"Jeez, Jennie." Jonathon looked curiously at his sister, busy with her fork and knife. "Why? I mean, they all do get mixed in your stomach, don't they?"
Jennifer pushed away the dark strands from her forehead as she flashed a smile at her brother. The carrots and peas were now neatly piled on either side of her plate and she gave a small exclamation of satisfaction. "You won't get it even if I tell you a billion times, Jon." Jonathon just ruffled her short hair affectionately and went back to his pancakes.
"And when will you start eating real food for a change? You've become so thin, I sometimes worry you'll disappear altogether one day. You already work so hard on your music and art; then you don't even step out from the house unless it's absolutely necessary. I mean, it can't be good for you ..."
Jennifer simply went on to pour a glass of orange juice for herself and some hot chocolate for her brother. She was used to Jon's absolutely adorable rants every other day and deep inside, they made her feel secure. Loved.
What Jon would never get was that things are never simple; they need to be made so. Carrots are orange, peas are green. They need to be sorted out, simplified. Things that are not in order can surprise her, and she didn't like surprises. But Jon wasn't her.
As she looked at her elder brother digging into his breakfast like a starved refugee, for one second she couldn't believe that this guy, this kid here will be the head of the leading petroleum industry of the country in a year. But then, she knew that appearances are deceptive. She knew it better than anyone else.
"Jennie?"
Her hazel eyes snapped into her brother's dark ones as he waved his hands in front of her. " I was asking you ..." he deliberately stopped, his gaze shifting to her hands in her lap. He sighed when he saw that she was wearing a sweater whose sleeves were too long for her pale hands. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when Jennifer's eyes flitted across the room nervously.
" I found us a new flatmate." 300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKpLhaAgWb
The change in the topic was abrupt, but not new. They had done this hundreds of times and as much as Jonathon hated it, he couldn't bear to see the fear in his sister's large eyes.
Jennie's eyes widened before she let out a soft laugh. " Flatmate, Jon?"
Their flat was actually a three storied bungalow; complete with its own swimming pool, a bowling alley, Jonathon's gaming arcade and Jennifer's music room. It had three master bedrooms with en suite bathrooms and walk in wardrobes.
Jon gave her a sheepish smile. "Oh well ... Can't say bungalow mate, can I?" Jennie smiled before asking curiously, " But who is it? Someone from the company?" She knew that no ordinary teenager could afford to pay the rent of their – flat.
The thing was that a few months back, Jonathon decided that he was bored. So, he came up with a brilliant plan of renting out the third bedroom of their house to some friend of his, so that he could have a partner in crime for all his activities at all times. Jennifer was rather scared of the idea at first, but Jonathon promised her that if she didn't like the guy, he himself would show him the door to the exit.
And Jennifer trusted him. After all, he was the only one she had complete faith on.
Jon shook his head. "Nah. It's Ryan. You know him, remember? His father is there in almost all the formal functions we go for. He's the richest man in the country after dad."
Jennifer nodded. " Ryan Nickerson? Yes. I think I remember him." She ran her finger across her lower lip, a sure sign she was thinking. "He's the one who brought you home that night when you were dead drunk, isn't he?" She said slowly, looking at her brother for confirmation.
Jonathon flushed a dark purple as he shook his head mutely. "I know he looks – scary, but ..."
" He's nice."
Jonathon's head shot up in disbelief as he stared at his sister. Jennifer had never said that about any of his friends, though she had met them loads of times. 300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ctdVagGqW
His eyes widened as he realized that this was the first time in eleven years she had used this adjective for someone other than their family.
"Really?" That was all he could say. He knew that if he pressed her too hard, she would crack. She was like glass: looked amazingly strong but was surprisingly fragile.
Unaware of her brother's close scrutiny, she nodded in approval. "Yeah."
When Jonathon realized he wouldn't get anything more out of her at the moment, he sighed. "Would you pass me the bacon, please?" As she gave him the plate, he caught a glimpse of her exposed palms.
He flinched when he saw the angry red nail marks that covered the skin on their heels, which were usually hidden by her too long sleeves. Her eyes caught his gaze and she quickly pulled her sleeves down. "So!" She forced a laugh, and Jonathon looked away. "When will Ryan shift over?"
Jonathon scooped the last of the cornflakes into his spoon. "He had an issue with his landlady; he seemed to have stolen all the Nutella jars out of her fridge. He'll bring his things tomorrow." As Jonathon cleared his fifth plate, Jennifer shook her head at her brother. "You need to control your diet, Jon. You eat as if you're going to die the next second." Jennifer always wondered how he always stayed so fit despite eating enough to feed an army.
Jonathon just grinned. "What if I do?"
.
.
.
.
.
Jonathon leaned against the locker next to Jennifer's as she pulled out her books. "This is your last year at college, Jen. You could make some friends, you know. Hang out, go shopping, bunk a class ...?" He looked at her hopefully.
Jennifer turned to him. "I do go out for groceries every week, Jon. I also go to the clothes store twice a year for my wardrobe." Jonathon supressed a groan. "Make some friends then? Come on, Jennie. You're twenty-one, for Christ's sake." Jennifer sighed before she bit her lower lip. "People don't like me. With my issues, they think –"
"You have no issues."
Jonathon's tone was so sharp that Jennifer jumped slightly. Her hands automatically balled into fists, her fingernails touching her skin. Jonathon's eyes widened and he took her small hands and opened them gently.
"Didn't mean to shock you." He said apologetically, "But Jennifer Browne, you, are the most beautiful and amazing girl I've ever seen. You're so strong, Jennie. After everything, you came out shining and ready to take on the world." Slowly, he held out his hands and placed them on her shoulders. "Just because you're different doesn't mean you're wrong, remember?"
Jennifer smiled suddenly, flashing her dimples. "It just means that you belong somewhere else." She finished.
Standing on her tip toes, she placed a butterfly kiss on her brother's cheek. "I promise I'll try to be more outgoing this year." She crossed her arms. "But Jon, you have to control your urge of eating. The amount of fat you eat will bring you an early death, I tell you. I'll make some carro –"
Jon rolled his eyes and smiled. "Before you make me a cow like you, I'm running off to class. Bye!"
Jennifer sighed, waving a goodbye to her brother. She turned to pick up her bag, but bumped into someone who was standing close to the locker next to her.
"Ouch." She rubbed her forehead which felt like having ran into a wall. "That hurt." She immediately cursed herself for her stupid habit of speaking what she thought.
She heard a dark chuckle and looked up to find Ryan Nickerson looking down at her.
"I kind of guessed that. Sorry, Browne."
The scar that ran down his left cheekbone shone clearer than ever, accentuating the stormy grey of his eyes. His tall frame towered over her and his ash blonde hair flopped over his forehead untidily. "Didn't see you there."
Jennifer nodded, closing her locker. "It's okay. I wasn't looking when I turned, so fifty percent of the fault was mine."
Ryan looked at her curiously before smiling a little. "Okay, then. I take back half of my apology." He plucked out the imaginary words from the air, broke them in two parts and mimed eating one. "There."
Jennifer narrowed her eyes, trying to decipher if he was making fun of her. "Are you making fun of me?" She blurted out.
Ryan's grey eyes pierced her hazel ones. "And why do you think I am?" His full attention was now towards her. Jennifer shifted uncomfortably, biting her lower lip. "I do – don't know. You might." She fiddled with the ring on her third finger. "But I don't like it when people make fun of me." She looked up at him. "So, are you?"
Ryan cocked his head to one side slightly, looking her with the same curiosity as before. "When people told me you were different, this is not what I imagined." His eyes bore into hers.
"No, Jennifer. I'm not making fun of you. You don't seem the kind to be made fun of."
Before her brain could process the meaning of his words completely, Ryan was already leaving.
Jennifer.
He had called her by her full name. As she didn't talk to anyone except Jonathon and her parents, she had almost forgotten what her name sounded like. From his mouth, it sounded so – different. Almost ... beautiful.
Beautiful? She wasn't beautiful. She wasn't supposed to be beautiful.
Jennifer shook her head violently, almost banging her head into her locker. People were looking at her curiously, so she ran towards her classroom.
They think of me as a freak. I am not a freak. I AM NOT A FREAK.
"I'm not a freak." She said out aloud finally, feeling a little better. "They may think I am, but it isn't the truth." She muttered as she ran. When she finally reached her lecture hall, she was panting and completely out of breath. Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes.
"Hey."
Her eyes shot open when she saw a girl standing in front of her, looking at Jennifer uncertainly. She was like a living Barbie with her shining golden hair and electric blue eyes. "Are you alright?" She asked Jennifer slowly, keeping a safe distance.
Jennifer blinked. Barbie stared. 300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoVe6RnvzB
Jennifer stared. Barbie blinked.
"Meredith?"
Both the girls jumped and a guy who looked like the male counterpart of Barbie appeared. "We're getting late for cla ..." 300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XlKbD27xy
He stopped when he saw Jennifer. His blue eyes widened and his mouth opened and closed like a fish. "Oh." He finished lamely.
Jennifer stared at the twins, her heart beating fast. "I should be going for my class." She finally said, her voice smaller than usual. She turned, but Barbie caught her wrist lightly. "I'll see you later then?" Her eyes were kind, which is why Jennifer felt herself nodding. "Okay then. Bye!" With that Jennifer left the Barbie twins, feeling their gaze on the back of her neck.
Once she took a seat at the back of the hall, she took slow deep breaths to calm herself. "She's just a girl. She likes you." Jennifer told herself.
But she's so pretty. Why would she want to befriend a freak?
"I'm not a freak." She muttered. Closing her eyes, she held her head with her hands. "I. AM. NOT." She spoke through gritted teeth.
"You're not. Now can you stop talking to yourself? It's kind of creepy."
Ryan's amused voice made her groan softly before she raised her head to see him sitting on the seat next to her. "You're in my class?" He asked her, the amused smile still playing on his lips.
"This is not your class. This is the class for music major students." Jennifer sniffed.
Ryan gave her a blank look. "Okay. Let me ask you again. Are you, Jennifer Browne, taking a music major course this year?" She gave him an unexpected smile. "Yes, I am."
She was about to turn away when her eyes widened as she remembered something. "Did you steal Nutella from your landlady?"
Ryan gave a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was hungry, and there was no dinner." His eyes suddenly flashed with an emotion she could not place, but the smile was back in a moment. "I promise I won't steal from your kitchen, though." He said, his eyes twinkling slightly.
Jennifer tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "I'll make sure you don't stay hungry; having Nutella for dinner is not good for your health." She bent down to pick a pencil, so she didn't see the expression of absolute shock on Ryan's face.
He turned in his seat to face her, his eyes curious. "There's something about you." He murmured, turning his head to one side. "Something different."
Jennifer bit her lower lip hard, tasting blood. "You're mistaken. I'm perfectly normal." She said with a tone of finality. Ryan just had a playful smile on his lips, looking away when their professor entered.
As the class began, Ryan leaned closer to Jennifer, whispering in her ear. "Are you? How boring."
...
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