The Arabella Conundrum

Part Eleven- The Dinner Polarisation

The next day again went by quickly. I barely noticed the surroundings I was in as I only focused on the fact that the lockdown had been more than twenty four hours and that meant something serious had happened. Serious being a too mild and weak term to use but I couldn't think of a better one.

I received the normal worried glances from my friends. But I didn't talk, I never do, so I remained silent for hours on end, deep in thought. I just kept thinking and thinking about how I might never get to talk to my dad and I would never forgive myself for not managing to speak to him on Monday. And I was going to have to endure being in the company of somebody who lies in blame for me missing having my conversation with my dad. I just knew luck wasn't on my side and I knew that the news was too good when I heard I could talk to my dad yesterday.

"Hey! Over here!" yelled an American accent from the far corner of the car park. I glanced up to the voice and followed my feet towards the black Range Rover he was stood in front. Yeah a black Range Rover, really fitted into the rich boy cliché there.

"You ok?" he asked and I weakly nodded. He eyed me for a moment and was about to open his mouth before deciding against it and tapping the car instead.

"Hop in." I did as he said and got into the vehicle. A silence broke into the air as we both didn't bother to speak. I was going to ask how he got a license and car so quickly considering he was new to the country but I really wasn't that bothered. I instead sat there getting lost in my thoughts.

Please let him be okay... 

"So..." Theo began cautiously. "Uhmm about yesterday..." He trailed quietly.

I stiffened as soon as he said that. I knew he would ask questions as to why I had a panic attack yesterday and why I looked like I was having a meltdown. I could not and would not let him know why I was so upset that I caused myself to have a full blown panic attack.

He must have noticed me tense up as he decided to change the topic of conversation.  "What was I saying? Oh yeah your friends are pretty cool." He changed topic completely.  "I was talking to Ollie, he said he plays rugby and that is," he stopped once he noticed I was not really listening to him and that I wasn't going to reply to him. "I'm sorry, I'll shut up now. I know I can be a bore," the deflation in his tone clear. I didn't say anything just looked out the window at the passing houses.

I felt bad as he sounded a little hurt but I too was hurt at that moment and being the selfish person I am I didn't even begin to acknowledge the emotions of others. I know I'm a bitch at times and I really wanted to stop that deflated face he had but something in me, so hard wired to blanking emotions just wouldn't allow me to say anything.

He slowed the car and turned up towards a gated driveway. Parallel lives or what. A giant house came into view that was well hidden by the driveway of trees. As he stopped the car gravel crunched under the wheel and I stared at his giant house.

"We're uhmm," he cleared his throat. "Here." I followed his lead and walked up the steps into the inside of the house. The giant house! I stood in the entrance just staring and walking slowly forward. I didn't notice until it was too late but I tripped over a, by the looks of it, very expensive rug. I jolted forward, nearly toppling over.

However instead my bag got thrown onto the floor and its contents decided to spew out. I raced to my knees to pick up everything and place it back into the bag. Theo leaned down too and was about to pick up the white box when I snatched  it out of his reach and placed it back into my bag. I tried looking around for the other packet but he had it in his hands.

He turned the packet around to read the name on the front but I too snacked that one out of his hand before he could read it.

"What's tha" he stopped, pausing to think. "You're not going to tell me, so what's the point in asking," he said mostly to himself and then stood up. He seemed a bit stiff and cold as he started to walk up the stairs.