Starting over

Chapter 2: Clumsy

Chapter 2

Nova

"You know what I think?" Katie asks as Paisley opens the door to the café.

We've been in school for three days now and we're still trying to find our way around. Yesterday we came like half an hour late to English class because we got lost. Our teacher scolded us in front of the whole class. That was not one of the most embarrassing moments in my life.

"No Katie, we don't know what you think", I say as I follow Paisley.

"I think that we all should try out for the cheerleader team", she says. "It has to be sooooo much cooler to be a cheerleader in college than in high school".

No way in hell! I have bad memories from being a cheerleader. I was the leader of a team in high school until our senior year when everything went downhill. I swore I'd never be a cheerleader again in my life. Cheerleader girls are the falsest of them all, who would stab you in the back as soon as they got a reason. That was what happened to me anyways.

"I don't know Katie", I mumble as we stand in line to get our coffee.

"Why not?" Paisley asks.

"I just... I swore I'd never be a cheerleader again", I say.

We order our coffee and sit down by a cozy table. "So, you’ve been a cheerleader?" Katie asks as we've sat down.

I nod. "Yah I was head cheerleader", I say. "But the thing is that cheerleaders are the falsest type of people there is, so I swore to never be one again".

"What happened?" Paisley asks.

And so, the memories come flowing back into my brain. I try to push them out. I don't want to think of it again. The laugher. The humiliation. The backstabbing.

"Let's just say that they weren't the friends I thought they were", I say. "I don't really like to talk about it soooo..."

"Got it", Katie says. "But this is different, we are your friends, we won't backstab you Nova".

It feels so weird to hear my name without the mocking tone in the voice, to hear my name without disgust. To hear my name with kindness and warmth. I like it, I hope it will stay that way.

"How am I supposed to know that?" I ask with a little smile. "I've only known you both for like three days".

"I guess we'll see than", Paisley says with a small smile. “In time you will realize that good friends actually exist”.

I don't actually think that they will backstab me. They really do seem like genuine friends. Not like false friends. I can see the difference between real and false friends. But I still don’t trust easily after everything I’ve been through.

I just don't know about the cheerleader thing. I did make a promise to myself. Can I really break that promise to? Will I let myself down if I agree to it?

"But what do you say? New school, older and more mature people... Maybe it will be better", Katie says.

"I'm in", Paisley says with a big smile.

I continue to stay silent. Thinking about it all. Katie is right when she says that the people here are older and more mature. It's not children going to this school. It's adults. College is not for children. At the same time, my classmates from high school are also in colleges somewhere, and they are not mature. So not all college students are mature. I really have to stop overanalyze things.

"I don't know..." I say hesitating.

"Oh, please Nova? You can always quit, and besides, we might not even get in", Katie says.

"I..." I say but they look at me with puppy eyes. "I... Ugh fine, I can try I guess".

"Yey! This is going to be so much fun", Paisley cheers clapping her hands together.

"Right", I say, and spill some of my coffee on the table. "f**k".

I stand up to go get napkins. I grab a few and turn around just as I bump into someone who gets the coffee his holding all over his shirt.

"Oh my god", I say as I use the napkins I got, trying to clean up the guys shirt. "I'm so so so sorry, I'm such a clot".

"Oh, it's okay, I always hated this shirt anyway", the guy chuckles.

I look up at him and is met by the greenest and clearest eyes I've ever seen in my life. His hair is ashy blonde, and he has the cutest nose. And oh god his jawline is the most perfect one I've ever seen. Suddenly I feel my tongue curl itself and I can't get a single word out of my mouth.

"I ... Uh ..." I try to get out a sentence, but I just can't. "I'm uh ... I'm sorry".

"No worries", the boy says.

"I better um ... Go", I say and almost run away from there.

I run to our table, grab my bag and without a word to Paisley and Katie I run towards the door and out of the café. I can hear how they call for me as the door closes. I run all the way to our dorm and sit on my bed.

God how embarrassing. I humiliated myself so bad. Why do I have to be so damn clumsy? I've always been really clumsy, but why did that have to happen? I never stop embarrassing myself.

The door opens when Katie and Paisley walks into the room.

"What happened?" Paisley asks.

"Didn't you see what happened?" I ask, feeling even more embarrassed.

They shake their heads. "I was showing Paisley the times for the tryout on my phone", Katie says.

"Well I bumped into a guy and made him spill his coffee all over his shirt", I say. "God how embarrassing!"

"What guy?" Paisley asks, giggling.

"How should I know his name, just some guy with the most beautiful eyes and perfect jawline I've ever seen in entire my life!" I say.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about", Katie says.

"How would you feel if you made a hot guy spill his coffee all over his shirt?" I ask.

Katie bite her lower lip, unable to give me an answer.

"Exactly", I say making my point.

Ugh I just want to forget this ever happened.

“Was he angry?” Paisley asks, sitting down beside me.

“Not at all, he was very understanding, and told me that it was okay”, I answer.

“Then try to let it go”, Paisley says putting her arm around me.