Goodbye Comfort Zone

Chapter 4 // The Lovers' Squabble

Every time i thought back to Austen's starstruck look as i dissed him, a smile tugged at my lips. I told Eric what happened and he softly clapped me on the back and ruffled my hair. "that's my girl." he had said as he smiled.

I took a shower and changed into a loose tee and black stretchy shorts. If you knew me well, you would know that my pajamas and me saw an awfully lot of each other. I was starting my school work when i was still feeling refreshed with a chilled green tea by my table. My parents were out still doing their work and Eric left me ten minutes ago to go meet some friends. I just took the first sip of my drink when the doorbell rang. Sighing, i threw my brown locks into a failed messy bun and clambered down the stair steps. It was probably Eric who left his wallet or something and didn't bring along his keys with him. I swung the front door open and as it swayed, my eyes widened and i stopped the door mid open. Its pretty guessable why and what i saw. I turned my wide eye expression into a stern glare and started closing the front door. I had been saying way more of him than i wanted to in the past few days. Before this, i didn't have a clue who Austen was. He had no right to show up on my front steps. Even though he had bought my house, it was still mine. It always would be. Even after i didn't live in it anymore. Before i could close the door fully, Austen reached his foot out and jammed it between the door gap from its frame. "i just want to talk. That's all." Austen claimed. As if he could just talk without angering someone. "well i don't." i countered, trying to jerk the door shut against Austen's shoe. He squealed lowly. "okay look, i'm sorry!" he raised his arms in defeat but he avoided meeting my raised eyebrows. Sorry? Did he just say sorry? I loosened my grip on the door handle and crossed my arms. "you made your point very clear." He gestured towards his face. I looked up at his bandage. "you hate me, i get it. But we're partners and we should at least complete the project before you start giving me long and loud hallway shoutings at school." he said. " i wonder whose fault it is that we got partnered up. Besides, we don't even know what the project is." i replied, coolly. I was still trying to digest the surprise of Austen apologising and being mature for once. I hated him all the same but i didn't want to fail this project because of him either. "i do. Mr Enes texted me about the details and told me to let my partner know because he only texted one of the two. Just let me come in so we can at least discuss this." he explained, his hands finding a way into his jeans pockets. "Its my house now anyway." he added unnecessarily. Bet when Austen signed himself up for my partnership, he hadn't pictured himself standing outside my doorway begging to be let it. I didn't release my glare on him, though. I thought for a while. A very long while. Austen wasn't exactly fulfilling my wish and swearing to never annoy me again, though he had said sorry. But. That didn't change a thing. I still hated him. He was still stealing my house. And he was stealing my sanity. And changing my lifestyle. All cause of him.

I smiled sweetly at him. "boy, that's kind of you." his face kind tilted up a bit from the downcast humiliated look he had on when he had apologised and i was almost sorry to burst his happy bubble. Not. His gaze had finally met mine and i let the smile on my face drop in a sudden. "but no." i swung the door shut in his face and happily grinned at myself as i glimpsed his surprised face in the split second it took me to bring that door between us. I was feeling better and better. First the punch, then the shouting in public, then now the door in the face.

When i was back up in my room, i received loads of texts from Jean. And one from an unknown number.
Just wanted to say, you kicked ass back in that hallway. I didn't know you had that in you. ~Mia.
Wait, Mia? If my memory wasn't failing me just yet, then Mia was one of Jean's friends. Can't you just tell? From the name? She basically wore a tiara round the school and let everyone call her queen. I frowned and dialed Jean immediately. "hey, Jean. Any idea how your pal Mia Tatiana got my number?" She giggled. Giggled. "gave it to her."
"what?"
"congratulations, Hayley Freunal. You're the raging new talk topic of every one at school. And of course, if you're the latest town talk, why wouldn't Mia know?"
I was speechless. Just cause i outsmarted our school's rank number one and because i was someone who had zero social skills and never intended to be social does not mean that it... Okay that was kind of a big deal. But the new topic of the school? Uh uh. I stepped out of my shell to give that bastard a lesson but that was about as social and public i was ever gonna get. No more than that. Especially not being the center of attention. As i just stayed quiet on my line of the call, i felt my phone vibrate in my hands. Vibrate serious vigrously. "hold up. I think i got some texts." i fumbled to put Jean on speaker as i opened my messenger app.