Okay, so here's chapter two. Had no idea I'd be posting so soon, but the little demon just compelled me again. Wretched creature. I have reading and a midterm and whatnot to do, yet here I am, posting this.
Anyways, for this chapter, I guess you could basically say that the plot thickens because Derek makes an appearance, of course, and so do some other characters. You also basically get to see what life's like for Edwin at school, more or less. I don't own Life with Derek, but I do own Ed's science teacher and Shelbert, not that I want to.
Hope you like. Next chapter, by the way, has some nice tension moments. This one... not so much.
Initial conditions: the state of a system prior to an experiment or change in variables.
Grumbling, I made my way downstairs that same morning, resenting and blaming Lizzie for keeping me up all night. I was bleary-eyed, sore, and just plain exhausted. She was down there already, sitting at the table as if nothing had happened, sipping a glass of orange juice. Of course she looked perfectly rested. I glowered at the back of her head, peevishly pouring myself a bowl of cereal. She obviously didn't remember. Lucky her. As if on cue, Derek bounded down the stairs. I was vaguely surprised that Derek was up before ten, let alone seven in the morning, but I was too annoyed with Lizzie to ponder it. However, that didn't stop me from noticing the way her eyes trailed after him as he walked through the kitchen, looking for food. My irritation intensified.
He scooped some eggs off her plate and dashed past me, ruffling my hair, to rifle through the fridge for his favorite beverage: milk fresh from the carton. Derek grabbed something, but I wasn't paying attention to him. I was too busy staring at Lizzie to notice. I turned, however, when I heard his voice. He was frowning and pointing to my cereal bowl. "Are you okay, Ed?" He asked, actually sounding concerned. Normally this would've started up the warning bells in my head, but Derek's gotten nicer and more brotherly lately. I guess.
I lied and told him I was, but he didn't believe me. Derek always could see through a lie like no one else. I guess he knows because he's told so many himself. He smirked and gestured, once again, to my cereal. "Then why are you pouring orange juice on your cereal?" He remarked smugly. I glanced down and jumped as the orange juice started to drip down the side of the counter. I swore loudly and began to wipe it up. Derek laughed and followed where my gaze had been. He looked at Lizzie for a moment, failing to notice how she perked up under his stare, failing to notice that she was in love with him. He met her gaze for just a brief second, giving her the slightest bit of hope, and then he turned to me, never realizing how cruel he was unintentionally being. He smirked again, giving me a knowing look, taking in my disheveled appearance amusedly.
I wanted to wash my hands, but Derek motioned for me to follow him outside. A motion from Derek was like an imperial mandate; I didn't dare refuse. He was grinning like he knew something I didn't, which was beginning to grate on my already irritated nerves. I wanted to tell him to just spit it out already, and stop being so damn smug; naturally, however, I couldn't do that. Derek kept it up a bit longer before sobering up some, although it was plain to see that he was still amused by the whole thing. I glared at him, which was apparently strong enough to force him to speak. The grin fell a little on his face, and I was glad. "Why didn't you just tell me, Ed? Did you think I wasn't going to find out? I'm not blind, you know!" Derek exclaimed.
His tone was rather enigmatic. I couldn't tell if he was mad at me or not. He didn't seem to be, and Derek's never one to hide when he's angry. Honestly, I didn't even know what he was talking about. I hadn't even done anything! Had I? I frowned, pondering this, and let Derek continue. He gave me a strange look. "Did you think I wouldn't approve?" he asked, furrowing his brow. I blinked dumbly, still horribly confused by the whole situation. Derek frowned at my lack of an answer and carried on nonetheless. "I'm actually kind of proud of you, kid." He punched me on the shoulder cheerfully while I gaped. I rubbed my shoulder; it hurt.
Derek had never said anything like that to me in my whole life. Not when I'd gotten my first girlfriend or had my first date or even lost my virginity, not when I won the school science fair and got second place at Nationals. But he flashed that dazzling grin of his, the one that made you feel like you're the only person on the planet he really cares about. "You little rebel. I would've never thought you'd finally realize what was right in front of you. Lizzie's a good girl... You made a good choice," Derek replied almost lovingly. He patted me on the shoulder in a brotherly way. My jaw dropped even further, so far that it hurt me to hold it open.
Ouch. I think I pulled a jaw muscle. I stared at him in disbelief. Lizzie coming on to me last night was one thing; her loving Derek was another, but Derek thinking I liked Lizzie! Well, that was just completely nuts! "Y-y-you actually t-think that I... that I... l-like Lizzie?" I stuttered, completely horrified. Derek just laughed and patted me hard on the back, smiling jovially.
He seemed suddenly so terrifically friendly. I'd always known Derek could be like this, but rarely ever to me. Derek hasn't ever been a touchy-feely kind of guy. "Relax, Edwin... I'm not going to tell Dad or Nora. Your little secret's safe with me. Hell, I approve. You couldn't have picked a better girl than Lizzie," Derek declared brightly. Strange, I thought briefly. He was in an extremely good mood that morning, for whatever reason. He actually seemed genuinely happy for me. Shaking these thoughts off, I shook my head, feeling the annoyance creeping up inside of me again.
"No, Derek. You've got it all wrong. There's absolutely nothing like that between me and Liz-"
A wry smile still lingered on his lips. Derek looked remotely thoughtful. "Oh, I get it," he said suddenly. I felt myself perking up some, glad he understood just how ridiculous a theory like that was. Phew. I actually thought he really believed that... "You haven't told her yet." I could've smacked myself in the forehead for that one, but I didn't want to make my headache worse. Derek could be so completely stupid sometimes. I rolled my eyes at him and was about to correct him when he, once again, cut me off. "Oh, right... You're shy about girls," Derek remarked distractedly. I bristled at the comment. I was not shy about or around girls. If I like them, I tell them. My brother and I are not that different. I just prefer to date girls I actually like, and I haven't really liked a girl in a while. There's nothing wrong with that, no matter what he thinks.
Derek pursed his lips, staring at me thoughtfully. He had that look in his eyes, the one he always has when he's plotting something and up to no good. I gulped. Uh oh. What have I inadvertently gotten myself into? Then he nodded, deciding aloud, "Yes. I'll help you, Edwin. I'll hook you up with Lizzie." He said it as if it was a sudden revelation, as if it was law, as if it made up for all the rotten things he'd done to me as a kid. Frankly, it made me more than a little angry. I hadn't asked him for anything, much less his patronizing help, and he didn't even ask me if I wanted to be with her. He just assumed, and then he assumed that I was so incapable of wooing anyone on my own that he could just swoop in and fix everything so it would work out for me. His statement was still so surprising, so unprovoked and unasked for that I blinked and said nothing at first before I came to myself and started denying it.
I grabbed his shoulder with a pleading look in my eyes. "Derek, please, don't! You really don't have to, and I'd prefer it, really, if you didn't-" I begged desperately, but Derek cut me off before I could say more.
He waved his hand dismissively, like my appeal didn't matter at all. "No, Edwin... You don't have to say a word. I know you want to do this on your own, but let's face it... You really have no balls when it comes to this sort of thing, and Lizzie's your best friend in the world. I know you don't want to risk that... but if I don't help you, you won't do anything. So just stop your protesting. You know you want Lizzie, and I'm going to help you land her. Now, remember, you owe me, Little Brother," Derek insisted stubbornly, bossily. He failed to realize that he was really completely wrong about the whole thing. What he said made me angry, too, all that stuff about me not having balls... I did. I just didn't want Lizzie! And on top of all that, I was in Derek's debt.
I am not a helpless baby bird, and Derek is not my father! I was so blindingly angry that he couldn't see it, so I unwisely decided to argue with him. "Guts, Derek? What about Casey, huh? Some balls you showed there!" I shouted at him. I don't entirely know why I brought up Casey, but something about his relationship with her had never settled quite right with me. There was something off about it, something below the surface, something he wasn't telling anyone—least of all, Casey.
Derek's eyes flashed menacingly. Casey was a particularly sore subject, for whatever reason. She was in Toronto now and dating Noel. She seemed happy when she called, but Derek was never around when she called. It seemed almost as if she planned it like that. Casey never visited, so Derek was over all the time to compensate, I guess. He resented this a lot, I think, that she never showed her face around here. I don't want to attribute feelings he doesn't have to him (like he so carelessly did to me), but maybe he was even hurt, and he missed her a little. He seemed to think it was his fault. Albeit, it might've well been, but there was something else entirely between them that I'd missed in all my observations. Derek had never treated her very well; that was certain, and, indeed, they had never hated each other more. Still, Casey couldn't really be that desperate to avoid him, could she?
Lizzie missed Casey a lot, more than anyone except Nora. I don't think she really knew what to do without Casey. Maybe that was why she turned to Derek. "What about Casey?" Derek spat venomously, crossing his arms over my chest and drawing me out of my thoughts. His cheeks were flushed; he was clearly enraged.
At a loss for what to say, I merely shrugged, giving up. "Nothing. I'm sorry I brought it up," I muttered wearily. The words I wanted to say echoed in my head: you never could quite tell her what you wanted to say. I didn't know what he wanted to tell her, but I knew that he had been holding back from her. I sensed that Derek wasn't entirely ready and willing to drop the subject just like that, but he just sighed and gave up, realizing that he was better off this way. He exhaled deeply, as if trying to breathe out all the anger. He eyed me suspiciously for a few moments before shouting a goodbye to Lizzie and me and storming out the front door. I felt bad for putting Derek in such a bad mood, but it was one little comment; how was I supposed to know he'd get pissed like that?!
Now he was determined to get Lizzie and me together. Great, just great. Just what I need, another thing to worry about... one more lousy complication. Let's see... there's my university applications and all that entails, worrying about whether or not they'll accept me, passing and graduating my final year of high school, having a social life, that project Lizzie and I are working on, the paper I'm entering in the contest, my research, Marti dating that older punk kid and out at all hours doing God knows what, Dad and Nora fighting all the time, Casey never visiting, the possibility of Derek getting injured, put in jail, or flunking out of school, Lizzie being in love with my big brother, and now Derek trying to hook me up with my best friend and our mutual stepsister. As you can see, I worry a hell of a lot, and stuff like this doesn't exactly help.
I sighed raggedly, feeling vaguely like I couldn't find my breath and needed to suck in the oxygen until I could, but it was never enough. Then I walked back into the kitchen, cleaning up the rest of the mess and dumping my soggy cereal into the sink. I put the orange juice back in the fridge, finding I'd lost all of my appetite. Lizzie stared at me oddly, pouting a little, probably a bit sad Derek had gone so early. I could care less, but I couldn't fail to notice that she was wearing quite a bit more make-up than she usually did: brown eyeshadow, eyeliner, pink blush, and shiny pink lip-gloss. In addition, she was wearing one of Casey's old mini-skirts, a rose-colored suede one, tall black boots, and a low-cut red printed top (again, Casey's) that was practically falling off her shoulders. Furthermore, she was wearing her hair down and straightened. Wow, I thought. Lizzie really wasn't trying to be subtle about it, was she? Someone was trying to impress Derek.
Too bad he was trying to "hook her up" with me, I thought grimly. I really wished I'd been able to tell Derek that I didn't like Lizzie, but he was so stubborn and wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise! Oh well, what's the worst he can do? Obviously he can't make me do anything, since I'm not willing, and Lizzie's in love with him, so it's not like he can make her fall for me. So, really, who can it hurt? "What's wrong?" Lizzie asked suddenly, cutting into my thoughts. "You don't look good, and... what were you and Derek talking about? He looked so angry." Her voice was so sweet and concerned, but I was still annoyed with her, so I couldn't appreciate the sentiments. Besides, she probably only cared about Derek anyway.
So instead, I said nothing. I merely grunted, slurping down some water, found my backpack, and chucked her the keys. Obviously I was in no state to drive us to school, plus it gave me some much needed time to sleep. She'd obviously forgotten all about it, so why couldn't I? But things only got worse when we got to school. Lizzie surprised me with a sloppy kiss to the cheek, so sudden it made me flinch. Liz usually does something like that before running off to her locker and her friends and her classes, to show she cares, I guess. She jerked away as if hurt by my reaction. I couldn't much see why. I was tired, and I probably would've jumped had anyone touched me. I was sick of touching her, though, and, with everything that had happened, I didn't want to touch her again for a very, very long time.
The day went by slow and dreary enough, with me worrying about everything known to man. It seemed that whenever I turned around I had something else to contemplate, something else to fear, another thing for me to obsess over. And I hated it. I wanted so badly to scream and rebel and be like Derek, but I couldn't, so I bottled it all up inside. As if the drama with Lizzie wasn't bad enough, Jamie approached me during passing period. I had woken up a little by that point, so I was intending to go over and apologize to Lizzie. Unfortunately for that plan, Jamie intercepted me. Other than me and Casey, Jamie was probably Lizzie's best friend. It's very strange that a girl should have two male best friends, one of them her brother, but Lizzie always was a tomboy.
She and Jamie weren't as good friends as Lizzie and me, of course. After all, he didn't live with her. However, they'd gone out for a while, a long time ago, through middle school and freshman year. It didn't mean a lot to Lizzie, I think. She broke up with him, after all, because their relationship had become "safe, predictable, and routine". It was too easy for her, and she wanted to get out and try new things. I couldn't blame her for that. Their friendship had never quite been the same afterwards, and it was obvious to anyone with eyes that Jamie still had a huge thing for her. And, of course, that was what he came to me to talk about. Just peachy.
I actually grimaced when I saw him coming towards me. I tried to turn the other way, but he was faster than me. Jamie and I weren't really friends at all. He was that ubiquitous friend-of-a-friend whom you get along with but don't really know that well and don't want to know. You talk to the person when you have to, and kind of hang out with him sometimes, but it's always kind of awkward since he isn't your friend. We have virtually nothing in common other than Lizzie; he's into music and drama, while I'm into science. In addition, I am a great deal more popular than he is, if only because Lizzie's my sister and my last name is Venturi, as in Derek Venturi. Oh, and I guess I inherited the family good looks. Apparently my fraudulent reputation as a ladies' man (I blame Tanya) was what led him to ask me for advice. That and my close relationship with Lizzie.
"Edwin, can you do me a favor?" Jamie asked immediately. The answer to this question is obviously a no. I don't do favors. However, I was exhausted and not thinking fast enough to deflect him. I blinked, suddenly blind-sighted. I eyed Jamie wearily, having a nasty feeling what he was about to ask me involved Lizzie. I was reluctant to agree to anything, and, besides, I wasn't in the mood. If I'd cared, I might've glared at him, but I didn't want to waste the energy.
I merely sighed instead, feeling rather irritable. My headache hadn't gone away. In fact, it only seemed to be getting worse! "What?" I remarked a bit too snappily. I was running out of time, and I didn't want to be late for my favorite class because of him. I silently cursed Jamie for preventing me from both apologizing to Lizzie and getting something to take the edge off this killer headache.
Jamie looked all shy and abashed, a look he was very fond of. I personally hated his stupid hound-dog look and had told Lizzie so more than once. I hated the way he used that to gain sympathy. I'm not jealous; it just irritates me, since I think he's an overall weak individual and an annoyance. I know I probably sound like a jerk, but I guess that's just the Derek in me. He's kind of pathetic, really, especially the way he dotes on Lizzie. She scolded me for saying that, never liking to talk bad about others. He's so obvious about it. I fought the urge to roll my eyes at him; I felt that, if I did, they'd roll back into my head. He looked as nervous as a rabbit, only rabbits are cute and cuddly. Jamie was neither and annoying to boot.
When he spoke, the words were all blurred together. "I'minlovewithLizzieandIwantyourhelpgettingherback." I didn't understand and asked him to repeat it. He did, but he was stuttering so badly I couldn't understand a word. Lacking patience, I told him shortly to hurry it up. "I'm in love with Lizzie, and I want to get back with her," Jamie managed finally. By the time he finished I was even more worn out. I knew what that implied, but I needed to make him implicitly state my role.
"And what does that have to do with me?" I asked, suddenly feeling very much like Derek. How strangely mercenary of me. Honestly, though, I was pissed off, and my dislike of Jamie was only worsening with my mood. It had been one very, very long day, and it wasn't even time for lunch yet.
Jamie had a stupid hopeful look in his eyes. It hurt to look at him, made me feel guilty. Honestly, Jamie is, for the most part, a nice guy. Lizzie could do a lot worse. Then again, she could also do a lot better. "Well, Edwin, no one knows Lizzie better than you... So I was wondering if you could maybe help me out?" Jamie pleaded. For one thing, he was still one of Lizzie's best friends. Didn't he know her well enough to get her back on his own? Aside from that, he's already dated her, even if he is stuck in the friends' zone at present. So, logically, wouldn't he know more about dating her than me, her brother, since he's already done it once? He was so pathetic and helpless I found myself caving. Damn it. I swear the kid was giving me puppy-dog eyes. I frowned, trying to think of a way to talk him out of it. Maybe if I convinced him how stupid the idea was...
I shook my head slightly, forcing myself to look him in the eyes. "Jamie... You're wasting your time, man. Lizzie doesn't date high school guys," I said convincingly. Jamie, of course, quickly refuted that, giving me a point-by-point of every boyfriend she'd had in high school. The list was a lot longer than I would've liked, including such notables as Jason, Jimmy L, the infamous Rod, and my best friend, Dan. That being said, Lizzie hadn't dated anyone for almost year (not counting Junior Prom). In retrospect, I wondered if maybe she'd realized then that she was in love with Derek.
Noticing that time was running out, my frown deepened, and I decided to just be honest with him. "Okay. It's like this... Lizzie's in love with someone else. Someone older, a real heartbreaker. She knows she can never have the guy, and he hasn't ever even thought of her that way... but she can't stop loving him. She doesn't want to date anyone. So, really, you're better off just forgetting about it, Jamie. Save yourself a world of pain," I explained concisely, awkwardly patting him on the shoulder when I saw how his face fell. It was the truth, though. Jamie was absolutely no competition for Derek.
I swear Jamie sniffled a little when he asked me who. Honestly, I was rather surprised he asked. He didn't seem like he was giving up, which was bad. Then I noticed he was eying me suspiciously. I scowled at him dead-on. I'm wasting my free time talking to this loser, trying to convince him in his own best interest that Lizzie isn't really what he wants, and he's shooting me that kind of look?! "Why won't you tell me, Edwin? You aren't hiding something, are you?" There was a strange, calculating tone in his voice that suggested a perceptiveness I hadn't been expecting. However, it wasn't all that warranted. I was hiding something, but it wasn't really mine to hide.
It suddenly occurred to me that Jamie saw me unequivocally as a rival. He'd believed all those rumors he'd heard about me and Lizzie (jealous people will say anything if they think it'll destroy you), and now he thought of me as competition. I think I can safely say that I could beat the boy in just about any competition. The rumors, of course, were common knowledge. We're not blood-related after all, technically, and brothers and sisters aren't this close usually. To top it all off, we're two hormonal teens who live together. Everyone knew about the rumors, and everyone acknowledged that they were false. Lizzie and I had made that quite clear, but we understood. Still, that didn't stop people from contemplating them and whispering about us periodically even now, almost four years later. The rumors started right after she dumped Jamie; some people said she did it because she wanted me instead when, in reality, she was just sick of Jamie. Jamie, it seemed, was a staunch believer now. Okay, I guess I was acting a little suspicious, but I'm just trying to save him the trouble and to get him out of my hair.
Jamie, of all people! I shook my head, rubbing my temples. Didn't he know us better than that? "She likes..." I trailed off, unable to think of any older male that wasn't Derek or a relative. Someone Lizzie could like. Then it hit me like a lightning rod. "Noel! Lizzie's in love with Noel, Casey's boyfriend. And that's why it can never happen. She would never do that to Casey!" I proclaimed, somewhat proud that my lie was decent and remotely believable. Jamie raised an eyebrow at me but seemed to accept this as shameful enough. "But I promised her I'd never tell. You've got to keep it a secret, Jamie. If you really love Lizzie, you'll do it," I hinted warningly, trying to coerce him into doing my bidding. It was a convenient lie, managing to ensure that Lizzie didn't find out what I'd told him.
He nodded solemnly, making the gesture for zipping his lips. Secret's safe... for now. I sighed in relief, but Jamie was too busy staring at Liz dreamily to notice. I followed his gaze; she was talking and laughing with her friends. I envied that she was able to talk so freely whereas I've spent half my life getting harassed. Lizzie suddenly turned, and we locked eyes. The smile on her face fell a little. She looked slightly hurt and turned away abruptly. The corners of Jamie's mouth slowly turned down, but he was more determined than I suspected. His beady eyes found mine, and there was that stupid hopeful look again. "So you'll help me?" he chirped. His bottom lip trembled.
That was when I knew I couldn't say no. I'm way too nice for my own good, even when I'm in a rotten mood. Sighing, I nodded, giving in. I don't really have a choice, but damned if I know how to land Lizzie. She's my stepsister for a reason. "Fine. Fine! But I make no promises," I consented wearily, a bit frustrated with myself. Jamie was so excited he almost hugged me, but luckily I managed to sideswipe him. Even I have a reputation to keep up, and the last thing I need is some drama geek putting his hands on me, even if everyone knows he's hung up on Lizzie. Nevertheless, he thanked me profusely before turning on his heel and practically skipping down the hallway.
I shook my head. There's something seriously wrong with that kid. I still maintain that he's nuts, and Lizzie could do way better. If I'm lucky, I can get through this year without having to do anything for him. Jamie's so stupid he wouldn't know the difference anyway. I picked up my pace, wanting to get to class on time. Unfortunately for me, fate had other plans. Chaos interrupted. Now, I like to think that I know a fair bit about Chaos Theory, having studied it for some seven plus years, so logically I should've seen it coming. But I was too tired, and I hadn't counted on Tanya's persistence.
She does this every day unless I manage to avoid her. For some reason, Tanya woke up one day and decided that I was utterly irresistible. She's proclaimed ever since that I'm the most attractive guy in our entire school. I find this ironic since she made fun of me when I was younger and refused to go out with me. I haven't quite forgotten that rejection, so I make a point of refusing all offers from her. Honestly, though, she's not even my type, and she's Lizzie's arch-rival. Tanya's annoyingly omnipresent around the school, always skulking down hallways and scaring the poor freshman. A girl who's as tall and thin and delicate-looking as she is shouldn't be fearsome, but Tanya's a rare girl bully—and for good reason! She's the captain of the girl's hockey team, and just as aggressive (if not more) as any boy I've ever met.
Despite being fairly pretty and like a supermodel in just about every sense of the word, not to mention her huge chest, Tanya is a tomboy. She wears baggy clothes, always puts her hair up in a ponytail, and never puts on any make-up. If she wasn't so clingy and terrifying, she'd have every guy in the school in the palm of her hand. As for me, I don't like blondes. Besides, Lizzie is way prettier, and she'd kill me if I liked Tanya. She's definitely stronger than me, too, but I'm a lot faster from years of practice. Today, though, I really wasn't in the mood to deal with Tanya.
So, when she walked in front of me, flipping her hair and just blurting out the question, I managed to restrain myself from grabbing her by the shoulders and throttling her. Just barely. I managed instead a tight smile and cut her off mid-sentence. "Tanya... Shut up. I'm so damn sick of this. I avoid you; you hunt me down and pop the question... I tell you no, but you just do it again the next day! When will you understand that my answer is never going to be any different?!" I hissed, frustrated, trying to keep it down so as to not embarrass her. It was embarrassing enough being stalked by her, let alone rejecting her. All her stupid little girlfriends hate me for it. I took a deep breath, trying to cool down. "I don't like you, Tanya, and I'm never going to like you. Now let me be," I replied calmly, gently pushing her aside so I could walk past her.
Tanya, however, had other plans. As I was walking by her, she snatched my arm and pulled me around so I was facing her. Never mind that we were in the middle of a crowded hallway. "But I love you, Edwin!" She ejaculated so loudly that people started to stare. Flushing down to the roots of my hair, I glanced around nervously, silently begging her to stop humiliating the both of us. Like her loving me is my fault? Her fingers wrapped around my wrist like a vice grip. "Doesn't that mean anything to you?" Tanya exclaimed mournfully.
Talk about melodramatic.
Quite honestly, Tanya, no, it doesn't.
I don't feel the same regardless, and her making me feel bad about it won't make me change my mind.
I don't want her to love me, and I doubt she's really in love with me anyway. That's a very strong feeling, and you shouldn't go about bandying it around all willy-nilly. "I can't help what you feel, and I feel sorry for you, but I don't love you," I said as politely as I could. I removed her hand quickly so I could exit faster, but Tanya surprised me by grabbing me even more forcibly than before. She kissed me sloppily, urgently, refusing to let go. I'd expected her to hurt me, maybe punch me or slap me, not this! Needless to say, I didn't kiss her back. I pushed her away and off of me as soon as I possibly could, backing away from her so she couldn't do it again. Then I shook my head, turned my back on her, wiped my lips in disgust, and hurried off to my next class.
The bell rang just then, as I was mere inches from the door, so I wound up late to class. Sometimes I hate my life very much, but that's just my luck. Scowling, I pushed the door open and slipped inside. Feeling my face burn, I hopped into the first empty seat I saw. The teacher gave me a look but started talking about the lab we were doing. Lizzie's usually my lab partner, but she was sitting with this bitchy, ditzy cheerleader friend of hers who hates me. Lizzie's too nice to realize this, and I don't care enough to say anything about it. That meant that I was left with Shelbert Schlepper a.k.a. "Shelby", the clumsiest, most maladroit person in our grade. And you thought Sheldon was a dork. Compared to Shelbert, he's a rockstar.
I rolled my eyes. Just peachy. Why is it that whenever I think my day can't get worse, it somehow does?
With Shelbert as my lab partner, one of two things was bound to happen. 1. Shelbert breaks a beaker, flask, or other piece of glassware... or 2. Shelbert spills a chemical, probably on me or the table. Now, of course, he could also ruin our lab, swallow a poisonous compound, or inadvertently cause an explosion or form a cloud of poisonous gas by doing the experiment wrong. I was lucky that Shelbert just broke a couple empty beakers before I took over completely, insuring that he was a full five feet away before starting. Midway through, Mr. Hennessey came over to me, asking why I was late and what Shelbert was doing. I lied and said that Shelbert was doing calculations (I'm much better at math), and told him "Tanya" for the first one. That one he got.
That's how well-known her obsession is. Even my ridiculously out-of-touch chemistry teacher who still uses a typewriter and thinks Microsoft is a kind of fabric knows about it.
Anyway, with Shelbert out of commission, I quickly finished the lab without any incident. I'd already done a million titration labs, albeit not with these chemicals. Acids this concentrated are very hard to find outside of chemistry supply warehouses, even on eBay. I was the only one to finish, so I did the math quickly and supplied Shelbert with the answers. Finally free to relax as I wished, I set my head down on the table and promptly fell into a dead sleep.
I woke up a minute after the bell rang. Unbelievably, no one had woken me up. Thanks a lot, Shelbert! I basically did the lab for him, and he doesn't even have the courtesy to wake me up! I rubbed at my eyes and sat up in my seat, suddenly aware that Lizzie was talking to Mr. Hennessey. She was holding a paper and looked nervous. "So, really, Mr. Hennessey, isn't that right?" He shook his head and told her it wasn't. "That?" Another head shake before advising her to learn how to balance double replacement reactions. I winced a little. Lizzie paled and looked pretty downtrodden. While Mr. H was one of my favorite teachers, he could be kind of cutting in his criticism. "Mr. Hennessey, please... I got a C minus on the last test. This'll push me over to a D. Can't you help me or something?" Lizzie begged.
They don't let you play sports if you've got a D in any class, and Lizzie was very fond of basketball (in addition, of course, to soccer, swimming, and ice hockey). I had no idea it had gotten that bad for her. She'd definitely never told me about it. Unfortunately, Mr. Hennessey merely shook his head. "I don't have time to help you, Miss McDonald. I suggest you find yourself a tutor or else try harder," he muttered rather icily. He had an obvious bias against athletes, whom he thought were loafers who got by on physical prowess and were no better than cavemen. Lizzie's shoulders slumped in defeat. I knew that she tried very, very hard indeed, staying up all through the night doing his homework. The issue wasn't that she didn't try. She just needed a little help.
Lizzie looked like she was on the verge of tears, so I decided to rescue her. Nobly I rose, gathering my books, and stepped in, lightly grabbing her arm. "Come on, Liz," I murmured soothingly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "Let's get you to History." I flashed Mr. H a mock apologetic smile and whisked a very grateful Lizzie out of the room. Her eyes were dangerously filled with tears, and she was sniffling. I sat her down on the miraculously deserted stairs, seating myself next to her, and I found myself hoping she didn't cry. I patted her awkwardly on the shoulder. "Don't sweat it, Lizzie. I can help you. I can tutor you in Chemistry... It's no trouble," I volunteered sincerely, trying to comfort her.
Compared to what everyone else was asking of me, that small favor would be easy. Besides, Lizzie's given me so much... She looked up at me gratefully, but it was like she didn't believe me. She raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to do that," she interjected suddenly, surprising the both of ourselves. "It's got to be hard, too... I can find someone else..." I shot Lizzie a look. I'm the one that lives with her and sees her everyday. It can't get any more convenient and easy than that.
I put my hand on her knee, turning so that I could look at her head on. "Don't find anyone else, Lizzie. I'll do it," I stated firmly. Lizzie looked down, shaking her head, refusing. Why won't she just let me help her? I plunked my books down next to me on the step, using my other hand to tilt her chin up so she would look at me. Lizzie was crying a little. She's been under a lot of pressure lately with sports, grades, extracurriculars, the university application process, and our science project. Lizzie has good grades and all, but it's like Dad and Nora expect her to be Casey. I can relate to that. I mean, I'm stressed too, but no one expects much out of me academically. Dad just expects me to be a slacker just like him and Derek, so I'm supposed to go to parties and have a really active social life. I haven't gone out on a date in over a year, and I despise parties; I know what it's like to have them look at me and wonder what went wrong.
I can prank just as good as Derek if not better, though, and we share a sense of humor... so I like to think I'm not a total reject. I sighed. I'm not exactly good around tears, but I've got sisters. I'm used to it by now. I gently wiped her eyes with the back of my hand. She hates crying in public, and I knew she'd be embarrassed later. "Come on, Lizzie. We middle siblings have to stick together, remember?" Lizzie cracked a smile, and I smiled in turn. "Besides, where else are you going to find someone who knows as much about chemistry as I do?" I pointed out a bit smugly, doing my best Derek impression. Lizzie knocked her shoulder into mine a little playfully, amused by my mocking cockiness. I sobered up a little, grabbing her hand. "I won't let you down. I promise. Even if I have to do your homework for you, you will pass that class with a decent grade. I swear it," I avowed. Ecstatic and feeling far better, Lizzie hugged me tightly.
Rather emotive of me for the middle of the hallway, but Tanya had already declared her love for me there. I don't like to admit it, but I'm even softer at heart than Derek is. I'm just a nice guy. I can't really help it. After all, I've never been the one who has trouble expressing his emotions. Admittedly, we stayed hugging on the stairs for a lot longer than we probably should have. I was just glad I had the old Lizzie back. Lizzie was the one to pull away. She looked a bit nervous but cleared her throat and spoke nonetheless. "There's this rumor going around that you're gay," she blurted out suddenly.
She just said it, told me, didn't imply anything. Well, honestly, I wasn't that surprised to hear it. It's just one more thing, though, isn't it? I smiled wryly. "Well, obviously they're nuts. Tanya made out with me in the hallway today," I remarked airily. Lizzie raised an eyebrow, but I just shrugged. I don't know what she sees in me either. "I mean, can you think of a guy more violently heterosexual than me?" I quipped sarcastically. Lizzie laughed and said other than Derek, no. She knows that I'm straight (because of those cold shower years and the magazines she found under my mattress), which kind of stops the rumors. So I'm either homosexual or in love with my sister according to these people. Shows exactly how well they know me.
"Oh. Jamie still thinks I stole you from him," I commented with an amused smirk. Lizzie's eyes widened, obviously wondering where Jamie would get such an idiotic idea. He just believes everything he hears.
"Did he say something to you?" Lizzie asked strangely urgently. The smirk dropped right off my face. Was Lizzie hiding something from me? I shrugged noncommittally. It didn't exactly take a genius to notice he was still in love with her, but obviously I couldn't tell her that. Seeing the look on my face, Lizzie tried to forget whatever had come over her, but I wasn't entirely convinced. She laughed, leaning against me. "It would be you, wouldn't it?" Lizzie mused. She paused, and I suddenly realized that we were all alone in the hallway. I was late for class, but this time I didn't care. My sister needed me. "Well, I guess there's a grain of truth in that. I'd much rather date you than Jamie," Lizzie murmured softly, flashing me a smile. I knew it was true, of course, but I felt a little jolt nonetheless. "You know," Lizzie whispered conspiratorially, "some people think we're secretly dating."
Given the fact that neither of us have dated for a year, that theory almost seems plausible. Until one takes into account the fact that she's in love with my brother. As for me, well, I just haven't found the right girl yet. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. "Weird," I said somewhat distractedly.
"I know, right?" Lizzie nodded, and I stood up. I helped her up like the gentleman I am and bent down to pick up my books. Not one to miss a perfect opportunity (and I thought I was the opportunist!), Lizzie kicked my ass. Literally. She kicked me in the ass, and I fell down. Then she walked off to class, giggling at me. "I'll see you at home, Eddie!"
I grimaced. Fortunately, the kick didn't hurt. It was just a light kick, which I was grateful for. Lizzie is, after all, the captain of the soccer team. I like to think she knows what she's doing. If she wanted to do some damage, she easily could've. My frown had nothing to do with her kicking me; it had to do with her calling me by that detestable nickname. She knows full well I hate being called Eddie, and besides, I'll be back here around four or five to pick her up from practice. I couldn't even really bring myself to be mad at her, though. Lizzie always knew how to cheer me up, always knew when I was having a rough day. I exhaled deeply, thinking of ways to get Lizzie back, and walked off to the drama class my counselor had forced me into because she decided I was "too overloaded with math and science". The day was suddenly a whole lot better.
Loren ;*
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