Love vs Life - A.S. Lewis (essential reading txt) 📗

Prologue

Yes.

No.

Maybe.

 

If the world handed out awards for indecisiveness, I would be a gold medallist. My friends say I have FOMO. Fear of missing out. It's sad when your life can be described as an acronym. What's sadder is when that acronym is true.

 

So here I stand in front of the mirror deciding if I should have spent the time straightening my hair for my first day and if the the school issued dress would have been the better choice than the school issued skirt. Navy Blue. Blue to match my mood for my first day at a new school for my final year.

 

That final year that determines how the rest of our life will be played out, if I listen to the career guidance counsellors. That final year where we have to focus, put everything on hold and achieve the world so that we can spend the next 4 years of our life studying even more.

 

So now I stand at the precipice of adulthood, my make or break moment, where my best won't be good enough and I fear I am not embarking in style. Points to me.

 

How does one enter a new school and become the ultimate new girl? Pretty sure I missed that issue of vogue. Now I will never know.

 

Here goes nothing.

Chapter 1

You know those movie scenes where the character is standing in a blur of people whilst they have some amazing epiphany or revelation in life. Well, I just had mine. Except my revelation came in the form of a 6'3" dark haired, dark eyed dream. Yes I just saw the dream guy. I didn't even know they allowed them at school. In fairness to him I'm sure it's not his fault he looks 20 when the rest of us look 17.

 

Italian. Definitely Italian.

 

And injured. And taken.

 

Yes, that would be Penny from my P.E class who he just put his arm around. Brilliant. Worst part she is a likeable girl so I can't even hate her. Great now she's seen me.

 

"Hey Anna, this is my boyfriend Nic, isn't he hot!" Wow. I guess people do actually say stuff like that. Perhaps she's likeable but shallow. No crime in that I guess.

 

"Hi Penny, hi Nic, nice to meet you." I say with a bit of wave. So Adonis goes by the name Nic now. "What class have you guys got now?"

 

"I've got Chemistry, but I'm walking Pen to her Design class." Says a voice that makes me swoon on the inside. Of course he would have to be smart as well. "What about you?" He asks.

 

"I've got a free now, but I am heading to the cafeteria to find Robbie to study for Specialist Maths. Joys."

 

"Well I guess I might see you around, nice meeting you." He replies. And walks off leaving me awe struck In his wake.

 

I make my way to the cafeteria and walk over to the "ethnic" side. No I'm not being racist, it actually goes by another name but my Dad would have a fit if he heard it. Times have progressed from when he was a child. Now the Italians and the Greeks rule the school. They actually have their own separated-by-a-door side to the cafeteria and a courtyard to call their own. It's prime real estate. There is even their own side to the canteen, which due to the exclusivity of the side means lines are shorter. It's the "Australians" that are looked down on here. They have to share their side with the rest of school, but they are allowed majority of the oval to play footy on. Lucky them.

 

How did the new girl get onto the exclusive side? Is it my Italian blood? My amazing looks? Nope. Sorry. I had a contact. And as we all know, "it's not what you know, it's who you know." So my Greek best friend introduced me to the group on day one and now I have a pass. Figuratively of course.

 

"Anna!"

 

I look over and see Robbie surrounded by a group of Vietnamese beauties. I should mention that if you're a hot Arab or Asian you can sneak in too. By approval of course.

 

I roll my eyes at him and head over to the table. "Studying hard Robbie?" I ask with a smirk.

 

"Of course, Trung and Oahn were just explaining our last lesson." He says eagerly. Clearly, he will have their number by the end of the free.

 

Oahn turns to me and looks me over. "You sure she's Italian Robbie?"

 

"Well she's a half cast." He replies.

 

Sure guys discuss me like I'm not here!

 

"That makes sense. She is too fair and blue eyed." Says Oahn like she's an expert.

 

Do I go there? Do I explain that actually my Dad who was born in Italy is 6'2", blue eyed and fair? That the concept of what is "Italian" here is actually skewed from the majority of original immigrants being from the south of Italy? That Northern Italians are actually coloured like me? No. I just shut up and look at the next problem. I doubt she would even care. I'm not even sure why I do.

 

I feel two hands cover my eyes.

 

"Give me your lunch or I'll never move my hands!" Says a girls voice.

 

"Well I will resign myself to being blind until eternity." I reply.

 

You didn't bring food again did you!" Says an exasperated Danielle.

 

"Don't you know I'm always hungry?"

 

"That's why you should bring money like me in addition to your packed lunch" I reply to me best friend.

 

"What's the point? You never finish a meal so I can just have your leftovers" she laughs.

 

"This is true, here take my money and get something for me and you can finish it" I suggest."ugh fine" she says as she flounces off.

 

"She's so foxy!" I hear a muttered voice say.

 

"Really Robbie? Why are you saying that here?" I laugh out.

 

"She's perfect. But so unattainable." He replies, whilst getting death glares from the two Vietnamese girls still gracing us with their presence.

 

 

Maybe he won't be getting their numbers after all. Smooth.

 

"Have you even tried?" I ask.

 

"So many times. She's like that Apple on the tree you can reach. Make that a frozen Apple. She turns everyone down. She really doesn't descriminate." he sighed.

 

I was about to tell him she doesn't even realise when my tongue got stuck in my mouth. One of those blur of people moments happened again.

 

The Adonis has arrived.

 

Chapter 2

 Be still my beating heart, be still.

 

He walks through the cafeteria, scanning the few filled tables. Our eyes meet and I quickly look down. Awkward. 

 

"Nico my man! What brings you over here?" Exclaims Robbie before completing some weird guys handshake.

 

"Eh, Chem was killing me. That and Ms Janovich's moustache distracts me." He says as he pulls up a seat across from me.

 

"Ah yes the lady man strikes again!" Chuckles Robbie. "Still, I'm surprised you're here and not the oval."

 

Pretty sure I'm lost here. Not only is he even more devastatingly hot close up, but I'm unsure if the comment is being directed as "you don't come here, or you shouldn't come here." If only new schools came with the social rules in their handbook. 

 

"What is HE doing here?" I hear hissed in my ear. I turn to see my friend Julia next to me.

 

"I'm not sure, chatting to Robbie I think?" I ask back. "Why? Is he not supposed to be?"

 

"Well he is normally with the Australians." She says still whispering.

 

"Right. Aren't we all Australian?" I ask confused. I'm answered with an eye-roll. Right. Note to self: apparently even if we're born here it doesn't count.

 

"Anna!" 

 

I look across to Robbie and Nic looking at me expectantly. I honestly have no idea what they were talking about and I think it shows on my face.

 

"I was just telling Nic how you were dating that new draft for the Swans before you moved here." Robbie fills me in.

 

Whoa. Let's back track here. Me with a boyfriend. I'm still standing here alive so clearly that never happened. My parents would kill me. I am far too young in their eyes.

 

"We were just best friends," I clarify. Best Friends who had that whole undercurrent of attraction going on. Best friends who were inseparable and didn't date anyone else while we were friends. He knew the whole situation with my parents so it was an unspoken agreement. But in the end he left anyway, for the better really.

 

"Right." Replies Robbie with a strange look on his face. "Anyway, Nic is hoping to be drafted this year too." 

 

Great. Another Footy Player. Just what I needed in my life. Now that Robbie has said it though I don't know why I didn't notice it before. It would explain his awesome physique.

 

"How is that going to go with your leg?" I ask. Oops. Looks like that's not his favourite topic by his reaction.

 

"Well, yeah, the Physiotherapist is working on that." He shrugs. "Hey I thought you said you were going to be studying Maths?" He says gesturing to the page I'm working on, conveniently changing the subject.

 

"Well that was the plan, but, Robbie made other plans," I say gesturing to Robbie's harem, "so I thought I better get started on my English paper."

 

"You doing English Studies?" He asks.

 

"Certainly am." I reply. I hope he isn't about to suggest we study together. Who am I kidding. I hope he wants to study with me, but for my own sanity I need him to not ask!

 

"That's great! We should organise to study together some time. Actually Tegan and Max are coming around to my house tonight to work on stuff. You should come." He says eagerly.

 

How do I get out of this? Like my Dad will let me go to some random guys house to study. That and the vibes I'm getting from him are far more friendly than a guy who is taken.

 

"Um, I think I'm busy?" I reply as a question. Great work Anna, way to go sounding convincing.

 

Robbie and Julia roll their eyes. Danielle has just come back and I can see her behind Nic surveying the situation. She narrows her eyes at the back of his head and looks at me.

 

"Yes, Anna you were coming around to my house." She fills in, saving me.

 

"Oh, okay. Well, maybe we can swap numbers and we can catch up another time." He suggests.

 

Danielle