The next morning I woke up glad that Christina was still sleeping. That's all there was at Amity. Happy, giggly, bouncy, cheerful, "I love the whole world", and "World Peace", kind of girls. However, I had a feeling Christina was going to end up growing on me. After all, she was going to be my room-mate for the year.
I changed and got ready to do a quick morning run. I met a bunch of Christina's friends yesterday. Tris told me that she and her boyfriend usually go running together in the morning and that I could join her. I declined, though. As cool as Tris and Christina's other friends were, I just needed some alone time after all the 'girl's day' yesterday.
I didn't want to wait for the elevator, so I decided to take the stairs. Right before I put my ear buds in to listen to my iPod, I heard some crying.
"Eric," some girl whined. "Julie told me you slept with her too!"
I stopped and inched my feet back, so they wouldn't notice I came in. He didn't answer her, so she continued.
"She's my room-mate."
They were on the stairs right below me.
"I slept with Julie once," he spat out. "Besides, Tara, we both know we weren't dating. You know I don't date."
"It's just that when we were together..." Immediately he cut her off by laughing.
"Together? HA! The only time we were together was when we were in your bed and that was months ago, Tara." Wow, he really was mean.
"Maybe we can give it another try now?"
"You want me to give you another try? Let me check my calendar of events. Nope there's nothing open, especially not for you. Perhaps you should run back to Drew." I thought now would be the perfect time to interrupt, so I opened the door and slammed it this time to let them know someone had come in.
I walked down the stairs to see them and he looked up at me with panic on his face, like a boy who had just been caught eating cookies before dinner. The girl, Tara I assume, welcomed the interruption because it was like she got all the strength and courage back into her. She reached back her hand and slapped Eric across the face.
"Screw you Eric," she yelled. "I hope you go to hell!" With that she stormed off. Eric stood there in complete shock as we both heard the door to the second level of girl's dorms slam close.
He turned to look at me like he was expecting me to yell at him also.
"Rough morning," I asked. He lifted one of his eye-brows as if he was confused at my statement.
"Hope the rest of your day goes according to plan," I said as I took the last steps down. Just as I was about to round the corner, he grabbed my arm and pulled me against him.
"How much did you hear?"
"Nothing really, however I did just get here in time to see you get slapped," I said as if that was the most obvious thing in the world. His expression was still serious as his eyes studied me. I just stared back, hoping he wouldn't see past my lie. A couple of moments passed and he must have believed me, cause then he released his hold on me. I adjusted myself and continued to walk down the stairs. Apparently, girls gave in to his seductive smile a lot, I thought as I reached the first floor and started to run across the campus. Well, so far I only heard about two girls. And how in the hell is Drew involved? I swear I thought they were all friends.
I placed my ear buds in and was glad to have the songs on my iPod drown out my thoughts.
As I stared outside of the campus walls, my mind began to wander back to last year. I guess deep down inside I really didn't want to leave Amity Prep.
Now I'm here, under Aidan's watch. Aidan! Was I that much of an embarrassment that he wouldn't talk about me to his friends? His friends! My mind went back to Eric. I didn't want to believe too fast what I heard about him, but considering this morning's events, I was 100% sure of it.
I realized it was past 8:30. The past half hour I had just been staring at the trees beyond the school campus. Before that I was just walking around aimlessly. I looked at my iPod and the battery was almost dead. I had been out here for almost two and half hours. What the hell was wrong with me? Did I really have that much to think about?
I walked to the cafeteria and noticed Aidan was there with all his pals eating breakfast, might as well join him. Half the table noticed me walking there and then it dawned on me that I just had running shorts and a sports bra on. Not to mention I was probably sweaty. I rolled my eyes as I sat down between Aidan and Four.
"Good Morning, Sis," Aidan didn't even look my way. Someone must have told him that I was coming their way.
I rested my face on my right hand and slouched. As much as I didn't want him to watch over me, I wanted to get his attention! After all, I was hungry and his plate looked really good. I didn't want to buy anything, cause of the shopping spree I had with the girls yesterday. But how was I going to get him to give me food? I had to do what I do best.
"Morning," I mumbled so sadly. His head slowly moved to look at me. Bingo! Now cue the sad eyes. I let them drop just a little and let out a soft sigh.
"What's wrong?"
I shrugged and let my hand drop. "Just tired," I replied trying to sound defeated. "I was running all morning." I turned back to look at him and rested my forehead right by his shoulder. Come on Alex, I thought to myself. Just make your eyes a little bit wider.
"You were running all morning? Did you eat anything yet?" Alright we're getting warmer. I took my head off his shoulder and slowly shook it. "Here," he said handing me a plate with a hot cinnamon roll with icing melting all over it. It was huge! I grabbed a fork, slowly took the first bite, so as not to give myself away. Once I swallowed, I couldn't help it any longer. I turned to Aidan and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you," I said ever so cheerfully. Half the table started laughing.
"Did you just scam me out of my cinnamon roll?"
"Probably," I smiled and shrugged. He went to pull it back, but I moved the plate quickly. "Honestly, Aidan, I was running all morning. Well walking for half of it. And I did not eat breakfast. So…"
"Well, by all means then, continue to steal food from me." He was being sarcastic, but I took it as another opportunity to take advantage of him. I reached my fork over and took a strip of bacon on his plate and immediately stuffed it in my mouth.
"Thank you so much, my wonderful brother," I said with my mouth full which only got me pinched on the cheeks by him.
"So," started Uriah. "How did things go with Marlene and the rest of the girls yesterday?" Almost as soon as he slipped out her name, Zeke and Four threw bits of food at him. "I'm just asking," mumbled Uriah. I turned to look at Aidan who just shook his head.
"It was actually really fun. I mean Marlene and Christina gossiped most of the time, which I'm starting to realize must happen a lot. I met Marlene's room-mate, Tris. Besides cheer she said she plays basketball. She has this whole like Avril Lavigne thing going on. She's super cool, but it seems like if you messed with her, she would really do some damage."
Some of the guys chuckled at my description of her.
"Oh then there's Shauna. She's really nice and apparently really smart. Shockingly, though she isn't blind. So I guess she does actually see something worthwhile in Zeke, there." I threw a wink his way to let him know I was just playing.
"Hey, I'm right here," defended Zeke who threw some of his scrambled eggs at me.
"Yea, we can see that. The question is if Shauna can," teased Uriah. They started a little pushing and shoving, until finally Eric and Edward sat between them.
Once everyone calmed down from laughing, I continued.
"There's also Lauren. Who acts like a total bitch," I said the last word slowly, knowing Aidan wouldn't approve of me swearing. Then I perked up. "But I love her. She just tells you what's what and doesn't really care. She was teasing Christina and Marlene the whole time. She seems so much fun too. Molly was there with us yesterday. Apparently she's softball captain this year, so she said she would keep her eye on me during PE and see what happens in the spring. There's Lynn, who looks like she would kick anybody's butt any day that she wanted to."
"I think she has," added Al softly.
"Dude, I let her win," added Peter angrily.
"Glad you liked all of them," stated Aidan. I gave him a questionable look. "Tris is Four's girlfriend." I turned to look at Four sitting next to me. He smirked at me and then winked. Now that I think about it, they do look cute together. "And Lauren is going out with Peter."
"She can be a bitch," suggested Peter. "But that's why I love her." The guys immediately started throwing whip sounds in the air. "I mean like her. I like her. Shut up guys!"
"You've been together since sophomore year," said Al. "You were bound to say you love her sooner or later."
"That is adorable," I said. Peter then threw me a wink too. What was up with all the damn winking?
"And we honestly don't know if Drew or Uriah are going to get the nerves to ask out Molly or Marlene," finished Aidan.
"In my defense," said Drew. "Molly is somewhat intimidating."
"And being around Marlene is just as nerve-wracking," cried out Uriah. Now I know why Zeke and Four threw food at him earlier.
"So I just made friends with the girl-friends of your friends?" Aidan smiled and nodded. "Great, I am going to be stuck with you all year now."
"Just make new friends," suggested Eric. I totally forgot he was there.
"Perhaps," I looked down and then remembered what happened this morning. "Maybe you can show me how to do that, since apparently you know how to get people to trust you and then use it to your advantage."
Immediately everyone's heads snapped up to look between Eric and me. I didn't mean for it to come out cold. But I guess remembered how that girl in the stairway looked, gave me the extra boost.
Eric leaned close as he could get. "If you're talking about earlier, it's not what you think it is."
"Well, it certainly wasn't whatshe thought it was either. Isn't that really all that matters? Who cares what they think, right? On to the next I guess," I said turning my head back down to eat the last bite of cinnamon roll.
It must have gotten to him, cause the next thing I knew, he grabbed his tray, threw away his trash and stormed out of the cafeteria.
Before Aidan could reprimand me, Four turned to look my way.
"You may have heard things about him from Christina, but not all of them are true." With that Four got up and left.
I turned to Aidan. "I didn't mean to say it the way it came out."
"It's fine. But what Four said is true, Alex." There was seriousness that played on Aidan's face.
"He's actually not that bad a guy," explained Will. "He acts like it. But Edward and I grew up with him. There are just some things…" Will paused as if he couldn't formulate what to say.
"Some things that's best left in the past," finished Edward. Edward got up and so did Peter.
"I made enemies, didn't I," I mumbled thinking no one would hear it.
"Really, Alex, its fine," said Uriah across the table. "Everyone is going to forget about it, you'll see."
I looked away, thinking they didn't see what I saw this morning. Eric was being cruel to that girl. Immediately I got up too. "I'm going to go back to my room, look for Christina. I'll see you guys around."
They were just being guys, guys sticking up for their friend, who played two girls and broke their hearts. They all defended his actions. Even Aidan felt I did something wrong by talking back to Eric. But seriously, they didn't see what I saw and they didn't hear what I heard. Then I remember what Eric said at the table. It's not what you think it is.
Then what the hell was it?