Fated

That night Jev wanted me to stay at his place. Before anyone was awake at my cousin’s place Jev dropped me over so I could get ready for school and then he could drop me to school. He’d told me that from now on he would be dropping and picking me up from school as much as he could because he couldn’t risk anything happening to me. As I was walking to my room Susanne came out of her bedroom looking like she had been crying. She ran to me and hugged me so tight, I felt like I was getting crushed. “Umm…Susanne, are you ok?” I asked trying to get some air into my lungs.

“Oh Ari, I don’t know what to say. I’m so happy because I’m getting married. Can you believe it? Ethan finally proposed to me this morning. This is the best birthday gift ever!” She said while sobbing with excitement while I tried to get out of her grip.

“Wow, congrats and happy birthday.” I had totally forgotten it was her birthday that I hadn’t even bought her a gift. That’s what I’m going to do before I get to school, get her a present. I thought to myself. “I’m really happy for the two of you,” I said honestly.

“I am too; I really can’t wait to start planning for the wedding and I want you to help me. But first we need to celebrate. Maybe we should go out for dinner as a family tonight, what do you say?”

“Yeah, sure we totally should,” I said.

“Cool so that’s sorted…oh shoot, I’m going to be late for work and you’re going to be late for school missy. Go get ready, I’ll get breakfast ready.” She steered me away.

I walked into my room and saw Ethan sitting on my bed with his head in his hands.

“Congrats, I heard you finally proposed.” I said with a smile on my face trying not to make the situation awkward. He looked up at me and said, “Thanks, but where were you last night Ariana?”

“I was at Jev’s place because…” Ethan interrupted me, “because of this?” He held the note that I received last night up in the air. “You should have told me about this because this is serious. We need to talk about the stuff that’s going on in your life and what will be happening but not now, but we will talk about this,” he said firmly.

“I’m sorry about last night but please don’t ruin this for Susanne, not today.”

“I know, but this is important as well because your life is about to change like it did for me and every one of us,” then he stands up and walks out of my room.

That was strange I think to myself. In the 5 years I’ve been living with him he’s never cared about me. He’s never even hugged me or said anything to make me feel better when he saw me crying ever night after my parent’s death, why now? I quickly take a shower and get dressed while all these thoughts run through my mind. I tie my long black hair in a pony tail and walk out of my room and into the kitchen. We all sit at the dining table and have breakfast with Susanne chatting away with Ethan about the wedding and occasionally telling me that I cannot escape from the preparations. I look at my watch and tell Ethan and Susanne that I’m going to leave now but before I walk out the door Ethan stops me and says that he’ll drive me to school but before he even get out of his chair Jev shouts out my name from his motorbike. Ethan looks at the window then and smiles and mumbles to himself, “guess I don’t have to protect her with him by her side.” I smile back at him and say, “I heard that.” Susanne looks at both of us with a confused expression as I walk out of the house. Jev and Ethan get along really well. They always stick up for each other especially Jev, after listening to all my complaints about Ethan of how heartless he is and so on.

“Breaking news…Mister Ethan Slade cares about his cuz and thinks that my life is about to change.” I announce to Jev as we’re riding to school, “he even offered to drive me to school and ohh he proposed to Susanne this morning which reminds me,I need to buy her a gift because it’s her birthday today.” I add at the end because I almost forgot, again.

“It’s all been taken care of; I mean the gift and about Ethan, well I always told you he had a soft spot for you even though he doesn’t show it.”

“Yeah, yeah you would know because you two are like brothers.” We bickered all the way till we finally reached school. Jev dropped me at the parking lot, hugged me and whispered, “take care and be aware of everything that goes on around you, I’ll pick you up after school.”

“Okay bye, have a good day at work and don’t worry about me I can take care of myself.” I said, then gave him a peck on the cheek.

I walked into the school gates and saw the 3 Barbie dolls all dressed in identical outfits glaring at me. I walked past them but Chloe stopped me by calling me a slut. I faced her and said, “What did you just call me?”

“I called you a slut, freak. I don’t even understand why a guy like that would like a girl like you, in fact I don’t understand why any guy would like you, full-stop.” She said while looking at where Jev was standing with his bike minutes ago. “Sorry, your highness for pissing your royal ass off, but in case you haven’t noticed I’m not obsessed with anything that’s of the opposite sex that I'll start making out with them. So how about you mind your own business and I mind mine, Barbie girl.” I said and walked away as I heard one of her friends say, “I can’t believe she just said that,” while someone else said, “It’s true you know, you’re more the slut she is,” and I heard others laugh. Man, that chick gets to my nerves, not only mine but also others' nerves.

I walk to my locker, grab my stuff and head to my first class, Human Biology. Mr.Parr our human bio teacher stands at the door greeting all his students as they walk into class. “Morning Miss Slade.”

“Morning,” I say and walk into the class, and sit in my usual spot at the back of the classroom. Someone sits on the chair next to mine and says, “Hi, I’m Cayden. Do you mind if I sit here? I'm kinda new to this school.” I look at the guy sitting next to me and take in all his perfect features. He’s really tall, maybe about 6 feet, he’s got amazing brown eyes with long lashes, longish brown hair, tanned skin and a smile playing on his face, which I've all seen before...

“Shit,” I said out loud.