"I don't know but, I think I may be falling for you, dropping so quickly. Maybe I should keep this to myself wait until I know better."
-Colbie Caillat, Fallin' For You
Disclaimer: I don't own House of Anubis
Dedication: FabinAnubiSwiftie4eva for being so totally awesome
He moves in. Perfect.
For the first few weeks, I try to steer clear of Fabian Rutter. But it's hard to do because he's my lab partner. After Fabian's speak-and-run at the dock, our conversations have been limited to "put chemical four in beaker B" and "pass the milk please." Sometimes even "use a cup! Don't drink from the carton!"
I found a friend to move to the house. Patricia Williamson actually. We became close and I'm even close to Amber Millington.
But keep this in mind. Fabian Rutter is still turning my head in circles. And my stomach still drops when he walks in a room. There's something about him…
I just haven't figured out what it is yet.
"Okay, let me ask you something." Fabian said to me as he gripped a test tube in Chemistry.
"Yes, that goes in beaker C."
"No," he says, "This has nothing to do with Chemistry?"
Oh fuck.
"Then what is it?"
"Why do you hate me?"
Wow. I had expected, why are you such a clumsy dipshit or why the hell do you take such long showers? But that was not what I was expecting.
"I mean…" he continues, "We've been lab partners since class started three weeks ago and living in the same place for about as long. And you just completely avoid me."
"I…" I begin, not really having an answer besides Well, I like you a lot and you think I'm clumsy.
"Was it about what happened at the dock that day?"
YES! Thank you Fabian for giving me the perfect excuse!
"I just thought you were angry at me…" I mutter, glad that my acting skills weren't failing me now.
"It's nothing personal toward you Nina." Fabian said, "It's just a touchy subject for me… My parents had a messy divorce-"
"You don't have to explain yourself to me." I say quickly, "Especially if it's a topic you'd rather not discuss."
Class goes by, Fabian and I getting to know each other with Patricia talking to us a bit from behind me. Class ends, but Mr. Winkler calls me over.
"Nina?" Mr. Winkler said to me as the doors close. "Have you ever read the book The First Experience?"
"No sir." I say, wondering why he would care. "I've heard of it though."
"I know," he tells me, walking to his desk and picking up a rather big book, "That this is Chemistry, not English and therefore I am not supposed to make you read. But, if you read this book and write me a paper on what it taught you, I will give you quite a lot of extra credit."
"Why are you not offering this to someone else? Why me?"
"Not to sound stalker-ish… I've kept a rather close eye on you Nina. Since I noticed something on the first day of school. You reminded me a lot of someone I know. Today something happened and you're ready."
"Ready for what?" I liked Mr. Winkler, really he was a great Professor! But he was kind of making me wary of him…
"You'll find out if you read."
"Can I ask you what this is about?"
"It's about you not seeing something Nina." Jason tells me, "Not everything you learn comes from a textbook you know. You may learn some things in mysterious ways, not even realizing you're learning them."
"What is the book about?"
"It's a love story." Jason says, "But, you'll learn about it when you read. You want to borrow my copy?"
"No, I'll get it from the library." I sighed. "I'll see you tomorrow Professor."
I wondered around for hours after I got that book from the library. I read the summary and it's about this girl Ali who meets a guy named Luke and it's love at first sight. But there are complications.
What was Mr. Winkler trying to say?
It was dark when I got back to the house. I went to bed and tossed and turned. It was nearly two in the morning. I sigh and get out of bed, slipping into my bathing suit and grabbing a towel. I dive into the backyard pool. I needed to clear my head.
Sometimes I just need to get away. Escape reality to roam the wide open plains of the world in my head. My world.
But tonight, something has inhabited my world. There's someone there besides me… This is all in my head and it seems crazy but… I know there's someone with me. The world I escape to, to be alone has someone… I sound crazy even to myself…
I take a gulp of air and try to see how long I can hold my breath. I count to fourteen when there's a splash. I rocket out from under the water and see Fabian there, flipping his hair.
He has to cover his mouth to keep from screaming.
"What are you doing here?" he whisper/shouted.
"I could say the same for you!" Nina argued in the same voice.
Fabian sighed and looked back at Nina. "Couldn't sleep either?"
"Nope," Nina muttered popping the 'p'. "Mr. Winkler had to say something to me and… I don't know it was weird."
"What was it?"
"He wanted me to read some book." Nina sighed, "And I love reading but it's just your regular cliché love story. I don't get the point."
"I hope you figure it out."
"Fabian," I say, "I don't know about you, this pool may be heated and all, but I'm gonna die of pneumonia."
"Same."
"That's a weird place to have a conversation." Patricia said as she, Amber, Mara, and I lifted hand weights at a nearby gym.
"I guess, but he and I really haven't talked much since that whole thing at the dock." I sighed, putting the weights down and walking with the rest of them to four open elliptical machines. "And any kind of contact is good, you know?"
"Even in a pool." Amber said, "In the middle of the night."
"Yes."
"Do you still like him?" Mara asked.
"How can I when he doesn't speak to me?"
"I'll take that as a yes." Amber said, "You do Nina!"
"I do not!"
"Nina," Amber said, "Even when he wasn't speaking to you, you still talked about him."
"Rather often too." Mara said.
"Look guys," I sighed as I breathed in and out heavily, "It would be weird if we started dating him! We live together, it's just wrong."
"No, it would be awesome! You'd always have your boyfriend around!" Amber argued and she wiped the sweat from her forehead, "You would always know where he's going."
"But, that like skipping a million steps in a relationship." Patricia added, "Like if I started dating Eddie, I'd feel the same way Nina does."
I stop moving on the elliptical and stare at Patricia with a smile, "When did Eddie become a topic or interest?"
"Never." Patricia mumbled.
"You like him!" Mara, Amber, and I shout at her.
"Keep your voices down!"
"If you like him, then why do you always mock him?" Amber asks.
Patricia sighed, getting off the machine and walking over to the water fountain. She takes a sip and leans against the wall with us around her, "I want to tell him I like him. I want to say, Eddie I like you, you're cute and stuff but… by the time it gets to my mouth it's come out like, get out of my face Eddie you freak!"
"Well you have to control your emotions." Amber explained. "Nina and you both."
"Whoa, I thought we were talking about Patricia!" I argue, not to thrilled that the conversation was thrown back in my direction.
"We are." Amber said, "But you too! You both need a stable relationship. And I know just how to fix it."
"How?"
"Patricia, you're going to be nicer to Eddie." Amber says, "Don't open up completely and tell him you like him, you'll just sound desperate. Nina, you're going to start talking to Fabian more. Leave hints to let these idiot boys know you-"
"What are we talking about?"
We all look toward the five boys approaching us. There's Mick (Amber's boyfriend), Jerome and Alfie, and of course Fabian and Eddie.
"Nothing beau!" Amber smiles, "Girl stuff."
"Oh crap they're talking about freaking tampons." Eddie comments.
"Listen up, Kruger!" Patricia begins but stops herself and quiets her voice, "That wasn't what we were talking about."
"So," Fabian breaks the silence, "We were all gonna do something tonight. You know, dinner maybe go dancing. Because Jerome here wanted to ask someone something."
"Right," Jerome said, "Mara, would you like to go dinner and dancing tonight? With everyone…"
"I'd like that Jerome." Mara smiles.
Wow. Mara does nothing and gets Jerome's attention.
"We figured that Amber and I could go too," Mick said, "And Fabian, Nina, Patricia, and Eddie can tag along. It'll be a whole lot of fun."
"I'm cool with that." Patricia said with a shrug.
"Nina?" Eddie asked, looking at me with pleading eyes.
"You better not expect me to dance." I finally say with a sigh, "I'll just step on your toes!"
"Amaze-balls!" Alfie yells.
"Nina, Patricia, we need to find you guys something amazing."
"Amber, it's just dinner and dancing! I was just thinking of wearing jeans." I said, "I don't need you to dress me!"
"At least let me fix those curls."
"Fine."
In the end, Nina was wearing a jean skirt, a white tank top, and a cardigan. Also a pair of white flip flops that Amber simply hated. Patricia wore a black pencil skirt, a black shirt, and a tuxedo jacket with red trimming. She also wore her "baddest" shoes. Mara wore a jean skirt and a purple shirt while Amber opted for a bright pink sundress.
"So, Patricia, will you dance with Eddie?" Amber asked.
"Yes," Patricia mumbled.
"Nina?"
"No way am I dancing with Eddie." Nina laughed.
"You know what I mean!"
"YES I WILL!"
"Good girl."
Yes, that is the end of the chapter :( Sorry! But, I'm looking forward to writing the next one so expect it soon!