Chapter Six
It's been two months since I met Adrian on the bus drive back home. Two long, yet short months and I feel like I have known him for a lifetime. A very long lifetime. Adrian is excited about everything, and most of the time he isn't there. Like he is, but in the same way that makes him, him, he isn't. Adrian makes everything exciting for me. Like going sky diving, I adamantly refused because I didn't want to risk breaking my neck, but Adrian convinced me that it's something I have to do and I believed him.
If I were to have a best friend, or if I were to call anyone that it would be him.
Recently Adrian has started to date a girl named Rose. I have met her once. Only once. And that was because Adrian insisted that as his honorary good friend I have to judge his new girlfriend). Nevertheless, she still left an impression on me. Rose was, for a lack of a better word, kick ass. She mastered judo, karate, tae kwon do, advanced defense, sword fighting, fencing and other various fighting tactics. Additionally, she knows how to handle practically any weapon given to her.
I should be scared of her, but I wasn't because not only was she amazing but she was drop dead gorgeous. Though she had regular brown hair and eyes they look different on her. On most people that genetic combination was normal, but on her Scottish and Turkish heritage, brown hair and eyes were exotic. Adrian chose correctly. Nevertheless, I sometimes find him sad. Sometimes when we're out having coffee together he seems kind of off.
"Sydney, are you there?"
I look up and met Adrian's eyes. Till now I'm still mesmerized by his green eyes. "Yeah, just thinking," I tell him. I lifted the coffee up to my lips and drank it. He looks at me weirdly and shrugs his shoulders. "So do you want to go with me to Spain this summer?" Adrian asks.
I laughed. "Are you serious?" He didn't laugh. I guess he is.
"I wouldn't ask you if I wasn't. I know how much you love the Spanish architecture, and well I love Spanish food, so we might as well visit there together," he points out. I want to roll my eyes, so I do, "You don't love Spanish food," I tell him honestly, and I know that as a fact. Once a couple of weeks ago I took him out to a Spanish restaurant along with Jill and her boyfriend (that was Adrian's idea), and he absolutely hated the food. He was blunt enough to tell me that it tasted like shit.
He rolls his eyes, "Fine I don't love Spanish food, but I want to go to Spain with you."
"Why? Your girlfriend will be here, don't you want to spend time with her?" I ask him, and he goes silent again. Like I said earlier, sometimes Adrian doesn't seem happy when I talk about her. Usually I don't ask him about it because it isn't my business. I feel like he can take care of the problem himself and honestly I should also mind my own business. Nevertheless, the dejected look on his face pushes me slightly over the edge. Finally I sigh and bring the cup of coffee up to my mouth and drank a mouthful. "How are things going with Rose?" I ask him.
He looks at me genuinely surprised. "Wow I never thought I'd hear you ask me that," he says. Leaning back against the chair and starts, "Well, you know...I honestly don't know how things are with her."
"How come? The last time I saw you and her together you seemed happy," of course I didn't mention that it was a party, and everyone enjoys parties. No, scratch that, I did not enjoy the party. After meeting Adrian's multitalented girlfriend I sat on the couch envious and dejected.
"Well for starters I think she's still in love with her ex-boyfriend. Actually I don't think he could be called her boyfriend anyways, he was too old for her and didn't feel himself as the one for her," he explains.
"What about you? Is she in love with you?" I ask him though I doubt love can sprout in a relationship that began less then two months ago. I mean look at me, I lived with my father for my entire life, and yet our relationship was devoid of love.
"She enjoys the idea of partying with me. Rose thinks that I don't take anything seriously so she doesn't have to worry about me wanting to take things further," he tells me. For some reason I find my heart constrict a little. I have, of course, admitted that I am sexually attracted to Adrian, but I am not in love with him. However, the thought of him wanting to take things further with Rose makes me kind of…I don't know feel weird.
I resist the urge to ask him whether or not he wanted to take things further with Rose, but I don't. Instead I smiled at him gently and reached out to hold his hand. For a second I thought he looked at me longingly, like the same longing I have when I stare at Spanish buildings, and churches, but I must have saw incorrectly. Regardless, what I thought I saw made my heart beat a bit faster and I hated myself for that.
Adrian is out of my league. I keep telling myself that, but sometimes, sometimes I wished he wasn't. I wish he wasn't so gorgeous, and talented, and amazing. Maybe then whatever it is I'm feeling towards him would be non-existent. "I think. No, I know that you're not the kind of person Rose thinks you are, and I've met her. I actually think you're being too harsh on yourself. You are better than what you say you are," I assure him. He gives me a half smile, but doesn't pull his hand away. I wished he did because I don't want to.
In the end I was the one who withdrew my hands and Adrian laughed. "You know, if I didn't know you better I'd think you were in love with me." I rolled my eyes, "I'm not." I tell him.
"Of course, but anyways we're getting off topic. Rose is going to Russia this summer, and I am not going with her, she insisted. She's going there to see her ex-whatever's family, apparently I'm not invited," he says to me.
"I'm surprised that you didn't just ignore her request, and buy a plane ticket to go with her. I for one know you have stalker like tendencies."
"I do, but not for Rose. She is not oblivious like some people," he smirks and takes a sip from his coffee.
"I am not oblivious," I tell him. He shrugs his shoulders.
Finally after another ten or so minutes I said goodbye to Adrian and headed back to my dorm. I realized on my way back that we still haven't settled whether or not we're going to Spain. Part of me wants to. Actually a huge part of me wants to because I don't want to go home. Spring Break, though only two months ago, was still tiring for me.
When I got back to campus I received a call from my design instructor telling me that she needs to see me immediately. I told her that I'm heading towards her office and would reach the vicinity in less then 10 minutes.
I was wrong. I didn't reach her office until 11 minutes and she called me out on that. Apparently I'm not the only meticulous person in the world who keeps track of every single little detail. "Sorry," I tell her. She nods her head and motions for me to sit on the chair besides her.
"As you can see Sydney you are our best student. Actually you are nationally recognized as one of the architects the industry should watch out for. I'm not sure if I ever told you this, but I am very proud," she smiles. I nod my head. In my experience praises come with a price. "Do you remember your father coming here for a presentation a while back?" she asks me.
I wanted to tell her, "How could I not?" but I don't. Instead I nod my head and say, "I made the opening speech."
"Of course, anyways our school have decided that you're going to be the intern to work for him this summer?" she tells me. My eyes opened wide and I whisper, "What?"
"Are you excited," she squeals, "every student in this school is hoping to get this internship to work with your father, but instead you get it." She holds out her hand and holds onto mine tightly. "When I was your age, I didn't get the chance to intern in such an amazing company. Actually I didn't intern anywhere at all, my skills are nowhere at your level, nor is any other student here. You have the talent and the conviction that I have yet to see on someone this young. You have to go make our school proud."
I glared at her.
Finally she asks me, "Aren't you excited? You get to work with your father."
"I'm sorry, but don't you think it's somewhat unfair?" I question her, and she gave me a confused look. I continued, "I mean there are hundreds of students in our department, and yet I get chosen for everything. I don't feel worthy," I added for good measure.
"You're worthy enough for everyone in this school. Sydney, you're the only student in this entire place who will far. Yes, everyone in this school has talent, but no one was your talent. You can look at an old piece of work, redesign it, and make it something that can fit our modern time. Most students just can't do that," I looked at her skeptically. I want to point out that everyone can do that.
"Trust me Sydney. I have been teaching for years, and I have seen many great designers, but most of them end up drawing blueprints for suburban houses, and if they're lucky than they get contracted to build stores, but most of them go back to college to seek a better degree. You are not like those people. I know for sure you will go far."
I don't deny anything she says because I know that I'm going to go far. Instead I looked at her in the eyes. "Professor, like you said I'm going to go far, but I don't want to do it this way. I don't want to intern for my dad. Jared Sage is not someone I want to work for. I want to gain my own recognition not live in his shadows."
She glared at me. "Sydney you will do this even if I have to make this a summer assignment for you."
"I'm sorry to upset you. Honest I am, but did you not think I have some plans for the summer?" I ask her.
"Sydney Sage this is a one in a lifetime chance. I can't believe you would rather spend your summer doing frivolous things over working with world renowned designers."
"Professor, like you said, this is a one in a lifetime chance, but not for me. If I wanted to, I can work there, so instead of pushing me into doing something I feel is absolutely unnecessary you might as well kick me out of the program," I explain to her. I don't tell her that even if I ask my father he would refuse adamantly. He would tell me that all I wish to gain from working for him is fame, and that isn't what I want to hear.
"Fine, if you want to be like that then this is my assurance to you. Sydney, you are getting something someone else can't, not because you're his daughter, but because you're talented and I think you can gain a lot of experience from it. If you want to stay in our department you have to intern there over the summer, and in case you decide not to, you might as well withdraw from our department," she says at last.
Once again I found myself in utter awe at what she just told me. "You will kick me out if I say no?" I ask her. She nods her head tiredly. I feel like I should be the one who is tired, not her.
"Fine," I muttered. Standing up I shoved my chair in, and walked out of her office; of course, not after I slammed it loudly against the doorframe (Adrian taught me that sometimes when you don't get what you want, you make a huge rackus to show how unhappy you are, at the time I didn't agree with him, now I have to remember to thank him the next time I see him). As I walked back to my dorm room I felt tired, and upset. I guess now I won't be able to go to Spain anymore. Adrian will have to enjoy Spanish cuisine with himself. The thought saddens me a little, but it's a good thing I didn't give him an answer earlier today.
When Adrian is sad he looks like a lost puppy (well panther because of his green eyes), and I don't want to be the cause of that.
Once I got back to my room I placed my stuff on my desk and got into bed. I'm mentally tired, and I want to fall asleep for the rest of my life. However, I don't because as much as I want to I have homework, and as much as I want to burn my homework because I'm just so fed up with everything, I don't because I know my father will say that I'm lazy and the only thing that is getting me through life is using his fame.
It would be later when I'm sitting in my desk that I realize my earlier thought would be something Adrian would think, or say. Then I would also realize that I'm different, and what I'm saying now isn't something I would say years ago.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And sorry i didn't have Sydney go with Adrian because then that would be too easy.
Please review and tell me if you see any mistakes.