A Modern Ballad

A Simple Favor

Evangeline glanced at her phone for the third time in as many minutes. The clock was ticking relentlessly, each second a reminder that she was already late for her first period. The air was crisp with autumn, but her stomach twisted in knots as she sped through her neighborhood, the familiar streets blurring by in a haze of urgency.

"Come on, come on," she muttered under her breath, her heart racing as she swerved into Lala's driveway. She honked once, twice, and a moment later, her best friend burst out of the house, hair flying in every direction, a backpack slung haphazardly over one shoulder.

"Sorry, sorry! I thought I set my alarm!" Lala exclaimed, hopping into the passenger seat and slamming the door. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Just running late," Evangeline said, gripping the wheel tighter. "And I need to grab my project before we go to school."

Lala's brow furrowed. "The one due first period? You forgot it?"

"Yeah, and I didn't realize until now." Evangeline took a deep breath, her mind racing with the ticking clock. "Let's drop you off first, then I'll zip back home."

As they sped towards the school, the tension in Evangeline's chest tightened. She navigated through the morning traffic, her mind half on the road and half on her project, a delicate display of paper flowers that had taken her weeks to perfect.

Lala glanced over, her voice breaking through Evangeline's thoughts. "What if you can't get back in time?"

"I will," she promised, though a part of her felt the weight of doubt. They arrived at the all-girls school, and Lala was out of the car almost before it stopped moving. "See you in class!" she called, a little too cheerfully for Evangeline's liking.

With a quick wave, Evangeline turned and sped home, the gas pedal pressed hard to the floor. As she pulled into her driveway, she leapt out of the car and dashed inside, snatching the project from her desk. It felt heavier than she remembered, each flower a reminder of the late nights spent perfecting it.

But as she climbed back into her car, dread washed over her. The gas gauge was resting firmly on empty.

"No, no, no," she groaned, leaning her head against the steering wheel. She glanced at her phone; there was no time to walk to the nearest gas station. The only option left was Jacks.

He was her next-door neighbor—infuriatingly charming with that tousled blonde hair and a smile that could stop traffic. But he was also known for being unpredictable and a bit too flirtatious for her liking. Still, she had no choice.

She took a deep breath and walked over to his house. Jacks was strolling to his car with his headphones in.

"Hey, Jacks!" she called, a hint of desperation creeping into her voice.

He pulled the headphones down and raised an eyebrow, that playful smirk appearing. "Well, if it isn't Evangeline. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I need a ride to school. My car is out of gas."

"Out of gas? How very... unprepared of you," he teased, tilting his head. "But I suppose I could help you out."

She narrowed her eyes. "What's the catch?" Jacks never did anything that could be taken as kind for free.

"Just one little favor," he said, leaning back, clearly enjoying the moment. "You know how I like to collect them."

"Ugh, fine. What do you want?"

Jacks stood, stretching lazily, his gaze never leaving hers. "You'll find out later. Get in the car, Little Fox."

Evangeline couldn't help but blush at the nickname. They climbed into his sleek BMW and the engine roared to life as he sped down the street. "You know," he said, glancing at her with that infuriatingly charming smile, "you really should work on your time management skills."

"Maybe if I didn't have a neighbor who was always flirting with me, I wouldn't be so distracted," she shot back, crossing her arms.

"Flirting? I thought I was just being friendly," he replied, feigning innocence. "But you have to admit, it does make life a little more exciting."

She rolled her eyes but felt a smile tug at her lips. "Exciting isn't the word I would use."

"Ah, but you secretly love it. Admit it." His blue eyes sparkled with mischief as he maneuvered through the traffic.

"I love getting to school on time," she countered, trying to keep her voice steady despite the fluttering in her stomach.

"Then let's hope I don't get us killed in the process," he said, accelerating as they approached a red light. "Just think of this as an adventure."

Evangeline's heart raced as he flew through the yellow light, and for a moment, all her worries faded into the wind. The chaos of the morning melted away, leaving only the thrill of the moment. She felt alive. 

"Here's the deal," Jacks said, suddenly serious as they turned onto the road leading to the school. "You owe me a favor. And it better be worth it."

"Fine," she said, trying to sound nonchalant. "But you'd better not make it something ridiculous."

He laughed, the sound rich and genuine. "Oh, you'll see. Just be ready."

As they neared the school, Evangeline realized that perhaps this unexpected detour wasn't such a bad thing after all. Maybe the morning hadn't been completely ruined. Maybe, just maybe, her nerves were for nothing and Jacks would really only ask her for a simple favor.