Sorry for the long updates. I promised myself that I wouldn't let that happen, but it's easier said than done. I've been really preoccupied and I wasn't in the mood to update fanfiction. I really hope you guys are still reading and aren't too bored with this yet. The drama is still to come. Thank you to reviewers and readers for supporting this story.
Chapter 7
Getting to Know Each Other
Lunch rolled around the period again. This time Anna was anxious to eat as she hadn't seen Meg all day and Raoul was nowhere in sight. She felt like she had been abandoned today. But her tummy was demanding food and she couldn't deny that.
That day, she walked out of the lunch line and stood there, feeling dumbfounded trying to look around for any available lunch table where she could find refuge. But most the tables were filled and she could still spot Carlotta and Piangi making out in front of their friends.
The only table that she could finally conclude she had to sit at was the one that she knew Meg wouldn't forgive her for.
Erik's table.
It was the only lunch table left that had room and at least Nadir was sitting with him so she wouldn't feel as awkward and as unwelcome as she would if it were only Erik sitting there. But she knew that after what happened in English that day, she wasn't sure if she would be able to stomach sitting with that jerk again.
But Anna realized that maybe if only she could show a good attitude toward Erik, then maybe he wouldn't be so stuck-up with her. After all, respect doesn't come unless you give it first. It would only be an attempt, but she would give it a chance to maybe lighten up all the tension.
Inhaling a deep, thoughtful breath, she slowly strolled over to where she would have to deal with the most obnoxious obstacle for the day. This was not appealing. But she knew that she would have to try. Trying to cheer up her mood, she thought about more happier thoughts that could outshine all the dark clouds floating over her head.
"Hi, Erik, Nadir," she greeted cheerily setting her lunch down on the table. "Mind if I sit with you guys today?"
"No," Erik answered emotionless and staring in the other direction.
He yelped a little as Anna could tell that Nadir punched his arm.
"Erik, please," he pleaded. "Please, sit down Anna, we would be honored to have you sit with us. Excuse Erik."
Anna sat down and set her other books down as well. "So, how are you Nadir? Erik?"
"Well, I'm good, today. Just been studying more law and law enforcement," Nadir answered kindly. "I want to be a police officer after high school so I'm just studying right now."
"That's brilliant," answered Anna who decided to just look at Nadir since she could see the annoyed and unfazed expression of Erik. "After all, getting a head start right now will help you later."
"Thanks, Erik's getting a head start on his career too," Nadir responded trying to involve Erik in the conversation. "He wants to be a composer and musician. You should see and hear all the music he can write."
This time, Anna was actually impressed by Erik for the first time. She had no idea, he had a love for music. She of course knew he was in the theater, but she still couldn't tell if he was in there because he loved it, or because he thought it was an easy 'A'.
"Erik, you want to be a composer?" she asked politely, trying to get him to open up a little.
All he did was shrug and utter, "So."
"Please, excuse Erik," apologized Nadir, "he doesn't really take kindly to other people, but me, really."
"I see," observed Anna. "So what grade are you guys in. I'm a sophomore."
Nadir swallowed some of his sandwich and sipped a little of his iced tea, before answering. "Well, both me and Erik are actually juniors."
"So then, Erik, how come you're in the same English class as me?" Anna wondered, as at her old school, it was separate between all class levels.
Nadir was quick and eager to answer. "Well, over here at our high school, it doesn't matter what grade you're in, it's what class you take. Depending on what classes you take as a freshman is how you progress through the other classes. So if you start at one level of a class, you just move on to the next level throughout your high school classes or if you start at another level for a class, you just move on from that level you started at. Except for extracurricular items."
"Well, thanks for telling me that," a grateful Anna answered as she didn't know that. Not even the class counselor explained that to her.
"So, Anna, why did you move here?" Nadir hoped he wasn't sounding like he didn't want her to move here. He always tried his best to be a gentleman and not sound offensive.
Anna laughed a little as she saw that in Nadir. He was nice, unlike Erik. She drank a little of her chocolate milk before answering. "Well, you see my parents got a divorce when I was younger."
"Oh, sorry," Nadir replied out of courtesy.
"No, it's okay, but that's not why I moved here," she remarked, looking around. "Well, my mom had left my dad, because she really wanted to pursue her modeling career. She's in Japan right now, which is kind of ironic, because I'm actually thirty-five percent Japanese." Anna laughed again a little.
Nadir found that astonishing. "You're part Japanese? Wow! I would've never guessed."
"Thanks, well, I've been living with my dad since then, but he's in the army, so he got called off," she explained looking at Nadir again. "And so, since I really had no where else to go and he didn't want me traveling out of state to live to with my grandma down in North Carolina, he let me stay here in New York and right now, I'm living with my Aunt Saffron."
"Well, you seem like you've been through quite a few things," observed Nadir, who hadn't realized till now that he had set down his law enforcement book.
Anna shook her head. "No, it's not too terrible. There are worse things to encounter in this life time. Much more scary than having both your parents divorce."
"I'm glad you think that way," Nadir replied.
It was then, that Erik finally perked up a bit in his seat and look at the two. "Well, Anna, you should realize that, considering you haven't been through what I've been through."
"And what have you been through?" Anna almost wanted to sound like she had been offended, but she knew that arguing with Erik anymore wasn't going to help, so she calmed herself down and simply asked him politely.
For a second, Anna thought he was going to answer her question, but he sat back in his seat again and folded his arms, haughtily. "It's none of your business."
Even though, it did spark a concern with Anna, she decided it was better to leave it alone, despite the fact that she did really want to know. She thought it better for him to tell her, if he would ever be ready to tell her.
"Erik, must you always act so rudely to other people?" Nadir demanded, angry at his friend's attitude. "She's being as nice as possible and you can't even show some respect for this."
However, what happened next stunned both Nadir and Anna. Instead of responding to Nadir, he simply shot of his seat, his height alarming them all. With a fierce gaze of anger and rage, he spoke calmly, but threateningly.
"Nadir, I am sick of listening to you and all of this. I'll act the way I want to act. Excuse me!" And with that, he stalked off in the opposing direction away from the table, till he exited the cafeteria. His dark clothing and skeletal walk which made him look like the Grim Reaper.
Anna looked on with concern which almost surprised her even more. Despite the fact he was a pain to her, she felt sympathetic for him.
"What's wrong with him?" she asked Nadir, without glancing at him. "He's always so distant and defensive. Is he okay?"
She could hear a deep breath resound in Nadir. "No, Anna," he answered, stern and serious. "He's far from okay."
"Why?" her voice was low and steady as she continued to stare on even after Erik left. "Well, actually, I think I might know."
"You do?" a surprise recreated itself in Nadir.
The previous day's walk when she had been talking to Raoul replayed in her mind and she could remember what Raoul had told her.
"Raoul told me about something that happened, I think he said last year," Anna was trying to remember what he said. "He told me that he and Erik both fell in love with this one girl....."
"The girl?" Nadir seemed to know what she was speaking about. "Oh, you mean that girl."
Anna immediately turned around again to face Nadir. "You knew about this?"
"Yeah, I was in the middle of it all," he replied, like he regretted it to which Anna hoped she hadn't hurt him.
Another low breath muted itself as the boy in front of her tried to form the words in his mind. Even though, Erik stated it was no one's business, Nadir was well acknowledged with what always occupied Erik's mind. Even though, they had just only met Anna, Nadir felt he could trust someone like her. From their conversation today, he could definitely see she was no Carlotta Guidicelli. He felt confident enough to reveal to her why Erik was as he was.
"It's more than just the incident with the de Changny, however I will have to admit, that incident only worsened it all," the words slowly flowed from his lips. "Thank Allah, she's in Sweden. But it is more than just what happened. Erik never had a father; he died before Erik was born. He only had his mother, but his mother was only the beginning the of his troubles. She abused him frequently and forced him to sleep in the attic of their house, where it was dusty and certainly not healthy for him. He's had bruises and scars ever since he was young or so what he told me. Anna, I'm telling you this in secret. You have to promise not to tell this to anyone else."
Anna nodded and was almost ready to hold up her promise hand like when she used to be in girl scouts, but she simply promised, "I won't tell, Nadir, I swear I won't. But why would his mother abuse him?"
"Do you know why he wears a mask?" Nadir inquired collecting his books together as he could spot the hands on the clock were about to strike the bell.
The girl shook her head and also began collecting her books together.
"What's under his mask is the reason why his mother abused him, but I'm sorry, even that secret, I shouldn't speak of," he explained, knowing that that factor, he had no right to reveal, other than Erik himself. "He was saved from his house eventually. He was only nine, and his mother was put under rehabilitation for alcohol which was another reason, she abused him so much. But he's just been bouncing from foster home to foster home. He finally did get a foster family who do care about him and have decided to house him, but I heard there are still times when even he frightens them."
"I.....don't......even......know what..to say," was the response from Anna, who was shocked by what Nadir had just revealed to her. A revelation finally reached her why he was the cocky arrogant boy she had to work with. But now, her opinion of him was so different, she didn't even remember him as he was the day before. She pitied him, and felt compassion for him. Something, she didn't believe she could feel for him ever since meeting him.
She gripped her books a little and looked down. "I understand now."
Nadir's hand fell on hers gently. "Yeah, that was my reaction too, when he first told me. We met, actually, because his foster family that he lives with are my neighbors. I've been his only friend since."
"It's good that he has at least you for a friend," she commented slowly pulling her hand out from under Nadir's. "I promise I won't say anything. This secret is safe with me and I promise my lips are sealed."
"Thank you, Anna," he responded as the bell rang.
Both Anna and Nadir collected their books and headed their separate ways, heading to their next class. Anna couldn't help but feel troubled by what she had just learned and she felt a brand new attitude for Erik Monet.
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Don't worry, there will still be more updates, but I don't know how frequent they will be. I hope to update this again soon. Thank you again to my readers and reviewers.
