Chapter 2
"What is for breakfast?" My Grandmother asked as she sat down with us.
"I bet you I will win. Five minutes and they will start" David whispered to me.
"Shut up! David. Don't irritate me." I whispered back.
"Come on Liz. Its only one dollar"
I rolled my eyes at him and sighed.
"Omelets and cereal" my mother said placing the bowls for each.
"Omelets? Again?" My Grandmother whined.
I shook my head. Sometimes I don't understand who is younger. My Grandma or us.
"Oh Yeah! Our daughter-in-law cannot prepare anything else." She smirked at my mother.
Out of the corner of my eye I could see Jessica hitting her forehead. Everyone knew what was coming up.
"Well if you do want something else, why don't you take your battalion and go somewhere else?" My mother retorted "What do you say Jess?" She asked her as she served another omelet for her.
"I am not going anywhere. If I go somewhere, who will take care of these kids?"
My mothers winced at that comment.
"I only worry about them." She said hugging Sarah.
"Yeah yeah! Why should you worry about me? Who am I to you? Only if my son was here!" She sighed.
"It is only if he is here right?"
"Stop it! Stop it! Both of you." I shouted.
"Here" I threw a dollar at David. "You won! As usual, now happy?"
Then I looked at my Grandmother and mother with a look of disgust.
"And both of you…!"
Frustrated, I collected my bag and books and rushed out for my class.
My every morning started like this. Mother's and Grandma's fight, myself getting frustrated and leaving home and then going to meet my stupid friend Enid and listen to her stupid talks.
Enid. Enid Rollins. Our neighbor and unfortunately my best friend. Chubby, plump, innocent and a bit silly… that's Enid for you.
I entered the Coffee shop and spotted her standing next to the counter.
"Enid," I called as I went next to her.
"Hey Liz. Just a minute," she said as she turned to place her order.
"Make that two blubbery muffins, two glazed doughnuts and two hot steamy cappuccinos"
She turned and looked at me.
"And what will you have Liz?"
"One double espresso please"
"So Enid, what's up?" I asked as she enthusiastically waved a yellow envelope in front of my face.
"Guess what?" She said in a tone, which reminded me of my Grandmother's whine.
"Well I got the blind date application"
"What application?"
"Blind date application, Liz. It's a really cool service. It's really popular here. Wonder why you have not heard of it?" She said
"Enid, just get to the point!" I literally shouted, already quite frustrated.
"Oh! You just have to fill a form and tell them what kind of guy you want. Write something about yourself. They match the details and voila! You have a date ready who suits your expectations."
"Enid! Enid! I know what a blind date is, okay? I am not so dumb. Tell me what you wrote about yourself"
"I just wrote the truth Liz. I told them that I look like Britney Spears from far."
"And Britney's house from near," I interrupted.
God this girl can be so irritating sometimes.
"Oh god!" I screamed as a guy just pushed past me making me spill my coffee all over my dress.
"Gosh Enid just look at me. Just look at me."
"Wow Liz. Look at him, just look at HIM" she gushed.
"Who?"
"That guy. That guy Liz. God isn't he hot. He is so cute Liz."
"Enid, listen! Someone spilled coffee on me. Help me here. Look at me."
"Shut it Liz. I see you everyday. You don't really get to see such guys on a daily basis."
I grabbed her shoulders and shook her.
"Boys boys boys! Do you ever think about anything else? What will happen? You will meet that guy; you will fall in love, get married and have kids. Then, Then one day, he will leave all of you and go away. What will you do then? Tell me, what will you do?"
Got her! I thought as she thought a little about the answer. Then her face glowed suddenly as though her brain had just processed the information I had fed into it.
"I will remarry. What else will I do?"
"Arrrggghhh. What will I do with you? Forget it. Just forget it."
Jess and Enid both are equally boy crazy. But the only difference is Jess doesn't have to try much. Guys practically fall at her feet on a daily basis. But Enid, well…
"Liz, you know what, mum is right. Babes, you need help," she said patting my shoulder.
"I need help? I need help?" I laughed silently at the irony of the situation.
"I am really sorry. It is okay" Melissa was apologizing to my mother.
"No it's not okay. It is absolutely not okay. We get only a handful of customers every day and because of you if they also leave then we just have to go live on the streets."
I smiled to myself as I heard their argument. Melissa. Melissa Fox. Part time worker in our restaurant and unfortunately Jessica's best friend. Snobbish, full of pride, irritating are some of Melissa's top most qualities. If I had my way, she would have been kicked off from our restaurant long ago. How Jess and Melissa became friends will always remain a mystery. In fact, if I look back, Melissa was the one who ruined Jessica's entire senior year. That girl really gets to my nerves.
"So what did Miss Queen bee do today?" I asked mother once Melissa was out of earshot.
"The usual. She flirted with some customers, they rejected her and she threw them out."
"I thought she had a boyfriend," I said as I took the chips packet Jessica offered.
"Oh she has. But a girl needs some fun. Besides if Will was my boyfriend I will be looking for greener pastures too." Jess said
"If I remember correctly, a certain someone was head over heels over Will long time back." I teased Jess.
"Please that was so long ago."
"Four years to be exact"
"Who are you to ridicule me anyway? How long is it since you had a boyfriend? Twenty years?"
"My personal life is none of your business," I snapped.
Personally, I think a boyfriend is a waste of time. Half the guys go for your looks and they just can't wait to slide their tongue into your mouth or get an opportunity to see you naked. Once the "ding dong" stuff is done, they ditch you and escape. Maybe I am wrong, maybe I am right. But if someone asks me I will tell them that I am proud to be single. No guys in my life please.
"Same to you, darling"
I made a face at her. I couldn't think of any other comeback.
"I need to go to my MBA class. It's getting late. Bye guys" I said as I grabbed my books. I looked at Jess. "Don't you have your acting class today?"
"Nope. My semester is done and finished. No more classes till we start another production. Don't you wish you had opted to become an actor too?" She paused the said "Oops! Why should you? You are not normal. You like studying" she pointed out melodramatically.
"I slammed the door hard before going out. Oh god! I will give you all my money. Just one day, one-day make Jess shut her mouth. I silently prayed.
"Why do you always trouble her Jess? She is already worn out." I heard mother asking her through the closed door.
"Mom, do u think I don't love her? She needs to lighten up a bit. And what else am I here for?"
I stood under the shelter of the bus stand to protect myself from the rain, as I thought about the day's events.
"God! I hate this rain. I hate this rain."
"Liz!"
I looked back. Oops sorry that's my friend. I totally forgot to introduce him.
Todd. Todd Wilkins. The only son of Mr. And Mrs. Wilkins. Mr. Wilkins is one of the richest industrialists in California. Todd lives alone in Sweet Valley and in the last two years he has made no effort to improve his fathers business. He is a Casanova. Though he was not as cool as he thought he was, he never stopped trying. If Jessica gets guys on a daily basis, he is rejected by girls at the same rate. And that's Todd. He has been my friend since my childhood and now we study together in the MBA class.
"Late again" I scolded him.
"Sorry I got stuck in the lift and well then my neck just got…"he said rubbing his neck as though there was a sprain.
"Understood. Understood. Girls' name?"
"I don't know," he said sheepishly.
Always the same problem with Todd.
"Who beat you? Boyfriend or husband?"
"Husband"
"Husbands' name?"
"Keannu Reaves," he snapped. "How should I know the husbands' name?"
"I am feeling really bad, Todd."
"Don't worry. It is just a small sprain it will become all right." He said stretching his hands and rotating his neck.
"He should have hit you more."
"Gee thanks." He said sarcastically. "Well, how was your weekend?"
"Rocking! I toured London and Paris," I said wryly.
"Doesn't seem like that!" He stated simply "My weekend was great! Gina and I, same room, same bed, all weekend. You know what I mean?" He said with a goofy smile on his face.
"Gross! Oh please" I winced. But I knew he was lying. Just showing of his magnetic power towards women as usual.
We walked to the class and settled down in our usual seats.
"You know, thank goodness you are not like other Sweet Valley girls," he said as he waved to some brunette wearing a tube top and mini skirt. I smiled at him.
"Neither are you sexy nor beautiful and you always have time for me"
"Thanks Todd! If you weren't there I would have died. Jerk!" I snapped irritated.
He smiled one of his trademark smiles before turning his attention to the mini skirt girl. He turned back and nudged me and I knew what he was going to ask.
"Dana Larson. New entry. Today is her first day. Divorcee. And for Gods sake leave her alone"
"Hi" he whispered to her as she passed by.
"Hi" she replied.
"Please…sit down"
"Where?" She asked.
Obviously on a chair. What a stupid question. But Todd had a different answer.
"Well there is a lot of place in my heart but for now you can sit here," he said indicating to the place behind him.
"Okay" she purred as she traced a line on his cheeks with her finger.
"Wow she is so hot!" He told me.
"Sick" was all I could say. I rolled my eyes and indicated to him that I was not interested.
But will Todd give up? Never. Immediately he took my pen and scribbled a note and passed it behind. He flashed me a thumbs up sign as he felt a hand taking the note.
And immediately he got the reply to. He cleared his throat and read it out to me.
'Yes I would love to have dinner with you.'
He turned back to say something and got a shock of his life. Behind an old lady in her mid forties was sitting. Dana was sitting one seat behind her. Todd had asked a woman as old as his mother on a date. Now it was my turn to show him the thumbs up sign.
I teased him a little and then Todd took out his diary and started to write.
God knows what Todd writes in his black diary. I have never asked him either. He was crazy. When we met for the first time, I really hated him. But today he is my best friend. Basically he is a nice guy. And do you know why? Because he didn't cancel his date that night. Todd Wilkins- After meeting whom, I forget all my problems…
(Like it? What do you think about the story so far. Please let me know! Lotsa love Amber)