The Sweet Crazy Life

Chapter 8: Bethany

CHAPTER 8: Bethany

Ariana

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!

Ugh, damn clock. I pushed the silent button and cuddled back into my pillows. Jamie's party last night lasted until 3 in the morning. We ate a lot of things from Chinese egg tarts to lamb chops. Somewhere through the party, Buzz took out a bottle of wine and after a few sips, I couldn't remember much. I don't even remember coming back up to my room.

I looked at the bed across mine and found it empty. Ro must have gone on ahead.

I decided to take a shower, put on my uniform and head downstairs. I found the great room still littered with party stuff. A few plastic cups littered here and there, uneaten cakes and some chocolate sauce smeared on the floor. In the dining area, I found Margie and Buzz in our usual table. Nick waved from his table while Jamie was drooling on the side of his chair, a party hat strapped to his head. I waved back at Nick and was half-disappointed to find that Ro was not with them.

I sat myself with Buzz and Margie finding Lannie was absent.

"Oh, one of her roommates told me she caught a fever and would be staying here." Margie explains. "She must have eaten too much last night."

"I see." I say sadly, disappointed with my best friend's absence. I ate my ham and cheese quiches and found myself frowning despite the good taste. Even the lemonade tasted a bit too bland for my taste.

I waved a goodbye to Buzz and Margie and procceeded to walk on my own towards Roth Hall. On my way, a sleek black limousine stopped right in front of me. I paused in my walk and admired the car. Who gets to ride in this expensive limo on the way to school? The door opened and a familiar honey-brown hair waved in the breeze. Bethany stepped out of her limo and smiled at me. Up-close, she looked more beautiful than a supermodel, she looked like a princess that came out of a fairytale. Her grey eyes twinkled as she closed the door behind her and ran up to me, hugging me like a long lost sister.

"Hey, Ari!" Bethany greets as she pulled out of her hug. "I was surprised to find you walking alone. Your usually with Melanie or Rowan."

"Yeah, Melanie caught a cold and Ro went out earlier." I explained, giving a small smile.

Bethany and I had become quite close friends, being in the same team and all. She was a remarkable cook with almost the same level of skill as Ro's. We spent most of our afternoons together and I found out how warm-hearted she was. She had a different group of friends and I was never that comfortable around strangers (especially how high-class her friends were) so I declined her invitations with having lunch with them. I usually eat lunch together with Lannie, Ro and Nick or Jamie if they happen to be nearby.

"Oh, if Rowan has other plans at noon, would you care to join me and my friends for lunch?" Bethany asked politely. I wanted to decline as I had the previous times but I also didn't want to spend my lunch time alone. With Lannie sick, Ro busy and NIck nowhere in sight... I guess one little lunch wouldn't do any harm.

"Yeah, sure." I answer and I realized we were already in the main entrance of Roth hall. Even if Bethany is a double-course student, her morning schedule was different. "I guess I'll see you later."

"Can't wait, bye, Ariana!" Bethany giggles as she skipped the other way leaving me alone to climb up the stairs for Food Safety class. Ro was there, reading ahead for a lesson and when I approached, he looked up and smiled. I didn't understand why but my breath hitched for a moment. When I got to my seat, I asked my roommate if he had any plans for lunch.

"Oh, sorry Ari." Ro apologizes. "Because of my little stunt last sunday, my dad wants me to get some extra training during my free time. Where's Lannie by the way?"