The Curse of Hood [Book #1]

Everything Has Changed

Chapter Ten – Everything Has Changed

song is "Everything Has Changed" by Taylor Swift (Not Chapter title) and "Running Out of Days" by 3 Doors Down in first paragraph. Thanks!

Guitar and drums blasted from the old radio, a man's voice singing, Scarlet listened to it just barely. The line “And I'm running out of days” struck home to deeply. Turning the radio down to background music looking out the window as a green pine needle forests zipped by, and they jumped around on the bumpy road, Seth gave her a sideways look. But only preferably as he wasn't a complete licensed driver just yet and wanted to keep a good eye on the road as they wouldn't run in to anything.

Scarlet would look at him a couple times, studying the way he'd handle the wheel in a firm grip, his back pressed up against the seat, sitting straight as if to see the road beneath them. He wasn't as experienced with driving as either one of them would hope but he was better than Scarlet would have been.

Training with Lex taught her a lot of things, fighting, stealth, how to do pretty much anything but drive. They just never got to it. She had never been behind the wheel her whole life, and she wasn't sure she wanted to be just yet.

“Ah, this might be kind of awkward,” Seth starts, gripping the wheel even tighter, biting his lip. “But we probably should talk about what happened last night. . .”

“You turning-” Scarlet was cut off by him shaking his head. Her mouth fell realizing what it really was, she turned away waiting. Yes, this was going to be very awkward and probably her first heartbreak caused by normal teenage problems. . .

“I mean the kiss, Scar. I'm sorry if it was out of line.” She doesn't say anything knowing that there would be more. Waiting for the 'it doesn't mean anything'. A few days ago if someone asked her if she liked Seth Bailey of 472 Olive Branch Road, Hallyhill Washington she would answer no, now she wasn't so sure about that.

“But I couldn't keep it from you any longer, knowing that it could be the end for one of us. I've always liked you Scarlet, even though we haven't known each other very long, it feels like it. But I understand if you don't-”

“Stop,” Scarlet says surprise, her eyes wide starring at Seth. Her heart beating quickly, he gave her two pref worried looks but refused to look for longer than two seconds. “Don't even say that.”

“Say what?” Seth asked confused, furrowing his eyebrows.

She took a deep breath. “That a may not even care about you, like that. . . Because I do, I think.” She stumbles for the right words. “Everything has changed but I don't know how to say it. I care for you, a lot. More than I've cared for anyone else. It just makes sense to say that I like you. . .”

She stopped before she rambled to long and got off topic, turning red she looked away back out the window.

It was silent for a little while inside the truck beside the distant hum from the radio.

“Thank you,” Seth says quietly. “For not hurting me.”

“I do my best not too. I don't ever want too,” she says looking down at her shoes then. A empty soda can rolls in the floor of the truck.

Seth's hand wrapped around her's, giving it a small squeeze, she looked up at him, he was smiling. She squeezed his back, smiling too.

“You know a relationship in this kind of situation is going to be tough.”

“Yeah, I know.” He shrugs. “But its worth a try.”

The awkwardness that was there just moments ago was replaced with happiness. Seth turned the radio back up. A sweet woman's voice with a matching male's filled the car. It seemed to fit the moment. Reaching in the back Scarlet picked up the basket, in which they remembered and went back for. They had gotten their just in time to stop a critter from reaching in to search for food. Luckily nothing was missing.