Chapter Twenty-One
Wednesday, March 28th.
"Hey, Carson!"
I closed my locker shut to find one of my classmates, Ella, standing beside my locker. Her strawberry blonde hair, as always, were curled nicely to frame her heart-shaped face. She was smiling up at me, the kind of smile people to gave to one another just before they asked them to do a favour. It was sort of odd considering the fact that Ella was one of the most popular girls in our grade, perhaps the entire school. Not that I had any beef with her, I hardly had any problems with anybody at this school, but she never talked to me unless it involved me helping her with a difficult math equation.
I smile anyways. "Hey, Ella," I replied. "What's up?"
"Same old, same old," she said. "But hey! You didn't come out for soccer tryouts a few weeks ago! What happened?"
"Yeah, I don't think I have time for extra curricular activities anymore..."
Ever since Vincent got back to Canada, my mind sort of forgotten about all my extra curricular activities that I usually did ever year. However, it didn't really bother me that much considering the fact that I already put too much on my University application. Besdies, I was actually trying to take everybody's advice by just "living" a little. It was sort of relaxing just going home straight after school and not having to worry about a single thing except for my homework.
Ella pouted. "That sucks," she stated. "Do you think you'll be able to still be part of the newspaper?"
A soft laughed escaped my lips as a group of girls from my class waved to me while making their way to their homerooms. I acknowledged them by simply nodding. I then fixed my attention back to Ella who was still pouting.
"I might go to the meeting next week but I think I'll send in a few articiles through e-mail." I shrugged. "I guess I want to take things easy for the next few months of school."
Ella chuckled. "That's really odd!" She said with a grin. "I mean, for the last three years you've been really active in the school community! I mean, what's keeping you busy? A boyfriend, perhaps?" She looked at me with raised eyebrows and that's when something clicked inside my head.
Was she trying to get some information from me?
My eyes widened. "Boyfriend?" I echoed.
"You know--" Ella began nudging on the arm with her elbow. -- your boyfriend, Vincent Gray?"
I bit my lips, not wanting to say anything.
"Oh, how rude of me." Ella put a hand to her chest. "I shouldn't be prying into your businesses but can I just ask one thing?"
I nodded slowly.
"What is it like knowing a celebrity?" Ella looked up to me with hopeful eyes.
I chuckled. "I don't see Vincent as a celebrity," I answered. "I just see him as Vincent."
Ella sighed. "You're so lucky for knowing Vincent Gray and the rest of the members of Ever After," she stated. "I mean, if God would have only told me that Vincent would end looking that fine in a matter of two years, I would have probably sat beside him in one of the classes we shared in grade nine and ten." She sighed again as she looked off to the distance. After a few seconds, she then fixed her big blue eyes back to me. "I'm serious, Carson," she said. "Vincent is so cute. I'd tap that ass any day--"
"Whoa!" I responded immediately. "Too much information..."
Ella giggled. "Sorry," she replied. "But it's true."
I forced out a laugh. "Okay, then..."
"Anyways," Ella said as she looked at her BlackBerry. "I have to go now before my Biology teacher snaps at me again for being late." She rolled her eyes. "So yeah! See you later!" Ella then pulled into a tight hug.
After saying our aideus, Ella gave me one last smile before heading the opposite direction.
Just as I was about to go to my homeroom class, I remember that I had forgotten something in my locker. "Shit," I muttered under my breathe as I went back to my locker and started turning the knob of my combination lock. When it finally opened, I grabbed one of my binders and closed it back shut. I nearly jumped on the spot when I realized that Vincent was leaning against his locker that was right beside mine. He was smirking at me as he slowly ate a chocolate chip cookie.
Was that suppose to be sexy or something? I thought to myself.
"Morning, Anna," Vincent said casually.
"Ugh, hi..."
"You look nice today."
I rolled my eyes. "Okay," I said. "What do you want?"
Vincent looked insulted as he a hand up to his chest. "Can a guy not compliment a girl?" He shook his head in disbelief. "Gosh, Anna. I was just trying to be nice--"
"You're only nice when you want something."
"I beg to differ, I'm always nice."
"I'll let you think that."
Vincent stared down onto me for a couple of moments before letting out a soft chuckle. He then handed a paper bag from Tim Horton's. "Sorry, I couldn't pick you up this morning. i was late. But yeah, here's a cookie." He began munching on his own cookie that was in his other hand.
I couldn't help but smile as I took the small paper bag from Vincent. "Thanks," I mumbled. "Now let's get to class."
Vincent and I then began walking towards the English hallway while munching on our cookies. As we did, people stared us down like we were aliens or something. A few weeks ago, these types of looks would have probably irritated me but now, i was getting use to it. Not that, I liked it or anything but I've learnt that being associated with a famous celebrity meant that you had to get use to the spotlight whether you liked or not.
"Um, I have to tell you something..." I said slowly.
"You've fallen in love with me?"
My eyes widened as I looked up to him. "What?" I cried. "No!"
"Your voice goes one octave higher when you lie--"
"It did not go high!" I protested.
The corner of Vincent's lips pulled up in a slight grin. "Carson," he said looking down onto me. "I was just kidding."
My face dropped. "Oh," I said. Just as i was about to go on with what I was saying before, i realized something. I stopped walking as I pulled Vincent to the side of the hallway. "You just called me Carson!"
Vincent face crunched up. "Really?" He asked.
"Yeah!"
"Well, my bad," Vincent said. "But anyways, what were you about to tell me?"
"Oh, right," I responded as I looked around to make sure no one was listening. Some people were looking at us with curious looks on their faces and I was reluctant to tell Vincent about what happened between me and Jane yesterday. After all, I didn't want anybody from my school giving a new story to publish to the media. "Come here," I tugged on the sleeve of Vincent's grey button down shirt and pulled him to the corner of the hallway where nobody was looking. "It's about Jane Torres."
Vincent face immediately hardened. "J-Just ignore whatever she's saying on Twitter and to the media," he simply said. "She's just looking for attention--"
"She talked to me in person in the Eaton Centre yesterday night."
Vincent nearly choked on his cookie. "She what?" He nearly cried. "What did she say?"
"The girl told me that I was gold-digger and whatnot and threatened to break us apart," I answered. "And some other things that I can't remember--"
"What did you say?" Vincent had a wild look to his eyes.
"Um, I kind of just told her off..."
Vincent seemed pleased with that answer because his shoulders became less tense. He let out a heavy sigh as he raked his hand through his dark hair. "God," he muttered under his breathe. "That girl won't leave me the fuck alone." He broke his gaze away from mine as he looked up the ceiling.
I patted his shoulder awkwardly. "That breakup must have been really bad," I stated.
Vincent slowly looked down onto me with narrowed eyes. "Obviously, you haven't been reading enough of those stupid gossip magazines--"
"Sorry, your personal life doesn't really interest me that much."
That managed to crack a smile on Vincent's face. "Look," he said, changing the subject. "Just ignore whatever Jane has to say, alright? Now come on, I think we're going to be late for class."
"Wow," I said sarcastically as we began walking again. "Vincent Gray actually cares about going to class?" i gasped. "Shocking!"
Vincent rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.
"Why being so quiet now, eh?" I teased as i began nudging his arm with my elbow.
"I'm... thinking."
"About what?" I asked.
"Nothing."
"Liar."
Vincent smiled down onto me as he stuffed the remaining piece of cookie back into his mouth. "I have a new idea for a new song," he finally responded. "I got the some of the lyrics stuck in my head and I need to write them down soon before I forget it."
I laughed. "Break-up song?" I asked.
Vincent chuckled. "No," he said shaking his head.
"Then what?"
"A love song."
I responded with only a raise of my eyebrow but just as I was about to open my mouth to say something, a group of guys approached Vincent and began talking to him. He gestured for me to keep walking so I did. However, my mind kept on repeating the same question over and over again: Who was Vincent writing a love song about?
And why was I so annoyed by it?