The Girl of Many Worlds | (Story formerly known as "Multiworldcial")

Chapter 2

"Nothing," I said, smiling sweetly. I'll have to ask Jason about it when Arden isn't around.

We walked together to the table and sat down next to another close friend of mine, Amy. She gave me the brightest smile in the world as she asked, "Who's that?" I glanced at Arden who sat down next to Jason. The tension between them was seemingly gone as Jason said something to Arden, causing them both to laugh.

"That's Arden," I said. "He's new here. Have you had him in class yet?"

"Nope, but I've seen him around," she said, raising her eyebrows up and down in a goofy manner. "I wouldn't in a million years imagine he'd be sitting with us today. Look at you go." Her dark brown eyes lightened as the sunlight from the room occasionally got in her eyes and brightened her olive toned skin. She moved out of the way of the light, causing her curly hair to fall off of her shoulders.

"What do you mean?" I asked with a laugh. "I didn't do anything."

"You sure did," she said, shielding her eyes with her hand. "You've charmed the hot boy."

"Shush, he'll hear you," I teased.

She continued in a whisper, "All I'm saying is he's hot and he's got the hots for you."

I rolled my eyes. Yeah, sure, Arden was hot but he certainly didn't have the hots for me. He either wanted something from me or—the least I'll credit myself with—that I've made him comfortable somehow. Like who knows, maybe I reminded him of a friend from back home, or his mom, or any other person I could possibly remind him of that he had an attachment to? The possibilities were endless.

"So Arden," Amy said, "before coming to this school, where were you at before?"

"It's not a well known place," he said. "And no offense, I don't really want to talk about it. Not something I particularly like to share." Amy went to apologize but he continued, "I do have some questions of my own for you guys: how do you guys like this school? Anything I need to be prepared for?"

"Like what?" Eddie, another close friend, asked. He was sitting directly across from Arden. Eddie had kinky-curly hair, ebony colored skin, and deep brown eyes. His eyebrows raised curiously and he gave me a confused what is this guy going on about smirk. I smiled and shook my head.

"Like, are there any teachers that are more high maintenance? Or classes that are a lot tougher than the rest?"

So, we began telling him the ins and outs of our school. By the time we bestowed all the accumulated "wisdom" we've gotten from our last 4 years of high school down to him, the bell rang and it was time to go to the rest of our classes.

Amy and I shared our last three classes of the day together, so we went our way, while Arden and Eddie walked towards Calculus together. Jason and Sarah (yet another close friend of ours) had Anatomy together, so they also disappeared.

My mind wandered back to Arden as I sat down at my desk, ready for French class. He was much like the French language is always made out to be. Beautiful, yet so damn complicated. I mean, Arden avoided telling us where he was from, so he had to have some type of baggage, right? Complicated. I was definitely going to find out where he was from one day if he let me.

As I fantasized about Arden wooing me in French, my teacher snapped me back into my senses.

She said in French, "Hello class, today we will be learning about..."

***

After the last class of the day (English), I walked the halls alone. Amy stayed with our teacher to talk about an assignment she was having trouble with.