Goodbye Comfort Zone

Chapter 5 // because you're an asshole

"sorry i'm late. Had a few things to pick up." Mr Enes greeted the class apologetically as he entered. I picked up the books i had dropped onto the ground, some of the pages had folded up or were torn at frayed edges and slammed them onto my desk using the right amount of force so that only Austen would jump at the sound. And he did. I smiled in victory at his jump and he tilted his head to glare at me. "so i hope everyone has started on their project. As i said in the text sent to either you or your partner, the project's theme is to get to know each other better and for me to see where your writing and descriptive skills stand. I'll be handing out some worksheets with some suggestive questions to start with." my smile dropped. Getting to know each other better? Shut the front door. No way. Oh, no no no. I frantically looked round the class to see if there were other kids who haven't heard of this news from their partners but they were all nodding along with no objections and i was the only lost duckling there. Please don't tell me Austen and i was the only pair that wasn't cool with each other and not exactly intent on finding out more about each other through a project. Then it hit me. Mr Enes was a new teacher, before he came, everyone probably switched their seats to sit with whoever they wanted since Mr Enes wouldn't know. I nearly facepalmed myself before realising i was in a classroom so i dragged my mid-air hand back down to prop up my head beneath my chin.

I looked to Austen but he wouldn't face me. I rolled my eyes. I should be the one angry at him and all moody for purposely trying to become my partner for this stupid project. "Okay, so i'll give you the remaining one hour of class time to start your project." Our new teacher muttered as he strutted (literally strutted-possibly because he knew the girls in our class, ew, liked him or something like that. Gross.) down the classroom aisles to give out papers. When he reached my table, i subtly glared at him for pairing up Austen and I even though i knew it wasn't his fault.

I skimmed my eyes through the paper and roughly got an idea of what the project was supposed to be. Of course, i couldn't succeed in grasping the idea without getting mad at Austen all over. How i wished i could punch him again. That would certainly be nice.

Questions we were supposed to ask our partners occupied the blank space of the white sheets of paper. I didn't make an effort to start working with Austen at all. I folded my arms across my chest and leaned back into my chair which creaked lowly under my weight. When Mr Enes tossed a glance at my side, i grabbed my paper and absentmindedly flipped through the pages. It wasn't going to fool Mr Enes, i was just hoping he wouldn't take much notice to it amongst the buzzing, crazy loud, class of mine. I didn't bother to see what Austen was doing beside me, but he didn't bother me so i was left to rage over my own anger and stress in peace.

When the bell rang, i was all ready to explode at Austen. Of why it wasn't my fault that video was uploaded. Of how he shouldn't be so immature about it. Of why he was mad at me when he was the one that did his part to result in me shouting at him. I shot up from my seat with my books ready clutched in my arms. At least if he was gonna toss another device at me, i wouldn't drop my stuff all over my toes again.

I opened my mouth to talk but he clamped a hand over my mouth. The few words i had started to say were muffled by his coverage and i frowned at him. "vha de vhink vor drin?" my words sounded russian when they escaped my lips. "if we argue here, its gonna end up on youtube too. Meet me at the cafe down the street from your house? We should take seperate routes." he said, but his lips barely moved around his mouthful of words. His eyes darted around the classroom but of course, most had flew out along with the bell's ring. Wow, he was really being extremely cautious about this. I nodded, but only because i wanted his dirty hand off my mouth. He stuffed his fingers back into his pockets as usual and shuffled away. I noticed some guys snickering as he passed. He couldn't possibly not care about that? I shrugged the thought off as quickly as it had come across my mind. I still wasn't sure i wanted to even meet him just to explain that i had no part in this uploaded video and that it going viral and me being the attention in school was the exact opposite of what i wanted. I didn't really care what he thought about me, he could think of me as an attention-seeking little girl and it wouldn't bother me because i didn't care about him. At all. And i was going to save my breath from giving him another long talk because i didn't need to get any more social that i already was. I liked my private life.
So i turned to the only solution i could think of.

I called Jean using speed dial and she picked up instantly. No surprise there, though. "told you you would survive literature." she chirped. "never said i couldn't." i responded as i walked down the school's hallway with the phone to my ear. "yeah, right. Cause hayley's a big tough kid. Anyways, you don't call without a reason. Better make it a good one 'cause i put Dave waiting right next to me here." i rolled my eyes; part was at her words and the other part was at more school kids staring at me as i passed. "Well, tell your boyfriend it won't take long. Look, Austen asked me to meet him outside of school so we could talk about the whole hallway talk uploaded video thing. What should i do?" i asked, spitting Austen's name out with pure disgust so i wouldn't accidentally encourage Jean to advice me to meet him. Without wasting a split second, Jean's tongue was off shooting her reply. She was really eager to get back to her boyfriend. "i say, go for it. So that you can at least hear out what he has to say for himself. If he says something ridiculous, chew him out and prove him wrong. Girl power!" i stiffled a chortle. "okay, okay. Have fun with Dave." i sighed and ended the call. Looks like i was going to have to waste some precious time on Austen that day.

I paid the cabbie a ten dollar note and slid out of his vehicle at the cafe i had just eaten dinner with Eric the day i started thinking of my parents as horrible. I sucked in a sharp breath at the memory and realised i was going to meet the guy that brought me all that pain, tore my heart into two and destroyed my relationship with my family. Why should i meet him? I had always listened to Jean's advice when i asked for them because she was always right. But maybe not this time. Maybe this time was an exception. I self motivated myself to do what i wanted. What would please me.
I turned to leave, my shoes squeaking in protest at my sharp turn. I headed in the direction of my house when i was jerked back before my feet reached solid ground before me. I gasped as i was hurled around like some toy. I scowled because i knew who it would be. Only one person would twirl me around like some ruggged ballerina that roughly. I came face to face with Austen's nose bandage and i stiffled my smile. I raised an eyebrow. "where were you going?" he asked stonily. "its none of your business." i replied calmly.
"you agreed to meet."
"people lie."
I shrugged, mimicking his signature hands in pockets style. He noticed my purposeful movement and glared at my eyes before setting my hand free of his grasp.

I rubbed my wrist sullenly as soon as i pulled it back to my side. "what's wrong with discussing about it? It involves both of us and unless you have something to hide about it, there's zero harm in talking of it." he questioned. "What's wrong is that i don't want anymore to do with you than i need to." i crossed my arms defensively. "but this is a need. A need to clear up this whole mess. I don't want a video of us together on the internet with false accusations, do you?" he grinned at me. I hate that grin.

One thing i will agree that Austen is is being a good speaker. He managed to get me to sit down in the diner with him but of course not much more than that. "you know, ever since i stepped foot into your house, you just seem to have hated me and i don't know why. Care to explain?" he leaned forward on the marble table with his hands clasped. "no, i don't care to explain." i said, copying his slyish Austenish tone. He glared sharply but there was still the hint of the corners of his lips being tugged upwards. It was a permanent smirk on his face. "you wanna know why i hate you?" i asked teasingly and he leaned even more forward, nodding eagerly. As if i was stupid enough to give him a straight answer that easily.

I smiled and leaned forward too, placing my hands as his were. "because you are an asshole." i grinned but my grin wasn't as unpleasant as Austen's. No one's grin could be as unpleasant as his. His smile dropped just an inch and that just increased mine by an inch. I stared at his nose bandage and then i realised how hard it was and that i had to squint at it. It took me that long to realise how much both of us had leaned forward and how close my face was to his. I kind of puked in my own mouth and quickly drew back to lean myself on my chair backing. I realised that Austen had been silent all till now. "any thing else or are we done here?" "i will find out the reason you detest me so much. I will." he declared. I laughed. As if he would.

I shook my head and gathered my things. Who would have guessed that he was going to try and stop me again. He kicked my leg from under the table and started pulling something out from his bagpack. "you're starting to get more annoying than a piece of gum stuck to my shoe." i huffed. "that's my motive in life for you." he had pulled out a sheet of paper and placed it on the table. "since you're here we might as well do the project. Who knows when i'll be able to drag you back out to meet me again?" he got that right. But i'm not that easy. "how bout instead of wasting time 'tryna get to know me better', get some ice and tend to your poor nose please." i turned and lucky for me, he let me go this time. I smirked when my back was to him, and this time it was probably as spiteful as his could be.