Chapter 1
My mouth was dripping with strawberry ice-cream. Evelyn offers me a used tissue paper, and I give her a friendly shove. Elena laughs at us, and we both join her. Summer is about to end and we’re enjoying every bit of it. 10th starts in a week’s time and- my thoughts are interrupted by the ice-cream seller who is now asking for the money for the ice-creams. I look around and see Elena and Evelyn running, I pay for the ice-cream, and chase them. I reach them very easily since they’re not that fast, though they won’t admit it. We chatted and walked towards our house. On the way we saw Neil, and man did he have a glow up. But for some reason I don’t know, I felt weird, my stomach was feeling giddy and my face felt hot when he complimented me. That has never happened before, he has always commented on me but I never felt like this before. I stopped thinking about that and distracted myself from thinking about my absurd behaviour during our little chat with Neil.
We’re about to reach home, “Why are you so quiet?” Elena asks softly. I remind myself that I’m not alone.
“I’m just listening to two stupid people talking nonsense” I say chuckling.
“I’m highly offended, sister!” Evelyn says dramatically,
“Me too!” adds Elena. We all laugh at ourselves and reach home.
“Where have you three been! Mom asks, shouting.
“Sorry mom” we all say together and then chuckle at the coincidence.
“Well?” Mom says again.
“We went for a walk, that’s all” I said, while trying to keep a straight face since we also ate ice-cream even though we weren’t allowed to until three more days, max!
“Why do I feel that you’re lying Eli?” Mom asks spotting my lie.
“Ok fine, we also had ice-cream” Evelyn confesses.
Mom huffs out a sigh “You guys are hopeless”.
“But you still love us” Elena says grinning ear to ear.
I’m packing my bag for school, and I can’t seem to find my pencil pouch. I see Elena from my peripheral vision, she slowly walks into my room with her hands behind her back.
“What are you up to?” I ask knowing that there is something she’s not telling me.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” She says, sighing.
“Then why are your hands behind your back?”
“I really am sorry” Elena says very quickly, throwing whatever she was holding onto my bed, and runs out of the room. My pouch is lying on my bed after being harshly thrown by Elena. There is something scribbled on my pouch, I picked it up and tried to read what’s written, it’s very hard to read because the handwriting is horrible! I’m in shock after I realized what’s written, my mouth hanging, since it is my favourite pouch, as I reread what’s written. Eliana ♡ Neil. What? How? Who? Well I actually know who.
“ELENA!” I shout, calling her,
“IT WAS NOT ME!” Elena shouts back.
“THEN WHO ELSE WOULD IT BE?”
“IT WAS MY FRIEND, SHE SHIPS YOU BOTH A LOT”
“THEN-…” I sputter not knowing what to say. She comes into my room timidly.
“See I’m honestly sorry, I know it’s your favourite pouch. But my friend wanted to prank you and I gave her your pouch without thinking, sorry.”
“It’s ok, just be mindful next time. Though why does your friend ship us, I mean you know we’re just friends” I ask needing to know.
“Well, you both look really cute together, and he used to like you…” she tells me, making my palms sweaty.
“Just go, please” I tell her softly, she turns on her heels and walks out of the room.
School’s starting tomorrow and Evelyn and Elena still haven’t packed, sometimes I think they’re more hopeless than me.
“IT’S FOR YOU ELIANA” shouts Evelyn from downstairs, while walking down the stairs I wonder what it is. Neil’s here! I don’t why but my heart started-“Um, can I talk to you?” Neil interrupts my thoughts “Why of course” I say in a British accent teasing him.
“I just got to know something and I just wanted to clarify” he says slowly as if he’s not sure he wants to do it.
“Yea, what is it?”
“Well… your younger sister, Elena, accidentally told me about your favourite pencil pouch and what happened to it, and I just wanted to say that I don’t like you- wait that’s not what I meant. I mean I don’t like you as someone more than a friend, if you know what I mean.”
“Chill Neil” I tell him trying to control my laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“That you think, I think, you like me.”
“Now that’s funnier,” he says, chuckling.
“Anything else?” I ask to make sure.
“No that’s all” he turns and walks down the street. I have no idea how long I was standing there thinking, and maybe wishing he had lied. But Evelyn came behind me and I looked behind just in time to see her face contoured with concern, but just as she realised that I saw her caring for me she quickly flicked away the emotion.
“Are you okay?” I hear her say softly, I turn towards the stairs.
“Nothing’s happened, why?”
“It’s just that you were standing there for so long I thought you and Neil fought or something”
“Huh? No, no we didn’t. I was just sleepy so yeah…”
“Okay, well go get some rest then.”
“K bye”.
“Bye Eli”.
I don’t understand why my palms go sweaty at the mention of his name. Or why does my heart start beating fast when he’s around, that I now notice everything he does. That my cheeks turn pink when he compliments me? I’m also afraid that I might think of him as someone more special than someone who is just a friend. I flop onto my bed, my brown waves everywhere, and I don’t realise when I drift off to sleep.
My alarm won’t stop ringing! And it’s boiling my blood. “Ouch, damn it!” I hear myself yell, the clock fell on my toes and man it hurts like hell.
“Sweetie come down for breakfast” mom tells me as I hear footsteps coming up the stairs, I assume it’s mom who’s coming up to my room. Apparently it’s my dad.
“How long until you get ready?” Dad’s deep voice asks me.
“Um I don’t know, I just woke up right now.”
“Okay honey, be quick alright?”
“Yes dad, now go I need to change” I say kind of annoyed.
“Aren’t you going to take a shower?”
“Is there any time left to take a shower? No, right. So I won’t” I tell him huffing.
I quickly change into my blue denims and sunshine yellow shirt, my hair tied into a high pony with my waves swinging every time I move my head. I go down to the kitchen and plop a few grapes in my mouth, ugh they’re too sour! Elena is wearing denim shorts with a white shirt and her straight brown hair falling over her shoulder, and Evelyn is wearing a white maxi skirt, pastel pink t-shirt and a loose bun.
“Someone is looking good today,” Evelyn says enthusiastically.
“And maybe even for someone” Elena adds teasingly.
“Oh really, who is it?” Dad asks.
“No one!” My cheeks feel hot because of the lie, I mean I partially wore yellow cause Neil thinks I look good in it but not entirely for him.
“OK let’s not overdo it k?” Mom tells everyone coming to my save, thank god! The door bell rings.
“Honey, can you get that, since you’re already standing?” Dad asks hopefully.
“Yep no problem” I called out, already walking towards the door.
“Hey pretty, I was hoping you’d be the one who opens the door” the guy standing at my door says, I don’t think I know him, especially not enough for him to call me pretty. He has crooked teeth and a scar trailing up his left arm, there is an orange cap on his head, hanging loose and dull gray cargo pants up till his hips I assume, and a ragged, worn out t-shirt. I close the door and walk towards the porch’s swing just so that my parents don’t see him and to put some space between us.
“I don’t think I know you, and I feel you should go back from where you came” I hear my voice, bold.
“Oh but I feel you should stop talking and come with me.” He tells me smirking, the audacity he has to tell me that! I’m about to punch him when I hear Neil calling my name, my heart starts beating fast and I’m glad he’s come here.
“Who’s he?” Neil asks casually, but I’m sure I could see jealousy flicker across his face for a second.
“That’ your little boyfriend?” the weirdo slash stranger asks, I don’t know for sure but I wish it was true, well except the “little” thingy.
“Wh-what no, but it’s none of your business. Now just get-get lost” I say stammering.
“Why are you lying, hun ain’t I your boyfriend?” Neil asks me coming to stand beside me, wrapping a hand over my shoulder. I’m completely confused but I play along.
“Oh it’s just that I don’t want him knowing any of our business.” I say smiling and with that the weirdo looks between the two of us and walks away muttering something, I’m so relieved. Neil looks into my eyes and holds my arms just above my elbows and I’m suddenly very aware of how his hands are gently touching mine, and how close he is to me. He looks serious
“I want you to always call me if anything like this ever happens again, do you understand?” His eyes looked serious yet comforting. How can someone have such beautiful eyes? I wonder. He shakes me ever so lightly.
“Yes, and thank you by the way” I add with a soft smile.
“ELIANA, WHAT’S HAPPENING OUT THERE?” Mom asks me shouting.
“I’ve got to go” I say softly biting my lips
“I’ll wait here, for you, we both anyways go to the same school” he tells me, his lips twitching with a smile.
“Who was it sweetie?” Mom asks.
“No one, just someone who came to take a survey” I lied. I feel guilty because I lied but I mean they don’t need to know that right?
“I heard a familiar voice, are you sure that just someone came to take a survey?” Elena asks me with a small smirk on her face.
“Well, when someone was taking a survey Neil came and we talked for a while and then he said he’d wait for me to get ready, that’s all”. Liar you freakin’ liar it’s not a small deal. He said he’d WAIT for ME!
“Hmm really? Doesn’t seem like “that’s all” to you?” Evelyn teases me.
“Oh, out of all the people I know that are your friends he is the only one I like, just saying.” Dad says, and I’m as red as a tomato. I go upstairs and grab my bag, and on the way down the stairs my hair gets stuck on the strip of my bag, come on! And what is worse is that I tripped down the stairs and Neil saw me as he was sitting in the hall, and the stairs are just in front of the hall. Mom, Dad, Elena, Evelyn, and Neil everyone and I mean everyone is laughing.
“What, have you never seen anyone ever trip on the stairs before!” I am frustrated. “Yeah, but it’s still funny” Neil says trying to control his laughter
“Totally!” Mom says laughing.
“And it’s more funny since you were obviously already irritated,” Elena says.
“Well are you going to come to school or are you only going to laugh at me?” I ask Neil but Evelyn answers.
“Of course not, we’re coming with you”. All of us walk out of the door.
“Bye take, care kids,” Dad says.
“Yes dad” Elena assures him.
I go stand beside Neil and our hands brush and that little touch has the hair on my neck standing.
“So are you gonna tell us what actually happened?” Evelyn asks.
“I already told you what happened”
“Hmm, I don’t think so,” she says, urging me to tell her.
“A random guy came and was trying to take Eliana with him but then I came and pretended to be her boyfriend so he’d go away” Neil answers them and I particularly wish he didn’t mention the pretend boyfriend part.
“Are you guys sure it was only pretending?” Elena teases.
“Yeah we’re sure” I say, rolling my eyes. The both of them, Evelyn and Elena whisper something to each other and then the both of them burst into a cluster of giggles. Really man really like why can’t they be on my side for once?!
“Okay guys enough” Neil tells them.
