Keep Me Secret Ch 1 Try 2

Chapter 1: The Overqualified Secretary

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“Here she comes!”
“Does she really think he said that?”
“Don’t look at her!”
“Does she really think he likes her?”
Whispers followed Amelia Evans as she made her way timidly through the mass of students, seeking out a classmate she’d never before tried to find. She did not hear the snickers that were hushed behind the other student’s hands, nor did she notice as the girls more popular than she pointed and giggled. Amelia did not even see the smirks that the people in front of her failed to hide as she pushed through them, all the while lost in her own world. What was Amelia thinking about? She was trying to remember the capital of Bolivia for her Geography quiz next hour.
“Ethan said you wanted to talk to me,” Amelia said when she finally had found the boy she’d been searching for. Immediately the boy looked uncomfortable, glancing at his friends helplessly. It was immediately clear to Amelia that this boy had not wanted to ask her anything at all. Around him his friends laughed at the awkwardness.
“Of course I didn’t,” the boy said finally, his tentative expression changing to one of disgust. “Who’d want to talk to a know-it-all like you?”
Amelia’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly before she finally nodded, her movements stiff and precise.
“I thought it was odd that someone with such a limited vocabulary as you would want to speak with me, but I decided it would be rude not to at least humor your friends in their childish prank. I’d wager that only half of them even realize that I haven’t reacted in a remotely humorous way,” she said coldly, glancing at the boy’s friends. They were still laughing, oblivious of Amelia’s anger just as she’d said. All around her Amelia could hear people laughing, each finding the trick incredibly funny. They could not hear Amelia’s snide remark, nor could they see the hurt that was reflected in her eyes as she stared down the boy.
The boy hesitated, opening his mouth to speak before closing it just as quickly. Beside him another boy laughed, pointing at Amelia in a way that she found exceedingly rude.
“Go on, Evans,” he taunted, sneering, “Ask him if what Ethan said was true.”
Amelia did not look away from the middle boy’s face, her mouth twisting into a frown, her lips pressing together so tightly they formed a white line. She shook her head, her light brown hair bouncing angrily beside her.
“What did Ethan say?” The boy asked, glancing from Amelia to his friends hesitantly. He’d lost the mean tone to his voice as he glanced around, clearly uncertain.
“She came over here to ask if you love her,” the friend to his left jeered, “Man, for a brainiac she sure is dumb.”
Amelia stiffened a little as the crowd behind her erupted into fresh peels of laughter. Their giggles seemed to surround her, bouncing off the walls and ceiling until she felt suffocated. Tightly Amelia hugged her books to her, narrowing her eyes angrily at the boy.
“You pompous, conceited jerk,” she muttered, ignoring the boys bewildered stare. “Go bother some other girl. I haven’t got the time for your childish shenanigans, I’ve got studying to do. The only reason I came over here was to tell you I wasn’t interested because you’re just about the most idiotic, self-absorbed brat I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting. Believe me, I will not make the mistake to talk to you in the future.”
Without another word Amelia turned on her heel and attempted to storm off dramatically. Instead the crowd blocked her way, eager for a longer show to entertain them. Though it took some time Amelia finally fought her way through, running as fast as she could down the hallway and around the corner. She kept running until she found an empty classroom, slipping inside as quietly as possible so that her classmates wouldn’t know where to find her. Looking around she realized she was in her Geography classroom, thanking her good luck. Silently she pulled out her book, flipping it open to the map they’d be tested over as she tried to remember each name.
As she read Amelia could feel tears forming in her eyes, blurring her vision. With a nearly inaudible sound they fell to the map, leaving slightly darker spots that frustrated her. Wiping her eyes on the back of her hand she continued to try and study, all the while thinking angrily about what had just happened.
They had no right to waste my time like that, she thought irritably, Because of them I can’t see anything! Stupid eyes. Every time some unimportant little prank happens I can’t read anything properly for what seems like hours.
Silently Amelia told herself that it was her lost time that bothered her, nothing more. Repeatedly she would recite that she didn’t care what others thought; they would be emptying her trash can when she was president. Why was it then, that every time they pulled some practical joke on her she couldn’t stop crying?
They’re just idiots; they don’t mean anything, she told herself angrily, Pull yourself together or you’ll fail the quiz.
“Amelia?” A familiar voice called hesitantly. Amelia looked up to see the boy she’d approached standing in front of her, looking uncomfortable. Before she could speak he suddenly took a step away, looking horrified. “Are you crying?” he demanded suddenly, slightly panicked.
Wiping her eyes furiously Amelia shook her head, “Of course not,” she snapped. “I can’t read a thing in this light. The teacher needs to get the florescent bulb replaced. They make my eyes water when they flicker.”
Though the boy glanced at the light above them he was nice enough not to point out it wasn’t flickering.
“Listen Amelia, I just wanted to say I really didn’t have anything to do with that,” the boy said earnestly, “Mind you, I think you’re a stuck up know-it-all, but I wouldn’t trick you like that.”
“Well at least we feel mutually,” Amelia muttered, looking back at her map. “I think you’re a ostentatious braggart.”
“Thanks… I guess,” he said, “So are we cool?”
Amelia looked up, her gaze tone like ice as she spoke. “No.”
“Oh,” the boy said, his hand going hesitantly to the back of his neck. “Well… Can I make it up to you?”
“Tell me your name so I can put it on the restraining order,” Amelia snapped, looking back at her map. At first the boy assumed, as most would, that she was kidding about the restraining order. Noticing her anger was not faltering, however, he frowned.
Suddenly he grinned, his frown immediately disappearing behind a playful smile. “Zendoro Zoola,” he said cheerfully.
Looking up again Amelia sighed, exasperated, “I was kidding,” she muttered. “I really could care less what your name is.”
“My friends call me Zen,” the boy continued obliviously. Suddenly smirking he leaned back against the desk behind him, completely at ease. “You can call me Mr. Zoola.”
“I’ll do nothing of the sort!” Amelia spat, glaring at him.
“So then I’d call you Ms. Evans, right?” Zen continued, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
“Don’t call me anything, just go away!” Amelia said, cut off as Zen continued.
“Or Amelia… That’s too long, though. How about just Mel. That okay?”
“GO AWAY!” Amelia said, practically shouting as she suddenly stood from her chair.
Holding up his hands in surrender Zen backed out the door, stopping only as he reached the frame. “See you around Mel,” he smirked, saluting her military style before disappearing out of sight.
Frustrated and exhausted Amelia collapsed back into her seat, staring down at the map. She was no longer focused on the cities and countries that she was supposed to be studying, though. Instead she was thinking about her talk with Zen, wishing suddenly with a feeling much stronger than any she’d had before that Ethan had not been lying.
“Hey, Amelia!” Ethan had shouted, running towards her cheerfully. “Zen Zoola has got this really important thing he wants to tell you.”
“Yeah right,” Amelia had muttered, turning to walk away from him. Ethan had caught her arm, though, spinning her to face him again.
“Look, he’s really shy, and he’s afraid if he tells you then you won’t feel the same way.”
In spite of herself Amelia had felt her heart give an annoying little leap. Was it possible that someone had a crush on her?
“Where is he?” she’d asked at last. It couldn’t hurt to talk to him, just in case he really did feel that way, she supposed. If it were a joke, like it usually was, then she would simply shrug and walk away. If it was true, though, she’d have the trouble of telling him she was flattered but uninterested. It didn’t matter who the boy was, she didn’t have time to date.
Stupidly Amelia had followed his directions to find Zen, oblivious of the whispers around her. She’d been mentally studying, and truthfully had been getting pretty far before she was stumped on Bolivia. The moment she got there she knew she’d been set up.
And what about Zen? He was obnoxious and rude, but in some weird way it was like he’d been trying to apologize for what his friends did. Mind you, he never degraded himself enough with the words “I’m Sorry”, but it was a start for someone like him.
Just as Amelia was pondering what it could all mean she looked up to see her class rushing in. Immediately she sank as low in her seat as she could, trying to ignore the snickers of the other students as they passed her. At last class started, and though she’d missed her last few minutes of studying it was still no surprise when Amelia aced the quiz. By the time she left class everything that had happened that day before Geography was pushed to the back of her mind. There was no reason to worry about something that wasn’t important.
After school she did the usual activities that she usually did, stopping at each of her clubs just as she always did. It was just as she was returning from Chess Club that she noticed Zen standing nearby by himself. Clearly he hadn’t heard her approach for he didn’t turn, just stood and stared out the window as if frustrated by something. He was standing in the shadows, away from the sunlight that was filtering inside.
Amelia bit her lip, knowing that if she alerted him to her presence she would regret it. All the same, he looked upset, and in his own odd way he’d tried to comfort her when she was upset. If nothing else this would make them even.
“Something wrong?” she asked carefully. Zen glanced at her, reacting a little to late to be genuinely surprised as he jumped a little. It was almost as if he’d already known she was there.
“Well, the windows are dirty, there’s a broken hinge on the door to Room 118, and I hear there’s something called global warming invading earth,” Zen replied, smirking at her. Amelia bristled, clearly insulted.
“Never mind,” she muttered, striding to the door. She pushed it open, stopping to glance back at Zen. Though she wasn’t sure, it looked very much as if he’d moved back a few feet from where he’d last been. Looking at him now Amelia found that Zen’s usually handsome face was sickly and pale. His black hair was matted on his forehead, a sharp contrast to his nearly ivory colored skin. Even his blue eyes which usually looked at home among his rosy complexion were gaunt and frightening.
“Are you alright?” Amelia asked suddenly, unable to stop herself.
Zen smiled, noticing her alarmed expression. “A little under the weather,” he admitted. “I skipped lunch, and that’s not helping anything.”
“Why don’t you go home then?” Amelia demanded, frowning a little.
“I don’t have a ride until 5:00,” he answered simply, shrugging a little. He put his hands in his pockets, leaning casually against the wall.
Amelia was not to be talked away so easily. “I can give you a ride,” she insisted. “You look like you should be in a hospital.”
“Thanks for the compliment,” Zen said, a little sour. “Really, Amelia, you hate me, remember?”
Amelia thought about this hard. It was true that she greatly disliked Zen, and it seemed odd that she’d want to help him. At the same time, though, if he turned up dead in the morning she was sure she would feel pretty guilty. She might even feel so bad she’d miss a class to go to his funeral. No, it wasn’t worth risking school…
“Come on,” she insisted. “Just tell me where to drop you off.”
Zen hesitated, finally shrugging a little. “No thanks,” he said, “See you around Evans.” Quietly he swaggered away, hands still in his pockets as he disappeared around the corner.
Shrugging a little Amelia made her way outside, enjoying the warm sunshine on her face. It wasn’t often that a day was quite so nice. Normally it was wet, cold, hot, windy, or any combination of the three. For once it was nice to simply enjoy what it felt like to have an isolated day of normal weather.
Amelia’s honey colored hair was down, the edges pulled up to keep at the back of her head with a barrette to keep it from bothering her. She wore a crisp white polo shirt with a blue pleated skirt that came just below her knees. Folded down precisely three times was a pair of long white socks with black shoes that positively shone with every step she took. She was a little pale, though nothing compared to how Zen had looked that day, and her dark brown eyes were bright and thoughtful as she made her way down the street.
Every store she passed Amelia looked inside the window, wondering what sort of things would be sold there. Not a lot took place in a town like Stokes, Kansas, and nothing ever seemed to change beyond a new coat of paint on a house or a rumor going about town that was only slightly interesting. As Amelia walked she noticed each passing store, thinking only seconds about each one.
On her right she could see the post office where the only postman was making his way back with an empty mail sack, smiling to the few people also walking along the street. To her left she saw the grocery store which she knew was owned by the Simons, an elderly couple who were friendly as could be. Many days she’d stopped by to help Ms. Simon with one odd job or another and took great pleasure in finding new things to assist her with.
Beside the grocery store was a factory, which Amelia did not particularly like. It’s square structure blocked the sunlight, casting the path she walked on into an eerie shadow. As quickly as she could she kept going, looking up and down the street for a particular item. At last she spotted what she’d been searching for. Stuck crookedly in the window of a nearby doctor’s office was a sign that read

Help Wanted:
1 Secretary
Minimum Wage plus tips
No experience required
Must Be Willing to Work Irregular Hours
Paid Vacation

Amelia stopped, staring at the structure thoughtfully. The office was clean, almost tidy looking with white washed concrete walls and a large window decking the front. The door hung to the left, its red painted surface seeming extremely bright against the moderate background. All the same, it wasn’t an unpleasant looking place, and with the right people working there Amelia was sure that it could be quite charming.
She wouldn’t mind working there, she decided. Secretarial work seemed the best fit for her careful organization and attention to detail, and this office seemed just small enough that there wouldn’t be an unreasonable amount of work to do. She wouldn’t mind the minimum wage, though she wasn’t entirely sure what the employer meant by “tips”. Either way, she needed the job experience more than she needed the money. She did not plan to leave for college the next year without first getting some “real world” experience in.
The only question now was her age. If no experience was required Amelia was sure she would have more than enough credentials, but all the same, it was more than possible that an adult was required to fill the position. Technically she would be an adult in less than a year, though she somehow doubted that this would convince anyone.
Taking a deep breath Amelia pushed open the door, wincing a little as the cheerful tinkle of bells met her ears. She’d never liked the noisemakers that sounded every time a door was opened, and she still didn’t like it now.
The room she’d entered was medium sized with blood red couches that looked terribly uncomfortable on either side of her. Between the couches she saw a table with what seemed to be year-old magazines scattered on its surface. Bookshelves lined the wall to her right, most of them seeming to be medical books, though there were a few science fiction books thrown in that she supposed were to keep those waiting occupied. At the other end of the room sat a man in a white coat, his feet perched high on the paper-strewn desk in front of him and his chair tipped back precariously so that he had a very lazy look about him. In his hands he held a newspaper, completely blocking the rest of his features from view. As the bells sounded the newspaper lowered, revealing the slightly surprised face of the man Amelia presumed to be the doctor.
The doctor had a kind face which, despite its untidy stubble and black circles under his eyes from an apparent lack of sleep, seemed to invite confidence. His blue eyes twinkled even in his confusion at seeing the high school girl there, and his sandy brown hair was sticking up at odd angles, as though he had forgotten to brush it. Even his shoes were ragged with duck tape covering what Amelia assumed was a hole in the front. Before the man could speak Amelia had already started, afraid to let him reject her before she could present herself properly.
“Sir, I’m Amelia Evans, Senior in high school and 17 years old. I saw your sign and though I expect you were hoping for someone out of school, probably with a degree in a secretary related profession but I hope that you’ll hear me out. I have had straight A’s from Pre-School until the present, have never gotten a detention, time out, or been punished at school before. I never miss my curfew at home and my mother can tell you that. Also, after school I usually spend my time volunteering at different organizations or preparing for college and doing extra credit. I’m active in extra curricular activities but always have time for one more thing to add. I would like very much to be your secretary and if you’ll allow me the chance I only hope I can do it justice.”
The doctor stared at her, looking slightly shocked by her speech. Slowly he blinked, looking a great deal as though he was a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding car. Amelia stood before him, holding her breath in anticipation.
“Well,” the man said in a voice that was kind, yet slightly hesitant, “I was hoping for someone out of school…”
Amelia’s face fell, looking a great deal as though she were going to cry. Panic was clear in the doctors face as he struggled to form some explanation.
“It’s just that I don’t think you can keep up with the hours I’d need you,” he tried again quickly.
“I can work nights on the weekend,” Amelia cut in quickly, “and after school until 10 on weeknights. Is this a 24 hour clinic, I take it?”
“Yes,” the doctor agreed, looking hesitant still. “But I really don’t think-“
“If its 24 hours then you’ll have to have someone else to work the hours I can’t anyway, won’t you?” Amelia insisted. “And don’t you have another doctor? You can’t possibly be the only doctor here if you’re always open…”
“Well, yes, I mean, that is certainly logical thinking…” the doctor muttered uncomfortably, “But I really don’t think-“
“I could have everything organized so that the other secretary will be able to find things easily. That way it’s almost like I’m here all the time,” she went on quickly.
“Ms. Evans, I just don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be the secretary here. I’m sorry, but I don’t think you are right for the job.”
Amelia stopped talking, looking crestfallen. As she opened her mouth to talk next it was with a completely renewed tone of politeness, sadness etched in each word. “Excuse me, sir, but may I ask why?”
“In truth I do not think you would be able to handle the type of customers I get here, Ms. Evans. This is a clinic run on donations, so I get a lot of strange folk in here.”
“I’ve dealt with odd people before, sir,” Amelia said quietly.
The doctor only shook his head, “Not like these, I promise you.”
Amelia bit her lip, trying to decide whether it was worth it to argue the point further. “Sir, what if I only worked until you get a replacement for me. Then I’ll leave without complaint, I promise. The only thing I ask is that if I do a good job you write me a letter of recommendation for college. I think this would be a very good thing to put on my application, and if it teaches me to cope with all different types of people it is even better.”
The doctor hesitated, finally nodding slowly. “Congratulations,” he said heavily, “you have just won yourself a job.”