Status: I really shouldn't have made another story. It's going to be slow updates after the first chapter...
Loathing
Introduction
*
Riley Stone hid herself from him, hiding behind her blonde locks as she focused on the teacher. Ms. Bracken continued to explain the proper ways to write a business letter, which they had learned several times but which never seemed to stick, and Riley began to space out again. Through the curtain of her hair, she glanced at the brunette with unruly hair who sat three seats away.
Eric Miller.
Just thinking his name sent a shiver up her spine. And even if it was a good sensation to her, she knew she shouldn’t feel this way about him. There was a deep-set familial hate of her family for his, starting back when her grandfather was in love with the woman who was Eric’s grandmother now. In her family, it was said that lies were spread about something that her grandfather had never done, and it caused Eric’s grandmother to leave him. All of that was in the past now, though!
Yet her family still hated his, save her.
“I loathe you,” she often told him matter-of-factly, or in mock anger. But when I say “I loathe you”, Eric, I’m really saying, “I’m in love with you”.
This loathing began when they were eighth graders and she was fascinated with the word. The fascination with the word wore off, but by their sophomore year in high school, she still loved telling him she loathed him because ‘loathe’ sounded so close to ‘love’. Telling him she still loathed him was the closest she could get, in sound, to telling him that she loved him. After all, they were in many of the same classes, and if her teachers heard her civilly speak with him, she knew they would immediately report it to her father.
Her father, the headmaster of Stone Academy.
Headmaster Stone would know immediately if his beloved daughter got too close to that Miller boy. All but a few of the teachers were Stone relatives, and even if they didn’t treat the Miller kids any different, they still didn’t want the Stone children to associate with them. And they especially didn’t want another Stone to fall in love with another Miller - or soon-to-be Miller - like Riley’s grandfather.
Again, Riley tried to focus on her great-great aunt’s great granddaughter - she didn’t know what relation that was to her - but again, she was bored by the lecture on the correct way to write a business letter, and stole another peek at Eric.
*
Eric Miller could feel her eyes on him. It wasn’t as though it was unusual, for they often stared at each other covertly, the actions obvious only to each other. To any outsider, the quick little glances or the long, lingering, longing gazes would seem like glares of hatred. It only proved that people around them didn’t know how to correctly interpret the things that they saw on a daily basis.
It’s all because of my grandmother and her grandfather, he thought, biting back a sigh. But when Riley said she loathed him, “I loathe you, too”, were the words on the tip of his tongue, always left unsaid.
He tapped his pencil agitatedly, once, twice, three times on his desk before the teacher - some sort of Stone relation - cast a warning glance at him. He stopped, flashing Ms. Bracken a grin. She just rolled her eyes and returned to the lecture. And again, he felt the piercing gaze of Riley on him. He kept his eyes forward, even though he wanted to return the gaze, to show her that he loved her, too.
Oh, yes, he knew she was in love with him. He wasn’t sure exactly when her “I loathe you”s changed to “I love you”, but he noticed the subtle softness it turned into after the realization had hit her. And he knew he loved her too. He didn’t know how, but he just knew what the feeling was. It made him warm and fuzzy inside, as clichéd as such a description might be, and he wouldn’t change it.
The warm fuzzy feeling, however, ran cold when he had his wits about him well enough to recall what separated the two of them.
A lie, back in the time when their grandparents were in love with each other - his grandmother and her grandfather. The lie caused a deep abyss between the Miller and Stone families, where there had been an easy going friendship before. And so they were ripped ever further apart, unable - or unwilling? - to cross the line for each other. Even though they were in love.
And then there was Headmaster Stone.
He, of course, was her father. And he stuck to the real loathing between the families. Headmaster Stone was the firmest believer in the hate of the Stones for the Millers, Eric knew, and if he and Riley were ever brave enough to come together he knew that her father would find some way to tear them apart.
He let out a soft sigh this time, not biting it back, and cast the girl a glance when he knew she wasn’t looking.
*
Fate is such a cruel thing.
*
Riley Stone hid herself from him, hiding behind her blonde locks as she focused on the teacher. Ms. Bracken continued to explain the proper ways to write a business letter, which they had learned several times but which never seemed to stick, and Riley began to space out again. Through the curtain of her hair, she glanced at the brunette with unruly hair who sat three seats away.
Eric Miller.
Just thinking his name sent a shiver up her spine. And even if it was a good sensation to her, she knew she shouldn’t feel this way about him. There was a deep-set familial hate of her family for his, starting back when her grandfather was in love with the woman who was Eric’s grandmother now. In her family, it was said that lies were spread about something that her grandfather had never done, and it caused Eric’s grandmother to leave him. All of that was in the past now, though!
Yet her family still hated his, save her.
“I loathe you,” she often told him matter-of-factly, or in mock anger. But when I say “I loathe you”, Eric, I’m really saying, “I’m in love with you”.
This loathing began when they were eighth graders and she was fascinated with the word. The fascination with the word wore off, but by their sophomore year in high school, she still loved telling him she loathed him because ‘loathe’ sounded so close to ‘love’. Telling him she still loathed him was the closest she could get, in sound, to telling him that she loved him. After all, they were in many of the same classes, and if her teachers heard her civilly speak with him, she knew they would immediately report it to her father.
Her father, the headmaster of Stone Academy.
Headmaster Stone would know immediately if his beloved daughter got too close to that Miller boy. All but a few of the teachers were Stone relatives, and even if they didn’t treat the Miller kids any different, they still didn’t want the Stone children to associate with them. And they especially didn’t want another Stone to fall in love with another Miller - or soon-to-be Miller - like Riley’s grandfather.
Again, Riley tried to focus on her great-great aunt’s great granddaughter - she didn’t know what relation that was to her - but again, she was bored by the lecture on the correct way to write a business letter, and stole another peek at Eric.
*
Eric Miller could feel her eyes on him. It wasn’t as though it was unusual, for they often stared at each other covertly, the actions obvious only to each other. To any outsider, the quick little glances or the long, lingering, longing gazes would seem like glares of hatred. It only proved that people around them didn’t know how to correctly interpret the things that they saw on a daily basis.
It’s all because of my grandmother and her grandfather, he thought, biting back a sigh. But when Riley said she loathed him, “I loathe you, too”, were the words on the tip of his tongue, always left unsaid.
He tapped his pencil agitatedly, once, twice, three times on his desk before the teacher - some sort of Stone relation - cast a warning glance at him. He stopped, flashing Ms. Bracken a grin. She just rolled her eyes and returned to the lecture. And again, he felt the piercing gaze of Riley on him. He kept his eyes forward, even though he wanted to return the gaze, to show her that he loved her, too.
Oh, yes, he knew she was in love with him. He wasn’t sure exactly when her “I loathe you”s changed to “I love you”, but he noticed the subtle softness it turned into after the realization had hit her. And he knew he loved her too. He didn’t know how, but he just knew what the feeling was. It made him warm and fuzzy inside, as clichéd as such a description might be, and he wouldn’t change it.
The warm fuzzy feeling, however, ran cold when he had his wits about him well enough to recall what separated the two of them.
A lie, back in the time when their grandparents were in love with each other - his grandmother and her grandfather. The lie caused a deep abyss between the Miller and Stone families, where there had been an easy going friendship before. And so they were ripped ever further apart, unable - or unwilling? - to cross the line for each other. Even though they were in love.
And then there was Headmaster Stone.
He, of course, was her father. And he stuck to the real loathing between the families. Headmaster Stone was the firmest believer in the hate of the Stones for the Millers, Eric knew, and if he and Riley were ever brave enough to come together he knew that her father would find some way to tear them apart.
He let out a soft sigh this time, not biting it back, and cast the girl a glance when he knew she wasn’t looking.
*
Fate is such a cruel thing.
*
♠ ♠ ♠
Chapter one of Loathing.It's a short, introductory sort of thing. I hope it's not too horrible.
Can you tell it's sort of a Romeo/Juliet style relationship? It's more like the real Romeo and Juliet than the story I intentionally based off of Romeo and Juliet (We Don't Have to be a Tragedy). I'm kind of looking forward to writing this one, but I need to finish some of my multiple stories before I really work on this.
So, if you like this, I'd appreciate it if you told me. If you think there's something I can do better? I'd appreciate the knowledge of that, too. If you hate this story from the very bottom of your heart...? Well, you can keep that one to yourself. :)
Anywho, thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.
<333 Amanda
(The <333 is my traditional Author's Notes ending, for any new readers of mine.)