The Timing of Love

Chapter 1

I sighed heavily as I pushed past the cafeteria's glass doors. Scanning the tables for my friends, I quickly walked to them, plopping myself down the chair and ignoring their agape mouths. They stared for a long time, saying nothing as I unpacked my awaited lunch: homemade pizza. As I took a huge bite of a slice of pepperoni, I looked around the table, my gaze stopping on each one of them. Amelia, my childhood best-friend was opposite me, her eyes fluttering to my hair and back to my face, as if cueing me to explain. Austin was sitting next to her and was now shaking his head, smiling to himself. Jeffrey was stifling a laugh and finally looked away when I squinted my eyes at him; Camilla maintained the same facial expression of shock and disbelief and I admired her ability to not blink for such a long time.

"An accident," I said, shrugging it off.

"What? How?!" Amelia finally exclaimed, her eyes practically popping out of her skull. Wouldn't that be a great scare if they did, since we were in the Halloween season. I highly anticipated that time of the year. You could tell by my attire: orange pullover with a pumpkin embraided the front, leggings with skull designs and my favourite of all, boots with really sharp spikes.

"I meant to say that he was an accident his parents made. Julian decided that my hair was the perfect trashcan for the rest of his Fanta. Yeah, I know, an asshole move for an asshole human being," I explained very calmly, shrugging again and finishing the slice of pizza. I sighed heavily and dabbed the sauce at the corner of my mouth with a piece of tissue.

"Should be worried that you seem very chill about it?" Amelia asked, her lips tugging upwards knowingly.

"I might have retaliated and kicked him hard where the sun doesn't and fortunately will never shine. I mean, it's probably for his best. His kids would probably be as ugly and stupid as their father."

They all laughed and shook their heads and moved on to eating. The chair next to be screeched on the floor as someone pulled it and sat on it with a thud. I rolled my eyes and took another slice of pizza, ignoring him. I knew it was Julian, his strong cologne gave it away. That, and Camilla's deep crimson blush, an allergic reaction to stupid but handsome boys. I might sound harsh or pettily feminist but I used to hold the belief that all boys are utterly stupid and useless. And annoying.

"Who are you calling ugly, Anderson?" Julian asked me in his deep and supposedly and purely according to him, sensual voice. I personally thought he sounded like a grunting pig rolling in the mud. Oh, a pig he is. Julian Mason Ryders was the well-known, mysterious, the magnificent and absolutely stunning campus' play boy. Girls swooned for every of his gesture, as simple as breathing sometimes. They are attracted to him like flies are to poop. Like worms are to mud. It was unhealthy for them, but they still willingly give themselves, body, soul and sanity to him. Sometimes, I wondered what their brains look like. Julian was good-looking alright, smart and charming...when he would shut the hell up. With his messy black curls standing like a peacock on his head, his green eyes with gold and brown freckles, his high cheek bones and very square and sharp jaws along with his rosy full lips, he was the epitome of beauty. But that's just it. Other than that, I found him stupid, pointless, useless and a player with whom I kept my interactions to the absolute minimum. We'd been acquainted with each other for two years and a half now, unfortunately. Don't get me wrong, it's not like a hate him, I just didn't particularly like him.

I'd have to admit, life around campus would be boring without him. The gossips about him were hilarious. He provided drama after a long day of pain from endless lectures. It was popcorn-worthy to observe him get slapped, chased, chastised and cursed by the girls he would play around with. Sometimes, when we were lucky enough, Amelia, Camila and I would come across him running with only his boxers on the campus' square, with a girl chasing after him confessing her undying love or planning to murder him. I would like to believe we maintained a balanced relationship, him and I. I would insult him, he would insult right back and then we would proceed with our day. When the relationship went boring and we were tired of routine, we would prank each other, then be mad as hell and laughed about it two days later. Apart from the pranks and insults and glares, that was it and I was happy with it. So, like I said, I don't harbour hard feeling against him, only harsh thoughts and opinions.