I am Isabel (published)✔️

Chapter thirteen Friday afternoon

"You have got to be kidding me!"
"Just drop it, Jerry!"

"Howard, of all people!"
We were on our run, no boys. And for the last five miles Jared had been chewing me out about my upcoming date with Howard.

"He wouldn't back off. He didn't want to be seen with us! And it's not like we can actually beat him up, he's a freaking nerd. He told us that you agreed to go on a date with him and he is going. The whole damned school knows about it and when I asked Pete to talk to you he laughed and told me he liked you going out. He is a crappy big brother!"
"Just drop it for god's sake."

"You are putting yourself out there now. I told you about the deal."
"You did but they asked me out heaps of times. All of them. And Howard heard me say that I would accept the next guy that asked me on a date, so he asked. It isn't even a real date dude, we're just going to a movie."

"That's a date."
"Just. Drop. It."

We continued to run, starting to slow down a bit to wind down. We were walking when we made it to the parking area. I nearly drooled when I spotted a black mustang with dark tinted windows, I ran closer. The moment I said 'wow!' Jared said "shit!' I turned to where he'd stopped behind me with his mouth open.
"What's wrong, Jerry. That is and amazing car! I want it! You know I've always wanted one of those, they are sexy. God. Jer. Look at her!"

"Thank you, Isabel." Said a familiar voice. Blood shot to my face and I groaned. "I just wanted to see if the girl from last time was here again, looks like I finally got to meet her."

I slowly turned and looked up. Derek had stepped out of the mustang.
"You can drive it sometime if you want. If I'd known you loved my car I would have taken her to school ages ago." His voice was deep and husky and I dropped my head as I felt my cheeks heat up.

"I told you. Fair game Izzy. You are now fair game. The deal was that you were mine unless I lost in the lines to one of them or you went out with someone else. Asking you out was just them trying their luck, I knew you'd say no. Now they get to chase."

"Not chase Jared. We get to persuade, seduce, entice and sweet talk you, Isabel." God he sounded like hot dark chocolate. I never realized that a voice could be like food. He spoke so smoothly as he stepped closer to me.

Jared bumped my jaw. "Close your mouth, Iz. This is your own damned fault. Now you get to see the side that all the girls want him for." He groaned. "All of them are going to be like this."

I stared at him and Derek as they fist bumped. Smirking at my shocked look. I snapped back to my senses and turned to the car. I softly ran my hand over the hood and up the side. Opened the door and looked inside to see a beautifully restored leather interior. "Holy crap, I'm in love! Did you know he had one of these babies, Jer?"

"Yep." I looked back at the boys and saw their smiling faces. Then I realised that I was bend over and they were looking at my ass, hence the big smiles. I quickly stood up and marched over to my bike, they were on my heels. I dried off and put on my leathers and my boots.
"Christ Jared, how can you not want a piece of that." Derek mumbled behind me.

"It's gross. She's like my freaking sister, D. But she looks alright I suppose."
"Yeah well, she's not yours anymore, mate. So now you back off."

I put my helmet on and Derek stepped in front of me, in my space. He lifted my visor to lean in very close, I was pinned to my bike and I didn't want to show him he was getting to me as he softly said.
"I can't do anything about the rough back but you can make me smile more. You see... I was only grumpy because I couldn't have you."

I didn't move for a second, it finally sunk in that he was talking about my observation the other day. I'd said that he wasn't good enough because he never smiled. My mouth opened, it closed again without a reply then I pushed him away.
"You still can't have me." I said a lot weaker than I meant to, got on my bike and drove away hearing Jared laugh.

Needless to say I wasn't nervous for my date but it was worse, I was shaken by Derek. I told Peter and dad most of what had happen during the week. Dad was home to meet my date, he was loving it and put shit on me until Cassie arrived with a batch of cupcakes and dragged me to my room.

Cassie had come over to make me look like a girl, her words not mine. I was wearing a short skirt that was dark blue at the top and went to white at the bottom. A matching blue tank top and Cass had let me wear white short leggings under the skirt. Blue wedges completed my ensemble and she did my hair in a loose side, work of art braid. I was also wearing a bit more makeup than usual. Blue glittery smokey eyes looked back at me when she finally let me look in the mirror.

I'd been to a few parties with Cassie but I always insisted on jeans with a nice top. I did wear heels when that happened but this was very unlike me. I had told her that I wasn't interested in Howard as more than a friend but she said a date deserved a do up. She wanted to wait in my room but I was hungry and wanted food. We made our way downstairs and when we stepped into the kitchen everyone stopped. There was my dad and Peter, Jared and his dad, Fred and Al the mechanics from dad's shop and Lisa who was the receptionist and driving instructor at dad's bike shop.

"What the hell are you all doing here?" I snapped just as the bell rang. Howard was early. I turned and stalked to the door.

"Wow, you look beautiful!" Were the first words out of Howards mouth.
I looked him up and down. He was wearing a white shirt and dark blue jeans. His usual glasses were gone and I could see bright blue eyes staring at me. He was actually quite fit, for a nerd. He didn't look like a nerd. "You look amazing, where are your glasses?"

"Contacts, usually can't be bothered for school. Hello Mr. Tanner, Jared, Cassie... and euh... everyone."
"You clean up real nice, nerd." Cassie grinned.

"Not as well as my date." He smiled back.
"Daughter. Introduce me."

I quickly pointed at everyone starting with my dad and told him who they were and that most of them didn't have a valid reason to be here. Then I grabbed his hand and pulled him to the curb where he had parked his car. I squashed the thought that it wasn't as sexy a car as Derek's.

Then I was on my way.
To my first date.