, no promises,” she said.

“You got drunk, too?” Michael said excitedly. “I knew it! I told you, Jeremy! Someone was spiking your drinks!”

“I know, Michael,” he said and they started talking about the party. I couldn’t say something because if I did then I’ll be busted. I just stared at them but a stole a few glances at Jeremy and sometimes he’d smile at me or he’d be too engrossed in the conversation that I could stare at him for a few seconds without him knowing.

Emma looked at her watch and said, “We better get to class. I can’t be late to Mrs. Parker’s again or she’ll put me in detention.” I laughed at that. Emma hated Mrs. Parker only because she wore the most hideous outfits ever. Once, Emma got insulted by Mrs. Parker so she insulted her outfit describing it as ‘appropriate for a seventy-year-old bagging lady who wears too much lip liner.’ I guess Mrs. Parker wasn’t used to anyone insulting how she looks so she sent Emma to the principal’s office.

I picked up my bag and my books on the floor and when I stood up Jeremy took the books from my arms saying, “I’ll carry them,” and gave me a huge smile.

“Uh, thanks,” was all that I could say. We exited the cafeteria and were in the halls in no time.

“I’ll see you later, Cindy!” Emma said and she and Michael took the opposite direction to where I was headed.

“What’s your next class?” Jeremy asked as he walked beside me. “History,” I replied.

“We’re in the same class?” Jeremy said with a hint of shock in his voice. “You never talked to me in class.”

“Well, you never talked to me.” I said maybe a bit too harshly because he fell silent. I took my books from him when we reached the doorway and made my way to a seat in the middle of the room. Jeremy walked past me as I settled down and he sat behind me. I felt the weird sensation that he was staring at me but I couldn’t tell since he was behind me. Finally, the teacher walked in and told us to settle down. The teacher started talking about the medieval ages but I couldn’t concentrate because I can feel Jeremy’s eyes on my back.