The Phoenix by Bianca Gray (best classic romance novels .txt) 📕

trying to make conversation. Jolie looked at her chipped nails.
“Yeah I guess. And you’ll get to meet Aria!” cried Jolie. Aria? I thought, that name sounds familiar. I frowned thinking.
“Um, yeah, sounds…cool,” I said slowly. Jolie frowned.
“Um, you don’t sound very excited,” she said stopping and looking at me. Before I could say anything, she gasped. I looked over to where she was looking at. It was Ian. He gave Jolie and I a tiny wave and smiled one of his heart breaking smiles. Jolie just sighed in a happy way. He’s taken her heart away again. Just after one wave and smile! I tapped my foot and crossed my arms.
“What?” she asked while walking down the empty hall.
“Are you serious?” I asked her blocking her view of Ian. She looked away from me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Jolie stiffly. I scoffed.
“Oh yeah right!” I exclaimed. Then I walked into first period waving good-bye. When I opened room 201, my teacher took one look at me and then went back to teaching. Mrs. Howard was my English teacher. She just got married not too long ago and she was my favorite teacher. I blushed and took my seat next to dark-and-mysterious and pulled out my textbook. Even though English was my favorite subject and I was really good at it, I just couldn’t seem to concentrate. I was thinking about that girl Aria. I’ve heard that name before, I thought. Where have I heard it? I tapped my pencil against my desk, deep in thought. I looked out the window staring at a red robin. It was staring right back at me with its little black eyes. The tapping stopped and I just stared at it. Then it flew away. How strange, I thought. Then the deafening bell rang. The rest of the first half of the day went like that. Then the lunch bell rang. I practically flew out of my desk past the black-haired mysterious guy. Then I looked back at him and he looked at me. I quickly turned my head forward and started walking towards Jolie and Kate. Kate was practically grinning from ear to ear. I looked at her curiously.
“Um, yes?” I asked taking my lunch out of my locker. She nodded her head to the mysterious guy.
“Are you guys-?” she started to ask. I laughed.
“Dating? Um, no. I don’t even know his name,” I said smiling a little smile. Jolie smiled with me. Kate just frowned.
“His name is Michael. Someone said he’s a spy,” she said. I cocked my head to the side.
“And you believe that?” I asked. She shrugged. We, then, walked into the cafeteria. It was chaos as usual. I turned to Jolie.
“Eating with us? Or her?” I asked nodding my head over to the strawberry blonde whose head was turned away from me. Jolie looked over to her and then back at Kate and I.
“I’ll eat with you guys, today. Besides, after Friday, I’m sure we’ll all be eating together.”
“Whatever,” I said, shrugging. Jolie was taking out her usual veggie burger and apple.
“Why don’t you ever eat meat?” I asked taking out my own ham sandwich and a bag of chips.
“You know why,” she said. Jolie was a vegan. She never, and I mean never, eats meat. It’s against her “nature”. Just then Justin came over and sat down next to Kate.
“Hey,” he said giving her a kiss on the forehead. She smiled blissfully.
“Hi,” she said. Then he looked around, frowning.
“Um, where’s Ian?” he asked confused. Then Jolie started to silently cry.
“Idiot,” I said to him. He stuck his tongue at me. Then I stuck my thumbs into my ears and waggled my fingers. Kate gave me her look and I slowly gave her a guilty look back. Then Justin caught sight of Rachel and she waved him over to the somewhat popular table.
“Bye,” he said sticking his tongue at me. I stuck my tongue right back at him. Then he gave Kate a kiss goodbye, which I saw Rachel frown about.
“Isn’t he AH-MAZING?” exclaimed Kate when Justin was out of the hearing zone.
“Yeah absolutely amazing,” I said sarcastically. Kate handed Jolie some tissues.

Chapter 3
The Sleepover

I looked at myself in my floor length mirror. I saw my mouth twist in disgust. I was wearing an oversized blue sweatshirt and jean shorts. My skin was pale, no matter how long I stay in the sun. My hair was down in dark, chocolate waves. My almond-shaped eyes were a dark brown, as well. My dark purple glasses hid my eyes and I was glad about that. I looked like a totally different person with them off. So I mostly kept them on. I turned to look at my cluttered room. My room was huge. Well, it was bigger than the closet room I had when I was eleven. Before my parents got a divorce. Two of my walls were crimson red and the other two had dark pink fur on it. My curtains were bright red with black at the top. Plus, half of one of my dark pink fur walls was a mirror. My bed had gold sheets and orange and red pillows on top. My bed was a canopy bed. The curtains around my bed were a translucent red. I had a window chair that was bright yellow, the brightest thing in my room. It had orange and bright red pillows on it as well. For now, though, everything was covered in clothes. I had already packed everything in my red sling-over bag. I was ready to go. One more thing, I thought as I grabbed a brush from my antique, mahogany dresser. I ran the brush through my chocolate waves and then packed it into my bag.
“Melanie!” yelled my mom for the fifth time. It’s Mel, mom, I said in my head for the thousandth time.
“COMING!!” I yelled down the stairs. Then I ran down them and ran right into George.
“Um, sorry,” I mumbled. He looked at me with his blue eyes.
“No problem, Melanie,” his voice boomed, “Just be careful where you’re running.”
“Yeah, George. Bye,” I said through my teeth. I hated that guy. He was so full of himself. Mom smiled up at him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
“Sorry, hon, but I have to take Melanie here to her friend’s house,” said my mom shrugging.
“It’s not like you had anything planned, anyway,” I mumbled as I slipped past her out into the cool night. Only at night did it ever smell slightly like winter. I got into the passenger side of my mom’s car. Then I saw her talking to George some more. I leaned over to the driver’s side of the car and honked the horn. I saw George jump a little and when my mom, finally, came into the car, she saw my smug smile. Then she shook her head and backed out of the driveway. My mom, Margaret, had blazing red hair and piercing green eyes. I looked nothing like her, nothing like my grandma as well. My heart gave a little squeeze, thinking about the grandmother I’ve never known. My mom kept telling me I am exactly like her, even if I don’t look like her. She told me that my grandma died the same day, the same hour, and the same second that I was born. So technically, the day to celebrate my birth was also the day for my mother to mourn over her mother. I rested my head on my arm as I watched the other cars drive by. My mom glanced at me.
“Melanie, maybe you shouldn’t stay up so late. I don’t know if this is a good idea if you’re so tired already,” she said. I sighed. Oh give it a rest, I thought.
“Mom, I’m fine,” I said. I loved my mom. I really did. I just don’t know how she could find a new husband in less than a year. Anyway, I guess my dad did the same. Plus, he actually already has another daughter anyway. She has bouncy black curls and dark blue eyes. Her name is Sarah and she’s the most beautiful little girl ever. Sarah mostly looks like my dad, and I guess her dad too. My dad has black hair and almond-shaped brown eyes. Sarah gets the blue eyes from her mom, Rebecca. I like Rebecca okay. I’m just polite to her though. Then my mom drove up Jolie’s driveway. I love Jolie’s house. It’s tinted blue and then has a dark blue door and dark blue shutters. It’s quaint, small, and absolutely perfect. When I knocked on the door, Jolie answered. Her tight curls framed her face wildly and she was wearing a light flower-patterned nightgown. Yet, she still looked like a tree sprite.
“Hey Mel! What took you so long?” she exclaimed, her cheeks flushed.
“Mom,” I said. She cocked her head to the side and raised one eyebrow.
“Okay! And me,” I said laughing. Jolie shook her head and smiled. Then she grabbed my hand.
“C’mon! You absolutely have to meet Aria!” Jolie cried, jumping up and down, hardly containing her excitement. I laughed.
“Okay! I’m coming!” I cried. Then she practically dragged me down the stairs into her basement. Then I paused at the end of the staircase, peering into the basement. Aria was turned away from me while Kate and her did a pillow fight. Kate squealed when Aria poked both sides with her fingers and then started beating Kate with the pillow. They were both laughing. Jolie clapped her hands together and Aria turned around. I gasped. It was the same Aria! She had strawberry blonde layered hair that came to her shoulders and dark brown eyes that were darker than my own. Hers was an almost black color.
“Aria?” I asked warily. She looked at me lazily.
“That’s my name, punk,” she said narrowing her eyes, assessing me. I took a deep breath. What was her last name? I asked myself. I swear I heard a light bulb light up and make a ding inside my head.
“Aria Greene?” I asked astonished. She looked at me slowly. Then I saw recognition in her face. Then she narrowed her eyes again.
“You’ve changed,” said Aria accusingly, like I wasn’t allowed to change. I laughed.
“You haven’t!” I cried. She gave me a sideways smile. Kate and Jolie gave each other a sideways confused look.
“Um, care to explain?” asked Kate looking straight at me with her ever-changing eyes. Right now it was green with blue around it.
“Um, I met her at a courthouse when I was like, 13,” I said. Kate whipped her head to look at Aria.
“Yeah, I was there. Only because my stupid aunt ratted me out,” said Aria clenching her hands into fists.
“Um, why?” asked Jolie. Aria looked at her while we all looked at Aria.
“Well, she told people that I made a hurricane or tornado, whatever, she was just jealous. Still is,” said Aria. Aria looked at Kate with a somewhat confused expression. I saw Kate mouth “cut it out”. Then when she saw me staring at her she started to laugh.
“Oh your so funny, Aria,” said Kate laughing. But I knew she was hiding something. I frowned thinking about what she could be hiding. Then Jolie brought out her spinning black leather chairs. For the next hour, Kate, Aria, and Jolie tried to knock each other off