Falling For The Playboy

He went silent after that. The message was seen, but he wasn’t typing back. Had he grown bored with the conversation? Good for me anyway. I didn’t have to speak to him unnecessarily. Besides, I had already explained my liking his picture and video calling him. He could choose to believe or not, it was up to him.

I put the phone away, picking my book up instead to continue reading. I took the page marker out, it was very handy, and picked up where I last stopped. I wasn’t even halfway through with the novel and that was depressing. Yes, I had only just started reading it yesterday and I hadn’t had much time to continue reading today between school and the driving lesson I’d taken with my foster mom -I was learning to drive!-, but it was sad still because I considered myself a fast reader.

The book might be the issue. It was so….. boring. When I picked it from the library, I had thought I was going to be reading a fictional story about the bird, but all I kept seeing were more and more historical facts. It felt like a mini history textbook. Except about a bird.

I developed a sudden fascination with the bird as I read and I couldn’t really point out why. Maybe because the Phoenix was an enduring symbol of resilience and renewal. Never bested my hardship or defeated by death, the Phoenix was the ultimate icon of hope and rebirth.

And maybe, just maybe, I craved my own rebirth.

When my phone pinged with an incoming message, the speed with which I dumped the novel, not even bothering to bookmark it, and dove for my phone, surprised even me. The reason was simply because it wasn’t an interesting book. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I had been awaiting Axel’s message. Not at all.

Pick up the call.

I frowned. I was about to ask him which call when a video call came in. I quickly declined, my heart rate increasing.

Why?

I asked all nonchalant, like he hadn’t just given me a mini heart attack. He replied just as fast.

Why else do people do video calls?

I want to see your face, Einstein.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

My breath caught. I noticed that it happened a lot whenever I was talking to him. Yet another reason why I shouldn’t be talking to him. But did I heed my own advice? No, I did not.

You saw my face in school barely two hours ago.

He had. Although we hadn’t really talked.  It had been a see-him-and-run  situation for me.  I had been sweaty as hell from all the school work I’d done and smelled bad. I told myself I would die before talking to him within close distance at the time.

Two hours = two 3/4 years in my world.

Another call came in and I declined it again, sending him a quick ‘no’ before turning off my WiFi. He was going to give me a heart attack if I didn’t.

My stomach growled angrily, reminding me that I hadn’t taken anything in since I came back from school because I had been so excited to finish the book. Now that I couldn’t find it in me anymore to even open the book, the hunger ate at me.

I carefully kept the book in my bag, ready to return it back to the library on Monday. I would find another book, preferably from my favorite genre, romance. But I couldn’t regret collecting this book in the first place, it had gotten me to know about the mythical bird that might just be my spirit animal after all.

Pushing my door open, I peeked out into the hallway. Zoe wasn’t in. I knew that because her car wasn’t in the driveway. She drove a black Mercedes CLA. Fancy and classy. Just like her.

Abi was in though, and from the faint voices drifting from her room as I passed, I could tell she had company. Laura, most definitely. She was the only one that ever visited her. She had been pissed on my behalf when she heard about the incident with Zoe. Laura, not Abi. She thought Zoe took it too far to slap me. Abi did too, but she wouldn’t say more on the matter.

There were several meals in the kitchen for me to choose from, but I was in the mood for snacks. I opened the overhead cupboard, rummaging around in it before bringing out a pack of cornflakes. With the right amount of water, sugar and milk, it was everything.

I poured a hefty amount into a dish I grabbed from the plate rack, added the milk and sugar then dove into it. The taste was nothing short of heavenly.

After eating, washing the dish, and replacing it in the rack, I climbed back upstairs. I paused in the living room, wondering if I should stay and watch a movie, but I had a TV in my room so I could watch whatever I wanted there. I also didn’t want to be in the living room when Zoe came back. It would be so awkward.

Laura was standing just outside Abi’s room, about to enter when she saw me coming. She stopped.

“Hey, I was just looking for you. ”

“I went downstairs to get something. What’s up? ”

It goes without saying that I was a lot comfortable with both Abi and Laura now. A far cry from the shy girl I’d been when Laura talked to me for the first time. I wasn’t used to her openness at the time, but now, I found it funny.

“Come on. ” she pulled me into Abi’s room, kicking the door shut with the heel of her sneaker.

I stood there, leaning on her pristine white walls with my arms folded, looking between the both of them expectantly. Knowing Laura, she was probably about to set me up.

“I need you to help me convince Abi to go to Dare’s party. ”

I sighed. Thought as much.

“If she doesn’t want to go then I can’t force her to. ” I reasoned.