A Love Restored

Chapter 13

Then

“These pancakes are so good, Hannah. Felix said with a mouthful of blueberry pancakes. He was on his third by now. I was on my first and only.

plate.

Hannah smiled and put another on his p

“Hurry up.” Felix looked at me, “We’re gonna be late for school.”

I nodded, struggling to chew. It was so hard for me to have breakfast, I could barely cat. I physically just could not swallow food before 10 am. And it was a full two hours before that right now.

“I can’t eat this,” I moaned painfully, looking at Hannah. “I’ll just drink some milk.” She frowned, but didn’t say anything. It was Felix who admonished me. “Hey! Sit and finish your breakfast. I’ve eaten four times what you’re eating.”

I shook my head, making a face, but he looked at me pointedly, raising his eyebrows, challenging me to challenge him. I sat back down and began stuffing my face, painfully finishing the pancake.

“You’re such a kid, Flora.” He said as we

walked to his car. “You should eat mo

more.

“I eat enough.” I argued, “I just hate breakfast.”

“I love Hannah’s cooking.” He gushed. We sat down, him driving and me in the shotgun seat, I threw my school bag in the back and put the seatbelt on. “If it was on me, I’d eat at your house every day.”

“You already do.” I said, disguising it with a deliberate cough, and Felix pulled on my ponytail in response. I yelped and slapped his hand away, but Inside I found it super cute when he did this. I liked it when he touched me casually like this, randomly touching my hair or holding my hand. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Felix played some music – Lola by The Kinks. As he rocked his head to the music, I stared out the window, and then at him. He was so cute, bobbing his bead to the beats, his hair swaying with him. He usually kept it cropped short, but hadn’t had a haircut in a while. I liked Felix in our school uniform. The blue pants and white shirt really brought out a whole new side to him. He was usually dressed in dark hoodies, wearing his silver earrings and rings and hanging around on his motorbike. When he tidied up for school, he looked a little nerdy and innocent. I loved it.

We pulled in to the parking lot 5 minutes before class started, so I grabbed my bag and hurriedly got out of the car. Felix was taking his leisurely time, but I had to wait for him, because if I didn’t, he’d be mad I didn’t let him walk me to class.

I fidgeted with my shirt while he retrieved his bag and stepped out. Finally, he grabbed my wrist and began walking to the freshman and sophomore wing. “You’ll be late. I told him. The senior wing was on the other side of the school. And it was a big school. My father said fancy prep schools made fancy preppy kids, but my mother had insisted I go here, and so 1 was. Felix shrugged, and I didn’t protest.

hand Felix had been walking me to class every single day since my freshman year, but I never got over the butterflies I felt each time he grabbed my and walked me to class, told me to be good, and then didn’t leave until I had sat down on my seat. The first few times we’d gotten a lot of stares. And I got it. Felix was really popular, and he was really hot. I hadn’t even realized he was considered hot till I heard all the girls in school gush over him. I’d seen him grow up. To me he had just been Felix Stupid, over protective Felix who was always snacking on blueberries and falling asleep at 10 in the night.

Anyway, Felix was hot and popular, and I was average looking and nerdy. I was popular too, now, as an extension of his popularity. But I was only Flora of Flora and Felix, and nothing else. I didn’t even have any friends other than Felix, and Felix’s friends, and my best friend Tilly.

“Be good,” Felix told me when we reached my class, patting my head. I nodded, and went inside. I sat down behind Tilly on my assigned seat and waved at Felix, who waved back, and finally turned to walk away.

Tilly turned round to look at me. “Flora” She exclaimed loudly. “You have no idea what just happened.”

“What?” I asked. Just then, the teacher, Mr. Sharma, walked in.

“Remy asked me to go see a movie!” Tilly whispered urgently. I grinned. Finally! She’d been crushing on him for a year now.

My eyes widened. “Oh my god. Tonight?” I exclaimed. “I’m so excited.”

“Now we can go on double dates!” Tilly said excitedly, and I nodded in agreement. We could hang out with Felix and Remy.

+109

The teacher began with the lesson, and we both turned our attention to him. The four classes before lunch period passed in a blur. Everything was Bonus

08:06

Chapter 13

blur without Felix. With him, time was slow and life was real.

–

When lunch started, I dragged Tilly along with me to the table where I always sat with Felix and his friends. Tilly had a lot more friends than I did, ‘but she only ever ate lunch with me. We sat down at our usual table, where the boys hadn’t arrived yet. I put my lunch bag on the table and waited as Tilly got hers from the cafeteria. Before her, everyone else arrived. Felix took the seat beside me, putting his arm around my chair. “Hey.” I greeted cheerfully. “How was calculus? I knew he was struggling with it but would never admit.“Fine.” He grunted, and I rolled my eyes.

Just then, Tilly got back, dumping her tray on the table unceremoniously. The cafeteria lunch was chicken cutlets and a salad.

“Oh my god, Flora,” She gushed, sitting down with a thump, “1 just talked to Remy. His friend Jason thinks you’re cute. You should come tonight.” her

eyes twinkled, “And Remy can bring lason. It will be so cute!”