I have a friend, and he is quite a handful.
I grew up with him, so I do know him a lot, but if I were to tell that to other people, they would mock me. "Tell us, Clyde. How do you usually start the day? Rumors are going around that you're a heavy sleeper." I heard a woman's voice asking someone through a TV. Clyde, after hearing that name, I glanced at the television I had left on while preparing my lunch box. I stopped momentarily and watched. I saw the guy scratching the back of his head and answered.
"Yeah, as it happens, I would need five alarms to wake me up." with a nervous smile. It only made me roll my eyes at the guy's answer. 'Waken up by five alarms.' I turned off the TV and scoffed. I packed my lunchbox inside my bag and walked towards the doorstep to wear my shoes. As soon as I was done, I opened the door and locked it since no one would be home, but I had to put the keys under the flower pot just like usual so that my younger brother could get inside the house just in case he got home early. Before I head to school, I still have to go to my friend's house, who certainly... 'wakes up by five alarms.' I rolled my eyes and mimicked what he said at the interview. I headed inside his house without knocking since his mother had given me the spare key.
The guy who was on the TV earlier and the guy who is still sleeping on his bed with his fifth alarm ringing are the same person.
"Clayden, it's getting late, and you're still in bed!?" I said as I pulled his blanket away, making him groan while he scratched the back of his head, revealing his Hale Navy hair. He still didn't get up, and that was when I decided to go to the window to open the curtain, but before I could even do that, he grabbed my shirt to prevent me from opening the curtains.
"Morning, Rae." He greeted me with a smile while his hand started holding mine. I knew better than anyone that he was only distracting me from opening the curtain since he knew his eyes would get hurt because of the light if I opened the curtain. I narrowed my eyes at him and shoved his hands away. 'He's lucky for having his mother's face!' I thought. Clayden Warner is the friend I'm talking about. He looks exactly like his mother: Hale-navy hair, golden eyes... In short, he's a beauty, but for me... that's all he has.
"Raven?" I heard Clayden call my name, and it hit me that he greeted me earlier.
"Good morning. Now hurry up! We're going to be late." I greeted him back. Thereafter, I demanded him and scolded him a little. I walked out of his room to let him get ready. He let out a groan as he got up from bed, and I sighed. "I said hurry up!" I shouted at him before closing the door and heading straight to the living room to wait for him.
My name is Raven Blythe. I live next to the famous young actor of Zephyr Entertainment, Clayden Warner. He's my childhood friend, and I basically take care of him when his parents aren't around. He is hopeless on his own. It might seem like he is being forced to become an actor, but that isn't it at all. I know better than anyone his passion for acting. I sighed as I tapped my foot many times, getting impatient while brushing my ash-brown hair, waiting for Clayden. "Where's Mom?" Clayden asked as I heard the bathroom door open.
"She left earlier this morning. She told me that she has an urgent business trip." I answered his question as I stood up from the couch and headed outside to wait for him there instead.
A little later, he opened the door and noticed me standing outside. "So that's where you went. I called for you several times earlier, yet you weren't answering." He started pouting while I scowled at him. "Wait, why are you glaring at me anyway?" He asked, which only made me sigh and thought. 'I thought girls like take a long time to get ready, but I bet Clayden takes longer than any girls I know...'
• • •
We finally arrived at our school in a few minutes by walking. The first period will start in a few minutes, yet Clayden is stuck with his fangirls, greeting him a good morning. "Clayden." I called for him and thought that he might not hear me because of the girls greeting all at the same time, but thankfully, he noticed me quickly. I immediately gave him gestures that we'd be running late, but instead of nodding. He chuckled and looked back at the ladies in front of him. That action of his only made me see red. I left him by the gate with those girls. 'You're such a lady killer, Clayden.' I thought as I groaned, remembering how he chuckled when I told him we would be late. I know that sometimes Clayden can be a jerk, but the fact that his my friend remains, even if he is such a pain in the ass.
"Raven!" I heard someone call my name. I looked in the direction where I heard the voice, and I saw Zenji. Hasegawa Zenji. Judging by his name, it's already evident that he is from Japan. I met him when Clayden and I were in middle school, and he is also a year older than us.
"He is already surrounded by girls this early in the morning," Zenji said while staring at the crowd of irls surrounding Clayden. 'Well, that sight will never change.' I thought as sweat dropped from my forehead, just looking at the same thing Zenji was looking at.
"Morning, Zen." I greeted him instead to change the topic, and as usual, he gave me a bright smile and said.
"You look exhausted. Raven, did you wake him up again today?" Zenji asked me as I felt myself being melted away. For as long as I know him, Zen is what you call a Straightforward person. He never chooses the right time to speak, nor does he even think someone will get hurt by what he says. I don't hate him. Somewhat, it reassures me that he isn't hiding anything.
"I did." I said and let out a deep sigh. Zenji then took my bag from me, which surprised me.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Raven, I do know you are tired. This is the least I can do." Zenji reasoned while looking at me with a smile. But when he was about to place my bag on his shoulders, a pair of hands appeared and grabbed it.
"I'll carry it to her class, Zen. Don't bother yourself." Clayden told Zenji as he started to walk inside the school. Clayden glanced in my direction. "What are you doing, Raven? Let's go." He asked. I then told Zenji that I'd see him during lunch break as I tried to catch up with Clayden.
"That guy sure gets jealous easily." I muttered as I watched both Raven and Clayden walk through the hallway, while everyone only focused on Clayden, Ignoring Raven beside him.
"Clayden, give me back my bag already." I demanded as he started to pout and stopped walking, making me bump into his back. He faced my direction and leaned close to me.
"So Zenji can carry your bag, and I can't?" He asked, looking a little irritated. I looked away as he let out a hum because of my action. I glanced at the hand where he was holding my bag. Once I saw his grip on my bag loose, I took the opportunity to grab it and run away.
"Hey! I'm not done talking to you, Raven." He shouted, attracting people's attention to his direction. I continued to run and laughed at him, ignoring him calling my name, but as I ran... I heard the same voices I hear every day that slowly made me stand still.
"Here they go again."
"Raven sure does enjoy having Clayden's attention, Don't you think?""Are they dating?"
"Don't be silly. There is no way that they are dating."
"She is not even pretty."
"When will she know her place?"
It has always been like this when I hang out with Clayden. It's only natural for people to gossip. Clayden is famous and attractive. 'There's almost nothing that he couldn't do,' I thought. People would normally wonder why he wanted to attend high school. Even though we were just friends here, people are cruel. They hate me for being around him and Zenji, so I always try my best to live in their shadows, supporting them with what they do or rather, I hide from those piercing gazes.
Falling in love now would never be an option.
"Hey, Rae. Your head is overheating. Don't use it too much." Clayden teased as he patted my head, while I clenched my teeth and shoved his hand away from me.
"Shouldn't you tell that to yourself?!" I shouted, and he started laughing. I wanted to walk away because I also didn't want him to hear whatever the gossip said.
"The bell will ring in a few seconds, You two." Zenji reminded, making me widen my eyes and turn to look at Clayden.
"Should we skip, Rae?" Clayden asked as it made me hit him on the head while he let out his tongue before I started dragging him to our classroom.
"Those two really get along." A girl mentioned as Raven dragged Clayden, making me look back to see some random girl get in between the gossip's conversation.
I chuckled. "For once, those gossip finally said something that is true." I muttered as I walked straight to my class.
We are childhood friends afterall.
To be continued. . .