Chapter Four: Who Needs Emotions Anyways?

Amelia woke up dreading her second day at school. The first hadn't gone very well at all but at least it was a Thursday, so that meant getting through today and tomorrow and then Amelia could not interact with anyone for a couple days. She rolled herself out of bed and pressed play on her iPod as she shuffled into her bathroom. A small noise left her as she stepped into the shower, hoping that a morning wash would get rid of some of the dread. It didn't, but deciding to wear her dad's old Harvard jumper, a baggy pair of ripped jeans, and her converses helped a little.

She slipped her books into her backpack and made her way downstairs to find Eleanor wide awake and bustling around the kitchen. It was the most awake Amelia had ever seen her sister. She was already dressed, wearing a full-length floral skirt and a button up white blouse, with her hair down and curly. The half-drunk cup of coffee in her hands showed Amelia that her older sister had been in the kitchen for a while.

"You're up early." Pointed out Amelia.

"Yep! I'm going job-hunting today."

The smile Eleanor had ready for Amelia faltered a little when she saw the jumper she was wearing. She chose not to say anything and in return Amelia didn't point out that she noticed Eleanor looking her over and faltering at the sight of the jumper. The jumper was a piece of clothing their dad had love to bits. He had studied at Harvard, completing a degree in Law, but never made it to his graduation as he had decided to follow their mother to San Francisco instead. The jumper was something he wore whenever he was planning to spend the day at home, with his daughters, a time where work was taboo. It was a sign of comfort and love for the two sisters… And it hurt Eleanor to know that Amelia had practically claimed it. But, a part of her knew her sister needed it more than she did.

"Where are you gonna look?" Asked Amelia.

Eleanor shrugged and took a sip of her coffee.

"I'm was doing some research last night to see what was around… There are a couple of art galleries nestled in town. If I get really desperate I'll check out the neighbouring towns or see if Beacon Hills High is looking for a new art teacher."

Amelia nodded her head and beelined for the coffee. The two didn't say much as they ate their breakfasts and drank their coffees. Amelia pointed out they should leave and Eleanor agreed, so they trekked out to the car and suffered through a silent car ride to Beacon Hills High. They exchanged goodbyes as Amelia jumped out of her sister's car. Before she could leave, Eleanor let out a noise that caught Amelia's attention.

"Don't forget about the counsellor! You have an appointment first thing this morning." Reminded Eleanor.

Amelia scowled and Eleanor waved her hand.

"Remember, just one session. If you absolutely hate it I'll deal with Principal Thomas."

Amelia let out an exaggerated sigh with the eye roll that Eleanor was considering suggesting she trademark.

"Fine. One session." She grumbled.

Eleanor smiled a gorgeous grin and called out a goodbye as Amelia closed the car door and stomped her way to the front door of the school. One inside she weaved her way through the corridors to get to her locker but found herself stuck on a staircase as everyone stopped and stared at doors that were another entrance to the school. She peered past a couple students to see that two girls were being stared at by everyone. One was a girl with strawberry blonde hair and the other was Allison. They stood in place as everyone stared before Allison leant over and said something to the girl Amelia assumed was her friend. Amelia watched as the girl pursed her lip before flipping her hair and moving. It was her way of showing everyone who was staring that she didn't give a damn about what that they thought… Whatever that thought may have been. As Allison smiled to herself before following after her friend, Amelia considered pushing past the group of stopped students to say hi. But, the moment the two girls had moved, so did everyone else on the staircase. It wasn't long till Amelia was standing alone, a little lost and a little confused. Then the school bell rang out, signalling the beginning of the day, and Amelia swore under her breath before moving to find the counsellor's office.

Eleanor was beginning to wonder if counselling was something she should check out herself if a jumper was enough to shake her. Her fingers tapped nervously on the steering wheel as she bit her bottom lip, trying to push the feelings that seeing the jumper had caused away. Maybe she would go shopping after job hunting, a little bit a retail therapy to ease her worried mind. She closed her eyes and let out a long groan that was interrupted by the car behind her honking it's horn.

"Yeah! Alright! I'm moving!" She exclaimed.

She knew the car behind her couldn't hear her but the exclamation helped. She continued on her way to the city centre of Beacon Hills and pulled into an empty parking space. She took a few seconds to gather herself, checking her face in the visor, before grabbing her bag and getting out of the car.

To say Eleanor hit the pavement hard was an understatement. She hit up every place that was slightly related to what she had studied and the experience she had… But every place she went to only took her resume after she gave them an award winning smile and politely insisted they keep it on file for when they were looking for someone.

Once she was out of resumes, and only then, did she stumble out onto the footpath and take in a moment to release some of her frustration through heavy breaths and the decision that she needed to shop. So she did. She beelined for a clothing store and spent some time looking at the different racks, using the time to bury her emotions over Amelia wearing their dad's jumper and the number of rejections she was bound to get in the following week.

She let out a soft sigh and glanced up from the rack she was looking at to see a familiar looking guy at the rack that was behind hers. He heard her sigh and looked up at her. He gave her a smile and said a soft and familiar-sounding hello. Eleanor said one back before looking back at the clothes in front of her. She frowned as tried to place where she knew the guy in front of her from. Finally, it hit her.

"Of course! The reserve! I met you yesterday!"

He nodded his head and gave her a soft smile.

"Yes. We met yesterday."

Eleanor's frown didn't go away as a thought dawned on her.

"You're not… Stalking me right?"

His smile fell and he stared at her like she was crazy.

"What?" He asked.

"Sorry. It's just… Met you randomly yesterday and now we just happen to be in the same store?"

"Beacon Hills is a very small town and I needed a new t-shirt."

Eleanor's cheeks flushed pink and she nodded her head repeatedly.

"Yep, of course, I'm so sorry."

The man looked at her for a moment longer before holding up his t-shirt and half turning towards the counter.

"I've got to go… Buy this shirt… It was… Interesting bumping into you again."

Eleanor swore under her breath as he walked away from her. She put the dress she was half considering buying back on the rack and left the store so she wouldn't see him on the way out.

It had been a full 15 minutes since the counsellor, Ms Morell, had introduced herself. Those 15 minutes had been filled with silence. Amelia sat there with her arms folded across her chest, lips pursed as she glanced up at the clock every now and then. Ms Morell sat there contently, watching her with analytical eyes. They were waiting for each other out and in the end Amelia was the one to break.

"I'm not going to talk about the death of my parents with you."

Ms Morell gave her a warm smile. She leant forward, resting her arms on her desk as she responded.

"I'm not asking you to Amelia. This session is purely for me to gauge where you're at. Moving can be a very big thing. A new school, new town, new friends. It can be all quite intimidating."

"You think? One day in a new school and I'm already getting detention."

"That must have been frustrating."

"It was annoying. All I did was giggle."

"I take it this was in Mr Harris' class?"

"How'd you know?"

"I get a lot of complaints regarding our resident Science teacher."

Amelia scoffed and unfolded her arms, sitting back a little as she settled into the conversation.

"Surely your first day wasn't all bad?" Prompted Ms Morell.

"I… I think I started to make a friend? At the very least an English partner." Confessed Amelia.

"That's good."

"But I also said something to my sister that I've regretted since."

The words left her lips before Amelia was aware that she was saying them. Ms Morell raised an eyebrow and sat up a little.

"What did you say to your sister?"

"I… You can't judge me for this."

"This is a judgement free zone."

"I shouted at her that my parents had died, completely disregarding that they were her parents too."

"Why do you think you said that?" Asked Ms Morell.

"Well, she never… She doesn't act like they're gone. I've never seen her cry over them. She never talks about them. She's always… She's always smiling!"

"Do you think that maybe she's trying to be strong for you?"

Amelia sat back, her face falling as she slowly nodded her head.

"I know… I know that. I know she's trying to be my guardian or whatever… But I wish she could just be my sister."

Ms Morell nodded her head in understanding.

"I understand that. I used to have the same feelings… I also have an older sibling who acts more like a parent than a sibling. There were many times where I wished he could just be my brother, but I know now that he was trying to protect and look after me."

"But couldn't he have been both?"

Amelia's words made the counsellor pause. She reflected on the teenager's words, slowly nodding her head as a soft smile danced onto her lips.

"You're a very bright girl, Ms Oliver."

"I get that a lot." Sighed Amelia.

"And you're right. Maybe he could have been both. I regret not asking him to be both." Admitted Ms Morell.

Amelia pressed her lips together and sat back again in her seat, folding her arms across her chest. She was silent again for a few moments as she stared down the councillor.

"Good job getting me to talk."

"Well… It is my job."

"Maybe you're the one who's stalking me?"

Eleanor jumped at the voice and turned to see the man standing behind her with his hands tucked into his jacket.

"What? Why would you think that?" Scoffed Eleanor.

He raised an eyebrow and pointed at the car next to hers.

"You're standing next to my car."

Eleanor frowned and looked at Camaro. She looked back at her car and then looked at him.

"No, I'm standing next to my car."

The man gazed at her for a long moment before letting out a huh.

"So maybe we aren't stalking each other. Maybe it's just the universe." He suggested.

Eleanor let out a scoff and folded her arms across her chest, softly shaking her head.

"The universe is a bitch."

"Well universe hater, I'm Derek."

He held his hand out to her and Eleanor couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips over the response and gesture he gave her. She took his hand and they shook as she introduced herself.

"I'm Eleanor. You want to get coffee?"

Derek raised an eyebrow and cautiously let got of her hand.

"You sure you're not stalking me?" He asked.

She let out a laugh and shook her head.

"I promise I'm not. I just don't want to go home yet but I need a reason not to spend any money on clothes."

"Alright, coffee."

Twenty minutes later at the two were sat at a table in a little coffee shop, both with slowly sipping on their coffees.

"So what brings you to Beacon Hills?" He asked.

Eleanor's answer to this question was quick and simple. She knew that moving to a town like Beacon Hills from San Francisco would be a questionable move. A random town in the middle of California? Not the most desirable real estate location… So with the knowledge that it was a question she'd get asked a lot, she prepared an answer that would barely create any follow-up questions.

"Change of scenery."

"Just you or…?"

"Me and my younger sister. She's at the local high school. What about you? Got any siblings, family?"

She turned the focus of the conversation back to him. She didn't want to get into the tragedy of a few months ago, not today… Especially as she had reacted so badly to the sight of her dad's jumper. So she watched Derek as he shifted uncomfortably and avoided her gaze. His eyes flicked down the coffee sitting in front of him.

"Ah, no. Not anymore."

An uncomfortable silence came over the two and they both took the chance to sip their coffees. Derek broke the silence with a question that directed them away from their families.

"What brought you into town today? By the sounds of it, it wasn't shopping?"

Eleanor let out a little laugh and shook her head.

"No. I'm looking for a job. At least I'm trying to… There's not a lot out there for someone with an Arts major or Teaching major."

"Well… Good luck with that."

"So encouraging!" Teased Eleanor.

"Oh, that's my usual well wish. If I could offer help in any way, I would. But I know nothing about Arts or teaching…"

"So you're no help whatsoever?"

"Pretty much."

Derek watched as a smile danced on Eleanor's lips. She had a funny feeling that maybe, just maybe, she was making her first friend from Beacon Hills. The corners of Derek's lips turning up suggested that maybe he felt the same as well.