In Omnia Paratus (AU) - Book 2

Single

"Alright, well I'll see you in a couple of weeks. I finish after my exams so it won't be long and then there's the wedding." I smiled at dad. He had driven me up to Ashford to take home some stuff I didn't need anymore and start clearing my dorm for the summer.

"Woah woah woah." Dad caught me after I kissed him and went to hop out the car. "I need to talk to you."

I turned around and sat back in the car closing the door behind me gently. "If this is safe sex talk we're a little late for that." I joked as I saw him go all serious.

"Jenna." He snapped and my smile disappeared. "I didn't want to mention it in front of Rachel and Violet in case it was serious. But I'm hoping it's not. Why have you been avoiding carrying your sister? Or refusing to take shifts at the bookshop when I know you want the money."

"Look dad, it's nothing to worry about." I said trying to turn away from him and leave the car.

"What's nothing to worry about?" He said stopping me from leaving again.

"I have this muscle weakness thing. I told you my arms have been aching recently and well they have. I didn't want to carry Violet because she's too heavy and at the bookstore they expect me to carry piles and piles of books across the shop." I smiled across at him hoping he'd leave it and stop asking questions.

"Muscle weakness?" He questioned.

"Dad, please." I begged.

"Is it serious?" He asked.

"No it is so not serious. It's so far away from serious you can't even see it but, if it doesn't go away, I have to take some pills for a month but it's nothing." I explained to dad but he wasn't having it.

"Does your school know?"

"Yes." I lied quickly.

"Jen."

"Nobody except you and Lily." I admitted. "But please dad just hear me out. I'm fine, stop worrying and chill out. The next time I see you it will probably have gone away." I shrugged.

"Alright, but you keep me updated alright?" He said kissing my forehead and then I leapt out the car to go and see Lily. When you live with someone for so long, you miss them after just a day away from them.

- - - - -

"Do you know what just occurred to me?" Lily said sitting down next to me as we sat down to watch Tv that night.

"What's that?" I asked.

"We're both single." She smiled looking across at me happily.

"So what? You wanna date?" I joked and Lily nearly choked on her water she was laughing so much.

"No, I mean we can do what we like. Boys free." Lily had her planning face on. "I mean you don't want a boyfriend do you?"

"No, I don't want any guy near me." I complained.

"Me too, so we can just do girl stuff now." Lily smiled over at me and then I had a thought.

"Lily, aren't you dating Jesse?" I asked her carefully in case she'd forgotten him or something. It kind of freaked me out.

"Casually dating Jesse." She corrected.

"The difference being?" I asked.

"We're not tied down. I mean we hang out, we make out, we..."

"Too much information." I snapped as she finished her sentence. "I get that casually dating is just about sex, I've done that." I smiled across at her.

"Just because you're off boys doesn't mean we all have to. You know Lucy and Olivia both have boyfriends?" Lily told me and that when I got into the conversation.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes. They're twin brothers. How freaky is that? They're not identical but Lucy and Olivia are like sisters anyway it's a perfect match really." Lily explained.

"It sounds pretty perfect." I said smiling.

- - - - -

"For a week before exams, I have to say you're looking pretty light on books and studying." Richard smirked at me as we all walked to lunch together.

"It's because I'm carrying all of her books." Lily moaned as shoved the books in Richards face and I couldn't stop laughing.

"Why?" He asked taking the books from Lily and holding them himself, obviously thinking he can be nice to me again now he hasn't got a girlfriend controlling his every move.

"I won a bet, this is the forfeit." I laughed at him. That was the answer I have everyone these days. Carry my books for a month was the forfeit and I teased Lily. Whereas actually Lily was more than happy to carry them and I felt so guilty I stopped carrying as many books and some days just brought one even though Lily ended up picking up my others.

"Ooh tough bet." Richard laughed and then the group all sat down at the table in the canteen and Lily placed the books down in front of me.

I always wondered how Richard was still popular when he spent time over with the lower years table without the excuse that he has a girlfriend there. He should be sat with his mates on the senior table, which he did do, just not everyday.

- - - - -

"What you doing in your break from studying?" Lily asked me as we sat down on the couch and I went through to my room.

"Sorting my room out. It's a mess." I complained standing in the doorway and signing.

"It's 5x better than my room." Lily scoffed.

"Whatever." I huffed and closed the door on her to go and get started by sorting out my washing and then bed sheets and then later I was going to move onto my bookshelf and rearrange it into a different more effective order.

Lily did come into my room and few times but only to bug me. I wanted to hit her when she stepped in because it was either to talk about boys or about Richard which was basically the same thing and well I had no interest until I was finished with exams

One time she came in did bother me as well whilst I sorting out the books.

"Avoid exercise, avoid heavy weight lifting, avoid activities that may strain your back or stomach muscles. Jenna you're just not following this booklet Victoria gave you." Lily said as I was peacefully sorting out all my books into the books case and then switching some to be next to my bed.

"This isn't exercise im sat on the floor." I rolled my eyes at her searching the back of the bookcase.

"Avoid exercise, avoids heavy weight lift--" she droned on repeating herself to make the point.

"Stop I hate when you do that. Listen to me, I am fine. Stop pretending you're in charge." I scoffed.

"I am." She sung leaving me alone in my room again. She had taken this quite literally and had gone around the place pretending she was in charge. We all knew who the real boss was though.