Chapter 8 – Admitting the Truth:

 After Hannah left I decided to head over to my favourite deli, CC’s Cafe. It’s pretty nearby to my house. It was almost like a second home as I’d been going there since I’d moved here, when I was seven. Everyone there knows me. I can be myself there.

“Hey Alex.” The store owner greeted me heartily. “Long time no see.” I grinned.

“Yeah, I’ve been busy. But I’m back!” We laugh together, despite the fact the joke is not funny and is lame.

I don’t know what my friends would say if they saw me here.

Actually, yes I do. They’d say it’s lame (as in the store).

I don’t think this place is lame at all. In my humble opinion it is homey. I love it. I still can’t believe I hadn’t been there in over 6 months.

I sit down at the counter and order my favourite drink, a strawberry milkshake. Although, to be accurate, the girl at the counter (Amy) saw me, recognized me and started making my milkshake. I didn’t even have to say anything.

Amy serves my drink with a huge smile upon her face. She’s Mrs. and Mr Caprilli’s (the store owners) daughter. She’s around my age and works down at CC’s after school.

Anyway, I was sipping down that milkshake like you wouldn’t believe when I heard an extremely familiar voice thank the waitress. I spun around and sure enough, there was Hannah.

She spotted me at the same time I spotted her. The difference was I was pleased; she just looked unsettled. I stood up and walked over to her.

She tried to look nonchalant and like she didn’t know I was there. When I sat down at her table she scowled. I wondered why she acted like she disliked me so. I only wanted to be friends.

Or more.

“Hey Hannah! Isn’t it amazing that we keep meeting up?”

“Yeah, sure,” she muttered.

“I didn’t know you knew about CC’s!” I exclaimed, cracking a grin. Hannah seemed a little perkier.

“Yeah, I’ve been coming here, like, forever.” Wait a second.

“But didn’t you only just move here?”

Hannah suddenly looked flustered.

“Umm… uh… Hey, look! We like the same drink!” she announced, changing the topic. I wasn’t fooled for one second.

Oh well, I best go along with it, I thought.

“So we do. What else do you like?” I asked, jumping at the opportunity to learn more about Hannah. Well, my second opportunity.

Hannah screwed up her face, obviously thinking hard.

“Umm… birds.” I laughed.

“That’s pretty vague.” Hannah laughed too, sounding surer of herself.

“I guess. What about you?” she asked seriously. I pondered this, wanting a good answer. Something jumps to mind. Something I have never told anyone else before. But first I must ask a question.

“Before I tell you, can I ask you something?” Hannah nods. “When you first saw me hanging out with my friends and stuff, what was the impression you got?”

Hannah bit her lip, probably thinking of a way to be tactful and honest at the same time.

“Well, to be truthful, sorta popular jock.” Hannah smiles apologetically at me.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. The thing is, well, I’m from Ireland and-”

“I knew it!” exclaims Hannah, who then looks sheepish. “Sorry. Go on.”

“Right, well, we lived there until I was nine, and that’s about when we moved here. In fact, I still remember the day we came to live at our new house. We saw this place, and the thing that struck me the most was the happy family out the front. The girl was drinking a strawberry milkshake and just looked so please with her life. That’s when I became addicted to strawberry milkshakes. I started drinking them to bring some happiness to my own family. It didn’t work. My parents soon divorced. But I still drank these milkshakes anyway.” I paused and frowned. Hannah just looked flustered. “Oh, umm… I’m straying from the point. Anyway, I’m actually a lot smarter than I lead people to believe. Not,” I hasten to add, “that I’m a genius or anything, just smarter than I seem. Because of my intelligence I was picked on at school, back in Ireland. So when we moved here I had a fresh start. Actually, in elementary school here the kids were nice about. It was when I started middle school that I had to lose all sense of identity. I soon learned to enjoy stuff like sports, but I miss intellect and the arts.”

“The arts?”

“Yeah. Painting, drawing, music, drama. All that kinda stuff. I also loved story writing and poetry. By the way, this is all stuff I’ve never ever told anyone before.” I sat back now that all my secrets of the past had been let out. Hannah seemed fixated on the smaller details.

“Poetry? Really?”

“Yeah. Would you like to hear a poem I wrote?”

“Would I ever!”

I pull out my writing note book, which I have never shown to anyone, let alone told them about.

“My Love:

Beautiful, stunning and everything more

Think I love her, though I’m unsure

I know I want to be with her forever

I’ll be happy if we’re together

I wish I could just let her know

Tell her that I need her so.”

When I finish I look up, but Hannah’s smile has disappeared.

“Alex that’s…” Hannah breaks off, tears welling up in her eyes. “I gotta go.” With this she ran off, leaving me bewildered.

The second time in one afternoon that the girl of my dream has run from me.

Why?

Didn’t she know it was for her?

Finally I have admitted the truth of my past to someone and they have run away.

My mum always said the truth feels good, but at this point in life, I’d have to disagree.