haunted

chapter 9

Arabella's pov:

"Do you want to go now?" Nathan asks. I shake my head.

"Tomorrow. After school if that's alright?"

"Of course. Whenever you are ready." He tells me, smiling.

"Thanks." I say, causing him to playfully hit me.

"You need to stop saying thanks! I'm just doing what you deserve. Actually attempting to give you what you deserve. Because what you deserve is much more than me."

"Tha-" But I cut myself off before I thank him again. Causing us both to laugh.

As our laugh's gradually stop his hand slowly goes reaches for my hair and begins to play with it.

"What do you want to do?" He asks, so quietly it's almost a whisper.

With anyone else, my answer would be obvious.

Get back to practicing my routine.

But for some reason that's not what I tell him.

"Want to go from a drive?"

And he nods, standing up.

"Race you to the car." He shouts before skating off.

Bitch didn't even help me up.

"Hey! Thats unfair. You got a head start." I shout back as I quickly skate after him.

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Nathan's pov:

How the hell am I meant to focus on the road when my eyes can't stop wondering over to the girl next to me? Looking at her now, singing along to the radio and smiling after just having a panic attack, I feel stupid for never seeing her as the brave and strong girl she is. My assumption of a privileged and perfect home life had been completely wrong.

I was completely wrong about her.

And now, looking at her, I can't thing of a single good reason why I hated her. How anyone could?

All her annoying actions suddenly seemed cute and funny. She sure as hell was entertaining to be around. There had never been a boring moment in the past year when she was near. The question is would she ever forgive me for judging her so cruelly when she first got here?

1 year ago...

"Look, Nathan man as much as I like your company you've gotta go home now. Someone's, uh, coming round soon." Ryan tells me after we finish playing the new video game his parents bought him for his birthday.

"What the fuck? You just going to kick me out for some girl?" I ask, surprised by his actions. He had never kicked me out of his house, before the entire time I have known him. And I've known him all my life.

"Yes I am. And she's not just some girl she's my-" But I cut him off not even wanting to here his excuse. He knows how much of a sanctuary his place was for me. Kicking me out may not seem like a big deal to anyone else, but it was to me.

"What happened to bros before hoes? I'm not leaving so you can fuck some whore." I stubbornly tell him.

"What the fuck man? She's my cousin you idiot. You better apologise before I fucking kill you." He warns, glaring at me.

Oops.

"Shit, dude. Sorry, had no idea." I say, giving him a smile to lighten him up.