Secrets

Chapter 2 ✧

I wake up from my sweet yet frighteningly short slumber to the sound of clanking pots and pans from the kitchen downstairs as my mother prepares breakfast. Despite my longing to stay in the comfort of my bed for a few more minutes, I decide against it not wanting to be late for the first day of school.

Summer holidays have ended but to my dismay the sweltering heat has remained making for a dreadful day trying to survive in poorly air-conditioned classrooms. The thought of it makes me queasy so I decide on a light pink short-sleeved shirt and a flowy white knee length skirt in the hopes of keeping myself cool. I grab my bag from the side of my bed packing the essential books and supplies for the day before darting downstairs into the dinning room.

"Good morning," I murmur as I reach the table and take a seat.

Silence fills the air around us for yet another family breakfast, yet it feels comfortable since we don't have to force conversation and act like we care about each other's days. I reach for the plated stacked with pancakes placed in the centre of the table and lay three on my plate earning a glare from my mother due to the 'large' amount I am planning on eating. I return a pancake to the centre plate leaving me two and my mother gives me a approving smile and proceeds sipping her morning tea. I finish my pancakes and look across the table to Theo with pleading eyes as to if we could leave for school and with that Theo and I stand up from the table. Theo and I from a young age learnt how to communicate with each other by only using our eyes; it has proven to be a necessity in our household and has gotten us out of many tense and uncomfortable family situations.

"Theodore," my father calls and we both spin around in a single moment to hear his demands expecting to be scolded or given some type of lecture. "Why don't you take the Volkswagen and drive you and your sister to school."

I look over at Theo to see him wide eyed and surprised at my father's sudden generosity, considering his unrequited love for his car. "Uh wow sure, thankyou sir," Theo praises and my father throws the car keys from the table and they successful land in Theo's palms.

We both walk out the door dumbfounded to what just occurred in the dinning room, giving each other astonished looks. "I can't believe he gave you the car," I breathe out once we reach the privacy of inside the car.

"I know, I mean he loves this car more than us," he chuckles and I snicker along with him.

The moment passes and Theo reeves the engine and I see the excitement in his eyes as it roars. The car rolls down the driveway smoothly and we make our way to school with the spirited sound of Wham! playing in the background. We drive into the school parking lot finding a spot at the front, as we exit the car I see Theo's friends notice and come over, gathering around the car admiring it. I hear their hollers how 'this car is sick' and how 'this ride is tight' and I can't help but giggle as I walk away towards the school building to my homeroom class.

I find a seat in homeroom towards the middle of the class when the bell rings signalling the start of the day. The teacher walks through the class unenthused with his job of teaching mostly delinquent, disrespectful, disinterested teenagers and stands before the class.

As he is about to speak a boy casually walks into the room, "Late Mr. Wright,"

"Sorry sir, I overslept," he says in a sarcastic tone of voice.

He turns around to find a seat amongst the class when I realise who it is, Easton, from Havens Bay. I can't help but stare, dumbfounded that he goes to my school and that he is still wearing that same leather jacket. As he walks past my seat we lock eyes with one another, my eager eyes gazing at him and his intense brown eyes staring into what feels like my soul. I break our eye contact as I shift uncomfortably and sink into my chair consumed with nausea once again as a result of him.