A shout out to each of my fans. :)Sembreak is finally here, hopefully I'll be able to upload a chapter every few days now that I got a little more time on my hands.
Anyway, hope you like it. Vote, comment and criticize all you want!
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Chapter 4
Addie’s POV
Running out of the shower into broad daylight in my towel, I quickly changed into my outfit for the day, a pair of form-fitting skinny jeans, a white tank top, and a loose, long-sleeved beige cardigan. It was already a quarter to eight o’clock and Hunter, a guy from my class who happened to live in the same building, would be knocking on the door any minute to pick me up. We would meet up with Julian downstairs since he lived across the street then drive to pick up Shelly, Lyla and Mike at their places.
We had randomly come up with this car pooling thing which we did on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays when all our schedules matched up just to save on gas and usually meet up after to hangout somewhere around town.
I was totally swept off my feet by college. Majoring in Journalism opened me up to all the technicalities behind the career I wanted.
Lyla and Shelly were in all of my classes so I spent most of my time with them. Mike and Hunter were in most our classes and after getting to know them over the past month, I decided they were pretty okay guys.
Hunter is from Florida and has three sisters so he is rather protective over us girls. His first-day of school jokes were definitely the icebreakers I needed to get over first day jitters. His dark brown hair and forest green eyes aren’t hard on the eyes either. He loves sports and comic conventions and may even have a tiny crush on Lyla. Or at least that’s what I think. He just seems extra nice and flirty to her compared to Shelly and I.
Mike is your typical popular guy. He’s usually on the phone with some girl or with another group of guys from our class. Although the fact that he’s probably a play boy makes me want to stay as far as him as possible, he was a really charming guys if you’re into that kind of thing. Mike works out so he is really toned although not body-builderish.
Julian was also in most of my classes but while I decided to take Broadcast Journalism and Principles of Investigatory Journalism as my electives for the semester, he decided to take Comparative Anatomy and Physiology. I guess that in spite of his hatred for hospitals, he really did have a thing for medical stuff.
I hadn’t talked to him much since school began, only passing phrases like excuse me or to ask about Shelly.
I swiftly did my hair and make-up. Just a layer of lip gloss, liquid eyeliner, powder and a little concealer to cover the dark bags under my eyes. I had just gone through almost two weeks of sleepless nights making my course paper for Journalism 101 under Professor Giles Altman and I was beat and ready for the weekend to begin.
We were asked to write about the evolution of American Journalism. The best paper would be published in place of his Sunday column in the state’s daily. And since we are all mostly just freshmen, that opportunity would be amazing.
It had taken me one whole week to do enough research and another four days to write and rewrite the paper which we had passed on Tuesday.
Today Prof. Altman would be posting the names of the students with the ten best papers and I definitely had my fingers crossed. I wanted that prize so bad.
Just as I had thrown on a long silver necklace with a dream-catcher pendant and feather over my neck and had zipped my ankle boots on, I heard a knock at the door.
“Coming!” I said as ran to the door grabbing my bag.
“Morning Addie! I take that you haven’t gotten to making up for those sleepless nights huh,” Hunter greeted as I opened the door and we started heading down the stairs.
“No, not at all, I plan on getting all that sleep time back tomorrow. Do I look that bad?”
“Not really. You just look tired, that’s all.”
I rolled my eyes. “Thanks for being nice Hunter but that was a rhetorical question. I know I look like shit.”
Hunter chuckled heartily to my reply. “Well, if you say so,” he managed to mumble in between chuckles and I laughed with him.
Julian was waiting outside, staring off into space as usual, smirking at the two of us before following us to Hunter’s car.
By the time we had picked up everyone, the noise in the car was considerable. Luckily school was just about fifteen minutes away. I wasn’t much for a posse but when I was around them I felt really comfortable. Guess I was turning back into the post-Nate Addie.
Hunter drove while Lyla sat in the front passenger’s seat. Shelly and I sat in the middle while Julian and Mike sat in the back.
“Are you guys going to Lisa Hurtz’ party tomorrow night?” Mike boomed over everyone else’s voice.
“I can’t. I promised I helped Addie repaint that bed room of hers, right Addie?” Lyla replied while turning to me.
“Oh yeah! I almost forgot about that. Thanks. Uhm, it’ll only take a few hours anyway. Meet you at my place around two?” I answered as I remembered having planned this with her a week ago.
“Sure!” Lyla replied before turning to Hunter and continuing chatting with him.
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By the time we got to school, I almost ran to the board where Professor Altman would be posting the results, leaving the rest of the group behind still fixing their things.
There was already a considerable swarm of people around the board as I pushed myself towards the front.
Then as I read the list of names, my eyes widened.
Just then Lyla came up to me.
“Hey Addie, about what I said earlier in the car, I’m gonna have to bail, my mom just called and said that she’ll be here by tonight so I’m gonna have to take her through the whole ‘Tour-of-your-daughter’s-campus’ thing. I’m really sorry but I asked Julian and he said that he’d be willing to take my place.” she greeted me.
“Uh, okay..” I answered dumbly, still shocked by the names on the list.
“Okay, see you in class!” she said cheerfully, oblivious to my stupor.
I had only gotten second place meaning I wouldn’t be getting my two weeks of sweat and blood published.
And I had to spend tomorrow afternoon entirely with Mr. Published himself. I groaned.
Julian had gotten first place.
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Song for this chapter: High by The Speaks
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Beautifully Broken
RandomIt's easy to say that you don't care what other people think but it's so hard to play deaf when you're the hot topic of high school gossip. Addie had to learn that lesson the hard way. When the truth spread that she was physically abused by her firs...
