Falling For Fiction

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

    I sneak a glance at Carrie sitting beside me. She gives everyone a smile that approaches our table to sign up for the upcoming blood-drive and I hate to say it, but I can see why Devon is dating her. She has bright green eyes and a pert nose sprinkled with freckles that make her look innocent, yet she has long black glossy hair that she wearing a chignon that makes her appears older. With a natural look of beauty, she doesn’t have any need for makeup and she’s the head of Honor Society, Beta Club and Latin club. Did I mention she’s also the Senior Class’s Vice President? No wonder she and Devon make a great power couple.

I can’t stand her and she feels the same way about me.

   Does she have to be in charge of everything? And I didn’t want to be on this shift with her anyway, but we both raised our hands at the same time to take over the recruiting shift during first lunch. I wanted it because I would have a chance to check up on my sister and from what I see; she’s fitting into high school life just fine. I watch her as she sits at her table, laughing with her friends.  

    Claudia hasn’t spent much time at home since the first day and hasn’t been hitching rides with me from school either, claiming she’d ride home with one of the Sophmores she knew from Middle School. I’m starting to worry about her.

“Is this even your lunch?” Claudia asks someone with a bitter tone.

I look up to see who she’s talking to and find out that it’s Sage, who has an equally annoyed look on her face.

“Yeah, I kind of stayed back.” Sage, replies, rolling her eyes. She snatches the clipboard from the table and scribbles her name down on it.

“You’re supposed to wait until your assigned lunch period to sign up for the blood drive.”

“Who are you, the Sheldon Cooper of Wilkerson?” I blurt out. My goal was to ignore her all period, but I couldn’t help myself.

Carrie glares at me and Sage bursts out laughing. “See you at the blood drive, Cindy.” She says as she leaves.

“It’s Carrie.” Carrie calls after her in a clipped tone. She turns to me. “Watch it Padgette, in my book, that’s strike two. Devon and I can petition to have you kicked out of student council.”

I feign innocence. “I haven’t done anything.” Yet.

     So far I haven’t got a chance to get a word in at our meetings. The important stuff I wanted to get to haven’t been discussed yet and if I tried to give an opinion, Devon makes a big deal out of avoiding me.

She gives me a look saying she doesn’t believe me.

“Hey this is where we sign up for the blood donation thingy right?” A girl asks, in a chirpy voice.

     No princess, this is where we’re handing out free flying squirrels. I think. How did that thought manage to stay in my head, but the other one didn’t? I fake a smile, nod and hand her the clipboard before Carrie can.

“You’d have to get an adult’s authorization since you’re under 18.” I remind her. Claudia comes up to join the girl and for a second I think that she is going to sign up too, but instead she whispers in the girl’s ear and she giggles. “Hey sis,” I tell her “long time no see?” She pretends like she didn’t hear me and walks back to the table with her friend.

“Let me guess, even your sister doesn’t want to be seen with you?” Carrie asks with fake sympathy.

I fight the urge to slam the clipboard in her model-like face. You see, it’s not only the cheerleaders who can be bitches, sometimes it’s the elite scholars.  “She just didn’t hear me.” Yet, a small part of me wonders if she’s right. Could Claudia have known of my high school status already?

    By the end of the lunch period, we managed to collect ten signatures. As Carrie heads to Mrs. Hannigan’s room to deliver the roster, I wait in line early for lunch since it was now my lunch period. At least now I wouldn’t have to worry about people breaking in line in front of me and knocking me against the gum embedded brick walls. Some people were in just too much of a hurry to get their crappy lunch food.

     After getting my limp salad, I head outside to the quad where seniors had free reign to eat outside. I always envied the seniors before me who had a chance to leave the stuffy cafeteria for fresh air and could even leave campus for lunch if they wanted.  Sadly for me, my car didn’t have enough gas for me to leave for the local pizza place, so the quad and weltering rabbit food had to suffice. I settle on the warm grass and was about to dig into my meal when my cellphone rang.

     My heart jumped in my chest, hoping it was a call from Virgil, but when I was answered the phone it was the person I least expected.

“Bonjour Guinevere,”

Oh crap. I nearly drop the phone as I fumble to get myself together.

“Heloo,heloo, Guinevere are you there?” he said in  his thick accent trying to make an attempt to speak in English.

“Yeah, I’m here…dad.”

      The word sounded foreign to me because I haven’t seen my father in eight years. He tried to contact me and my sister when I was fifteen, but I ignored him every time he called and refused to go to France and visit him. It’s safe to say Claudia didn’t speak to me for weeks for not accepting the trip since she couldn’t travel there by herself, only being eleven at the time.

“I’m so glad to hear from you. How are you and your sister?”

“We’re getting along just fine without you, thanks for asking.” I didn’t want him to think anything changed between us.

“A-and how are your studies?”

“I wouldn’t know because school just started not too long ago. Why are you calling? I have a feeling this has nothing to do with formalities.”

There was a bit of silence on his end before he said, “I wanted to invite you and your sister down over your fall break to meet Anastasia.”

Anastasia? Who was that, one of his women? “No thanks dad, I have no interest in meeting one of your lady friends.”

“She is not just a lady friend,” he retorts, “She is my fiancée.”

Fiancée? My brain screams.  I nearly chock on my salad and go into a coughing fit.

“Are you alright?” he asks, his voice full of worry.

“I’m fine.” I croak, beating on my chest. God, why didn’t I get any milk for a situation like this? Oh yeah, I hate milk.  I quickly get over my shock and it shifts into fury. “You just can’t talk to me for four years and then decided you want me around for your wedding.”

“It’s not like I never wanted to, you were the one always pushing me away and now I want us to become a family.”

“Family,” I scoff at the word. “Yeah, right. Where were you eight year ago when I needed you huh? Where were you when I needed this so-called family of which you speak of?”

“Guinevere—“

I close the phone before he could say anything else. I won’t listen to what he has to say. What Claudia, my mom and I went through says enough.

A/N: I'd love to hear what you think,so please don't be a "silent reader." And also if you like it so far, I'd love to see a vote, but since you made it pass the first chapter, I'd like to say, thanks for reading and i hope you continue on. Who's Virgil? You'll find out in the upcoming chapters. ;)