Chapter 7
From my point of view, it was a real surprise when the guests walked in the door. But what wasn't surprising was my mother ushering them inside and immediately telling me to introduce myself.
It was that déjà vu feeling all over again, but this time, I didn't feel embarrassed, angry, or annoyed. This time, I felt comfortable, though still a little shy.
"I'm Emma," I said, shyly tucking my hair behind my ear. My eyes kept darting to the figure standing before me. It felt like the party all over again.
The woman in front of me rushed forward to hug me, planting a kiss on my cheek, while the man behind her smiled and gave me a reassuring pat on the arm.
The boy behind them smirked as he walked toward me. I looked over my shoulder to see my mum ushering the guests into the living room. For a moment, I wished I could follow them.
I turned back to see the boy standing right in front of me.
"How's your ankle?" He tilted his head, his brows furrowed, as if he actually cared. Did he really mean that? I thought.
"So, I'm guessing you're the new face around here?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.
"You should be a little nicer, you know. It's not cute when you're feisty."
My mouth dropped open in disbelief.
Yeah, he was definitely a jerk... but a cute jerk. One I could probably get used to.
"So, Ewan, when do you start school?" I asked, breaking the awkward silence.
He brushed his hair back, sat on the one-seater sofa, and tapped his leg as I spoke.
"This Monday. I'm supposed to go to this dumb school nearby. School's just not my style."
"Yeah, I can see that," I giggled.
"What do you mean?" he asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"You know, with the whole look you've got—the black leather jacket, the crisp white tank top, the black ripped jeans... it just screams 'bad boy.'"
"Told you. I'm a bad guy." He scoffed, clearly amused.
I walked toward the dining room, trying to put as much distance between us as possible.
"Hey, where are you going?" he called after me.
"You know, I actually have a life. I need to make food and set the table."
He trailed behind me, tapping my shoulder. I ignored him the first time, but after the fifth tap, I smacked his arm and told him to stop.
I passed by my mum and his parents, grabbed the table mats, and set them on the marble table. I placed glasses, plates, and cutlery with a little more force than necessary.
As I worked, I noticed Ewan's lingering shadow behind me. I sighed inwardly. He was definitely going to be trouble, whether I liked it or not. The way he looked at me didn't make me uncomfortable, though. Instead, it made me feel a flutter of butterflies. It was as if I was the only thing in his line of vision.
I looked around the table. In front of me was my mum, his parents next to her, and the idiot himself sitting beside me. I really wished I could have sat at the end, alone.
I poked at my food, no longer hungry, and bored of the conversations around me. I silently wished that his parents wouldn't talk to me.
"So, Emma... I heard you're going to start university soon?" one of his parents asked.
"Yes, I am. I'll be going to design school," I replied.
"Design school? Isn't that a bit... different?" she asked, her tone almost judgmental. And here I thought she was nice.
"What do you mean?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, aren't you going to follow in your mother's footsteps and become a medical genius? You could even join our company as an intern."
"Thanks, but no thanks. I want a career in design because it's what I enjoy. My mum has always supported me in whatever I choose."
In my head, I thought, No matter what you say, I'm not changing my mind.
Ewan, as usual, was staring at me with his curious eyes. I nudged him in the side and giggled when he groaned in pain.
"Not cool," he whispered harshly.
I ignored him.
"Your parents are definitely fun," I said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, I live with that," he muttered, almost under his breath.
In that moment, I understood him a little. His parents were a pressure he didn't want, forcing him to study so their reputation wouldn't be on the line. Or maybe he was a rebel who actually wanted to learn but didn't care because his parents were loaded.
I nodded, my eyes returning to my plate.
The doorbell rang, and I jumped up to answer it.
If only the doorbell didn't work, if only I wasn't at home surrounded by all these people, if only I could disappear... I wouldn't have to face whatever impending doom awaited me.
Oh, how lucky I was!
TO BE CONTINUED...IM SO SORRY!!!!!!!!!
Please forgive me and my procrastination levels #100😂😂😂
Thank you to all the comments, I love reading them and especially the ones that I can relate to!
Also IM SUPER DUPER BUSY WITH EXAMS!!!!!!!!!!! ❤❤❤❤👅👅👅
Therefore I'll update my books but it will take long.(I always say that and disappear)
Kisses and hugs ❤
~B.
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