Say The Word

Chapter 21- Why? Just...Why?

  Ceb swooped in and pulled by shock frozen body away from him just as he was about to grab me. I stumbled into their arms, my mind still blank and unable to wrap itself around the situation.

Good lord, what on Earth was that?

"Geep, do you know this guy?" Ceb whispered, rubbing my shoulders with the pad of their thumb. Their eyes burned with caution and threat, burning at him.

He held both of his hands up, "Kid, calm down, I'm just-"

"It is fine, I know him," I interrupted, still clinging onto Ceb.

"You sure? Because you sound really scared right now," Ceb mumbled, barely audible.

I nodded, loosening my tight grip, "Yeah, I should go, you probably should too, you have to work, right? See you in school."

That was the only thing I knew then, with my head clouded with the thoughts of preventing him from disturbing what I had in my life.

"Geep, please, you don't have to-"

"You have people to feed, Ceb, and this is my family business. He is here now, I have to go. I have no choice, this sounds cold and I apologize for it," I said, slowly taking a step away from them. "I'll explain tomorrow, I really have to go now."

The road had my eyes stuck on it all the way until I reached his funky Honda. Without a word, I slipped in, slamming the door in annoyance as I made myself as comfortable as I could with the one person I did not want to see. Even the supposedly fragrant lavender scent of his vehicle made me wonder if I had made the right decision,

"Oh, not the door," he complained half-heartedly, shifting the gear to drive.

Buildings blurring past us outside the window was the only thing I cared to look at.

"So, who was that?" he threw the question out of nowhere.

"Someone you don't need to know."

"Vava, how cold of-"

"You know what's cold? You cheating."

That silenced him.

Well, for a few minutes, at least.

"What were you doing out here? Isn't your school 20 minutes away by transport? If you walked, it'll take you at least three hours. School just ended; there is no way you could be here in time." Ah, lord, why? His 'teacher' skills were one of the many things I did not need that day.

"First off, you do not know when my school ends. Secondly, if you do, stop being creepy because I definitely did not tell you my schooling hours. Third of all, why does it matter to you what I do? You do not need to know anything because you are no longer my parent."

"You're still in my custody, Vava-"

"Stop calling me that, we are NOT close and I certainly do not want any relation with...with people like you. I do not need it. It does not matter if I am still in your custody; you certainly did not think of that when you started cheating, because you do not care anyway, you do not care about your family, you do not care about me, and you do not care about papa. I do not need you." Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him sinking back down to his seat, mouth pursed, hands adjusting on the steering wheel. The silence was, I would not say deafening, but it was sitting in between the both of us, slowly seeping into the protected cushion seats.

"I just...I just wanted to see how you were doing. I was worried about how you were doing and of course I care about you, you've been with me since you were a baby. I looked after you for a long time; obviously I am going to be concerned about how my baby is doing now."