Capítulo 3: Chapter Two: Paul Williams
~Kena~
Now, this is where my story truly begins. The day I first met Paul Williams.
I remember that day like it was yesterday, and it began similarly to any other.
I found myself yawning for what felt like the hundredth time since entering Mrs Carly's math class, and it wasn't even 9 a.m. yet. For as long as I could remember, every morning always felt like I was repeatedly being dragged through the devil's asshole by the tail of my hair, and let me assure you this, it wasn't pretty.
I'm sure your mind has already conjured up the image. Nasty isn't it?
Mrs Carly hadn't even begun her lesson yet, so it wasn't that the class was boring or difficult to understand. The issue here was none other than my tired muscles and eyelids, and I guess you did be wondering why I was so tired on a Tuesday morning with more hours before midday? Yeah, keep wondering. That's another story for another day.
Now, let's move on. What do you do when your arms and legs are as heavy as lead? The best answer to that question is, you try stretching them of course. So I went ahead and did just that.
Having found myself the perfect spot at the back of the classroom earlier, I saw no problem in performing my stretching exercise, I mean, no one was looking at me, the seat beside mine was empty and it didn't necessarily mean I had to be standing for the exercise to work, so it was perfect.
I leaned slightly backward on my seat, Mrs Carly's attention was on the board, and so I lifted both my hands over my head and stretched back contentedly, just like a cat would.
It felt really good for my arms and back, and so I proceeded to do the same with my legs as well, and that was when I felt it, then I heard it, a heartbeat away, and before I could react to it, I found myself laying on my back, legs up in the air, two legs that were once attached to the four-legged chair I was once seated on, were now broken piece scattered by my sides, and after that, loud laughter of teenage delinquents followed suit, bouncing energetically off the four walls of the large classroom like tennis balls.
"Kenena Mason!"
"Please tell me, why oh why can't I have a normal class for once without you making a spectacle of yourself and ruining everyone else's learning?" Mrs Carly's rage was so intense that I felt like I was going to burst into flames under her scorching gaze, and I knew it was time I made a break for the door.
"Ha, look at her jeans, she has a lot of holes in them."
"I notice them. Her underwear is also ripped."
"Oh my God, she's so pitiful."
They were all audible to me. Their words were as sharp as knives, their laughter as suffocating as toxic gas, but I held it all together, not shedding a tear or making a sound because this was nothing, it was just another ordinary Tuesday after all.
Humiliated, I quickly rose from the ground and began making my way towards the door, keeping my head down as I went; however, before I could reach the door, some jerk tripped me, and I found myself on the floor for the second time.
"For God's sake, Kena, get out!" Mrs Carly was enraged at this point. I quickly stood up and dashed towards the door, making it this time.
"And don't bother returning until my class is finished!" She added, while my classmates' hysterical laughter escorted me out.
God, I couldn't believe her! I knew she saw Ethan tripping me, but she chose to ignore it as always and blamed it entirely on me. But I couldn't blame her though; it was all my fault. I knew nobody liked me at school, but every day, I found myself back there like a fucken Masochist.
Why did I want to be in this shithole in the first place? It wasn't like getting an education was by force. Yeah, it wasn't, but for someone like me, I'd be less than trash without it, so there you have it. I had to be there.
Feeling extremely depressed by my pathetic life, I walked head down through the Greenwealth Secondary School hallway that led to the girl's restroom, debating whether I should just make a sharp right and head towards the roof instead, and maybe this time, I did finally have the courage to jump off the top and end my miserable existence for good, but fortunately or should I say, unfortunately, before I could make any life-changing decisions, I collided head first into a human wall like the accident queen I was and, of course, spotted another bruise for the day.
"Oh, I'm sorry, are you okay?" A deep, smooth and concerned voice filled the empty hallway and flooded through my ears like fine music to a dancer and let me tell you this, it was the strangest thing that had ever happened to me in a long while.
It was strange in the sense that everyone in school, and even the entire town, was aware of my accident history. As a result, I didn't usually get the "oh, I'm sorry or are you okay?!" exclamations, except you were new and didn't know who I was; and yet somehow I doubted that possibility because even if you hadn't met me in person yet, my stories had always managed to be the talk of the entire town. Not even kidding. So, this was peculiar, very peculiar.
In situations like this, which didn't normally happen, I might add, my automatic response was usually, "I'm alright!" Or "Trust me, I'm fine," and my personal favourite was, "That didn't hurt a bit," even though I was wailing on the inside.
So, in this rare case, I quickly planned my preferred response. It was on the tip of my tongue when I made the unprepared judgment to look up at the human specimen that I had bumped into, and "Oh my God!" Were the words that finally escaped my lips at that moment.
There is literally only one word to describe what I saw when my eyes landed on him in that hallway, and that word is "Beautiful."
I swear to you, before meeting Paul; I had never had an obsession that raised my blood pressure so high.
Paul Williams was everything I wasn't and everything I desperately wished for in a life partner, assuming I ever lived long enough or got lucky enough to be looked at, let alone chosen by someone.
He was sporting, wide-chested, tall, with eyes like desert sands, had silky smooth dark hair that I desperately wanted to run my fingers through, and handsome. Did I mention he was handsome? He was sexy, for sure!
To say I was mortified would be an understatement. I'm sure I've said it before, but I'll risk being labelled a broken record: gosh, he was a total knockout! On the other hand, I looked like shit!
I knew that literally having two left feet, nearly dying a countless number of times and thus increasing the death mortality rate in Greenvale by fifty per cent, and being branded for life by everyone around me as a walking, talking basket of accidents; was going to greatly diminish my chances of getting to call him mine, but I still wanted to try.
I also knew I was probably going to kill him at some point during our upcoming relationship, but bless his heart, I wanted him. I wanted him with everything I had.
"Are you ok?" His beautiful voice sang again and just then I realized I hadn't said a word to him since my exclamation and that I was just gawking at him like an idiot. I promise you, I was definitely drooling.
"Do you mean physically or psychologically?" I don't know why I said that; I guess it kinda sounded funny in my head at the time; but after that, my lips quickly pressed together to stop myself from spewing more garbage, while I fought hard to maintain a straight face.
Yeah, I know. I had licking mouth syndrome back then, and I still do. It's a totally real problem; just don't look it up!
His brow furrowed instinctively, and his head cocked to one side.
"Both, I suppose?"
Poor guy, he looked genuinely confused and terrified. God, at that point, for the first in my life, I felt completely shitty about my messed-up sense of humour, if it could even be called that.
So, to salvage our rapidly dwindling first-meet, I did that thing where you stupidly chuckled over a non-existent joke because you're embarrassed, and then try to ease in a smile so he doesn't think you're a weirdo, even though you actually are, only for the smile to come out looking like you were badly constipated.
"Relax, I was only joking; and, thanks for asking, I'm fine," I said still maintaining the constipated smile while praying hard for him not to dash towards the nearest exist just to get away from me.
I watched with immense happiness as his face gradually soften and relax into one of relief, which I was grateful for; and then, as if someone had opened a bag full of diamonds, he blinded my eyes with his pretty, pearly white teeth so suddenly that I wanted to fall on his feet and beg him to bite me all over.
Who knew being seventeen and having never had a boyfriend or even been kissed could have such an impact on a girl's mind?
"Haha, for a second there, I thought I broke you or something." His sweet voice sang again, and my heart stopped beating as my lips stretched into the creepiest smile that could frighten even a psychopath.
When I get nervous or excited, my body does strange things; deal with it!
"Can we start over? Hi, my name is Paul Williams." His minty breath brushed against my face as he extended his hand to me. I was blown away by his beauty, which shone through in everything he did. Even his extended hand gesture was graceful. It baffled me how a single human being could be so beautiful. Sincerely, it made no sense at all.
I was tongue-tied for the first time in my life. I wanted to say something, anything, but the longer he stared at me with those enticing brown eyes of his, my tongue tightened and my breath became shorter.
"Hello? " One of his hands waved across my face, "Uhm, this is the time where you're supposed to give me an answer," he said, a laugh bubbling free at my speechlessness and dazzled state, and it caused heat to crawl into my cheeks, causing my stomach to flutter.
"I'm sorry for being rude. My name is Keneena, but most people just call me Kena." I rushed my words as the humiliation of being caught ogling at him ignited more heat in my face. Talk about embarrassment 101.
"Beautiful," he said softly, and my face flushed a thousand times hotter. Thank God for my dark complexion. My mortification was already through the roof at this point, let alone visibly blushing...The mere thought of it sent shivers down my spine.
He let out a soft chuckle.
"You don't need to be embarrassed; it's just me and no one else." Of course he figured it out. Fantastic.
I smiled once more. This time, genuinely and extended my hand to meet his in a handshake.
Argh! This guy was my entire weakness encapsulated in a single body! I began to wonder: why hadn't I noticed him before? Was he new?
I couldn't stand it any longer. My body, which had lain dormant for years, was suddenly acting up just by being near this guy. I needed to get away and fast.
"We-well. I think we should get to class. Now." I stammered. This stupid feeling of giddiness had to seriously stop or else my impulsive ass was going to end up doing something that we would both regret. I knew it was definitely time to become a hamster on wheels.
In a blink of an eye, Paul grabbed my hand before I could move, as if he sensed I was about to make a break for it.
"Before you leave, could you point me in the direction of my first class?" He paused briefly, flashing me his perfect dentition, before adding, "Also, include your phone number. Please?"
The entire time he spoke, my mind was stuck on his first sentence.
My God, he was new!
This guy was a blank slate. He knew absolutely nothing about me! This was perfect! Just perfect.
I had lots of work to do.
*****
Paul made it a point to follow me around school every day after that faithful encounter, completely unaffected by what people said about me. He was dead set on making me a friend, and after months of constant bugging from him and deliberation on my part--what? I had to play the "hard to get" card--I decided he was a keeper, and he went from being a totally cute stranger I met in the school hallway to my very best friend.
I guess my underground work was successful after all. Who said I didn't have any charms?
The "underground work," my friends, will be revealed to you as my story progresses.
Everything felt like something out of a fairy tale. I couldn't believe that I, of all people, could have a best friend like Paul Williams, a handsome, wealthy, and all-around nice guy! But, there was a catch. Once again, one small thing that I couldn't ignore no matter how hard I tried hung like a dark cloud over my brief moment of happiness in Greenvale.
That was, I had the biggest crush known to man on my best friend but he only saw me as nothing more than a friend and possibly a sibling.
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
DelphineIU
DelphineIU Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder