The Enzo Effect

Chapter 2

It's been a month since Enzo came into our lives, and I've grown to hate him more and more each day. The worst part is, he doesn't even have to do anything to annoy me. Just existing is enough. That's how bad he gets under my skin. I can't stand him. Every time I look at him, all I see is a big, dark cloud looming over my head. He's like a walking, talking rainstorm, and I'm the only one who seems to get wet. It's ridiculous. I've never met anyone as frustrating as him.

He's also incredibly infuriating. No matter what I say or do, he doesn't react. It's like talking to a wall. He's either ignoring me or pretending not to hear me. Either way, it's extremely annoying. Did I also mention he still hasn't spoken a word to me or anyone yet? Mom and Dad say it's because he doesn't speak English, but I think they're just making excuses for him. It's like he's deliberately trying to make me feel stupid.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," I mumbled as I stomped down the stairs, pulling my hair into a ponytail as I went.

Enzo was already waiting for me at the bottom. His hands were in his pockets, and he had his usual scowl on his face. But it was the dark, stormy eyes that bothered me. They were like a window into his soul, and all I could see was darkness. It was unsettling.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I demanded.

He didn't answer. Instead, he tilted his head toward the front door, indicating that he was ready to leave.

I sighed and adjusted the straps on my backpack. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

We walked outside and started making our way down the street towards school. Enzo was walking a few steps behind me, which wasn't surprising. He always did that. He was like a silent shadow, constantly lurking in the background. I hated it. It was like he was always watching me, waiting for something. It was creepy.

I shook my head and tried to ignore him. We were halfway to school when I noticed a group of girls standing by the corner. They were giggling and whispering amongst themselves. As soon as they saw me, their faces lit up. One of them waved excitedly. "Hi, Peyton! How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks," I replied, keeping my eyes forward. I didn't want to encourage them.

"Hi Enzo," one of the girls said, her voice dropping an octave. "How are you?"

I glanced over my shoulder and saw that she was smiling at him. He didn't reply, but his lips curved into a faint smile. It was the first time I had ever seen him smile, and it was unnerving.

One of the girls gasped and grabbed her friend's arm. "Oh, my god! Did you see that? He smiled!" she exclaimed.

The others started talking excitedly. I rolled my eyes and continued walking. The girls followed, and it wasn't long before they were right behind us. They were chatting away, talking about how handsome and mysterious Enzo was. It was annoying. And, it wasn't the first time it had happened.

I slowed down my pace until I came to a stop. Enzo didn't seem to notice and walked right past me, the group of girls trailing behind him. They were practically swooning. It was pathetic.

I shook my head and turned my head the other way, looking up at the two-story house with its white walls and dark brown roof. The window at the top was open, letting in the cool breeze.

A minute later, the front door opened and Ruby, my best friend, emerged from the house. She had her backpack slung over one shoulder, and her long blonde hair was tied up in a messy bun. She smiled and waved when she saw me. "Hey, Peyton," she said. "Are you ready for another day of boring classes?"

"Yeah, right," I replied sarcastically. "I can't wait."

She chuckled and walked over to me. "Well, at least we have PE together," she reminded me. "That's always fun."

I shrugged. "I guess," I said, noncommittal.

The sound of laughter caused us both to look up. The group of girls were still following Enzo, giggling and whispering amongst themselves. He seemed to be enjoying the attention. I shook my head and sighed as we continued walking. "Great," I muttered. "Just what I need."

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked, noticing my expression.

"Nothing," I replied, annoyed. "It's just...those girls. They're driving me crazy. They've been doing this for weeks. It's like they're stalking him or something."

Ruby laughed. "They're just excited," she said. "I mean, come on, Enzo is hot. You have to admit that. I sure as hell would swoon over him too if I wasn't interested in girls, but alas, I am. You, however, are not. Which is why I think it's hilarious you're jealous of the attention he's getting."

I bristled at the accusation. "I'm not jealous," I insisted. "I just think it's annoying that he can't go anywhere without those girls fawning all over him."

"Uh huh," Ruby said, unconvinced. "Sure, you're not."

"Whatever," I huffed, turning away from her. I started walking again, but Ruby caught up easily.

"Anyway, enough about him," she said, changing the subject. "Did you get an invite to Bree's party? It's supposed to be epic."

"Yeah, I did," I replied. "But I'm not sure if I'll go."

"What? Why not?" Ruby asked.

"Because my parents will make me bring Enzo to tag along with me and I sure as hell don't want him ruining my night." I sighed. "He'll probably be surrounded by all those girls the whole time, and they'll keep pestering me because I'm his babysitter."

"Wow, you really hate him, don't you?" Ruby said, sounding surprised.

"Of course, I do. Have you seen him? He's the most arrogant, annoying person I've ever met. He thinks he's better than everyone else, and he doesn't even talk! I mean, seriously, what kind of a guy doesn't talk?" I ranted. "He's the worst!" I stopped and looked at her. "You're supposed to agree with me, not give me that look."

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "It's just...well, you sound a bit ridiculous. You've been complaining about him non-stop since the moment he arrived. Don't you think you're being a bit unfair? Maybe he's just shy. Or maybe he has a speech impediment. You don't know. Just try to be nice to him for once and see what happens." She reached out and patted me on the shoulder. "And, who knows? Maybe you'll actually end up liking him."

I opened my mouth to speak but closed it again when I spotted Enzo stopping in his tracks in front of us, his head whipping to the sides like he was looking for something. The girls were confused, looking at each other and then back at him, waiting for him to continue walking. They had no idea what was going on, but I did. He was looking for me.

A defeated sigh escaped my lips. "Back here, Enzo," I called out to him.

He turned and spotted me. There was a brief flicker of relief in his dark eyes. It was like he had been worried that he accidentally lost me, or I must've ditched him along the way. I raised an eyebrow. It was strange. It wasn't like he couldn't survive without me or anything. I didn't get it. Was he that dependent on me? That would be a first. The idea of him being so reliant on me gave me a strange sense of satisfaction. But, then again, it was probably just my imagination. After all, he hadn't said a single word to me in weeks. There was no way he'd suddenly start depending on me.