Another Love Story (editing)

Chapter 2: "Jealous"

I woke up extra early the next morning for school and I got ready pretty fast. I walked to school to make sure that I wouldn’t attract any attention. The school was only 4 blocks north from our house, so it was an easy walk for me.

I finally arrived at school but it seemed that I was too early. The doors were still locked but the guards allowed me to get in. Since there was nothing to do I decided to wait on the stairs.

I drew just to kill time. I searched for the perfect subject and decided to draw the rusty old playground. I guess I was too carried away with what I was doing that I didn’t notice that someone else was already with me.

“Wow, you’re good!” someone commented. I turned my head and was surprised to see my knight. We fell silent as we stared at each other. He looked at me as if he was trying to decide where he'd seen me before, but had given up moments later. “Uh… you okay?” he said trying to break the silence.

“I guess so,” I surprised myself that I was able to reply, although I was entirely flushed red.

“Edgar Ramos, Eddie for short. What’s your name?” he smiled taking the liberty to introduce himself.

“Addie, Adeline Driftwood,” I said as I went back to my drawing. Maybe my brain would function better if I didn't look at him.

“Cool, our nick-names have a one letter difference,” he remarked as he sat down beside me.

“Not cool, our nick-names have a one letter difference,” I retorted, laughing.

“You’re new here, aren’t you? It’s the first time someone came earlier than I did,” Ed shared. I listened to him as I continued to draw. Unconsciously, I began to smile. But I didn't answer.

“Hey. Could I consider you as a friend?” he tapped my shoulder to try and get me to turn to him.

“Sure," I nodded, setting down my pencil and pad, "I really need one right now," I confessed. "I’ve got none in the neighborhood. You’re practically the first one to talk to me.” I said with a wide smile.

“Your smile reminds me of someone," he said. "I really like her but I never got the chance to get her name. What I do know is that she’s Frederick and Sierra Driftwood's daughter. I guess I’ll have to wait for the newspaper. Wait, didn’t you just say you’re last name is Driftwood?” Eddie's brows knitted together as he stared at me with wonder.

“Yes, I am. But I’m not Sierra and Freddie’s daughter so you've probably never seen me. I’m their niece. My parents died a month after my birth and since then Aunt Sierra and Uncle Freddie were the ones to take care of me.” I lied easily.

“Who was that girl who tripped?” he inquired, tilting his head slightly.

“Her name is Lin," I bit my lower lip a bit too harshly, drawing a bit of blood. He echoed her name to try and put it in mind, and I tried to just smile.

A guard came to open the doors so we went in. He gave me a quick tour around the campus and led me to the classroom. It was pretty convenient that no one else was around, though. I thanked him and we bade farewell. The students were steadily beginning to trickle into the school.

“I’ll get you here by lunch, I mean, if you don’t have plans of course,” he said. "I'm thinking you don't because you don't have other friends but you might make new ones in your class or something so I thought I'd ask first plus you might think you might not be welcomed around-- which is far from the truth. I mean-- ah- what am I doing."

“Lunch sounds great,” I giggled. He was kinda cute when he rambled.

He found his way through the now-crowded hallway as I watched him until he was lost in the crowd. I sat in the front row and class started not too long after. I was jotting down some notes when the bell for lunch rang. As promised, Ed was already outside waiting for me.

"Did I make you wait too long?" he asked, as if it was his fault that he couldn't come any earlier. I know he was trying to hide the fact that he was actually heaving from lack of breath but that actually gave off that he ran all the way from his classroom.

"Nah, don't worry. I was busy making friends," I smiled widely at him.

"Oh- Are you going to have lunch with them instead?" He asked, failing to mask his disappointment.

I just cracked up at that. "No, no thanks. I don't think the blackboard, my pen, and my notebook would miss me that much." That only earned me a shake of his head, although his smirk was a tell tale sign of his amusement.

We went to the cafeteria and joined a group of seniors. “Guys, this is Addie, the girl I’ve been talking about,” Eddie introduced me to the group; “She’s a freshman.”

“Hi,” I greeted them in an awkward tone. They introduced themselves to me. There was Terence, the blond jerky jockey; Abby, the flirty cheerleader; Gigi, the bubbly girly-girl; and Steven the sly schemer. I was, to them, Addie the youngster with potential.

I had to wonder how their friendship came to be, but I wasn't sure how to ask. But when I did find that bit of guts in me that I could spill, someone else had spoken up.

“Ed, here’s the thing you asked for.”  Steven tossed the roll of paper at Eddie and Eddie caught it with one arm.

“Finally,” he said as he started to read the paper. Ed was busy reading, so the group chatted with me. But not before Terence invited me to take a seat, which I gratefully took.

“So Addie, is it okay that I call you that? You’re Freddie's niece right?” Steven said.

“Sure…” I reply, almost flatly.

“Must be cool, huh?” Abby dreamily asked. Typical.

“No, I hate that. People come near me thinking it's so cool being his niece but it’s not. The most fake people in the world pretend to be your friend and end up stabbing you behind. That's why I keep my life as simple as I can, so that fakers won't be able to pretend."

"Chill, girl," Abby said, "We get the point."

"So you don't have much friends?" Gigi curiously asked.

Abby must've tried to kick Gigi from under the table but ended up hitting Steven instead. Or so Abby's glare at Gigi, the thud I heard, and the way Steven curled up in pain.

"Nope," I answer anyway, "People consider themselves as my friend but I don't. That's exactly why I don't have a best friend. They all say that they find me too plain," I shrugged.

"I think you're cool," Steven said. "Agreed," the group motioned.

"Thanks, guys" I said with a smile before I turned to Ed. Something took my eye, it was the bold headline on the front page which said, "Local hero saves international star's daughter" The accident?! That's what Eddie's been busy about?!

"Lin, right?" he smiled. "Addie," he said turning to me, "you said Sierra's your aunt?"

I nodded, knowing darn well where this was going.

"So Lin is your cousin?" he eagerly asked. No, I am Lin, I thought.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." I uttered absentmindedly.

"So where is she? How is she?" he said.

"She's in Paris, she studies there. The last time we talked was yesterday. She's fine I guess. And I think she likes you too." I bluffed, sort of jealous. I'm pathetic right? Me? Jealous of my own self?