A Faultless Tragedy

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Nate, this is our stop." I caught his attention and with a polite thank you to the bus driver, we made our way back home. I asked him about South City. Did he like the people, the atmosphere and the classes? I wondered what he thought.

"I actually had a fabulous day, Hannah. I didn't think it would go so smoothly but everyone was really accepting of me. I even got asked to try out for the football team next season." Nate was almost jaunty. It was nice to see his first day went so well.

***

"Mum, we're leaving!" I yelled behind me while shutting the front door. Her distant goodbye was heard in the midst of the unnecessary cacophony of noise I was making while locking the door.

I was dressed in a simple white button-up blouse tucked into bright blue pants, which felt appropriate for the occasion. Nate was wearing the same black jeans he wore on the day I first met him, hanging at just the right length down his waist; not too high or too low. On top he wore a clean white t-shirt with a logo of brand I hadn't heard of and an unzipped black hoodie.

"What exactly is the Sky Deck Plaza, anyway?" He looked at me quizzically.

"Basically it's South City's most popular shopping complex and hang-out. Everyone likes going there after school to grab some food or watch a movie. It's really great. I think you'll like it."

Nate began walking towards the direction he thought the Plaza would be located. I stayed put and watched him walk about 3 metres before he realised I wasn't following him. Grinning to myself, I waited for him to turn around.

"Aren't you coming?" He was unsure of why I was not walking with him.

"Nate, the Plaza is about 7 miles away. If you think I'm walking that far you're insane." I stood there waiting for it to click in his mind.

"How are we getting there then?"

Nate didn't seem to be getting it so I grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the garage. He watched as the automatic door rose vociferously. Pulling the car key out of my purse, I pushed the unlock button and the sleek black Audi A5 lit up to life. I guess my father was good for one thing at least.

"I didn't know you could drive." Nate was awestruck at the fact that I could possibly be the chauffeur of this machine. "Is this yours? How could you possibly afford an Audi, you're 16!"

"It was a gift from my father. It was his for about 3 years until he got a new car. He left this to me second hand. The bastard just felt guilty for what he did and thankful I guess that we didn't throw his sorry ass into jail." I scoffed at the thought of my father.

Nate looked confused and he gave me a questioning look.

"What?" I asked him.

"Nothing, I'm just surprised that you would accept a gift from him. The way you spoke about him before, it sounded like you would annihilate anything he touched."

"That is very true, but this way I don't have to talk to him or see him ever again. I just thought to myself 'why shouldn't I accept it, that lousy being owes me a lifetime worth of cars considering the scars he left on me inside and out.' So I took it."

"And you got a hell of a great deal on it." he laughed and clambered into the front seat. I brought the engine to life and we were on our way.

Driving down the suburbs, I never tired of seeing the beautiful landscape around me. Everything was always glowing, and at night, South City had a whole new sensation. All the lights to the nearby houses lit up and everything just seemed to sparkle. Trees were billowing in the cool evening air and the street lights were beginning to make an appearance.