“Ade?” he hissed, grabbing my hand as soon as I was out of my house. Electricity sparkled at the place he touched me, and I pulled away, like his fingers had burnt me. What was that?
I blinked at Nate, slightly surprised. He must’ve been waiting there for a long time.
“Where’s that picture?”
I played nice. “What picture?” I said, innocently.
“You know what I’m talking about,” he said, through tightly gritted teeth. “The picture of me. You know. D-dancing.”
“Oh. That picture. Actually, Nate, I was thinking of keeping it. It might give you some extra incentive to work harder.”
He glared at me. “What are you, a pervert? Give that damn picture back to me!”
“Think of it as a punishment for damning me with your light pollution.”
“What?”
“Keeping your light on!” I yelled. “All night long? How the hell am I meant to sleep?”
He gaped at me. “You know I’m scared of the dark.”
“Why?” I cried out. “You’re scared of the dark, but not of me?”
“You don’t understand…” he mumbled. “There was a time in my life, when everything was dark.”
I frowned at his cryptic remark, then blushed. He must be talking about some sleazy nightclub, or something. He had to be. This was Nate. “Look, Nate, I haven’t got time to talk about your past,” I sighed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Let’s just make this simple.”
I pulled out my phone, and he made a grab for it. I darted out of his way, smirking.
“Not so fast. How about we make a deal? You set me up on a proper date with your brother, say, Wednesday? Maybe then we can talk about the picture.”
“Fine,” he snapped. I smiled, satisfied. I watched him walk away, an unfamiliar ache in my chest.
Don’t feel bad, Adrianna. He’s nothing but a lying, cheating playboy. He’ll probably break your best friend’s heart. Keri didn’t know how to deal with guys, especially one as experienced as Nate.
I closed my eyes, and tried to think of Noah. His cute smiles, his easy manner, his green eyes. We were meant to be together, even if he’d forgotten. We were so meant to be together.
My eyes snapped open again, and a smirk was on my lips.
I had to come up with a new plan.
***
“What do you mean, this isn’t what you want?” I snapped, glaring at my therapist.
“In this letter, you were meant to be emotional,” she said, trying not to look pleased that I hadn’t written it correctly. “You were meant to carefully divulge into your past, and uncover some of your childhood memories, and feelings. Because only while knowing your true feelings, can you become a better person.”
“What do you want me to write?” I yelled, throwing the letter down on the table. “Tell me what I need to write, and I’ll write it!”
She stared at me over her coffee, with her ugly little brown, depthless eyes. “Only you know, Ade. Only you know when its right.”
“I know its right!” I cried out in exasperation.
“That’s not what I mean,” she said, sighing like she was sick of dealing with a stupid little kid like me. My fist clenched automatically. She stirred her little coffee with her spoon like her life depended on it. “You have to feel emotion when writing it. Be honest, did you feel any emotion?”
“I felt annoyed.”
She sighed, again. “Adrianna, I can’t help but feel that you’re not taking these sessions seriously. I’m here to help you, and no one else. You know you can tell me anything, right?”
I hesitated. “Anything? Are you sure?”
She sat up straighter, her eyes widening. She sucked the spoon in her mouth, staring at me avidly.
“Yes. I’m sure.”
I sighed, like I was about to impart a huge secret. “Well, the truth is…” I pretended to pause again.
“The truth is?” she prompted. Her pad was out in her hand, her pen poised. She clearly thought whatever I was going to say now would be absolutely pivotal.
“The truth is I hate you. I hate you, in your little suit, with your little pad, and your little biro pen. You are annoying to the highest degree. You are not good with your patients, as you seem to think. You’re clearly awful, since the only thing you do in our sessions is tell me to write a letter to an imaginary being. You are a bad therapist.”
I’ve never made anyone cry with just words before.
***
“Stay,” my Mom yelled, pointing at my head like I was a little dog. I stayed. She left the room, and I stood up again, yawning. God, that had been annoying. Apparently my therapist had called home, complaining. I rolled my eyes. She was a grown woman. If she had a problem with me, she should just come here and fight me.
The doorbell rang, and I didn’t move.
“Ade! Get the door!” Mom yelled.
I still didn’t move.
“Adrianna!”
I ignored her yells, until she burst into my room, her face all red and puffy, her hair flying everywhere.
“Why aren’t you getting the door?” she screamed. “I asked you to get the door!”
“You told me to stay.”
The only person in the world, who has the amazing ability to think they are right, when they are so wrong is my Mother.
***
“Ade?” My brother’s warm voice came up the stairs. I stood up straighter, in the corner Mom had banished me to. I’d been forbidden to talk, so I just stood in the corner, waiting for him to walk up.
“Are you there?”
I sulked in the corner, waiting for him to walk up. Eli appeared around my door. His face split into a wide smile, and he practically jumped over to my corner, pulling me into a hug, which I didn’t return. I was too busy being mad at Mom.
How come every adult misunderstands me?
Eli frowned, and spun me around to face him. The first thing I noticed about my oldest brother was that his hair was longer, cut off into a spiky style that somehow complimented his face, as well at framing it at the same time.
It was unfair. All the genetic glory had gone to him, and the rest of my brothers. Eli was so pretty that, as a kid, I would sometimes be mistaken as a boy, and Eli as the girl.
“Why are you ignoring me?” he asked me, pretending to be hurt. I glared at him for a little longer, and suddenly, quick as a flash, I was on the floor, my butt seriously injured. That’s right…he might look cute, but my brother was seriously deadly. “Your reflexes are slower,” he noted, smirking at me.
“Eli!” I complained, my eyes watering.
Mom chose this moment to come into the room. At once, she saw my sitting on the floor.
“Adrianna,” she snapped. “I thought I told you to stay in that corner! You’re grounded!”
I glared at Eli, who was looking away, an innocent look on his face.
***
Author's Note: Sorry guys, but I think chapters of this are going to slow down... I have to write my books, "Never Been Kissed" and "The Billion Dollar Girl", as I am entering them into Watty Awards :) Check them out!!
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