I stepped outside at 10:01 am. The sun was bright, the air was warm, and I guess I wasn't going to school today.
Ares sat in his car, waiting for me. I got in, his first words being to me, "You're late."
I slowly looked over at him, moving my neck slowly as if I were in a horror movie, "By one minute."
He reversed out of my driveway, putting his hand behind my seat and looking behind us. The road wasn't very busy since everybody was either at work or school. I asked him, "Did you tell my dad I'm not going to school today?"
"Does your dad need to know everything?"
My eyes went to an iced coffee sitting in the cupholder. Once he noticed I was looking at it, he told me, "It's for you."
"Thank you, Mr. Robot," I smiled. He has been programmed to be kind today I guess. I picked it up and took a sip. My eyes widened a little when I realized it was the exact way that I usually get it. "How'd you know my coffee order?"
"I listened to you say it yesterday and remembered."
I didn't like it. But my stomach did warm a bit at that. As we got onto the freeway, my eyebrows lowered as I asked, "Where are we going? Are we leaving Chicago?"
"Maybe. I just have something boring to do, and I wanted you to keep me company," he shrugged, making a confused look come onto my face.
I thought for a moment, "Wait. What you needed me for was to keep you company?"
"Yup. Driving alone gets boring, Mia."
"Are you serious?"
"Does it look like I'm joking?"
His face was completely serious, and I let out a scoff. If I miss something important, I'm blaming him.
"I thought you didn't like being around me," I say.
"Sometimes you say funny things," he shrugs. When I smile at this, he gives me a stern look. "Sometimes."
"I wish I could say the same about you," I smiled before dropping it. "But you never laugh?"
"Doesn't mean I don't find it funny."
"Oh, I see, you'll be able to laugh in the next IOS update?" I joke before taking another sip of my coffee. He raises his dark eyebrows at me before looking back at the road. He didn't smile or laugh, as per usual. I wonder what his laugh sounds like.
His car smelled really good, and his seats were really comfortable. I don't know anything about cars, but I knew that this one must be expensive. While we drove, I asked him, "Why don't you tell me more about yourself, my amazing bodyguard?"
"Like?"
"I don't know," I thought. "Have any siblings?"
He tensed for a moment. He spoke earnestly, "Different question. Don't ask about my family."
I suddenly felt a little bad, seeming like I hit a nerve that I didn't mean to hit. I tried to lighten the mood, "What happened to make you set your school on fire?"
"My dumbass teacher gave me a 0 because she said I cheated on my test," he told me, a smile forming on my face.
I asked, "And did you?"
"Yea, but she didn't fucking see it. She just knew I wasn't smart enough to score that high," he continued.
This time he asked me a question, "What makes you happy?"
"My friends. My family, even my dad."
"What else?"
I thought for a moment. I told him, "I like the beach. I'd go to it all the time in Fiji."
