Adaline
One hundred percent sure. That’s what I was.
One hundred percent sure that Ayato told them about what I said.
‘It’s not my fault that your abs are deliciously lickable.’
Forty six letters. Ten words. A fucked up sentence made by my traitor mouth.
I want to kill myself.
Well, anyway…
I gotta pull my big girl pants up and go there.
I raised my foot and leaned it forward, only to stop it in midway. I retracted it back.
Uh… or maybe not.
But…
If you are a coward in life, you might lose everything.
I made a shyly and quiet step forward.
Oh, but for fuck’s sake. I just lost everything —a. k. a my dignity— when I said that sentence to Ayato.
Forty six letters. Ten words. A fucked up senten-
Anyway, I’m getting off the subject right now. I need to go there. I’m not a coward! I’m Adaline! The strongest girl in the world! The smartest girl in the world! The… the…
Help me , people!
Oh great, now I’m speaking in my head with imaginary people. Great. Just fucking great.
“Addy? Are you going to sit there all day and look at your shoes or…?” Jemima trailed off, making me snap my head up. Apparently, as I was speaking with the people in my head, I was looking at my scandalously fabulous shoes.
“Huh?” I furrowed my eyebrows, then , after I processed her question, I shook my head , and made my way shyly to her.
I avoided Ayato’s intense gaze on me all my way there.
Something on the couch caught my eyes , and , before I could look to see who it is, I was engulfed in a hug.
“Yay! I’m so happy to see you again, Adaline!” A voice chirped happily. I smiled and hugged her back.
“Laila?! What are you doing here?!” I exclaimed , surprised. She got out from the hug, and raised her eyebrow in a teasing manner.
“What, aren’t you happy to see me?” I widened my eyes at her question.
“No! No, is not that! It’s just that I’m surprised to see you here, that’s all! Like-” I tried to excuse me by rambling, but she cut me off with her laugh.
“Don’t worry, Adaline! I understand! We don’t know each other that well, but I do know that we will make good friends,” She smiled at me. “Well to answer your question we are here for Ayato’s birthday.”
I nodded my head, but then stopped abruptly. “Wait… we?!”
This time was Laila’s turn to nod her head. “Yes, me, Noah, Tyron, Zach, Finnegan-” Laila paused, giving me enough time to send Jemima a smirk. From the blush on her face, I already know that Finnegan was her crush.
“Oh!” Laila exclaimed, making my head snap in her direction. “There is also Julie, and-”
“Why , me , of course!” A full of pride, snobby voice echoed from the end of the room.
My breath hitched.
Fuck me.
***
I was sitting on a couch. In the middle. Between Noah with a bubbly Laila on his lap, and guess who was on the other side of me.
Why, her, of course!, I mocked her high-pitched voice in my head.
On the opposite couch was sitting Jemima beside Finnegan. They were in for a heated conversation about why Zombie Apocalypse will exist in the future. Relationship goals, I sarcastically said in my head, huffing.
Tyron was sitting beside Finnegan. Tyler was sitting on the floor along with Zach, their eyes never wavering away from me.
Way to make me feel self-conscious.
Ayato was sitting on the armrest of the couch I was sitting on, beside Paula, who looked delighted.
I was annoyed. Pissed off. Angry. I wanted to break something.
Maybe that vase across the room.
Ah. But that may be expensive from the looks of it.
It was a white ceramic vase with royal gold and red swirls. It was indeed beautiful. I wonder what’s in there?
Air, Adaline, air, My conscience retorted in a way that I wanted to slap it.
Apparently, my conscience can be slapped by me.
Your argument is invalid.
“Oh em gee!” A voice squealed and squeaked in my ear, making me flinch towards Noah and Laila.
I glowered at the pretty face of my enemy, wanting nothing more but to make her face much more prettier.
Luckily, I saw the next squeal coming, and I was quick by covering my ears with my hands.
“Jemmi and Finny would make such a cute couple,” I still heard her even with my fingers stuck inside my ears.
I looked at Jemima and Finnegan, and surely, their cheeks were blazing a fiery red colour.
I took the fingers from my ears, and resisted the urge to “awe” at the scene in front of me.
Jemima was looking down , a faint smile on lips and a very beautiful shade of red coating her cheeks. Finnegan was looking at her with curiosity and shock, his cheeks a strawberry colour. I was shocked. From the blush on his cheeks, it was obvious that he liked her back , despise with how many boys she’sp slept with.
But what did Finnegan next shocked me the most.
He raised up from his seat, and turned to Jemima, his face contorted in disgust.
“I do not like this slut right here. She only knows how to hook up with guys, not how a stable relationship works! She’s just a slut! A walking STD!” By the end of his sentence, we were looking from him to Jemima, open mouthed, eyes widened. We were waiting for Jemima’s reaction right now.
Jemima raised up, and looked at Finnegan, a single tear on her pink stained cheeks.
“You’re really a-a-“She couldn’t finish her sentence, so she went upstairs, not before bumping her shoulder lightly with Finnegan.
Finnegan’s eyes were fixed on where was Jemima a few seconds ago. He plopped down on the couch, and buried his face in his hands.
“What did I do?” He whispered to himself, probably forgetting that we were there with him too.
I was fuming with anger. This time, I really considered taking that damned vase and break it in the middle of his head.
I tightened my fists. My breathing came slow and heavy through my nose, a sign that you shouldn’t fuck with me. But he fucked with my sister, so he fucked with me.
“How dare you say that to her?!” I emphasized every word I said in a cynical tone.
He snapped his head up from his hands, his eyes fixed on mine.
He gulped as he saw my narrowed eyes.
“I-I… I-I-” He tried to form out a coherent sentence so he could defend himself in some way, but failed miserably.
“This is not the music class for you to make a song, this is real life so I would like it if you would speak normally.”
He sighed. “I’m s-sorry for w-what I did t-to her.”
I watched him closely, a blank look on my face as I examined his every feature.
No, he wasn’t hot or sexy, but he was cute, I gave him that.
“Excuses are not for me. They are for her. Go after her, and tell her how you feel in a more nicer way.”
His eyes widened, and shook his head rapidly. “No! If I go after her and tell her how I feel, then I would-” He shut his mouth when he realized what he was about to say.
“Then you would,” I looked at him expectantly.
He sighed, and drew a hand through his hair.
“I- I… umm… I-”
“He likes her,” Ayato said blankly, and when I looked at him, I blushed immediately.
His face was not shaved, the little dark hair popping out from his skin making him more attractive.
His soft hair was spiked up, a few rebellious strands falling on his forehead.
His eyebrows were perfectly shaped, like he was born with them like that.
His eyelashes were dark and long. I could see them even from here.
His eyes were on Finnegan, fixed and blank, a single thing twirling in them. Disappointment.
I looked at Finnegan, understanding now what he is afraid of.
“Rejection,” I voiced out quietly. He snapped his eyes to me and blinked. “You are afraid of her rejecting you.”
I smirked, when I saw that he dropped his eyes to the ground — metaphorically speaking — , a sad look on his face.
“She doesn’t like me back,” He whispered, pain in his voice. ” She likes to play guys, but I don’t want to be played. I want a relationship with her. I want to make her happy. I want to get to call her mine. I want to hear her laugh everyday. I want her to care for me as much as I care for her. I want her to love me back.”
I blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice.
I held in a squeal of happiness, and raised up from the couch.
I took a grip on his wrist, and dragged him upstairs. He was scared at first, when he saw the grip I had on his wrist, but then calmed down when he saw that I was very happy.
I stopped in front of a door. Jemima’s door.
I listened a little bit, and I heard some faint sobs in the room.
I opened the door, turned around to Finnegan and pushed him inside.
I smiled at Jemima. “He has to say something to you.”
I closed the door and locked it after them. I brushed my hands, and turned around, stopping dead in my tracks when I saw Zach.
My heartbeat quickened.
He smiled and came towards me. I gulped. Does he still like me anymore?
“Hey,” he breathed out when he was in front of me. He gave me a dazzling smile that could get girls falling at his feet.
“Hey,” I gave him a shy smile back.
“Do you have a minute?”
I nodded my head. “Yeah, why?”
“I want to ask you something important,” He was avoiding my eyes, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. He looked nervous.
“Go on,” I smiled brightly at him, trying to ease up his nervousness.
“I… ugh… Fuck. This is more harder than I thought it will be,” He swore, making a frown form between my eyebrows. A tickling kind of feeling in my stomach, making my heart skip a beat.
A few good seconds passed until he spoke again.
“Look, I li-”
“Addy!” A voice squealed from down the hall. I leaned myself to the side to see the owner’s voice.
My eyes bulged out of my sockets.
“Sam?!” I squealed back, and went to her to give her a bone-crushing hug.
“What are you doing here?”
“Jemima called me saying to come here straight. Ayato let me came here, so I did. I came. Also, I heard that you don’t have gifts for him, so I bought some,” She said in one breath.
I hugged her tighter, almost stopping the air going down her lungs. “Oh my, I love you so much!”
She laughed. “Addy-I love- you too… Now- Let… go!”
“Oops,” I let her go, and laughed. She gasped for air.
I heard someone clear his throat. I totally forgot about Zach.
I turned around fast.
He looked at me. I looked at him. No words spoken.
“Did I interrupt something?” Samantha asked, a smirk in her voice. I shook my head no.
“No, Sam. We were just about to talk.”
“Well, I better go and let you talk. See you soon Addy, Zach,” She left, making a question bubble in my head. How does she know his name?
“Look, Lili… Can I call you Lili?” He asked me, and I nodded my head, smiling at the cute nickname. “I-I like you. I’ve liked you for a few weeks from now, and I was wondering if you wanted to go to a date with me?”
I stood there, frozen in my spot. I blinked a few times, shocked.
“Umm- I don’t know what to say…”
“You don’t have to say something! I can wait for you to make up your mind! Don’t worry! I’ll wait. You’re worth the wait,” He spoke fast, making me smile at the last part. He was so sweet. I went to his side, and stood up on my tiptoes. I kissed his cheek, and whispered in his ear.
“I’ll think about it,” I smiled, and went downstairs, a goofy smile on my face.