rumour has it | ✓ [ old version ]

「 one 」

CHAPTER ONE

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Avoiding my dad isn't something I'd usually do, but with the secret he's kept for years finally being out into the open, I needed some time to process the news, so avoiding him for now is the only way I'm able to think. Which is why my ears are listening out for any noises in the house that may be coming from him, but nothing; there's just silence and as much as I hate it, it's comforting in a way.

My feet step off the last step and on to the polished tiled floors, my eyes check my surroundings and when seeing the house empty, I take a deep breath and walk normally to the kitchen. He's probably gone to work and since there's no note on the counter like there usually is, I can tell he's giving me my space which I appreciate.

I begin my usual routine of making myself a juice before school, I only have three minutes before Luke comes and picks me up. I would take my car, but it's in the shop for a desperate need of a checkup. With the ingredients for my juice in my arms, I go to the blender and begin to make the juice I have everyday.

After my juice is made, I transfer it from the blender to those bottles you use for protein shakes that have the measures on the side. Just as I tighten the lid, the sounds of honking comes from outside and causes me to jump a little since it was unexpected. He does this every time he comes to pick me up and I still get jumpy when it happens. With my backpack on my back and my juice in my hand and my keys in the other, I go to the front door and walk outside.

The sun immediately hits me followed by a cold breeze that brushes up against my skin. I lock the door behind me and walk down the pathway to Luke's car where I then proceed to get into the passenger's seat.

"You do realise I have neighbours right?." I ask him, referring to his habit of honking outside my house at the early hours of the morning "one of them I actually like." I finish off, thinking of the horrid and ugly looking boy that lives next door. I can't even say his name, I hate him that much.

"I know, but think of it this way; I honk and he hears it while he's probably asleep or something." He tells me and a smirk spreads across my face as I think of the evil boy next door jolting awake from Luke honking outside my house "besides Mrs Peterson says that it's like an her alarm, so I'm doing a good thing." He finishes off as he pulls out of my driveway and starts driving toward the school where a horrible day awaits.

I shrug "it'll certainly do the trick."

Silence falls between us, the only sound is the sound of soft music playing coming from the speakers. My eyes scan the scenery that passes by outside in a blink of an eye; little kids and their parents walk to school and some joggers are running on the concrete. I sigh; I always wondered what it'd be like to have a mum and a dad, dad told me that mum left years ago, she wasn't ready for a child, she wasn't ready for me.

"Are you okay?." Luke asks.

"I don't know." I simply reply "I think I just need some time to take it all in." I need some time before I can confront my dad and ask him all the questions that have been circling around my head for the past few days.

"Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here for you." Luke reassures me and I smile at him, grateful for a best friend as caring as Luke. After driving for what feels like a lifetime, we finally pull into a parking lot outside of the school where students are on the  bright green grass that is on either sides of the pathway or walking together in pairs or groups, talking to one another hush tones.

After putting the car in park, Luke and I grab our bags before exiting the vehicle. I can feel this day is going to be terrible, it always is and that is the cause of Mitchell Preston. The boy I've hated since the beginning of the school year when our rumour war began. Who knows what he's coming up with this time? The last rumour was the one I spread about how he ended up in the hospital from how a gorilla twisted his nipples too hard. Anyone with believe anything nowadays, it's ridiculous, but works to my advantage.

"I'll see you at lunch." Luke tells me.

I nod my head before we go our separate ways. The boy's and girl's lockers are on either sides of the school. Why? Because before school, couples would make-out which breaks the no-touching rule. What teachers didn't know was that, now couples just sneak into the bathroom beforehand to get some action, so that plan backfired. I move through the sea of bodies, in hopes of getting to my locker in peace.

Surprisingly enough, no one has stared at me or begun talking to the nearest person about me behind my back. So that means Mitchell hadn't spread his rumour yet or he's late which happens more times than you'd think. I'm hoping for the first excuse. When I reach my locker, I put in the combination and open the cold metal door before swinging my bag from my back to my chest where I proceed to open the zip. I than begin to replace the books in the bag with the books in my locker that I need for the day.

Out of all the days of the week, Friday is my favourite. For one, it almost has all my favourite classes and it's the last day before the weekend, so I'm looking forward to today, but I still want it to end as soon as possible. With the books I need in my bag, I zip it back up and put it back in it's original place just as the first warning bell begins to ring, signalling that everyone needs to get to class otherwise they'll be late.

Maybe today will be decent, I think to myself as I make my way to first period.