Beginnings and Endings [complete]

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

"10.45! You're freaking joking!"

Melanie sounded genuinely shocked and excited. She was practically hopping on her toes and jumping up and down, excited by the fact that Lennox stayed back one hour and forty-five minutes not because his mom wanted to catch a movie premiere.

"Honestly, Mel, I don't even know if he wanted to or not, it was all 'cause of circumstance!" I tried explaining calmly. Damn, this girl probably had too much sugar this morning or something. Then I saw her crumple an ice-cream wrapper and toss it into the nearest bin, which so coincidentally happened to be right next to the ice-cream vendor. Please no, please no, please no...

I sighed inwardly as she pulled out some money and got herself another chocolate ice cream. So  much for wishful thinking.

"Ri..." Mel started, taking a lick off her ice-cream before continuing. "It is so obvious that he likes it. You know, I'm not the only one who sees it. Think about it - he stayed at your place after the party for more than half an hour..."

"Because he had no ride..." I stated dryly, but she continued like a bullet train.

"He's protective..."

"He's my  best friend!" I protested.

"He talks to you the minute you're online..."

"I repeat myself..." I muttered darkly.

"He doesn't stop looking at you," Mel said with an air of confidence - and a wink over my shoulder.

That last statement caught me off guard. "That is such bull..." I said, turning to look at where she was winking, and saw Lennox's dark, cloudy eyes looking back at me. All air in my body rushed out in a low exhale of surprise.

We stared at each other for several seconds before he jerked out of his daydream of god only knows what - Lennox daydreams? - and grinned impishly at me before his attention returned to his food.

I turned back to Mel to see her wiggling her eyebrows at me with an air of total triumph. I rolled my eyes and groaned. It was going to be a long time with Mel before anything happens between Lennox and I.

 "Adrianne, you sit with..."

Under my table, I crossed my fingers. It was our annual school trip the next day, this time to a forest reserve, and our lovely discipline teacher was assigning us partners, oh so great partners with people we didn't like just to, in her words, 'build up a relationship' and 'keep an eye on each other'.

And now it was my turn. I never got the people I wanted to sit with. Ever. Even so, I prayed it'd be different this time.

"...Samuel."

Nope.

My eyes turned from hopeful to a look of pure fucking hatred. Amidst the sound of wolf whistles and whoops, I turned to look at the bastard who I was doomed to sit with, the oh so NOT attractive Samuel Jacobs, the obnoxious fucking asshole. He lies, bullshits, steals, drinks, does drugs...oh - and the best part? He is fucking obsessed with me.

No, the word is not too bombastic for this context. How else do you fucking explain his telling people I go over to his house to have a good time? Man, if he actually had feelings for me, I would'nt mind, I'd be flattered, even - but that crosses the line.

The shithead raised his eyebrows at me in what I assumed was supposed to be a notion to make him look charming, but really it just disgusted me even more. I'd never been more grateful for the bell when it rang throughout the school at 3pm to officially end the school day.