Running From The Truth

By Elise Shivamber

Arianna is a High School student whose life may seem perfect to others. She is beautiful, has a sweet personality and is also smart - a triple threat. However, her loyalty to her best friend has kept Arianna from being in a relationship with the one person she deserves to have. From break ups, a new boyfriend to her party-animal mother, Arianna's life is full of challenges.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elise Shivamber
• Release date: Jul 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301971213

Elise Shivamber

I was born in New York and spent my childhood there and in Florida. Between 2010 and 2013 I lived in Abu Dhabi, an amazing city in the United Arab Emirates. My experiences moving to these varied, different and interesting locations helped shape my perspectives on people, culture and life. At the end of Summer 2013, I will attend the New York University College of Arts and Science, in my birthplace New York City.

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Running from the Truth

By Elise Shivamber

~~~

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2013 by Elise Shivamber.

All rights reserved.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1 - The Note

Chapter 2 - ?!HELP!?

Chapter 3 - Getting Ready

Chapter 4 - Caribbean, Here I Come, Here I Am!

Chapter 5 - Beach Babe

Chapter 6 - Home Sweet Home? NOT.

Chapter 7 - The Breakup

Chapter 8 - A New Week Of Surprises

Chapter 9 - One Month

Chapter 10 - I Love You

Chapter 11 - My Heart Beats...Only For You

Chapter 12 - Why me?

Chapter 13 - The Wedding Song

Chapter 14 - 1238912

Dedication

I’d like to dedicate this book to my father. He’s been my biggest fan, though I think he was a little biased! He’s been my biggest motivator, always being the person to ask me, Elise, did you finish your book? or Elise are you still writing? Most of all, he’s been my biggest support, always letting me know he believes in me and that’s really the reason this book is finally finished. I love you Daddyo!

Preface

The sand squished between my newly manicured toes, as the waves called my name. I threw off my old wrinkled camp t-shirt, and it landed in the middle of the fuchsia floral towel. I took a huge breath of salty air in, and released it a few seconds later. Another wave crashed as I took off my new sunglasses and placed them gently in the bright yellow beach bag I had gotten as a birthday present.

Arianna!

I jog towards the water line.

Arianna! I hear again. I start to sprint faster towards the gentle waves calling my name.

Arianna! Wake up! It’s your turn to read the poem you wrote! You will have plenty of time to sleep during spring break. However, spring break is in two weeks. Go to the front of the class now. I open my eyes, squinting. I was hoping this was not really only fourth period. It was. Mrs. Gonzales glared at me through her new Tommy Hilfiger glasses. They just made her look even older, since they were placed carefully at the edge of her long, antique nose. Arianna. Just looking at me won’t get you anywhere in this class. Get your lazy butt out of your chair right now, or you will be spending extra time in it. In class. After school tomorrow. In detention.

I scramble to my feet and slump to the front of the bare classroom. I look down at my crumpled paper and look up to my only best friend in the class for help. Loraine looks at me with her huge blue eyes, and flashes me a thumbs up. Her compassionate and kind face calms me down, a little bit. Breathe in breathe out, I think to myself as I unfold my paper.

Uh I call this ‘Betrayal’. I mumble slowly, as I reread my words quickly. I was starting to think that reading this poem might not be such a great idea. People could possibly know whom this is about. Here I go anyways, I think to myself.

"I was so stupid

for ever loving you

I thought I could trust you

to not do what you did to others before.

Betrayed is exactly what I am.

you said you’d be there for me,

through the good and the bad.

Sure, the good times were great,

all the laughs and the joy

But when the bad times came,

you vanished and left me alone in the dark

to curl up in a ball and cry my sorrows away.

You played with my heart.

You played with my soul.

You played with my mind.

You played ME.

The worst part is you used me

To get over Her

She is the reason I cry myself to sleep at night.

She is the reason for me hating you.

She is the reason we can never be together again.

But I know better now than to fall for

Someone like you

Someone who thinks they can use me

as a rebound girl,

to get over the one he truly loves.

He truly cares about.

He truly wants.

NOT me.

You made me see that life isn’t just composed of optimism.

But it’s also composed of hatred and betrayal.

So let’s all take a bow

For the living, breathing definition of it..."

I look up towards the class, all of whom have their eyes bright and open wide, and I whisper the very last word into the hovering silence:

"You."

I fold my paper, walk back to my desk and slouch down in my hard plastic seat. I look around and notice that everyone’s mouths are wide open. They all stare at me, and I start wondering if I said something weird or worse, wrong.

Arianna. That was ... wonderful! I didn’t know you had it in you! Mrs. Gonzales states, as she writes down something on her handy-dandy clipboard.

Um, thank you. I was just writing it. Well sort of. I reply back, as I start to blush.

How on Earth did you come up with that beautiful poem dear? Mrs. Gonzales questions. Wait, did she just call me dear? Weird.

Um. I don’t know. I was um watching uh Hannah Montana, I guess, I totally lie. I would never tell them about what, or whom, the poem was really about. It was about the one and only thing that haunted me; the truth.

Only my really close friends would know the one person this poem was all about. The one who used to be the closest to me. The one who was the real reason for this poem. The one who gave me all of those heart-wrenching and painful feelings. The one who is the reason for every tear during a sad love-song, or every sigh when I walk down the hallway, alone. The one person behind every laugh I had for a while, and even all of my smiles for a long time. Maybe even every feeling I ever had, thinking just one person liking me was enough. Maybe. Just maybe.

HE, was definitely not Hannah Montana, I know that for sure. HE was my best friend. HE was my life, for a while. HE was the reason for my tears on my mascara-wearing eyelashes. HE was the topic of all my notes to friends for a long time. HE was the reason for my break-ups. HE was everything to me.

HE was Willy.

Chapter 1 - The Note

It all started with a note.

It was History class one yucky winter day, when he wrote the note. The he in this situation was Jordan. He was Willy’s best friend. He also happened to be twice as small, but that doesn’t really matter.

I was stroking Jordan’s short new hair-cut, when he handed me a note.

Someone wanted me to find out whom you like. I can’t tell you who though, so don’t even ask me.

I looked right up to Jordan, and right before writing my answer, I quickly glimpsed at Willy. He turned around and when his green-ish blue eyes hit mine, he waved at me. I waved right back, blushed a little, and then went back to answering the note.

Rayshawn.

He was my ex-boyfriend, since about... two weeks ago? The only reason he had broken up with me was because he thought I had liked Willy. A conclusion which was only reached because I was always with Willy. Rayshawn had ignored me for almost a week and that’s when I realized something was wrong. The next day, he said those infamous words everybody in a relationship fears, I think we should just be friends.

The only problem with this conclusion was that Willy was just my best guy friend. We told each other everything. I was always with him, because I had been trying to set him up with the girl of his dreams and reality, Marie. They had gone out four times before and I had made it a fifth. Marie really liked him, so it was easy to get them back together again. They broke up a few days ago, but that’s because I’m guessing five times can get a little bit awkward. Little had I known that helping Willy would turn my world upside down.

Jordan poked me in my cheek with the note. Hi Arianna, Jordan said as he handed it to me.

Is that it?

I thought it was Rayshawn who had asked Jordan, so I wrote back, not wanting to ruin another chance.

Yupp. That is IT. I don’t want to lose him again.

Rayshawn still liked me. I thought it was kind of dumb that he broke up with me in the first place, if we’re being honest. Willy tells me that I broke Rayshawn’s heart, but I wasn’t the one to say those hurtful words. I wasn’t the one who ended our relationship.

Oh. Okay.

I wanted a few more words of optimism telling me something like ‘he is going to ask you out’ or ‘he really likes you still’. Maybe that was too much to ask for.

How’s Brittany? She’s starting to get mad that you keep running away from her, when you know that she will follow.

Brittany was one of my best friends and she was the girl in Jordan’s life. They made a great couple. The only problem was that she really, really liked Jordan and he, not so much. It didn’t matter though, because as long as I lived, they would last forever and ever!

It’s starting to get annoying how in love with me she is. I think I might break up with her sometime soon. It might be good for the both of us.

Maybe I didn’t know what I was talking about. Boys are so confusing! The only thing Brittany and I talked about was Jordan. It was always ‘O-M-G Jordan did this!’ or ‘did you hear me telling Bella about what Jordan did yesterday?’, or even ‘I thought I might have told you that when I was at Jordan’s locker’. It was fine with me, because I’m sure some people would get annoyed with me always talking about Rayshawn. I liked hearing Brittany talk anyways, and she was always so happy with him and talking about him that I didn’t mind hearing everything. Even if sometimes it was too much information!

What? Why? When is sometime soon exactly? I write him back. I was going to cry. Even though it was not me, I still felt for my Brittany. My girl!

Well, I’m not sure when it might be. I just know that I’m starting to not like her anymore. I don’t know. Just don’t tell her though, because I’m not sure. You promise?

How could I promise to keep a secret that could change someone’s life? I didn’t want to, but telling Brittany would make her even more upset than if I didn’t tell her.

Fine. I promise. I don’t want to promise, but I will. Tell me the second you decide to break up with her, because I want to cry for her.

I carefully folded the note back up, and handed it to Jordan. He gave me a guilty little smile. I wish I could see a hint of sincerity hidden in that crooked grin of his.

Hey girl! What’s going on? I dumped Marie this Monday morning. Oh wait, you already knew that didn’t you! Dumb me. You were the one who helped me through it! Wow. Willy turned around and starts babbling to me. He gave me a high five, grabbed my hand and we did our awesome little handshake.

Yeah I know! Remember, I was your spy to tell you every little thing she said! We need to work on our handshake man! For having five classes to work on it, I have to admit it’s pretty bad, I replied back, as the ends of my glossed lips turned up into a huge playful smile.

We had five classes together every school day, which made every class fun. There were only two classes without Willy, the short time I was able to take a breather. Those two classes were the only classes I