Chapter 1
Wake up in the morning feeling like P.Diddy. Grab my glasses I’m out the door, I’m gonna hit…
…this cell phone
I groaned as the pain slowly made its existence known as my hand got over the feeling of numbness (and shock) after I gave my alarm a harsh hit and threw it somewhere I’ll care later.
I stretched and stared somewhere for a while, shaking off the sleep from my head (but I find it hard since I slept at around 3:30 am and now it’s…5:30 something). Yawning, I stood up to go to the bathroom and get ready for the day.
Knock…Knock…Knock…
“Knocking, someone’s knocking.” I mumbled and tried to rest my head when I realized where I was.
“Tiffany! Are you still alive in there?” my mom was continuously knocking as she shouted things through the door; some muffled, and some overpowered by her pounding.
“Mom!” thankful that I was able to hear me, I stood up and looked at my reflection in the mirror. Sleepy much? “What are you doing?”
I heard a sigh. “I’m supposed to be the one asking you that question. And two more; do you have plans to go to school today? Or would you rather stay there inside the bathroom?”
I’d rather stay here inside the bathroom. Oh no, school! “Shoot!” My mom protested. Note to self: don’t shout profanities around parents, even though they aren’t really profanities.
I ignored her lectures about profanities. “Mom, what time is it?”
“Time for you to get out of the bathroom, dress up, eat breakfast, and go to school. But if you don’t have plans to go out any second now, it’s only time for you to go out of the bathroom and run straight to school.”
Got that, 7:05am. I only have around 15 minutes to do all that, starting…now!
***
“Hey!” Brielle, my best friend, waved as she saw me nearing the school. She was waiting by the gates and leaning on it. “I was calling you. What happened to you?”
I shrugged, “Sorry, I couldn’t and didn’t have time to find my cell phone. I threw it…somewhere, earlier. So, yeah...”
She frowned. “You’re so harsh.”
Again, I shrugged then lead the way to our first class.
I wasn’t really in the mood; I was cranky. I’ve had only less than 3 hours of sleep (due to my Vampire Diaries marathon, yea…yea.), not including that short nap in the bathroom. I skipped breakfast and barely drank my milk because I was afraid to be late. I forgot to take the breakfast, coffee and toast, that my mom prepared for me to eat on the way or when I arrive—it was just on the table near the door! While walking to school (our house was just a block away); the twins (two adorable, cute identical 3 year old twin boys with thick British Accents), who just moved last week and lived 4 houses away from us, blocked my way to greet me good morning and play with me. After a few minutes of minutes of promising that I will when I got home this afternoon, they let me go.
I guess I’m just lucky that when I reached the school, whole, I wasn’t late. Surprisingly, I still have 7 more minutes
Now…Brielle was telling me a story about last night and was in the middle of elaborating the details when I felt my face hit something that made me lose my balance. If it weren’t for a pair of soft (but strong) hands, I would have fallen on my butt.
“Woah there!” said the voice behind me.
I would have considered this romantic, love story like catching, if it weren’t for my (our) awkward position. His (whoever he was) had his forearms under my arms (on my underarms! Jeez!), the steaming hot coffee in his right hand was held in such a way that it looked like it was clinging for dear life AND it’s smell made my tummy rumble loudly that I knew the sound vibrated throughout my body and I’m very sure that the man behind me heard and felt it.
As I was just wishing to magically disappear from where I was, Brielle decided to take part in the situation.
“Tiff!” she exclaimed as if she just arrived, with the fact that we were together—her blondeness taking over her. “Are you okay?”
The guy gently lifted me up and he stood in-front of me.
Wow! Is he…human?
“You okay?” he asked, a warm, charming, handsome, breath-taking, sunny smile graced his plump pinkish/reddish (they look natural) lips. I stared at him, just stared. “Uhh, Tiffany?”
He was waving a hand in-front of my face. So close. His face was so close that I can clearly see his emerald green eyes looking into mine. So close, that I can feel his warm breath which smelled of coffee—a smell that has always been one of my favorites.
So close.
“Hello? Tiffany Anne Chang, earth to you.” Brielle’s high-pitched voice brought me back to reality that I pushed the guy in-front of me almost violently.
“Oh, uh, sorry.” I apologized; I don’t know what’s happening.
He smiled, again. “That’s okay. Anyway, are you okay?”
I nodded. “I…”
“I’m Gabrielle White.” Brielle interrupted and extended a hand to the guy, which he kindly took, “You can call me Brielle.”
I rolled my eyes; I bet she’s been waiting to do that ever since she saw the guy.
“Chris Porter” he replied, shaking Brielle’s hand briefly before he turned his attention back to me, “And, you are?”
“I…uhm, you said my name earlier.” I blurted, I wasn’t supposed to say that. Well, it already slipped.
“Oh, uhm. Yea, I did. Well, since your friend called you Tiff, I assumed your name is Tiffany.” He scratched the back of his head, “Sorry ‘bout that.”
I surprised myself when I extended my left hand for a hand shake, “Tiffany Chang.”
“Anne.” Brielle said, matter-of-factly.
“Yea, uhm, Tiffany Anne.” I hate it when she does that, she knows I don’t like my second name—that’s why I often leave it out.
“She hates her second name.” she’s talking again. I love my best friend, I really do! But there are times that I wish I haven’t met her and, well, her.
“I think it’s cute.” I turned my attention back to him, what?
“Uhh, thanks?” I tried to smile, but I’m quite sure it came out like a grimace. I looked at his face intently; it’s something I’ve never seen before, here in the campus. “Uhh, you new?”
He nodded, “Today’s my first day. I’m a senior.”
“Re…” I wasn’t able to continue as Brielle’s annoying high-pitched voice interrupted, again.
“Really? Wow! I hope we belong in the same class!”
Chris opened his mouth to reply when the bell rang.
“Thank God.” I mumbled to myself. But the way Chris faced me, I knew he heard and flashed me a smile, it’s a new one. It was a soft one. I felt my cheeks blushed.
“Well, see you later! We’ll all be late.” Brielle said.
“Sure, see you!” I assumed that that was for the both of us, if it weren’t for him looking at me the whole time. I hope Brielle didn’t see that.
I just smiled and turned my back against him, walking fast to get away. Then I remembered, “Uh, Chris!” he had already walked away, but turned back when I called him. “Yes?”
“Uh, thanks.” Without waiting for a reply, I walked away and turned to the hallway to my left. Did I make a fool of myself, again?
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