Just For A Perfect Life

Chapter 8

RECAP:

He said with an emphasis on won’t, a smirk playing on his face. I had no choice but to go upstage. The song started playing and Jake danced with me. He was close, very close. My relationship with Ryan was until now a successful secret and Ryan had not once questioned me. Suddenly I was pulled close and out of my thoughts. My lips met his, in disgust I tried to pull away but I failed.

 From the corner of my eye I saw Ryan, surprised and angry at the same time, then he turned around and left…

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Chilly air of December hit me as I came down our apartment building. Walking to school was impossible now, as it was very cold in the morning. So I took a bus to school. It used up my money which I was saving for my prom dress. I knew that I would have to start saving now to get a good one by end of the year. Rest of the money I got from my two jobs got used up at cafeteria in school for lunch or at times when K forced me on a shopping trip. 

The money I had collected from my first two months' wages I had bought a phone. I really needed one so I bought a second hand phone, someone sold it because he had big fingers and keys were too small. It was almost new and latest. Atleast I could use my phone in public now. 

I waited at the bus stop; I could not help thinking about Ryan, how would he behave. A day ago when Jake had kissed me like that in front of everyone I was angry, I had just turned around and left. Ryan was nowhere to be found, he was not attending his phone. I had no contact with him until I received a text previous night stating, ' m disturbed n want to c u asap. It's making me go Fuking crazy!' He had never sworn in front of me or in text. I had no fault in what had happened and I knew that he understood this but still he was angry. Even more than me. Just when everything was going perfect this happened. Jake had been flirting with me lately, when in private I would fight back but on stage I could not. I would have resisted Jake would have opened up my lies and Ryan could have been lost forever. 

My eyes filled with tears but I quickly wiped them away as the bus stopped in front of me. I just wanted to meet Ryan as soon as possible. 

I got to school in time and as I entered the front hall I could see all girls staring at me, sending me glances full of loath. Of-course they would I had been kissed by Jake, the hottest guy next to Ryan every girl drooled for. They did not know what a ------- he was!

I could not see Ryan, we usually met before school started, in a empty classroom, which was not used but had all the broken furniture and lockers in it. We used to go behind all this junk and sit and talk till school started. It was going perfect, until now.

I went to that classroom and to our meeting spot there I saw Ryan leaning against the wall in a deep thought. He had noticed me but did not move.

Finally he looked up and said in a sad tone, a part of him I had not seen before, "Anne, what was it? Huh? How can he fucking treat you like that? Tell me now why do you let him do this to you? Does he have a secret that he threatens you with, what Anne? Do you know what I felt when I saw him looking at you like that and then kissing YOU?"

He was too loud, my finger automatically went up to my lips trying to quieten him. 

"Why should I stop huh? I want to know Anne or I might do something bad. Your the first girl of all the million ones that I have let into my life. I want it to be normal. Why is everything not right? Answer me Anne?"

I felt sadness, anger and and authority in his voice, all at the same time. Tears welled up in my eyes, " You think I enjoyed it, I would give my life for that should not happen again, I love you and don't want to lose you, what I have not told you is better untold. Please Ryan, let it pass, its a few months until we graduate from school. I will be eighteen and a little more independent. Our relationship is new I don't want it to change, I will tell you when the time comes"

I hugged him for I could to contain myself any longer before I started crying. He had understood and nodded while smiling at me.

I felt a lot better and sighed in relief, he wiped off my tears saying "Anne I was angry and I still am but not at you, at Jake, It was not your fault".

Suddenly he smiled, "Now I have to take his germs off you", He said and and kissed me long until the bell rang, then quickly left for his first class as I stood there stupefied at what had just happened. We had kissed many times, but every time it surprised me.

I had a cheerful day. Even K was surprised at how quickly things had worked out between Ryan and me. Although K could not join me in cafeteria for she had a detention with lab teacher as she had broken a pipette(lab thing). 

I sat alone until Jake joined me on my table. I did not look up and pretended that I had not acknowledged his presence. He did not ask me look up but rather lifted me chin up to face him. I moved his hand away.

"Oh so you are angry at me huh? But you can't be, Can you? I just came to ask you that if you get time from all your jobs, and even if you do not, I will pick you from your house at 09:00."

He did not ask but rather stated.

I was vexed at his calmness, He had already done a lot to my life. "You know what Jake I don't care if you tell everyone that I was lying all the way, my friends would understand, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"But it is not about lying only, I will also tell them that your brother is involved with gangs and he has a reputation in gang world as major smuggler of drugs. How your dad is in jail for attempted murder and murder of whom? A close uncle of our football team leader, Ryan Davis. You would know him, every girl does, he is such a snob, dunno why he hates me, if it was not because of the coach and my awesome performance he would have kicked me out of the football team by now. Just because his dad is rich and has contacts I am not doing anything or else I would have beaten the shit out of him. " He finished, I just sat there staring at nothing letting his words about my family and Ryan's uncle sink in. I never knew any details of my father or brother.

Ryan had told me that his uncle was very dear to him. He had expressed with great anger of how he hates the man who had attempted to assassinate his uncle for the money he held in his brief case, out of his way from bank. How Ryan's dad had helped in finding the person and imprisoning him. Ryan hated him like anything and wanted him dead. My father, I felt a chill! I had never thought of him in past few months, I could not figure out whether I loved him or hated him. I still remembered a story he sometimes told me of a father who gives his daughter everything. He used to tell the story with great empathy. Maybe that was his dream and for his dream he went way out of ordinary. On the other hand whatever he did was wrong. Everyone works hard to support family. Life is not about shortcuts. Mom and I were doing the jobs he had to do. 

I didn't know whether to be on his side or not. I was snapped out of my thoughts when Jake spoke, "Should I pick you at 09:00 then? Or you want the flood of truth to come?" he asked smirking, sure of his victory. 

I nodded, unable to speak, I had to give the new revelation a long thought but Jake interrupted, "Wear something casual not too formal, ok?"

"Jake, I don't know whether my mom would allow!" I felt something bad coming this night and I wanted to avoid it, "I cannot also skip on work"

"09:00 is the time, Anne I don't care about anything else" He got up and gave me a long lustful look before leaving. His gaze had made me feel very uncomfortable. just how will I survive him at night? 

As promised but a day late....