The Hooded Girl (on hold)

||Chapter 02||

One Month Later - River

"Dude it's been like a month get over her" my best friend Isaac says chucking a football at me causing sand to flick everywhere "I know" I say monotonous. "whats so special about her anyways" he says wiggling his eyebrows "She wasn't like that man" I protest not wanting  him to think of Cecelia like that.

Its true she wasn't like that, she wasn't looking for anything more than a friend and she made that very clear, but I couldn't help get attached to her.

It was hard not to punch every guy that looked her way, but somehow I lasted the entire month without killing anyone, even that snorkeling instructor who was looking at more than just the fishes.

I was still pissed I didn't get her number or even her hometown. I sound like a fucking stalker I think to myself as I groan in frustration.

Isaac swipes my phone out my hand, interrupting my release of frustration.

He looks at the phone and begins swiping, his face changes from a smile to a  raised eyebrow to an almost angry looking face. What was his problem? "Dude you're a fucking idiot shes beautiful what the hells wrong with you," he says kicking the end of my beach chair "Whats all the bitching about," my 'older' brother Tate says walking up the beach drying his wet hair.

Tate was only 10 months older than me basically my twin considering he was the same year as me in school but had the brain of a 6-year-old and still treated me like a 12-year-old.

"Your little brother here is a fucking dumb ass" Isaac says handing my phone to Tate he takes one look at the phone before whistling and smiling at the photos of Cecelia "Goddess got a name?" He swipes again "Her na-" I quickly cut Isaac off "Okay that's enough" I snatch the phone out of his hand not wanting him to look at her like she's a piece of meat "I wouldn't want anyone looking at her either" Tate mocks sitting across from me sending me a wink. I grunt in frustration still feeling like an idiot.

I can't even count how many time I've searched for a Cecelia on Facebook, Instagram, I even ended up on Tumblr but nothing. She didn't exist anywhere but in my memories, I almost went to the lengths of asking Klowi to look into it. Klowi and I had a fling in junior year which must have flipped a switch in her brain or something since I haven't been able to get ride of her since even though I've tried to get rid of her MULTIPLE time.

Speak of the devil.

I see Klowi and her friends walking up the beach towards us.

Her little friend Brianna skips behind her trying to be as noticed as possible, readjusting  her bikini to accentuate her 'assets' I just shake my head and roll over in my chair facing the sand.

A few seconds later I feel the chair shift and a little hand run along my back "Hiiii babe" I hear Klowis high pitched squeal by my ear before she begins tracing kisses down my back.

I start shifting feeling uncomfortable as her lips touch my skin, her lips suddenly stop and I hear her scoff "Ew isnt that Freaky Lenny" we all look up from the lounging area to see Freaky Lenny walking along the park with a little dog wearing her usual Leggings, red chucks and dark hoodie with her head down "Omg its the black hood from Riverdale" Klowis friend kaylee calls out  loud enough for her to hear "Why the are you such an ass to her just leave her alone" My brother says directed at Kaylee. Normally he didn't speak to girls like that but for some weird reason he was. She just sits there wide mouthed "Omg Ryan you're gonna let him talk to me like that" Ryan  Kaylees boyfriend just raises his hands not wanting to intervene while I raise an eyebrow at my brother confused as to why he's sticking up for Freaky Lenny.

Cecelia P.O.V

I'm walking Luca along the beach when I hear someone calling my name. Not Cecelia my other name of course. "Fre-" I hear an abrupt pause "Uh hey Lenny" a low voice calls which I choose to ignore still walking ahead, when I hear footsteps coming at a quickened pace towards me. I quickly angle my head as I would at school "Hey" I hear Tate Kerrington, Rivers older brother greet me. I respond  with silence "I'm sorry about what Kaylee said" he says still walking with me. I once again respond with silence hoping he'll get the message and leave me alone "Hey so uh..." I guess not "I've never actually heard you talk before" he lets out a nervous laugh when I don't reply to him for the third time "is it like a speech thing or like ahhh get this guy away from me" he says a little too loudly causing people to stare whereas I start to laugh "You have a nice laugh" he says with a smile in his voice.

I wonder if I talk he'll leave me alone seeing as keeping silent and attempting to walk faster clearly isn't working "Don't you want to get back to your friends" I say to him still looking towards the floor.  He remains quiet for a while after my question yet still continues to walk with me "I'm sorry what was that" he says breaking the silence tone "What?" I ask confused "That. That right there your voice its beautiful why don't you use it more often" he says with a small smile I catch in the corner of my eyes"Because then I'd have to actually engage in conversations I'd rather not be in" I reply being completely honest "Ouchhh! Im wounded" I see his hands cross over his heart "Well i'm heading that way so you might wanna go back to your friends" I say twirling Luca's leash in my hand while pointing off towards my 'house' hoping to get rid of him before Sergio comes to pick us up "Well let me walk you home" I stop in my tracks "No its fine you get back to your friends" I don't understand why Tate Kerrington has a sudden interest in the creepy weirdo girl from school. He was a transfer to our school and wasn't a bad guy apart from the company he kept.

"Ehh its alright ill catch up with them later. Which way did you say your house was" I point in the direction realizing there was no getting rid of him.

As we're walking towards the house I pull out my phone to text Sergio to pick us up around 5 from 'The SS'  just as i'm hitting send Tate breaks the silence "So you do have a phone" he tucks his hands in his front pockets "Why would i not have a phone" I continue to look at my feet as we walk "Cause you don't use social media I just assumed its because you didn't have a phone but not only do you have phone it also happens to be an IPhone X " he sounded both confused and surprised at the same time "And how do you know I don't have social media" I ask still in my position of looking my feet "Because i'm friends with everyone in school and you would've either been in my people you may know list or friend requests and I'm sure you're not in either" Its true I didn't really use social media that much I had no reason to "Oh so there was no Freaky Lenny in your friend request box" I joke "Uhh.." he mumbles awkwardly "I was kidding" I say through a smile "Not to be awkward, but why do people call you Freaky Lenny? since I moved here thats all I've heard anyone call you" I cringe having to think of the first time I was called Freaky Lenny "My uh...My names Elena but when I started wearing the hood to school Audrey started calling me Freaky Lenny then suddenly everyone knew me as that" that was only part of the story though "and why do you...you know wear the hood" he asks tiptoeing around the question "Umm I'm just shy I guess" lie. That was one big lie. I wear the hood to hide who I really am I hated how all the kids at my school acted as if they were something superior and I knew if people found out who I was. Who my father was. Who my mother was. Where I lived. The cars I drove. The money I had. The way I looked. I'd be treated exactly the same as them so yeah like I said to August I'd rather be harassed than have people worship the ground I walk on. "Well this is it," I say stopping in front of the little house I bought using my allowance. Its a sort of fake house I walk to after school creating the illusion I live in a normal house in a somewhat 'normal' neighbourhood.

I walk to the door taking out the key "Hey uh Elena would you mind if I gave you my number" Tate says awkwardly from the bottom of the steps "Uh sure" I say reluctantly handing him my phone looking down at my feet. There's silence as he types "Cool" he says after entering his number "See you around Elenaaa" he purposely drags the Elena part. I can't help but cringe at the sound of my middle name.

and that's how our friendship started...