Arranged Love

Chapter 2

Next day                     

My family and I live in Ocean Bay. It's a big city. In the summer, it's sizzling hot and dry, with cool breezes off the non-polluted, Caribbean blue beach waters and has sunny, clear blue skies. The days are usually over 30ªC and the nights 15ªC  with a warm breeze that feels like like a hot blow dryer is blowing in your face. And in the winter, there is strong North winds, not very much snow due to the climate, and the sight of the sun trying to peek through the clouds. The ponds and lakes become frozen for ice skating and sledding, the mountains become colder and snowier for skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing, and sledding, while the ocean waters become frigid and as cold as an ice bath. 

I live in Ocean Bay with my mom, dad, and twenty year old sister Samantha. I've lived here since I was a baby and I am now seventeen. I love it here. My school, my friends, the amazing beaches and food, antique lighthouses and gorgeous sights. Ocean Bay is really a fun, entertaining, and beautiful city. But when it comes to the government and their laws, that's one thing that I'm not fond of. 

They started arranging marriages when my my mom was only 10 to make more money. They made up rules and laws that you have to follow. When you're in grade 12, girls are randomly arranged with a boy. You date for a year, and propose and have the engagement party the second year you've been together. The wedding is then the same year of the proposal and engagement party, or the year after. A week before the wedding, the couple moves into one house together to finalize the details of their wedding, but most importantly, to prepare for the married life together. The Sunday after their wedding, the two families come together into one of the families houses, usually the girl's mothers, and have a celebratory dinner together as, well, as a family. 

"Three more steps to go." I mutter to myself as I roll out of bed and walk over to the bathroom. I stand in front of the mirror, take a moment to fluff my hair and use my fingers to comb it, trying my best not take away the ringlets, splash some water on my face, moisturize it, attentively throw on some eyeliner, mascara, bronzer, and light pink lip gloss, and brush my teeth. I head out of the bathroom door, down the hall, and through my bedroom door on the right. After 5 minutes of rummaging through my dresser drawers, then flipping through the clothes in my closet, I pick out and slip on a pink, orange, and green floral print tiered dress that falls at the knee, grey cardigan, and cream ballet flats. I give myself a once-over in my full length mirror, smoothing out the few wrinkles in my dress, examining my chestnut brown ringlets and natural honey-blonde highlights that appear in the spring time, last throughout the summer, and fade away when autumn arrives. Pleased with my looks, I walk out into the hallway once again and skip down the stairs with the grace of a prima ballerina. 

I walk over to the fridge, my ballet flats making annoying scuffing noises with each step I take, grab the milk, pour it into a bowl, add Rice Krispies cereal, grab a spoon from the drawer, and sit down to relax and eat my breakfast before school started in half an hour. I hear a hushed voice coming from the stairs. I look up to see my dad advancing down the stairs, talking on the phone, probably to one of his landscaping co-workers. He was wearing faded, washed jeans with paint splatters, a grey t-shirt, and beige hiking boots. He held the phone between his ear and shoulder while he grabbed a glass from the cupboard, the orange juice from the fridge and poured it into the glass. He hung up his phone call with whoever he was talking to, tucked his phone into his jean pocket, and took a long, hearty swig. 

"Thirsty much?" I tease, laughing and taking a bite of my cereal. 

"Ha ha. Just a bit." he joked as he finished the remaining juice in his cup.

I smile, glancing over at the clock on the microwave to find that it's 8:20. School started in 20 minutes. I rise up from my seat, dump my bowl and spoon in the sink, and grab my jacket and backpack from the coat hook just beside the door. "I have to leave for school. See you later." 

Dad walks over to me, pulls me in for a hug, and kisses my forehead. "Bye, honey. Are you and Alessandra hanging out after school?"

"Um, we'll probably go to Sunny Side Up for something to eat and then go to the library to do homework."

"Okay. See you then."

"Bye." I say, smiling and waving as I walk out the door and dispose my backpack onto the passenger seat and stick the key into the ignition, reversing out of the driveway.

***

I approach the parking lot at my high school, River Meadows Secondary School. I find my usual parking spot and take the key out of the car. I grab my backpack and step out of my car to find my  best friend Alessandra twirling her hair in her fingers and chewing a piece of gum. 

"Hey, ready for class?" she asks, sporting a pink mini skirt, black wedges with a cheetah print pattern on the wedge, a frilly creme coloured tank top, and a matching cardigan. Alessandra is really a fashionista. And a party girl. She always tries to drag me to parties that other students in the school, usually seniors host. We always crash them and get caught afterwards.

"Uh, yeah, let's go." I don't know how Alessandra and I ended up becoming friends, but we did. And I have never regretted it. 

"So, how was your weekend?"

"Probably boring compared to yours." I smirk.

"Well, if it consisted of homework, studying, and grocery shopping, then yes. But, that's what I did too..." She says quietly as if embarrassed with her surprisingly boring weekend.

"Wow! You, you did homework? And, I can't even say it. St-studied?"

"Shut up! And for your information, yes, yes I did," She said proudly, smiling. I laugh. We walk through the doors and into the crowds of people. The fluorescent lights and walls with chipped paint. 

That's River Meadows Secondary School for you. Unprofessional and cheap. The only thing they probably spent a good amount of money on these past year are modern water fountains. They're even automatic. If you hold your water bottle under it, it fills it up.

 "5:00." Alessandra mumbles to me under her breath. 

"What?" I ask, puzzled at what she means. But then I see him. Nate. My fiance. Future husband. 

"Oh. Let's walk to our lockers," I always try to avoid him as much as I can. He's not exactly what you would call my favourite person. "Faster Alessandra!" I hiss under my breath, but it's too late. He's already seen me.

I try to act normal like I wasn't trying to "run away" from him. But I think he can somehow sense it. 

He tilts his head up and gives me an awkward smile in acknowledgement. I give a curt wave back matched also with an awkward smile and abruptly walk away. Before I turn around, I see him slowly put his hand down and turn away like when you've done something embarrassing. As if Alessandra could read my mind, she says "Wow. Nice way to say hey, babe! Can't wait to marry you! Love you!" 

"Well, that's because I can wait. I don't want to marry him. I don't love him. He's a jerk."

"He can't be that bad?"

"Want me to deepen my vocabulary?"

"No, I'll pass."

I mean, maybe she's right. He isn't that bad, but he doesn't seemed too thrilled about marrying me either, so why should I?

"Well, I should get to class," I say as I open my locker and exchange my bag for my binder, pencil case, and math textbook. Ugh, math first period I think to myself. "See you later?"

"You've got it."

I head to class, my head down, blocking out the fluorescent lights and crowd of people. Except for Alessandra, Bradley, and a few other people I've managed to make friends with, they are really my only friends. I guess as outgoing as I can be, I'm just socially awkward. As if on cue, the bell rings as I enter the classroom. Well, this is going to be fun.