Being Watched

Chapter 2

“You’re moving?!” Martha yells and a few people in the hallway stare at her.

“Quiet down,” I order her. “It’s a big opportunity for my parents and I’m not going to stop them just because I don’t want to leave my friends. Besides, they are doing this for me as well. I can’t be selfish.”

She sighs and nods her head, knowing that I am right. “I’m going to miss you, Steph,” she says sadly.

“I’m going to miss you too,” I say. I won’t be able to see my friends anymore and we will not be able to hang out all together and goof around.

“Why? Where are you going?” Jack appears out of nowhere with the rest of our group.

“I’m moving away guys,” I tell them sadly and they all stare at me in shock for a second.

“When?” Carla asks.

“Monday,” I reply.

“Why?” John asks.

“My parents got promoted and we have to move so that they can work in a different branch of the company,” I explain.

Sad expressions overtake their faces.

“We’ll still talk through Skype,” I try to cheer them up.

Suddenly, four pairs of arms hug me.

“We’re going to miss you so much,” Carla says and I smile. Before we can say anything else, the bell rings and we all walk to our different classes.

I don’t concentrate fully all day because I’m thinking of Jeremy and how I should react when I see him. I have a feeling that my concentration in class this week will be very low.

And I’m right.

The rest of the week passes in a blur between classes and preparations for the move. I spend a lot of time watching Jeremy too because these are the last few days I get to see him in his room.

I wonder if we will be good friends when I attend his school and mainly, I wonder is he will show me his poems someday or show me his other side.

A part of me knows that he won’t because none of his friends know, not even Gavin, his best friend since first grade so why will I be the exception?

Saturday arrives and I wake up early to prepare the sandwiches for our picnic at the park. Once I’m done with the food, I go up to my room and change into a pair of light blue jeans and a black T-shirt with the outline of Mickey Mouse on it in white.

I quickly brush my hair, knowing that Martha will be here any second. I hear the sound of her car’s horn so I grab my cell phone and rush out of my room. Of course, I check if Jeremy is still asleep first, which he is, by the way.

I get the food basket from the kitchen and run out of the house. Sure enough, Martha’s black Honda is parked in front of my house. I opened the door and hop in the passenger’s seat.

“Hey,” I say as I put the basket in the backseat.

“Hey,” she says, eyeing the basket. “Your sandwiches better be delicious.”

I roll my eyes at her. She’s always thinking of the food.

“I made all kinds of sandwiches so no worries,” I say and she beams at me. We arrive to the park where the rest of our friends are and sit under a huge tree.

The guys took care of the snacks and deserts and Carla got the blanket.

I open the basket and take out the sandwiches and hand them to the person who wants them. Martha hands out the plastic plates she bought and soon we are all seated, eating the food.

“How’s your new school like?” John asks.

“It’s a private Catholic school,” I say, not knowing if it’s a good thing or not.

“Awesome!” He replies. “At least one of us will experience how it’s like to be in a private school.”

I laugh at that and then Jack adds, “You better not turn into a snobby girl, though.”

“Not all girls who go to private schools are snobby,” I reply. “It’s just a stereotype.”

“Hmm,” he says absent-mindedly and I roll my eyes at him. That’s Jack for you.

“Will you have a uniform?” Carla asks and I grimace as I notice that I do have a school uniform. I remember all the days I saw Jeremy wear a school uniform. He looks sexy in his school uniform but I don’t think I’ll look that nice in the girls’ uniform which is a grey skirt and white shirt.

“Sadly, yes,” I reply and the snicker.

“Is it like a long nun-style skirt with the long sleeved shirt and the woolen sweater?” Martha asks and I laugh.

“No,” I reply, shaking my head. “That uniform doesn’t exist anymore. It’s a knee-length grey skirt and a plain white shirt. And in winter its black pants with the white shirt and a black jacket.”

 “Oh well I guess it’s not that bad, right?” She says.

“I guess,” I shrug. I can live with a school uniform. At least that way, all the students are somehow equal and won’t get judged according to their outfits.

After eating, we rest for a bit and just chat or gossip about people at our school. At around three, we decide to play some silly childish games but we end up laughing so hard we almost piss our pants.

“I dare you to hang upside down on the monkey bars for ten minutes!” Martha tells Jack.

“Easy,” he says and I roll my eyes at him.

Three minutes later, Jack’s eyes widen while he’s upside down and he mutters an ‘uh oh’ before his face turns slightly pale and he pukes his lunch, still upside down.

I know it’s mean but I couldn’t stop laughing at the scene unfolding in front of me.

John and Carla help him down while Martha stares at him, shocked, and I laugh my ass off.

“Wow thanks Steph,” he says sarcastically after drinking a bottle of water to get rid of the horrible taste in his mouth after all that puking.

“S-sorry,” I manage to stutter, clutching my sides and still laughing. “It just looked so hilarious!”

Everyone giggles a bit and then we’re all in laughing fits with the whole ‘tears-streaming-down-our-faces’ thing.

“Ah funny,” I finally say when we stop laughing and wipe away my tears.

A few hours later, we say our goodbyes and they promise to visit tomorrow night before I leave on Monday morning.

The next day, I wake up at ten in the morning. The first thing I do—as usual—is look to see if Jeremy’s awake. I’m not surprised to see him still sleeping, snoring softly.

He usually wakes up at nine-thirty on Sundays to go to church at ten. Speaking of church, my parents are probably there now. They gave up on convincing me to go a year ago.

When I was a kid, I used to go with them every Sunday because I was forced but when I turned fourteen, they couldn’t force me anymore. I just didn’t want to go. It is boring and endless.

I look around my room which is mostly empty and sigh sadly. A big bright green suitcase with all my stuff inside is in the right corner of my room and my closet is empty except for a couple of outfits for today and tomorrow.

I walk to the kitchen and smile when I see a plate with around fifteen freshly bakes cupcakes in it. I take one and pour myself a cup of orange juice before sitting on the chair in the kitchen and eating alone. I look around the kitchen and try to memorize every inch of it. I’ve lived here ever since I was a kid and I still can’t believe that I’m moving now.

I don’t want to leave this house but I’m not going to lie, I am a bit excited for what is coming next.

I finish my cupcake just as my cell phone lights up. I open the message I just received and read it. It’s from George.

Hey. I’ll be there at 11.

Typical George, I think. His messages are always short and blunt.

I glance at my watch and rush up to my room. It’s almost nine-thirty and I want to enjoy the last thirty minutes I have to watch Jeremy.

Just as I reach my room and sit on my bed, Jeremy’s alarm rings and he groans as he shut it off.

He sleeps for another two minutes before getting up and stumbling to his bathroom, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. His blond hair is a mess and his blue eyes are barely open, I’m surprised he doesn’t run into the wall.

Around ten minutes later, he walks out of his bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair dripping. I blush and avert my gaze as he gets dressed.

When I think that he’s decent I look back up and the small screen.

He only has a pair of blue jeans on and he’s drying his hair with a small white towel. When he’s done, he slips on a white T-shirt with the words Feelin’ Good printed on it in blue.

He combs his hair then runs a hand through it. He finally puts on his shoes and walks over to his bed. He presses the home button of his iPhone which is lying on the right side of his bed, making it light up.

After checking his messages, he glances at his watch. He still has ten minutes before he has to leave.

He glances at the wall/window and I bite my lip as I stare at his beautiful blue eyes.

A few minutes later, he sighs and leaves his room.

That is the last time I watch him in his room…

That thought hits me like a wave of depression. It feels as if I’m losing a friend. Okay so we’re not friends and he doesn’t know that I exist but I know everything about him and when I move away, I’ll have to start over with him and I know that he will never let me know the things I know now.

I sigh as I feel a deep ache in my heart. I don’t want to leave this life behind and at the same time I want to start a new life where I can meet Jeremy in real life.

“Steph, you ready for the move?” Dad asks when they return home from church.

“Yeah, almost,” I reply and he glances around my room, nodding in approval.

“You okay?” He asks as he walks in and sits on my bed. My parents never noticed My JaySpy because I have a curtain thing that I put above it every time they come in. As far as everyone knows, there’s nothing on that wall but the purple curtain.

“Yeah, just thinking,” I reply, shrugging. “This is all too sudden. I’m trying to process the idea of leaving this place.”

“I know but think of it like removing a bandage. If you rip it off quickly it’s better than slowly removing it and feeling more pain, right?”

I laugh at my dad’s comparison. He always has the weirdest comparisons. “You’re right, I guess.”

He smiles at me and gives me a hug. “You’re the best daughter any parent could ask for.”

“Thanks,” I say, smiling at my dad.

“Steph! George is here!” My mom calls from downstairs.

Dad stands up to leave and I ask him to tell George to come up if he wasn’t already coming up. My parents are cool with George because they have known him since forever. They are also okay with John and Jack but if it were any other guy they would get overprotective.

“Hey,” George says, smiling at me.

“Hey,” I reply, giving him a quick hug.

I lift the curtain and move aside. I sit on my chair and bite my lip as George works on getting JaySpy removed.

And that’s when my mind flashes back to three years ago and I’m back to being thirteen years old, sitting on my bed as George comes in, holding a device that looks like an iPad.

“What’s that?” Thirteen-year old me asked George then with a more excited tone I said, “Did you get me an iPad?”

“No, it’s even cooler,” George said and I looked at him curiously as he put it up on my wall, the opposite of what he is doing right now.

“You okay?” George asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah,” I say. “Just remembering the day you gave me this.”

He smiles slightly. “I was thinking the same thing as I was taking it down.”

He is holding the black device in his hands and I stare at it, noting how ugly it is when it is not displaying Jeremy’s room.

“Are you going to tell me the story behind it now?” I ask and he shakes his head.

“Not yet,” he says.

I honestly don’t know how to react to that. It’s such a weird thing and I’m not even sure I want to know the story.

“Okay,” I finally sigh. A few moments of silence pass before I add, “Thanks George.”

He smiles at me and pushed his glasses up. He glances at his watch and tells me that he has to leave now.

“Call me and tell me how things go with Jeremy,” he tells me while hugging me tightly.

“I’m going to miss you my creepy friend,” I say to him.

“I’m going to miss you too Steph,” he says before releasing me.

“Goodbye,” he says sadly.

“Goodbye, George,” I reply softly and soon he’s gone.

The idea of me moving away starts to sink in and a wave of sadness washes over me.

“Steph! Lunch!” Mom calls out.

“Coming!” I call out and I’m surprised that it’s already one o’clock. Time is passing too fast today.

I enter the kitchen and help my mom with the plates as she sets them on the table. We eat our lunch while discussing the time we’re leaving tomorrow and when my parents will start work and when I will start school.

When we finish lunch, I wash the dishes and my parents rest for a bit before they continue packing their stuff as well.

Around four in the afternoon, my friends arrive and we spend at least three hours hanging out in my room and I can’t help but think how much I’m going to miss this.

“We should leave,” Martha says and I glance at my watch to see the time. And again I’m surprised how the time passed so fast and it’s eight already.

You would think that a goodbye would be extremely emotional with the tears and all but actually there are no tears, it is just sad.

“We’ll talk every day,” Martha says.

“And you’ll visit from time to time,” Carla says.

“And we will not drift apart,” Jake says.

“And you’re going to return someday so that we get married and live happily ever after,” John says and we all chuckle.

John and I have been best friends ever since we were three years old so he thinks we will have that cliché ending with the whole ‘marrying-your-best-friend’.

It started out as a joke but sometimes I doubted if he was joking or being serious.

Martha and Carla always say that he totally in love with me but I don’t think so.

“It will happen someday,” He mutters under his breath and it’s a moment when I think he’s being serious. I just smile at him and give him a tight hug.

When I pull away, he stares at me with sad eyes and sighs. “I can’t believe you’re leaving,” he whispers as his eyes become glassy.

“No, please, no crying,” I say and he chuckles.

“He’ll cry alone later,” Jake jokes and I laugh as John’s cheeks turn pink.

“I know you’ll cry twice as hard, Jake,” I tease him and everyone smirks at him.

He just rolls his eyes and pulls me in a bear hug.

After a final group hug, they all leave and I’m alone in my room.

I’ll admit that I did cry a bit at night.

I am going to miss my friends so much, is my last thought before I fall asleep.

The next morning, mom wakes me up at seven because we have to be at the airport at eight thirty. I get dressed and pack the few remaining objects before my dad carries my suitcase outside.

The plane ride passes in a blur with me either sleeping or watching T.V all the time. When we land, the local time is four in the afternoon.

At five, we arrive to our new home.

My eyes are wide as I stare at the two story white building in front of me. There’s a small colorful garden in the front and the door is huge with several locks.

Dad unlocks the door and I walk inside, admiring all the rooms. I go into every room downstairs and give my parents an appreciative nod. Everything seems amazing so far. What caught my attention the most is the kitchen that is almost twice as big as our old one.

“Now for the big surprise,” Dad says, smiling excitedly as he leads me upstairs.

We reach one of the white doors and he twists the handle and opens the door.

I gasp as I walk into my new room.

The walls, the ceiling, and the floor are all white with several colorful paintings on the walls. The bed is white too just like my desk and closet and couch, but the mattress and cover are a bright blue color and on it there are many bright pink pillows.

On my desk, there are pencils, pens, papers, staplers, and everything I need but they are all in different neon colors.

On the bedside table, a yellow neon reading lamp is set with a matching yellow clock.

On my couch there are three neon pillows, one green, one blue, and one pink.

The curtains are white with colorful neon spots on them and the window behind them reveals a beautiful mountain view.

I look up at the lamp in my room and notice the different neon strings cascading down.

I open the connected door and find a similar white bathroom with a neon curtain and neon decoration for the soaps and towels and carpets.

“It’s beautiful!” I exclaim, hugging my parents. I have always talked about how cool it would be to have a room like that but I never thought anyone would consider doing it. It was awesome!

All the rooms in the house are amazing and much better than the ones in our old house. I love all the decorations, especially those of my room.

I spend the next four hours unpacking and fixing everything the way I want them to be in my room.

When I finish, I’m exhausted so I quickly shower and change into my pajama pants and T-shirt before crawling into my new, comfortable bed and falling asleep.

Let the new life begin…

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Hello! :)

I'm sorry if you thought the chapter was boring but I wanted to show her old life a bit before starting her new one. The next chapter will be much better though because she'll be meeting Jeremy ;)

Picture of Jesse McCartney as Jeremy --->

Happy Birthday to VoldemortsUnicorn. Have a wonderful year! :)

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