Spring Meadow

Not you just you

I woke up early, as I always did. I wake up at six, ready by six thirty, have breakfast and meet my chuffer at seven. I would arrive at the school by seven thirty. It was a ritual almost. I had done this routine since my freshman year. Yet it seemed that my lucky friend fate had decided that I needed to have some variation in my life.

The party was about a week ago; today was the first day of school. None of our friends knew that we were engaged. Say what you wish about rich people, we know how and when to keep secrets. All those who were at the party were only those that needed to know. Although why there were so many that needed to know was beyond my understanding.

At seven, when I had just finished my meal, the butler came in. He was new here. If I remember correctly, his name was Ryan. "It seems your ride is here, Amber," he told me.

"Thank you, Ryan," I answered. He smiled and I took it as a sign I had gotten his name right. I got up and headed for the entrance of the house. I was a bit apprehensive, to put it lightly, about riding with Michael. We had met up twice the week before, not of our own free will of course, and his opinion of me didn't seem to change. I was lucky to avoid him in both meetings, managing to busy myself throughout the entirety of both meetings, much to my mom's annoyance. Today was the first time I would be with him alone, and I would be so close to him. I struggled to keep my cheeks from blushing.

"Um, Amber," Ryan called out to me. I spun around, jolted out of my thoughts.

He seemed a bit nervous as he started, "I know it isn't my place to comment but..."

I smiled at him. "Ryan, I am not my parents. Say what you wish." Being not much older than me and very open and thoughtful, I considered him a friend.

"You act like you have something to prove to him. Is he your fiancé?"

I looked down, bashful. "Yes."

"And I feel as if you like him."

I felt my cheeks go red. I didn't even bother to nod. I felt as if my involuntary actions were enough to figure out my response.

He laughed at my embaresment. "I want you to remember that you don't have to prove anything to him. You are amazing and believe it or not you are very pretty."

Of course, that only meant I blushed harder.

"Now go. It is still rude to keep him waiting."

"Thank you," I murmured.

"Good Luck, Amber."

As I exited my house, I saw an interesting sight. Michael sat in the front seat of his car, impatiently tapping on the steering wheel. Now, it wasn't as if we didn't drive. It was just we usually had chuffers to drive us around until we either were out of college or moved away, whichever came first.

Needless to say, when I got in the passenger seat, he didn't seem all too happy. After about fifteen minutes of driving, I decided to speak up. I didn't want to have to go through silent drives all year.

"You hate me. Why?"

"Excuse me?"

"You don't like me, to say the least. I want to know what I did wrong."

"I don't hate you. I just don't get you. You aren't normal. You're the only one that isn't normal and out of the entire world, I get you. I get the only one that doesn't make sense."

I crinkled my nose. "How is that a bad thing? How am I not normal?"

"You choose to fight at the weirdest times while others you are submissive. You seem good at everything yet you screw up at the same time. What bothers me most is I can't even say you're unpredictable because somehow you're still kind of consistent. I can't pin you."

"So you choose to be pissed at me?"

"Not at you, per say, more at your character. "

"Oh, I guess." So he really didn't like me then.

"This doesn't change anything by the way. As far as we're concerned, we are not even friends and no one is to know we are engaged. Understood?"

"Clearly."

We pulled in to the school parking lot.