Chapter 12 - Bumping Into Trouble... Literally!
One thing you should never do when you need to stay out of attention. Do. Not. Run. Seriously, Just Look where you're going!
I tried to act indifferent when Sky asked me if I finally saw them.
"I can see the stars" I started to chant but then Sky elbowed me. "Okay, okay" I pretended to scan the area. "I see a cloud in the shape of pizza!" Now I looked fascinated at the sky. When she looked pissed off I acted like I was thinking hard "Oh my God are these twins!" I finally said for her sake. "Have you never seen twins in your life, Skyler?" I teased. To my dismay, she looked satisfied with my answer. "We should go talk to them. At least until Jason and his friend come." She tugged on my shirt. I looked at her trying to figure a way to discourage the idea.
"No, you go. I'll get some food." I finally said. Because who would dare say no and come between a girl and her hungriness. Sky shrugged so I hurried to pass by Ron and his twin, Ross and then I would be safe.
The only flaw in this brilliant plan was that I didn't dare to look up so I wouldn't catch their eyes.
I bumped into something hard and almost fell down. Strong arms snaked around my waist to keep me from falling. I looked up to see Ron! Oh damn! Why of all things in the whole world I bumped into him? Why did he look so hot from here?
"Nice of you to bump in." He smirked, letting go of me. I felt heat creeping up my neck to my face, don't you dare blush.
"Excuse me!" I snapped while he stared into my eyes. Too late for not trying to blush. Now it was my turn for a cocky remark. At least I could still save face that way. "Why are you staring? Staring isn't good you know!" He shrugged. But kept his intense stare. "Like what you see?" I crossed my arms like a scolding mother.
"Would you think I'm a weirdo if I said yes!" He grinned.
"Yes weirdo, now excuse me." I tried to walk away from him but he blocked my way, stretching his arm. Just when did he become that annoying? Where was my sweet Ron?
"Wait up sugar." Too much for trying to escape before Sky could attract their attention to us. I think I could do the job just as well!
"Who do you think you are to call me that?" I narrowed my eyes at him. Couldn't he get the picture?
"I'm Ron and you?" Cinnamon! Haha!
"Don't know you to tell you my name. You are a total stranger!" I started walking away but once again he blocked my way.
"We're not totally strangers. I met you before." No, you didn't. "Besides... maybe we are perfect Strangers!" I raised a brow. "Now c'mon just say it. Or should I guess?" "Go away!"
"You look like a Shana!" He smiled, his smile disarming.
"What kind of name is that?" I snorted.
"It means a rose. So pretty but with thorns... especially with that deep red blush." Would it be too much if I cursed him? No, I guess not.
"Take care then, or those thorns will hurt you," I said in a threatening voice, that didn't sound too convincing even to me. Mental note: I had to train my threatening skills on Loca and lan more! Just then Sky came along with Ross, Jason and Adam. That was the friend Jason was getting? Seriously!
"Elena! Look who I found!" Sky chanted, that happy tone would be the reason I sucked her blood if I ever turned into a vampire! Ron hummed. "You're Ron?"
"The one and only!" He replied. "I see you met the worse version of me."
"Hey! I'm way better!" Ross argued. This reminded me of a certain pair of twins. Always arguing about pretty much everything. They are like water and hot coal, put them together and there will be hissing with smoke of angriness. I shook my head at the memory of the countless times I caught then fighting over literally nothing. Just for the sake of arguing!
"Okay everyone now. So Ron, Ross, Jason, Adam, Elena, and I'm Skyler. Any questions? No good. Now, Eli, weren't you hungry? Let's all go get something to bite." Sky said in one breath. They all murmured their agreement and started walking. Hello! I was still here, and I did *not* want to go anywhere. But you shouldn't ditch your friend, right?
"Sky, do you think I will be a bad friend if I ditched you?" I whispered in her ear.
"Depends. Is this an emergency? And if it is then you're coming to Alice's party with me."
"Alice who?" Please, don't be the Alice I never want to see again in my life.
"Alice in Wonderland."
"What? You want to go to the movies?"
"No Eli, stop playing dumb. You're smart. Alice the blond cheerleader." Well, I couldn't say I didn't see this coming.
"No, I can't." For many reasons. But the two main ones were that, one I hate the girl, two Cinnamon has to be somewhere.
"Then you can't ditch me now, and especially now!" She said but I saw something foreign in her eyes. Worry. What could possibly make her worry? I sighed, she smiled in return and retreated to walk between Ross and Adam engaging in an animated conversation.
"Shana sounded better than Elena. But Elena is nice too." Kill me now.
"Aren't you tired of annoying me yet?"
"We're just getting started, no way I'm done." He laughed. A long throaty laugh. Damn, why did he have to make that cute sound? How would I act normal around him when I'm Cinnamon!
"Can you hear that?" He eyed me suspiciously, I raise a brow so he shook his head. "Exactly! That's the sound of you being silent."
"That sounds dull. Maybe we could sing all the way to the restaurant."
"That's brilliant! Okay, follow along whenever you're ready!" I said in fake enthusiasm. "Twinkle twinkle little star." He suppressed a smile. "I wanna hit you with my car." His eyes widened, his whole demeanour made me want to continue and there was no stopping me. "Throw you off a tree so high, hope you break your neck and die." I chanted grinning.
"Suffer suffer scream in pain, hope you'll never breathe again. I think that's how they said it in that movie Sky made me watch." Jason shuddered and fell to pace just beside me so now I was walking with Ron on one side and Jason on the other side. I chuckled lightly trying to imagine his struggle with Sky.
"Isn't that the movie with monsters in it?" Ron asked.
"Ooh! Someone is a cartoon fan." I teased.
"I do watch it sometimes." He said. Just then I realized, I'd known Ron for a long time but I never asked him what he liked. We never even talked like two proper people. Always staying professional and crossing no boundaries. Maybe this was my chance to get to know him better. Without Cinnamon's mask! Actually, it was time to learn more about everyone!
So we went to a restaurant and the things I learnt were:
Sky was acting weird all day.
It might have to do with either Ross or Adam.
Ron has an older sister who's married
According to Ross, Ron had a serious addiction to any dessert containing lemons.
Also that he gained this addiction when they went on a trip to Paris and Ron had crêpe au citron.
Sky claimed Jason only pretends to dislike cartoons but he actually loves them. (Of course not as much as her!)
We talked about other random things including Ron's passion for music, Ross's love for cooking, which led to me mentioning how good daddy's cooking was, but then he promised his would be even better. I would be the judge of that! And then Sky mentioned how she wanted to be just like mom. Which led us to talking about my family. Then she started giving Ross some fashion advice. Adam told us that he was thinking of getting another tattoo. Just where would he put it? His whole body was inked! While Jason was playing the role of the jokester tonight, keeping the mode light. That was the nearest thing to normal I'd ever experienced!
But it couldn't last long because now, I had to get ready for that interview!