The It Factor

Chapter 36

"Thanks," I whispered. For a moment, there was an awkward silence where neither of us spoke, we barley breathed, but then, Vincent cleared his throat.

"So, I was calling to see if you wanted to hang out..." When he said that, my mouth went dry. Hanging out with Vincent was not on the top of my to do list. "With Anna, Wendy, and I...."

I choked on air at that point. Wendy was Vincent's new girlfriend, she was dating the guy I used to have feelings for. Okay, let's not lie, I may still have small feelings for him, but that's not the point! He wanted me to hang out with him, his sister, and his girlfriend, that did not sound like a good day.

"I..."

"Great, meet us at iHop in twenty." And with that, he hung up. I let me hand go limp at my side, my jaw hanging open. How do I always get myself into a mess? Grumbling to myself, I went back inside and grabbed my purse roughly from the dresser.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Kyle asked, coming up to me. The show was on commercial. I shook my head, frowning.

"No, I just have to go to breakfast with Anna, Vincent, and Wendy," I growled, furrowing my eyebrows. Kyle chuckled, wrapping me in a hug.

"Want me to come with you?" He asked, squeezing me tight. I was silent for a moment, thinking about it. Yes, I did want him to come with me, but I didn't know when the last time he got to hang out with just the guys was, so I couldn't ask that of him.

"No I'll be fine," I pulled back with a smile, "besides, you need to spend some alone time with the guys." He frowned but nodded, leaning forward and kissing me on the lips.

"Call me if you need anything," He said, waving after me as I rushed out the door. I went downstairs quickly and called a taxi, hoping inside and telling the driver to take me to iHop.

Believe me, I wanted to be anywhere else then on my way to iHop at that moment. Sure, I liked Kyle, he was my boyfriend, and I had never been happier. But there were still some unresolved feelings when it came to Vincent, and seeing as he was going to be with his girlfriend, I had a feeling this would be a horrible morning.

When the car stopped, I paid the man and got out, walking inside. It didn't take long to spot who I was looking for, Vincent was sitting at a table with his little sister, hunched over a coloring book, helping to color a butterfly. I smiled slightly, it was such a cute sight.

"Hey guys," I chirped, sliding in next to Anna. She looked up and smiled, her eyes widening.

"Serenity!" She exclaimed, giving me a toothy grin. Vincent waved, his eyes twinkling. For a moment, I thought Wendy had decided to stay home, but of course I couldn't be that lucky.

"Hello, Serenity," I froze. I knew that voice. Frowning, I looked up and saw the face of physco. Oh my god, it was physco from the hotel! She gave me a sickly sweet smile, sliding into the booth and gave Vincent a peck on the cheek.

"You're Wendy?" I asked, shocked. This was not happening right now. This could seriously not be real. Any second I would wake up from this horrible dream and be able to start my day over.

"Of course I am," She giggled in her annoying little voice. She flipped her hair and picked up a menu, "What are you getting, baby?" Obviously that was directed at Vincent, so I uncomfortably picked up a menu to hide behind. Two seconds later, I felt someone tugging on my arm. Anna leaned forward, cupping her hands around my ear.

"I know, she's a bitch, isn't she?"

I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing. The sentence was simply not something you would expect to hear out of this little girls mouth. And, by the way she pronounced bitch, I could tell she didn't say it often. Vincent and Wendy gave me a sharp glare, not knowing what I was laughing about, so I quickly sobered up and leaned back into Anna.

"You shouldn't say words like that," I whispered back, pausing for a moment. Well, it wouldn't hurt... "But yes, she is." Her eyes twinkling, she let out a small giggle, turning back to her coloring book.

"So, how've you been, Serenity?" Vincent asked, turning his attention to me. Coughing, I set down my menu so I didn't look rude.

"Fine," I squeaked, biting my lip. Under Wendy's harsh glare, I felt small. Vincent nodded, looking away awkwardly. Well, this is exactly what I was worried about. This whole experience would be extremely awkward.

"What would you like to drink?" The water asked, looking us over. Anna and I ordered milk, Vincent got orange juice, and Wendy ordered Coke. After that, the waiter scurried away, leaving us alone in the awkward silence again. Sighing, I grabbed my menu again, just so I could have something to hide behind.

"E-excuse me," Someone stuttered, making me look up. There was a little girl standing there, clutching a notebook to her chest tightly. She looked to be about seven or eight. "Are you, um, Serenity, from Silent City....?" The whole scenario caught me off guard. Here I was, eating breakfast like a normal person, and this kid knew who I was.

"I-I am," I said, giving her, what I hoped, was a warm smile. "Can I help you?" Her face lit up, and suddenly all her shyness was gone. I, on the other had, was still uncomfortable.

"I was wondering if you could sign my notebook for me," She exclaimed, holding out the book and a pen to me.

"Of course, sweetie!" I squealed, my cheeks flushing. This has never happened before! Someone recognized me for my music, and wanted my autograph. I quickly took the pen and notebook, opening it to the first blank page. "What's your name?"

"Alice," She gushed, leaning over my shoulder to see what I wrote.

To Alice- dream big and don't be afraid to push for your dreams, you never know what will happen! Serenity Davis

Yes, I was super nervous about my first autograph. Maybe I wrote to much, but I wrote what was on my heart. Smiling wide, I handed Alice her things, gave her a hug, and turned back to my friends.

Anna wasn't paying any attention, she was still coloring intently. Vincent was smirking at me, and as soon as he caught my glance he winked. Blushing, I looked down at my hands, but not before noticing Wendy's glare. She looked so angry and frustrated that I just wanted to rip her head off. It was obvious she was jealous of that little endeavor, and I hated her for it.

Don't ask me how, but I knew then and there I would never, ever, get along with Vincent's girlfriend.