“Oh, so I’m not the only one. Good. I’m new here. Well, I’ve been here for three weeks but you’re the first person to speak to me other than teachers,” she confesses.
“I’ve only been here for a couple of months and I feel the same way.” I grin, because I know better than anyone how it feels to be the new kid. Maybe it’s not just me. Maybe it’s this damn school being so cliquey that’s part of the reason I haven’t been able to settle here.
“Oh, then you know how I feel,” she says. Her accent catches my attention and I’m wondering why I didn’t notice it earlier.
“Where are you from?” I ask curiously.
“France. I’m a student transfer, but if all goes well, I’ll stay on for college too.” She pauses. “I just love it here. My parents are very strict, so I have more freedom here than I’ve ever had.” Her cheeks are flushed, and I love how passionate she is. “I’m Sophia, by the way.”
“Jill,” I reply. “I’d love to travel. I’ve been all over the States, but never overseas.”
“Oh, you need to.” She grins. “Travel is the best. It’s something everyone should do while they’re still young enough to enjoy it.”
The thought of spending a year or two overseas experiencing another culture excites me. I’d love to take a year off before college and travel. But now I have more important things to consider—like Eli. I can’t help but wonder if things like this are going to exacerbate the different stages of life we are at. What if he’s not interested in doing the things I yearn to do? What if he feels like he’s holding me back? I swallow, an even worse thought creeping into my mind.
What if I feel like that?
Class finishes and we stand up. I have a free study period, and I discover Sophia does too so we head to the library.
“So, who are you staying with while you’re here?” I ask as we fall into line, walking across the school grounds.
“I’m on my second family, would you believe?” She laughs. “This couple is great. I had issues with the first so they moved me.”
“So, which colleges are you applying for?” I ask, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. Opening up to people doesn’t come easily for me, but I’m finding her easy to talk to. My pulse quickens as I spot Eli walking in the other direction toward us. I give him a small smile and he nods.
“Ah, American boys are so cute, no?” she whispers. “Though he is no boy. Colleges—I’m applying to some all over the country.”
I laugh off her comment about Eli and keep asking her questions. By the time we reach the library, I feel as though we’ve known each other forever. The last time I clicked with someone this easily was Alice. Well, not including Eli.
Yawning, I stretch my arms behind me as my brain begs me for a break. I pull out my phone and see we have been studying for nearly two hours. Shit. I’m surprised by the amount of studying we’ve actually managed to get done.
My phone rings on the table in front of us. Eli’s name shows on the screen. Sophia glances at the vibrating phone before my fingers can quickly reject the call. I’m shaking, because I don’t know if she saw his name—not that she’d recognize it or anything, but it still feels like a close call. But then again, when you’re dating someone you shouldn’t, everything does. The last thing my new ‘friend’ needs to know is that I’m fraternizing with a fucking teacher.
“Boyfriend?” she asks.
I blush and nod. “Yes.”
“I need to get myself some American boys, no?” She giggles.
I laugh, because she’s already reminding me so much of Alice.
“Is he cute?”
“He’s cute,” I admit. “And sweet, and sexy, and hot.” We dissolve into laughter, earning us a glare from a nearby teacher. “Do you want to get a coffee? I think my brain is going to fall out if I do any more studying right now.”
“Sure.” She nods, her cheeks pink. “I’d love that.”
“Considering you’re kind of new, like me, I’m guessing you don’t go out much?” She licks the froth off her latte as she waits for me to answer.
“Not really,” I admit. “I’ve moved so much, because my Dad is in the military, that I find it hard to connect with people. It’s easier to lose myself in books and focus on the friends I do have, if that makes sense?”
“It does.” She smiles. “But that doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Everybody needs, how do you say it . . .” She thinks for a moment before deciding on a word. “Entertainment?”
I laugh. If only she knew just how much entertainment I was getting from Eli.
“Your boyfriend doesn’t live around here?”
“Why do you say that?” I ask curiously.