My Annoying Yet Possessive Bad Boy

Chapter 29

🧳Crystals' POV🧳

As the calendar pages flip at a pace rivaling a caffeinated hummingbird, Anna and I continue our tutoring sessions, sprinkled with covert escapades unbeknown to anyone and the spots in town. Her humor, sharper than a ninja's shuriken, and her knack for unearthing hidden gems have become our secret handshake. Beneath the facade of laughter, her guarded demeanor radiates "classified information," and my gut feeling is more accurate than a GPS. I hope she lets me in before the mystery grows too dark.

My partner in crime stories, Lucas is entangled in the corporate jungle as his dad ropes him into a summer takeover saga. Despite our schedules resembling a Rubik's Cube, we manage occasional hangouts. His childhood tales are a concoction of mischief, mayhem, and a dash of insanity, often featuring his psychopathic sister. Speaking of whom, she hasn't been around much to torment me. Maybe there are still glares and an ominous presence. But what do I know, maybe she's off concocting a plan for world domination and every fashion brand on earth. The Instagram saga of her manifested claim vanished, and I felt a relief akin to finding my missing phone - inexplicable yet oddly comforting. I'm starting to think I might need a checkup soon.

Enter Ben, the very and utmost annoying tracker extraordinaire. I thought I could give him the slip, but he's got skills and balls. Threatening me of lunchtime abductions and seat-tying has become my daily cardio. My heart, however, seems to have taken up a new career as a whiny brat and insists on performing an interpretive dance, thump! thump! thump!, echoing like a giant doing the Macarena within a 5-meter radius of us interacting. Evading his texts is like a strategic game of chess and let me tell you I'm not that good at it. Soon I had no choice but to answer him, but who knew that beneath the tough and cold as-ice exterior lay a chill, laid-back dude? His smiles illuminate the universe, and his laughter? Well, that's practically a good luck charm. Get this, I even experienced a bizarre meteorological event after I vented my frustrations to him. I know, embarrassing but the rain stopped, birds danced and chirped, and the sun emerged - all thanks to a Ben-induced laugh riot. Did I forget to mention that cheeseburgers and french fries were added to the lunch menu that day? Cloud nine was an understatement; I was floating somewhere in the stratosphere.

Despite my best efforts, Ben and I have become buddies, and my heart seems to have gone rogue, wanting to caress his midnight hair and hug his frame like a giant teddy bear. The saving grace? He's with Amber. Being a relationship wrecker isn't and will never be on my bucket list, but truth and doubt engage in a tumultuous tango on a tightrope. Ben's kissed me, and if he's with Amber, cue the ominous background music.

Now, onto the dynamic duo - Laura and Edward. Their closeness triggers a hint of jealousy. Not because of their relationship, but because it competes for time with the girl I've grown up with most of my teenage, my twin sister at heart. Still, witnessing Laura break free from her past brings genuine happiness. Nora's threats to Edward's ball which was delivered with the precision of a samurai, now seem like playful banter. Stepping out of line? Doubtful, even if we consider the samurai threat.

Nora, the sleepover queen, merges seamlessly into our sleepover squad. Our parents, finally introduced, seem poised for a friendship that could rival sitcom bromances and probably ours. Amidst these newfound connections, parental unease creeps in. My folks shrouded in suspicion, conduct mysterious including conversations hinting at police involvement. The midnight water that I wanted when I couldn't sleep turned into me eavesdropping on an agitated discussion between my parents and Laura's parents. Witnessing my mom's panic attack added a layer of worry that I already had and that didn't seem to want to go away. I forget my water mission and go back to my room a cloud of worry looming over me. Sleep ignores me every time I try to reach for it, and I end up listening to an audiobook till the Sandman decides that I have suffered enough and finally pays a visit.