The Renovation Complication

7. Almost Like a Secret we don't have at all

Sigh.

School is over. It's a Wednesday afternoon and I have no work, no homework and no responsibilities other than that of a sweet, sweet nap. Aah, yes my life sure is eventful. Sue me, I'm still settling in – I've only been here little over a week and a half.

And I just haven't decided if my bed is up to scale, is all.

I have been attending Hansen High for eight days and yet I already feel the life draining out of me. Alright, so it's not that bad but still...

Thank God I have Katherine to adopt me, or else I wouldn't exactly be welcome anywhere else. It seems that Alex has made it his point of existence to a) ignore me and b) get everyone else to ignore me. His freaking footballers won't even glance my way under his command.

Adam was no better. Okay, a little better but he hasn't exactly made any efforts to give me the grand welcoming I had been praying for. Nope. Even the nerds don't think I'm cool.

Katherine has stuck by my side since the first day and tried to make me as popular as a cheerleader. It's not at all that I'm not good at making friends – I'm just peachy – it's just that I don't really like superficial friends. I would rather have a couple of fully devoted sisterhoods than the entire school saying their hello's and goodbye's. What's the point of having acquaintances if that's all you'll ever be?

I make my way to the parking lot, toward the now familiar scarlet gleam of Alex's – no my (for now, anyway) car. I slip onto the bonnet, throw my arms behind my head and slide on my shades. I could leave right now, but because I am a good person at heart, I give Alex a ten minute courtesy wait in case he decides to stop hating me. He's been hitching rides with his friends ever since he lost his car, and I don't have the heart to tell the parents and watch him get punished. It was their one (of many, actually) rule – Alex rides with me and no one else.

I think they were hoping for some bonding time or something...

Yeah right.

"Hey Vicky Schmickey!" I tilt my head to see none other than Katherine skipping towards me. I grin at her. She's been trying to give me a catchy nickname for the past few days, one that only she could call me.

I don't really understand how she could stop anyone else from using it even if she did find one.

Oh, yeah – Gentle Persuasion!

Right... Katherine is more of a climb-onto-your-doorstep-and-threaten-you-until-your-ears-bleed kind of person. Especially when it comes to her brother.

"Try again." I call back, sliding my glasses further up on the bridge of my nose. I hear her audibly sigh in disappointment before climbing on next to me. She puts up a hand to shield her face from the sun. Knowing her, she'd probably burn in three minutes with such fair skin.

Yes, I was blessed with a sunburn-proof shell.

Well, most of the time.

"What are you doing today?"

"Nothing." I stretch out my arms as she nods slowly. Another moment of silence passes between us.

"Waiting for the lampshade of a brother?" She asks in a sing song voice.

"How'd you know?"

"Because I just saw him drive off with Dylan." She turns her head to me, "What's his problem, anyway? What's up with you two?"

Suddenly I have a whole lot of energy to expend anywhere but here. My skin is crawling in discomfort, and I know that it's not Katherine's fault at all. It's mine.