5. Well isn’t it great

It was lunchtime. I was sitting in my seat with Anna and Stace in the corner of the room. We were just talking rubbish when Anna slammed her hands on the table out of nowhere.

"I am so happy!" She exclaimed. I could see her eyes twinkling. 

Did she fall in love?

I looked at Stace and found her shrugging at me too. 

"What are you talking about, Anna?" I asked her.

She waved her hands-- sitting back in her seat, "Oh you foolish people," she said taking a bite of her lunch, "Of course, I'm talking about Elena not being here. Doesn't this place look like heaven to you without her?"

I looked around and actually noticed the change of mood in the cafeteria. Even her friends were quiet and sitting like they didn't exist. 

How much I wish it stayed like this.

"You speak like she's never coming back," I rolled my eyes knowing the truth.

She snorted, " You have no idea how much I wish that. Every time she is away, I always wish that she was struck with a bolt of lightning or taken away by the aliens to learn about her bitchy species."

She is straight-up spitting facts right now. This was everything everyone wanted. But Elena always comes back.

Anna beamed again and shook her head, "but as well as enjoy these few days without the bitch in school."

I hummed in response. Elena was in fact a bitch. And it was not something I was saying just because of everything she did to anyone. I was saying this from personal experience. I was saying this because of everything she did to me.

She was the reason for whatever happened between me and Ev...... Evan! I need to tell them about Evan right now.

I looked up at them in alarm. I don't want anyone to interrupt me now.

"I really need to tell you this right now."

They looked at me seriously.

"What's wrong, Mia?" Anna asked taking my hands into hers.

"Is everything fine?" Stace asked me.

I shook my head. I wish it was. I wish I had not met Evan again. But I did. And it was not fine.

"Amelia," Someone called out my name. I know that someone and how much I wish I wouldn't have known him.

Suddenly chill ran down my spine.

Anna's facial expressions changed from serious to a full-blown grin, "Hey look who's there!"

"Oh, it's Evan!" Stace mocked.

Finally, I turned around my head to look at him. He was coming here!

Oh no! No! No! No!

"You think you're going somewhere?" Damien stepped in front of him.

I sighed, Damien you are my life saviour. I turned around in my seat to face Anna and Stace again. They were looking at me with questioning eyes. I raised my eyebrow.

"Why do I see Damien stopping Evan from coming near you?" Stace asked.

"Well don't you see Stace... Damien is jealous of Evan. He doesn't want him to come near his Amelia." Anna stated.

I choked onto my saliva, " His what?!"

She nodded and then grinned at me.

But Stace pouted and said, " But I wanted Evan to come."

Oh, this girl is really planning to have a punch from me.

"I don't know but I don't like Evan much," Anna said. 

I nodded my head at her in approval. You don't have to like Evan. You shouldn't like Evan.

"And that's why I'm shipping Damien with her." Or maybe not.

I growled, "Will you both stop shipping me with them!"

"No!" They grinned. Someone remind me why are they my best friends.

I was about to turn around when three chairs were dragged to our table, and three guys sat in them. With a questioning look, I looked at them.

"It's not a public seat, I guess," I said.

"Uh-huh, you are wrong there, it is a public seat....it is not private." One of them-- the one in the middle with blonde hair-- said.

"What do you want?" I squinted my eyes at them.

"Friendship." The one on the left said.

I scoffed, "What makes you think that you'll get one?" 

"Umm, maybe the fact that you're Damien's friend, and we too are Damien's friend."

"I am not Damien's friend, so you can leave," I muttered looking away. 

People are hating on me, shipping me and now calling me his friend too. All for nothing.

"Well then, if you're not, we can still be friends." The middle guy said again. 

How much I wish to just pull his hair out right now.

Suddenly Anna and Stace interrupted."Why not, of course."

I turned to glare at them. Just like that? Someone comes and announces to be friends and they are willing to give themselves? How frivolous are they? Oh my god, such friends I have.

They both looked at me and then Anna said something which I would have not imagined in the sixteen years of my life, "You are such a fun spoiler Amelia."

I snapped my head to her. I tried to laugh, I am what? Fun spoiler? If anything I am the definition of fun. It's not every day that you come to school and are glared at by every girl, right?

"I know," Stacey added. I snapped my head to her. I opened my mouth to protest but they gave me a deadpanned look, and then Stacey motioned me to zip my mouth up.

Upset, I did what I was told to do. But the next thing I know they were already introducing themselves. 

A mental note to myself, never listening to these two girls ever again.

"Hi, I'm Valentino." The blonde one started.

"And I'm Max." The black hair guy said.

"Seriously? I have to introduce myself?" It was the guy sitting on the right, he passed his hands through his brunette hair awkwardly as he spoke for the first time since the guys arrived. And as far as I could see he was not interested in coming here but was forced to come.

I can understand how it feels, man.

Valentino smacked him in the stomach, "Yes, you have to." He glared at him.

"Fine. Fine." He rolled his eyes while holding his hands up, "I'm Shane." Then looking at Valentino, he added "Happy?"

"Very much so."

I was so engrossed in the show put up in front of me that I didn't even realise when someone came and sat beside me until,

"So what did I miss?" Damien said.

I snapped my head to look at him in surprise. He looked at me and wriggled his eyebrows. I couldn't help but make a face at him before looking around the cafeteria in search. 

 "Don't worry Li, he's not here," Damien whispered next to my ear making me jump in surprise.

I pushed him a little away because he was too close to my comfort zone. He sat back happily in his chair as I cleared my throat, "I wasn't looking for him." 

I could see him looking at me with his sparkly blue eyes-- concern taking over his features. A concern he was showing for no reason. A concern, I wasn't sure if I needed from him.

"I know he makes you uncomfortable." He said in a serious voice, " And I don't know the reason and I can wait for you to open up to me, Li. But until then, I am not sitting by idle. So you don't have to worry about him at all."

I stared at him.

"I don't think I need your help," I muttered.

Did I mean it? I am not sure. I was relieved when he came in front of Evan... But he doesn't need to know. I don't want him to take any wrong ideas.

He leaned back in his chair as he stretched his arms, "You might not need it, but it is my choice."

***

I was sitting in my room with a book in my hands when I heard a knock on the door. I glanced up from the book and saw Dad standing there in the doorway with his suit still on, letting me know that he just got back from work.

"Meet me in my room after dinner, okay?" He said. 

"Okay." I nodded my head.

After Dinner, I went straight into his room, "Dad?"

He closed the file in his hands as soon as he heard me and a smile made its way on his face, "Come here and sit princess." He said patting the seat beside him.

I went and sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed my hands together before asking, "You wanted to talk?"

I saw him taking a deep breath which only meant that he had something important.

"First of all, how are things with Evan?"

I blinked once. Twice. Thrice. Before looking around his room. I didn't want to talk about him but I could understand dad's reason for asking me. At least he knows that I dated Evan. My mom doesn't even know that, if she did she would just flip out.

"I don't really talk to him." I shrugged my shoulders.

"So, you don't want me to go and break his bones?" One would expect him to say this sentence with a hint of amusement. But there was none. He was serious. Which made it scarier.

Break his bones for breaking up with me? I cannot even imagine what he would do to him if he knows why we broke up and what he did... He'll probably be lying in a casket. 

"Uh- no. I don't think that'll help me." I tried laughing.

He nodded his head at me.

"Was that all you wanted to talk about?" I asked getting up but he stopped me.

"Obviously not." He made me sit back in my seat as he grinned at me, "Your cousin is coming to meet you."

I jumped up from my seat. FINALLY! Finally, something good in these many days. My ears were begging to hear some good news and meeting one of my cousins would be the best.

"Who is coming? Bella, Emily... STEWARD?" I asked excitedly. I loved all of them so much.

"Joey."

Okay..., maybe except him.

The smile and excitement in me died the second I heard his name. So much cruelty for my ears, when they finally had a hope that there was a piece of good news, bam... it definitely had to go down the drain because this was Amelia's life.

"Are you kidding?" I asked still numb from the news.

"I have no reason to." I saw him shrug his shoulders at me.

"Dad! You know how troublesome he is." I cried stomping my feet on the floor, "The last time he visited us, there was not a single day he didn't prank me. I had an itching body for two days! Doesn't that prove anything to you?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, "Cousins do this with each other. It just tells how much comfortable he is with you."

"Comfortable my foot!" I growled.

"Language Amelia," Dad warned.

"But Dad, he can't come. Please tell him he can't come, or else," I wracked my brain for a good enough reason,  "I'll leave home!" 

Was that the best I could come up with? What a shame.

"Oh honey, I'm sorry but the tickets have already been booked and I can't do anything." Of all the time here in this room, he decided that it was amusing now as he tried suppressing his smile, "So, where do you think you're going to live? Maybe you'll need some money?"

I groaned, curling my hands into a fist, "You know I won't leave home and you're taking advantage of that."

He put his hands up in surrender and smiled, "Oops, the damage is already done, princess."

I squinted my eyes at him before storming out of the room.

"Night!" I yelled before slamming the door shut.

"Goodnight Princess." I heard him chuckle.

I stomped my way to my room and jumped on my bed.  I think there was rather less stress in my life that Joey got the invitation too.

An invitation saying, Hey, you're welcome to make Amelia's life a living hell. Level One, the new guy. Level two, the hated ex. And level three, the problematic cousin. Let's see if she can survive!

I couldn't help but sigh and check my phone for three messages. I opened the first one,

Evan

Goodnight 'Li'

I stared at the message for a while contemplating if I should reply to him or not. But because nothing more could go worse I just decided to reply to him.

Me

Goodnight 'Evan'.

He was quick as he texted back.

Evan

Look Amelia I don't know how to say this but, I'm really sorry for what I did, I'll do anything to get your trust back and...our friendship.

I didn't reply to this message, cause frankly even  I don't know what to say. As much as I want to forget about that incident, I can't. It's like the more I try the more difficult it becomes.

I opened the second message.

Damien

Goodnight Li:)

Me

Goodnight Damien.

I was about to go back and check the last message when Damien texted back.

Damien

You haven't slept yet?

Me

Amelia? Naah, she is fast asleep beside me. She is snoring too... it's just me, the ghost in her room.

Damien

Really? I would really love to see her snoring, can you send me a video? Or a pic can do too? 

Me

Jerk.

Damien

Hahaha, I was just kidding... Night:)

Me

Night:)

I opened the last message,

Joey

Hey Amelia, heard the news?

Me

I am not sure what you are talking about.

Joey

Of me coming? Mr Woods didn't tell you? Well, that's surprising.

Me

He did. I am just choosing to ignore it.

Joey

Aw. Don't be like this. I know you like me.

Me

Nooo? Who is spreading the false news?

Joey

Not changed a bit, have we?

Me

Nope (grinning)

Joey

Nice for me, Apple pie.

Me

When will you stop calling me that? I am already grown up.

Joey

I don't know. Maybe when you die?

Me

Funny.

Joey

Hey it is, okay? And you should laugh when someone older than you cracks a joke.

Me

Yeah, one week old. Such a long time.

Joey

Hey, one week is a lot of time. And it doesn't change the fact that I'm the older one.

Me

Yeah, whatever. Goodnight. I hope your plane crashes only for you to survive with an itch all over your body.

Joey

Ouch, that hurt! But your wish won't be fulfilled. Goodnight Apple pie;)

Great, just great now there would be Joey too to drill holes into my Brain. How can one sleep in such a situation? Tips, please.

__