43Edited: Well, this is an edited version of this chapter, but I only added about two sentences for detail. So for those of you who've read it before, don't worry about a thing. For new readers, ignore this!
Chapter One
"I'm a little teapot, short and stout."
Oh no. Oh no. Oh no, no, no.
"Here is my handle. Here is my spout."
Oh please, please, please don't let this be happening.
"When I get all steamed up, then I shout: tip me over and pour me out!"
It was happening. My little sister was singing about teapots! And that meant…
"Your turn sissy!" My little sister smiled up happily at me.
"I'm a little teapot, short and stout. Here is my handle. Here is my spout. When I get all steamed up, then I shout: tip me over and pour me out!"
Of course I sang. It's my sister. You can't not sing. But now Sadie would never let me live it down. No, now I had sung about being a little teapot. I was doomed to be teased by Sadie for the rest of the week.
"Beautiful! Just beautiful. Mindy, marvelous job at the beginning. Aria, oh, Aria!" Here we go. The teasing. While my five year old sister would be glowing with pride, I'd be hiding in the attic, cowering with shame. Because Sadie is my best friend. And best friends will tease you until they have overdone it.
"Such a wonderful voice! I'll go tell everyone at school. You are just the cutest little teapot." Sadie smiled that devilish smile of hers. The attic. I needed to get to the attic. Sit in there with three good books, a bunch of cookies, and a lot of lemonade.
"Honestly, you are just too modest with your voice." That much was true. I was a good singer. I don't like saying that though. Not that I usually sang in front of anyone. But honestly, did I have to sing that song in front of her?
"Oh shut it already…" I muttered.
"I'm gonna go see if Mama made cookies. Bye sissy. Bye Sadie." My little sister waved, her blond pigtails bouncing up and down with each step. Cute little Mindy. Sadie stretched and looked at the clock.
Five thirty in the morning. It was time to get ready for school. Normal Friday mornings were not usually spent singing about being a teapot while my best friend mocked me. But last night was a sleepover with Sadie, and Mindy had to choose today to wake up super early. And now it was too late to go hide in the attic.
With a sigh, I moodily walked to the bathroom while Sadie gathered up all of her things. She was going to rush back home. She lived across the street from me, so it wasn't that hard. School. An emotional rollercoaster. But home when Sadie was around wasn't exactly a walk in the park either.
About an hour later I was sitting on the bus. Alone, I might add. Kristina Cook, the new girl at Opal Views High School, had stolen Sadie away. I could hear them talking and giggling in the seat behind me. But it was just as well. I could read my book more peacefully alone.
Being alone was something I had been used to. When Sadie came last year, that had been a bit of a break from the loner lifestyle. But Kristina had come last week, and with her my old life. Better for Sadie anyway. She'd probably be better off with someone as friendly as she was.
And someone as pretty as she was.
I consider myself pretty average looking, if not worse. I had pale skin, glasses, long blond hair that was constantly tied in a ponytail, and dull blue eyes. I always wore baggy hoodies, jeans, and sneakers. I was 5' 3" and was constantly slouching.
Sadie had golden, tan skin, shoulder-length, wavy brown hair, and dark brown eyes. She had no usual outfit, being the fashionista that she was. She was 5' 7" and constantly standing tall with her head held high. Honestly, I'm surprised we even became friends. I was a quiet bookworm and she was an outgoing, social girl.
My thoughts were disrupted as the bus slowed to a stop. The irritated voice of Mr. Mathews, the bus driver, filled my ears.
"Hey Mr. Scott, would it kill you to be on time? And at the bus stop?" I looked up from my book and saw Zachary Scott. The star of the basketball team. Currently a very popular boy at school, and the most popular sophomore at school. Often known as Mr. Super Hottie. Ugh. Such time wasted gawking over him. I preferred reading a good book.
He had sleek black hair the curled in just the right way over his ears and the back of his neck. His dark blue eyes were the color of the ocean. His lightly tanned skin was smooth looking. Like me, he had a usual outfit. A black leather jacket, a t-shirt, and jeans. That was him.
"Sorry," Zachary began to walk to the back where his familiar friends were waiting.
"Oh no, mister. I'm not dealing with you and your bunch yelling at the top of your lungs the entire ride. Sit next to her," Mr. Mathews said. I watched in horror as he pointed at me.
"Mr. Mathews!" It took a lot to make me whine. But here I was. Whining. Zach—as he was often called— looked at me in surprise. Because a girl looking upset by the prospect of sitting by him was surprising.
"Sorry Aria, but you're the only one I can put him with so he won't bother me too much." He looked apologetic and I sighed.
"Fine," I muttered. He was popular with the students. Not so much with the staff. I was pretty much the opposite. And despite all those cheesy pick up lines saying that opposites attract, we went together as well as oil and water. Or at least I assume so. Me being… well, me, and him being a super popular person who thinks I'm invisible, we don't mingle enough for me to actually know.
Zach sat down beside me grumpily, and I opened my book. Just because he was here didn't mean I wasn't going to read. Or so I thought.
"Stupid bus driver, am I right?" I closed my book again. Clearly, this was not the bus ride I'd be finishing my book on.
"Mr. Mathews is simply making it so it is a better situation to drive in," I said. He looked at me as if he was surprised I had disagreed with him.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Aria," I said. He smiled the smile that made other girls swoon.
"That's a nice name," he said. Zachary Scott was trying to win me over. I was most likely a dent in his gigantic ego. Well, too bad.
"What do you want?" I snapped. Zach looked taken aback.
"Just trying to make conversation," he said.
"Well, quit it. I'd prefer peace and quiet." He glared at me as I dug around in my backpack, looking for a nice place to put away my book.
"What's your problem?" he snapped.
"You are. Isn't that obvious?" He glared at me even more angrily.
"What the hell? Why?"
"Because you're so freaking cocky. And every single girl drools all over you constantly. It's stupid. There are so many better things to do with my time. Honestly, you're a pain to hear about. And I hear about you all the time." I met his glare with a cool gaze of my own. I almost felt the urge to smile. To think Zachary Scott was so easily toyed with.
"Well at least I'm interesting enough to be worth hearing." Trying to push my buttons. Whatever.
"I'm not interested in your little argument. So I'm ignoring you starting now." I turned away and
faced the window.
"Aria! Geez, you're crazy!" I saw Sadie behind me, shaking her head in shame.
"Hey," Zach smiled at her.
"What do you mean?" I asked. Sadie ignored me.
"I'm sorry about Aria, Zach. She acts like a nut sometimes," she said. She called me a nut. My best friend.
"More like all the time," Kristina added. Sadie glanced at Kristina uncomfortably, but she sighed.
"Yeah. She's stupid sometimes," Sadie said. Zach just smiled, casting a devious look in my direction.
"It's fine." I felt the bus slow to a stop.
She called me stupid. She agreed that I acted like a nut all the time. Alone and messing around is one thing, but what she did was not cool. Not something a best friend would do. I hopped out of my seat, running for the bus doors. They wouldn't open fast enough for my tastes.
I ran. I ran as fast as my feet could take me. I ran to the library and hid in the most secluded corner. Stupid Zach. Stupid Kristina. Stupid Sadie. This is why I liked to be alone.
Boys are dumb. Life lesson.