Close to Heaven

Chapter Two

Chapter 2

‘I hate her!’

‘Oh god, hi Ada. Hate who?’ Idris is in my current class. I’ve been sitting at my desk now for about ten minutes, thinking on what’s happened. And now he’s arrived, and I have someone to unload on. I have come to the conclusion that I hate Gia. She is a complete bitch, as Idris named her so fondly earlier. And that it is not Clayton I feel hatred towards, as that just seems physically impossible in my mind.

Idris sets out his books on the desk next to me, looking up expectantly for my answer.

‘Gia. You were right, she’s a right bitch.’

‘Woah. Calm down, don’t lose your cool. “Foul mouthing is not something you do” as you tell me almost every day.’ He says, attempting to hide his laugh at me by looking down to his bag. He looks back up, the caramel like tone of his skin is slightly pink at the cheeks, and his dark eyes are wide. His black hair falling in curls around his face and he pushes them back in a habitual gesture and waits for my answer.

‘Yeah? Well today it is. She deserves it.’ I'm actually crossing my arms, and I can feel a pout form on my lips. Yeah, maybe I’m overreacting, but it’s pissed me off.

So, I may be the one acting like a bitch right now, blaming my loss of possible destiny on their current girlfriend, when I didn’t even say a word other that ‘um’ to him. But being able to sit and dwell on it for the last ten minutes doesn’t help my short temper.

‘What did she do to deserve your wrath? No one wants that.’ He smirks at me.

I must seem pathetic, and I realise I was stupid to say that to him, as now I’ll have to come up with an explanation for why I said it. I look down at my book, and try and figure out what to say. He continues to stare at me.

‘Ada?’ He waves his hand around my head, but I can’t look up, as I don’t know what I’ll say yet.  ‘Ada? What is up with you?’ He huffs and commences to sort through his books, figuring out where we left off last semester.

‘Are you not really hot?’ I ask, leaning across and picking at a section of fabric on his sweater, it’s far too warm to be wearing that isn’t it?

‘What?’ He asks, looking pretty pissed. ‘Ada, don’t just change the subject.’ He pushes my hand back and off his clothing. ‘And, no. I’m not.’

‘Okay. Sorry.’ I say, I hate it when he talks to me like a child.

I sit quietly for a minute and try and figure it out. So much for being able to get it all off my chest. I guess I didn’t think about having to explain myself when I began to express my hatred towards a girl I have never even spoken to. And I can’t explain it by saying that I have become obsessed with her boyfriend, and I hate her because she has him.

One: because it would reveal what I have been turning over and over in my head since half eight this morning.

Two: because he would for sure tell Evelyn, and she cannot know.

And three: because it is pathetic.

‘Forget I said anything.’

He ignores my answer, doesn’t protest, he’s just given up on me I think. Well, it’s a relief for me, apart from the fact that him not talking to me probably means he is in one of his moods. And they are not fun.

When the class finishes we haven’t said another word to each other. I pack up and leave the room, knowing I should try and rectify the situation, but I have the same feeling of desperation as earlier. Last period is Art Extra.