Finally Noticed

Chapter 1 - The Sketch Book

"Ms Adams! I see your not paying attention yet again," my economics teacher bellows in his deep voice, startling me for a second as I bounce in my seat. I lift my head up  from my sketch book and push my glasses back onto the ridge of my nose. Instantly there are multiple rows of eyes staring right at me, watching me.

"Sorry won't happen again sir," I say nervously. Everyone turns back around in their steel framed chairs and continues on with their work, while I sink lower into my chair at the back of the classroom.

"I highly doubt that Adeline, however, we have to continue on with our work."

Mr Brown continues to babble on about politics or was it accounting? I can't even remember, I guess I was just to busy drawing like always. I'm only in this class because my parents make me do economics anyway. They know my real passion is for art but sometimes they just don't understand me. Don't get me wrong they're great and all, always putting me first (after my sister), but I think we just need to communicate more so they get me and who I really am. I've tried so many times telling them that I wan't to be an artist, that I wan't to make a career out of the thing I love most, but it's the same answer every time: no. Instead, my Dad wants me to run a successful business like him and my Mum wants me to become a chef and work in an exquisite restaurant like her. They know I'm gonna move out one day and run my own life but I think they just want to stay in their "baby girl's" life as long as they possibly can because they know how it feels to have their child move out of home and into the real world, courtesy of my older sister Mackenzie. She was and still is the golden child, always getting what she wants and is oblivious to the word 'no'. Whenever she's around I usually become invisible and irrelevant, but I guess it's normal for me, especially at school. I'm used to flying under the radar, no one really knowing my name and the occasional bullying, but I've learnt to brush it off and keep my head held high, because like my amazing, best friend Sophia always says: never frown because someone could be falling in love with your smile:)

The rest of the day flew by in a blur full of colours and faces. One hour felt like one minute thanks to my trusty sketch book, because I'm doing what I love most: drawing. Caught up in my thoughts the ringing of the bell makes me jump and my sketch book falls off my desk and on to the ground. As I go to reach for it I already see a hand grabbing for it, I look up and see the most popular boy in my grade and my crush since pre-school: Ryan Shaw.

"I think you dropped something," he says, his vibrant, blue eyes meeting mine. I look away, my eyes darting to the floor to nervous to look at him.

I nod and he passes me the book with one of his signature smiles. I smile back and start to make my way outside walking faster than usual. Well that was sufficiently awkward, I think to myself, geez Adeline why didn't you say something? Now you will be known as "the idiot who doesn't know how to talk." Great!

As I power walk outside away from my personal humiliation I look to my right and see my best friend Sophie under the big oak tree where we usually wait for each other.

"Hey Soph," I say greeting her as she pushes off of the tree.

"Hey, how was homeroom? You were walking so fast that I could almost see a trail of flames behind you," we both laugh and head over to the bus stop.

"It was interesting," I say, hinting that there's a story behind the reply.

"Spill."

"I talked to Ryan Shaw!"

"EEK!" she screams, jumping up and down at the same time, "what did you say? WHAT DID HE SAY!?"

"Well I technically didn't speak to him but I nodded after he passed me my sketch book that fell off my desk"

"Ads what have I told you! When a cute boy speaks to you, common sense tells you to speak back."

"I was nervous though! Besides I'm sure there's heaps of more cute boys to come right?" My heart was telling me that I was right and that I needed to give up on Ryan but my mind knew I was lying.

"But Ryan has been your crush for forever! And we're not about to give up on getting you your dream boy."

Soph had a point, nothing's impossible and I'm not giving up on Ryan. It will happen one day, the day he realises that we're meant to be. I just have to be patient. At the same moment the bus pulls up in front of us.

"You're right Soph, besides none of those boys would be as dreamy as Ryan," we giggle as we jump onto the bus.

We take our usual seats towards the front of the bus, Sophia on the aisle and the window seat reserved for me. I look out the window and catch a glimpse of Ryan and Julia. Geez, I don't get what he sees in her, how he gets past her devil personality. Julia Turner, also known as the most popular girl in school. She's your typical mean girl who gets whatever she wants and whoever she wants, worse than my sister which is kinda hard to beat.

"Don't worry Ad, I don't know what he sees in her either. But he'll realise that she's not the right girl and it was you he was looking for the whole time," reassuring me I can see the sudden light behind Sophia's eyes as she finishes. "I have an idea!" she says excitedly.

"Oh no," I say lightly palming my forehead. This can't be good.

~ Authors note ~

I hope this was decent, it's my first book and probably my last. It won't get much reads but as the famous Audrey Hepburn said: nothing's impossible, the word itself says I'm possible.

~ Tacos :)