Believe

Chapter Seven of Believe: An Unsteady Friendship

“Earth to Gabriella!” I heard I voice say as a hand went across my line of vision. I started and looked up to see all of my friends staring at me. We were all sitting in our usual chairs in first hour.


         “What?” I asked as I looked around at all my friends. I was the only one who wasn’t really paying attention to Melissa, per usual.


         “We asked you about a thousand times what is up with Euan? He has been really quiet almost all week. He didn’t even say a word when Melissa asked him how his weekend went.” Jean fixed me with a penetrating stare. ‘Did you have anything to do with it?”


         “Me!” I exclaimed. “I don’t even talk to him, how could I have possibly caused his problem?”


         “What did I tell you at your house, Gabby? He knows I am one of your friends so if he hates you, he hates me. Don’t you want me to be happy?” Melissa pouted slightly. I gritted my teeth angrily. I did not have to do anything for Melissa and her dating Euan was the last thing on the face of the planet I wanted right now.


         I nodded as my response and went back to thinking what I had before Jean had interrupted. I still didn’t understand what I had seen in the woods on Saturday. Matt had never really answered my question when I had asked him exactly what Euan had been doing. What could he have possible been doing? I guess he could have been meditating or something like that, but why would he go all the way into the middle of the woods just to do that? It all didn’t make since and it made me more confused then I been had before.


         “I guess you don’t have to worry about date do you? You always have Matt.” Melissa continued to pout. “You already had a date to the Winter Formal. Don’t you care about your friends who don’t have dates?”


         “Winter Formal?” I looked up at Melissa confused. I hadn’t heard anything about a Winter Formal.


         “Yeah,” Jean piped up. “We have one every year. It’s kinda like a homecoming.”


         “Do you mean to say Matt hasn’t asked you yet?” Melissa asked in mock surprise then giggled at my blank expression.


“No, he hasn’t said anything about it.” I looked at Melissa trying my best not to say anything to upset her. What was she trying to get out of me?


         “Well, the student council hasn’t made the official announcement yet, but we decided on it about a week ago and Matt is Junior class president. I thought he would have asked you by now.” Melissa did her stupid hair-flip thing and started flirting with Ryan. I watched Blaire’s face turn red. She had been talking to Ryan for a couple weeks now, but Melissa continued to flirt with him. She didn’t care if Blaire liked him or not.


         “I’m sure that Matt is just waiting for the announcement, he’ll ask you then. I am sure of it.” McKenna patted my shoulder and turned to talk to Blaire.





         We were seated in our fourth hour class when the announcements I had been dreading came from the intercom at the front of the classroom.


         “Good day Deadstone Creek High!” The peppy voice of Ms. Nesbit rang across the room. “Have we got some great news for you! The basketball team advanced to the final round against Jefferson High and the game is tonight at seven p.m. Go Badgers! In other news the school has decided on a theme for this year’s Winter Formal. The theme is Frosting! So no matter what you are wearing make sure you add some ‘frosting’ to your outfit. Only a couple more things, the Spanish Club will be meeting after school in room 216 to discuss Spanish National Honor Society and fundraising for this year’s trip to Barcelona. Also, whoever keyed Principle Dwight’s car needs to turn themselves in immediately. If you have any clues regarding who is responsible, please come to the office. That is all for today and remember have a nice day, and if you can’t…have a day.”


         The intercom clicked off, signaling the end of announcements. I rolled my eyes at Ms. Nesbit’s parting wisdom. She said it every single day, I never really understood why. I tried to look at everyone in the classroom before looking at my friends. A couple guys in the back were high fiving and laughing at the key in one of the guy’s hands. They couldn’t have been more obvious if they had tried. Most people were facing the front of the classroom waiting for class to begin. Finally my eyes landed on my friends.


All of my friends fixed me with a questioning glance. I just shrugged. Matt hadn’t mentioned anything to me. I had only seen him once earlier this morning, all he did was smile and then went back to talking to Amanda Goodwin. I wasn’t about to tell my friends this, but I wasn’t so sure if he was going to ask me to the dance.


         Seriously, he could have any girl in school. Why would he take the new girl? I knew I wasn’t as pretty as Amanda or as smart as some of the other girls here. Why would he want to take me? The bell rang for lunch. I picked up my books and headed for the lunch room. We had been ‘together’ for a while, but he had never asked me to be his girlfriend. I felt my stomach sink as I walked toward the cafeteria. Maybe I wouldn’t have a date to the Winter Formal.


         “Gabby? Gabby!” I heard a voice yell down the hallway. I turned to see Matt running up to me from Locker Hall. “Where are you going so fast?”


         “Just going to try and get in line early. I hate waiting forever just to get some food.” I kept walking down the hallway and Matt fell in step next to me.


         “Oh,” he said shortly. “Well I have a question to ask you.”


         “Okay…shoot.” I tuned to look at him. Was he actually going to invite me to go to the dance with him? I felt a little bit of excitement build in my stomach. My heart started beating faster and I could feel the start of a flush starting in my ears.


         “Did you get your homework down in Pre-calc…I didn’t have time to do mine last night and I was wondering if I might be able to see yours.”


         “Oh…sure, you can see mine once we are in the lunch room.” I said listlessly. I felt everything drop into my stomach like a lead balloon. All the excitement just to discover Matt didn’t do his homework last night.


         I felt a foreboding feeling in my stomach, like something was wrong. I was sure it was just disappointment from Matt not asking me right away. Maybe he just wanted to wait a little bit, see if he still wanted to take me. Did I actually want to go with Matt? Part of me said of course I wanted to go with Matt, why wouldn’t I?


         Then another side of me said that I should stay away from Matt. That he was bad news and going with him was not a good idea. This particular side of me told me I knew who I wanted to go with and it was egging me to stop thinking I like Matt and ask Euan to the dance. That side of my often told me that what I felt for Euan when I saw him was what I was supposed to be feeling for Matt and wasn’t. That side of me told me to quite playing games and to go out with the person I really liked.


         I told that side to keep quiet. How could I possibly want to go with Euan? I barely even spoke to him and he was moodier than any other person I had ever met. We really hadn’t said anything to each other since the night I told him that I didn’t need a bodyguard. He only spoke to me when he deemed it an important enough subject to say something, such as ‘pass the salt’.


         I got my food and came to sit at our table in the cafeteria. Blaire gave me a questioning look and I just shook my head. She smiled sympathetically and then glared at Matt who was hunched over my Pre-Calc papers. I smiled at her and took my seat next to Matt.


         Lunch was a quiet affair. Melissa was sitting with Ryan, but kept glancing over at our table. She was doing it to torture Blaire, to show Blaire that she could have whatever guy she wanted. It made me detest her even more.


         No one seemed to want to talk. They all kept glancing at Matt and I and whispering to each other. Blaire kept looking over at Melissa and Ryan and then sadly down at her meal. She had hardly eaten anything. I felt anger boil up in my stomach. Mellissa would get it, one of these days. I shook my head and went back to eating my food. I wonder if Matt even wanted to ask me to the Winter Formal, I honestly wasn’t so sure. I had eaten about as much food as Blaire had. Today was not a good day for relationships.





         I was sitting on my rock at the beach after school. I had Pre-Calc to do and some science, but I didn’t care if I got it done at his point in time. I felt like just relaxing a little before I even attempted to do what Mrs.Dunarow had given us for Pre-Calc. It was nice on the beach, the wind was blowing a little, but not enough for me to cold in the sweatshirt I was wearing.


         I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on the breeze on my face, but my mind wandered. Why hadn’t Matt asked me to the dance? Was it normal for guys to wait before asking a girl to go? I felt really ignorant, it sucked not knowing anything about what Matt was thinking. If I was just able to see if he planned on asking me to the dance I would be happy.


         I remembered my first day of school. I had come out to the beach and climbed on the rock. It had been a perfect day and there had been a storm coming in, just like my dream. Then the rocks had ground behind me, just like in my dream. I looked back and saw my mother making her way toward me. She smiled up at me.


         “It’s beautiful, isn’t it Gabby?” She had said, looking out across the waves. “I was born next to the sea. I always loved the wind.”


         My mom had closed her eyes. I had watched her, wondering what she would do. She looked happier. I remembered that much. Her face was no longer tense and it didn’t look as sad. It was that day I realized how much my mom had needed the move. I had needed it too.


         I came out of my memory as I heard the rocks moving behind me. I shook my head. There was nothing and nobody else on this beach but me. I continued to watch as the waves crashed on the shore. It was nice to have some time to myself, I hadn’t really had much time alone.


I heard the rocks moved again. This time I could not have imagined the sound. I turned quickly and started to lose my balance but managed to catch myself and not fall of the rock. When I had finally managed to regained my balance I turned to see who was on my beach and almost fell off the rock again. It was Euan.


         “Gabriella,” Euan said as he neared my rock. “We need to go back to the house. There is a storm coming and Grandmother is worried something bad is going to happen.”


         I looked down at his up-turned face and wondered why in the world he came to get me. I would have thought he would have done anything to avoid being the one to come down and get me. Why all of the sudden had he decided to be cordial? Was I dreaming again? I contemplated pinching myself, but decided against it.


         “Gabriella, did you hear me?” Euan looked up at me, holding out his hand to help me down. “I am completely serious. We probably shouldn’t take much longer, the storm is getting really close. You don’t want to be out in a storm in Oregon, at least this one. Grandmother says it will be a bad one.”


         “Sorry. I am just really surprised. Of all people, I was not expecting you.” I gritted my teeth angrily. Having him near me and trying to talk to me after months of avoiding me was too ridiculous. “What? Did you get tired of hearing news about Matt from other people?”


         “No.” Euan stated simply, still looking up at me. His face was smooth and his eyes looked tired. “That isn’t it at all.”


         “Oh.” I stated simply. I was completely baffled. My anger drained from me just as quickly as it had come. I felt embarrassed for being so rude. “I…I am sorry Euan. I was expecting you to…I don’t know…I was just expecting you to be different, that’s all.”


         “I didn’t expect anything less. It’s not like I have exactly been very polite to you lately. I am sorry too.” Euan continued to stare up at me, still holding his hand out. There was an awkward silence between us, neither one of us knowing what to say. I smiled shyly and he returned the smile.


         “You said your grandma said this will be a bad storm. Does she predict how the storms will be all the time?” I was trying to make small talk, but I was pretty sure I just sounded stupid. I took Euan’s hand and slid down the rock. I was surprise at the shock that came when our hands met. I had gotten so use to feeling nothing. I knew that Euan felt it too because a surprised looked crossed his face.


         “Um…not all the time, she can sometimes get it wrong.”Euan said shakily, looking down at our hands. Then he pulled me toward the path that led back home. He seemed to want to ignore what had just happened “But she seems to have a certain knack for telling what storms will be like…or maybe she just spends all of her free time watching the weather channel.”


         I couldn’t help but laugh, the image of Eleanor sitting in front of the television watching the weather man point at Oregon was the silliest thing I could image. She would look more at place watching boxing or International soccer. I was too busy imagining what Eleanor would look like while she avidly watched the weather channel to notice that Euan continued to hold my hand.


         “I think that is the first time I have ever heard you laugh.” Euan pulled me to a stop beside him. We were standing at the beginning of the path that went back home.


         “The image of Eleanor watching the weather channel is funny and I don’t think you have said anything along the lines of a joke since we have met.” I looked down at our still entwined hands. I felt the tingles running up and down my arm and tried not to think that nothing like that happened when Matt grabbed my hand.


         “I guess we started off on the wrong foot, didn’t we?” Euan pulled his hand from mine and rubbed the back of his head like he was frustrated. I nodded and let him continue. “Let’s start over. My name is Euan McCready. How do you like Oregon so far? Much different from where you use to live?”


         “Nice to meet you.” I laughed. “My name is Gabriella Macintosh. So far Oregon has been pretty good to me, it is a little different from my home in Illinois though.”


         “Well, I can imagine that it would be a little different. Illinois…the home of Lincoln right?” Euan looked down at me with a questioning look.


         I laughed and answered,” Yes, it is about the only thing that we are famous for…Lincoln and corn!”


         “You know, that is one thing I can’t stand. I hate corn.” Euan replied, slowling out pace.


         “Really?” I looked at him. “How can you hate corn?”


         “It gets stuck in my teeth.” Euan laughed slightly.


“Okay…”I wanted to laugh, but I held myself back.


“This is a stupid conversation, isn’t it?” Euan nodded to himself. “Yeah it is…onto a new conversation. Do you like school?”


         “Does anyone like school?” I asked. He smiled at me and I felt my heart beat faster. “I like it. I do. I like my classes and the people.”


         “Yeah,” Euan smiled slightly. “I am glad you do.”


         We were silent for a little bit. I was trying to think of something else to say. We were still pretty awkward, neither one of us really knew what to talk about.


         “So, how did you end up living here?” I asked Euan. I looked over at him and saw his face fall a little. I wondered what I had done wrong. Then I realized that Euan lived with his grandparents…not his parents. “Oh. Sorry. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”


         “No, it’s okay.” Euan looked up at the sky before taking a deep breath. “I was young. About five or six I think. My mom was the first one to go. She had a brain aneurism. My dad was absolutely heartbroken. He could barely function, I was sent to live with my grandparents and a week later, they found my father dead in his study. He had overdosed on a prescription pill of his. I guess he didn’t think I was worth living for.”


         I felt sympathy pierce my heart and I felt a hard lump form in my throat. He had been so young. “I am so sorry Euan.”


         “I have come to terms with it.” He looked over at me and smiled weakly. “So trust me when I say, I understand what you are going through. I can still remember ever detail of it.”


         “Euan,” I stopped him and he turned to look at me. His face and posture held composure, but his eyes told a different story. “You were worth living for, but sometimes people lose their way and can’t find a way out.”


         “I know.” Euan laughed feebly. “It’s what I have heard.”


         We walked the rest of the way in a companionable silence. It was nice to know that I had someone to talk to, someone who would understand. I still didn’t trust Euan all the way and I was half afraid that he was going to blow -up at any minute. I also couldn’t help but think back to what I had seen in the woods with Matt. What exactly had Euan been doing? I was confused, but I didn’t want to start yet another argument with Euan. I was just going to wait and see if he would tell me on his own accord, but I had a feeling that he wouldn’t.