Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Well, well, well.

Now we have a lot of complications. It wasn't like I didn't have any complications, but it just doubled right now.

In a flash of a second, I was the centre of attention. I just missed two periods, which was the first time I ever did. Unfortunately, it was lunchtime by the time we finished talking and planning our life together.

As one could imagine, there were hushed voices and murmurs following me, wherever I go. I kind of felt uncomfortable. Like, from a non-existing creature to the centre of attention. Even it is bad.

I walked in with Ethan. He was holding my hand. The first move of the plan. Make the people believe that we are a couple, make the rumour rumours true.

I was so embarrassed. Like, more than ever in my whole life. And, of course, nervous.

I was holding the hand of my crush. The boy I admired in my heart.

But, when my mind says it is all just an act; it's all fake.

And it will never be true. I know never. That thought pinched my soul hard. I didn't know what the hell was happening to me. Everything was changing. Quickly. And all because some stupid girl grudged me.

Even if it was fun with Ethan; in my ex-house, the meeting, planning, playing...it still doesn't feel right. Any of it.

I gulped as I sat down, all the prying eyes on us. Liam and Noah were wearing a slightly goofy grin, which screamed 'We know everything!'

"Alright, a cafeteria is for eating and not for physical examinations over two persons. Now, if you don't mind," Ethan somewhat shouted, or more specifically, said louder than the whole cafeteria went quiet.

Wow, man.

"Hey," I said nervously with a sheepish smile.

"Hey, Blue," said Noah, with a mocking smile, emphasising.

"I only have the rights to call her Blue," reminded Ethan.

Both Noah and Liam went 'ooh', and started laughing.

"Don't mind them. They are way worse than this, I swear," said Ethan aversely.

I chuckled. But I was still feeling uncomfortable, which made my belly sick.

I felt a hand slide up inside my palm. Uh-oh. Am I blushing?

"Are you okay, Blue?" asked Ethan.

"Y-yeah. I-I am perfectly normal," I stuttered.

"Then why do you look like a tomato?"

"Did you mean potato? I always knew I looked more of speaking, walking potato," I laughed nervously.

"I know you heard it right the first time," he said raising his eyebrows.

I stammered. "That...it's n-nothing,"

"Oh my God, Scarlett, you are blushing!" Noah exclaimed.

"Did you know my name?"

"To be honest, I didn't even know that a brunette with dark blue eyes, with nerdy and dorky characters who stutter every time she speaks because she is nervous, existed," said Noah.

Nervous laughs.

That was some peculiarity of mine. I always laugh in serious situations, but it changes to nervous laugh when I'm uncomfortable. I still laugh, anyways. When I was a kid, I believed that laughing makes you live five minutes longer. So I kept badgering my parents to laugh always. I tried to make them laugh by doing stupid awkward 7-year-old dance moves, ridiculous jokes and small pranks. To make me happy, they laughed with me even in their darkest times.

But, of course, it didn't last much longer. My father died when I was 12-years-old, and my mother too...

Finally, the bell rang indicating the lunchtime was over. Something tells me this day could be worse than this but somehow got less.

*****

Scared. Nervous. Terrified. I can't describe my emotions right now. Why? Because one big thing in my life is about to happen; in a few minutes.

Should I do this?

I don't have an option, that's right. But maybe I could make one.

But, when the opportunities that come by themselves to us are more sympathetic to us than the one we make.

If I take my hand away from his grip and walk away, I know how it will make me more comfortable, but when it comes to the reality, I will be dead by next week due to starvation or Madeline will murder me.

We continued walking. Students were all crowded in their small groups and were chattering, but it turned to hushed voices and murmurs when we crossed them. I held his hand tightly and closed my eyes shut. I was ready to trip over any minute, but luckily I didn't. Even if I did, I wouldn't mind. My life is already changing. A little bruise over my forehead or the tag "Clumsy Queen" wouldn't hurt me at all.

I'm quite surprised how a small rumour about a boy and a girl became this viral, and literally, everybody is talking about us. But is because Ethan was the school's most popular boy, and Madeline was the cheerleader, popular and that Queen of Bitches.

I'm sure I felt something between me and Ethan. The way our eyes lock, the way he cares for me, the way I feel when he's around me; it's all so dreamy. Unbelievable.

If anyone told me last year that there was going to be some way too dramatic dramas are going to be in my life, I would've just told them that they are either lying or drunk their asses off.

Well, Madeline and I have had these fights for a very long time. When nobody bothered to even rag a poor, weak, vulnerable girl, Madeline thought it would be bossier if she had someone to boss around; like, when I was the poorest one in the school, poorer than the school janitor, it was easier for her to plot against me.

For some stupid reason, or no reason, she hates me.

Telling I was nervous would be an understatement. I was frozen with numbness that I could barely walk. I didn't know why we were walking through the hallway. He didn't tell me anything; what were going to do, what we're doing, or what we should do. I just assume he was clueless as I was.

And those two little brats, they were nothing like they seemed to be.

Tough, always infuriated, ready to kill any fucking bitch if they hurt their friends.

Nah. They're indeed willing to kill anyone if they hurt their friends. But when it comes to maturity, it worse than a five-year-old, and a baseball bat would've had more IQ level than Noah and Liam.

They followed us, and I gave them two of my gums so their mouths would shut.

We stopped right in front of a group of boys, from which I recognised from last year's yearbook was: Alex, the ringleader, or whatever his name was. That obvious smug look of the boss in his face. Then, a guy whom I don't remember, and one named Elijah, and he tried to kiss me when I went to the first and worst party of my whole life.

I glared at him, which he smiled so ridiculously at me. I gotta admit that he's hot, but he's still the guy who nearly took out virginity.

And then, this guy who made me go to detention last year because I tripped over him because he purposefully held out his leg while I was walking, and I called him a dick. We got into a fight, and he complained to the teacher that I provoked him to the fight. All the proofs were against me, but I still managed to get him detention too. That made him have a grudge against me.

The only person in that group that I didn't get into the fight was the name-less guy, who was expressionlessly standing beside Alex.

"Hey, Alex," said Ethan nonchalantly.

"I see that you got yourselves a cheap slut. You can afford better," he said, scanning his eyes. I held his hands more tightly.

"Don't interrupt my matters. It's none of your fucking business," said Ethan.

"Well, oh yeah- Is she your girlfriend?" he asked suddenly.

What?

"Y-yeah. Of course, she is,"

Stutter.

Stutter means less truth probability, darling.

"I don't think she is. We all don't think if she's related to you in any way," he emphasised.

"I don't care what the hell you think. I'm his girlfriend," I hissed.

"Oh, you little filthy slut. You know how to speak?" said Elijah.

"When did you learn to speak? 7th Grade?" I said infuriated.

"Shut up you-" he said, bouncing on me.

Ethan held him back. Thank God. Or I would've been dead body right now.

"You," he said, prodding his chest with his pointer finger. "Stay away from her,"

Elijah backed off, glaring at me.

"She doesn't even belong here," he said.

"Come, Ethan, let's go," I said, walking forward. "Noah, Liam. Let's go,"

"Noah, Liam, let's go darlings!" said Alex in a high-pitched voice, mocking me.

"Move," I demanded.

"What if I don't?" he said, standing in front of me.

Uh-oh. Now, probably the whole school was surrounding us.

"Alex. This will be the final time I would be telling you to stay away from my girlfriend," Ethan said gruffly.

"Well, I will consider doing it. Only if you prove that this thing right here is your girlfriend," he said, pointing at me.

"What? First thing, this is hell, not a math problem to prove. Second thing, I have a name. I am not a thing," I interrupted.

"What do you think, Nick?" he asked the nameless guy.

Nick. Gotcha.

Ew. Stop it, mind. Stop it.

"That's a... great idea if you ask me," he agreed.

"What do you think, people?" he asked the crowd, which cheered.

Uh-oh. This can't be good.

I looked up to see an 'Uh-oh, I'm in trouble' looking Ethan. I gulped as I looked at the assholes.

"What exactly should we do to prove? Okay, let's as Liam and Noah. They were always with us," I said.

"Exactly," Elijah said.

"They are his best friends. They would lie for him. How about some practical lessons?"

"What?"

"Kiss her, Ethan. Then we will swallow the ugly truth that she's your girlfriend," he said.

The crowd went mad. The way they were clapping their hands like stupid babies who tasted ice-cream for the first time.

"W-what? Why do you guys care?" asked Ethan.

"They are doing this because I asked them, sweetie," said a voice behind.

Which pathetic girl would ask her ex-boyfriend to kiss his new acting girlfriend so she confirms?

That's completely pathetic!

Oh, my God!

"Madeline, you are crazy. Did you know that?" I breathed.

"Yeah. I'm a crazy ex-girlfriend," she said like a slut.

"Kiss her, Ethan. Or you are with me again,"

"That's not up to you," he said, gritting his teeth.

And, now, look how great this situation is becoming. One crazy little pathetic kid started to chant 'kiss', and his friend joined him, and now the whole group is chanting kiss, kiss, kiss.

I internally groaned. It was so loud that it could be heard outside.

Alex raised his eyebrows, which meant, "See, I told ya,"

"Psst. Ethan, Ethan," I hissed.

"What is it, Blue? I think we are in trouble," he said.

"Don't think, dumbass. We are in trouble!"

"What should we do?"

"Do whatever they say, of course,"

"I think so too. I just thought you didn't want to kiss me," he said guiltily.

"I don't want to kiss you, idiot. But I have to," I hissed again.

"Calm down, woman!"

"I'm calm, Theo!"

"Over with your little chit-chat?" asked Alex, rudely interfering my rude conversations with Theo.

Wait.

Did I call him Theo?

Oh, my God!

*Internal screaming*

"Alright, fine! He will kiss me, or I will miss him- doesn't matter- but, when we do, you stop pestering us," I said. A little demandingly?

Whatever I sounded, I am pretty sure they didn't like it at all. Especially Alex and Elijah and that Nick guy.

"Sure, Missy. First, do it," said Nick.

"Alright, here we go," said Ethan, whooping and loosening his shoulders.

What are you going to do, Ethan? Going on a camp trip?

"In position," he said, gazing at my eyes...and lips.

I actually didn't want my first kiss to happen like this. Not in front of four pervs, and a crowd of kids.

"Alright, here we go," I hummed.

"On the count of-" he started.

"One...two...three," I finished.

For the first time, our eyes locked in a blissful manner, not like the playful way. Every time we looked at each other, there was nothing that I felt like connected us both. But, right now, something is tangling us. Maybe blossoming romance?

Nah. I don't think so.

He placed his hands on my cheeks and looked at me with his dark, beautiful eyes.

He was looking like a crystal gazer. I looked back at him. If those people weren't anywhere near us, this would be the most beautiful day of my life. But that creeps won't allow any personal bubble. It's not like we need any privacy, it's just that it won't be compatible with what we are doing.

I placed my hands on his either shoulders and took a deep breath.

He moved a bit closer, and I knew the crowd was waiting for the moment where we lock our lips. Little perverts.

He moved a little closer, that his raspy shaking hot breath was fanning my nose and forehead.

My breath was shaky too.

Was he apprehensive just like I was?

He didn't need to be scared of kissing a girl when he knows it doesn't mean anything to him, or her?

He moved a bit closer too, that now our lips were like one inch away.

And, suddenly, he pressed his lips to mine. Like, a million butterflies went crazy over my belly, and they were really trying to find a way out. When did I eat those butterflies?

He slightly sucked my upper lip, and I began to move my lips with him slightly.

Really slowly, but we had sync.

And there goes my first kiss!