The Boy I Admire From Afar

Chapter Two

Chapter Two 

Zion's POV

"Why can't I have my own car now? Izzy and Harry drive their own."

"I told you to wait when you're eighteen." My dad, Eros Petrakis, said. He drops me and my twelve–year-old sister Emerald off to school every morning on his way to work.

"I'm going to be eighteen next month. What's the point of making me wait when you'll give it to me anyway?"

"Just be patient. You're lucky that someone drives you to school every morning. Look at that girl, imagine her waking up early in the morning to catch the school bus."

I looked at the girl who dad referred to. It was Claire Olsen. I studied her appearance. She looked pale and tired, as always. Her long black hair tumbled carelessly on her back, and her thick bangs fell across her forehead as she looked down at her shoes.

"DUH! I'm not even complaining that I have to wait six more years in order to get my own car." Emerald said, rolling her eyes.

"Of course. You're still a kid."

"You know I'm not anymore." Emerald rose her voice an octave. Yeah, I knew what she meant. She's really impossible. She celebrated her first menstruation with her female friends and cousins. I knew girls do not usually do that.

When I went out of the car, I was greeted by my buddies Izzy and Harry.

As usual, my sister opened the car window and waved at Harry. She still did not get over her crush on him. I did not like the idea that Harry made her fall for him. I was afraid she would get hurt someday.

"Hi, Harry." Emerald called out through the window.

"Hello, Emerald. You're getting prettier and prettier every time I see you." Harry replied, giving her that wink again.

"Stop doing that. She's my sister." I warned Harry.

"Why not? She's cute."

"She's still a kid." I drew Harry towards the school lobby as dad drove the car away.

"Hey, bro. Congrats! Alex said you're still number one on the Who's Hot List this school year." Izzy teased me. He knew how I hated being on that list.

"That stupid list again." I frowned. "We should talk to them to stop making that list. It's a form of bullying to the ones included in the Who's Not."

"It is, and they always include my girl." Izzy said, referring to Claire.

"Hey, Izzy. Look. It's Claire." Harry said, pointing at Claire who just passed in front of us, walking in a hurry with her head bent.

Izzy's eyes gleamed in an instant. It always made his day if he saw Claire. For years, he was into Claire. Fantasizing about her. Then, he courted her. He did everything to have her as a girlfriend. But she always turned him down.

The problem with Izzy, he would not give up on Claire.

"Hi, Claire." Izzy called out.

Claire stopped and hesitantly faced us. She was always avoiding Izzy and that included us, Harry and me. She was our schoolmate since grade school but there was never a chance to talk to her. She was a shy girl and lacked confidence, just contented with sitting in the corner and doing her stuff. But she was a very smart girl, always made it in the Top Ten Honors List.

Finally, Claire left, and Izzy got to relax again.

"Come on, let's ask Mr. Garrett if we'll have practice tomorrow." Harry said. Mr. Garrett was our football coach.