Via Text

Chapter 4: Interrogation

I spent most of my day in school working on a Science project with my lab partner, Logan. He was a rather nice bloke. Blue-gray eyes, chestnut-brown hair, and a really adorable smile. Most girls would go for a guy like him and when I was assigned to be his lab partner, I saw the girls in Science class staring daggers at me. I don't really see the big deal though, he's just a guy.

After we are done researching on ions, electrons and neutrons, Logan offered to drive me home and since I don't have a car of my own, I politely accept and was glad that he asked because I was too lazy to drag my ass all the way home. I thought about texting Niall, but I didn't want to seem clingy so I brushed that idea off. 

"But you did say you were gonna text him. And he said he would be waiting for your text." A small voice in my head reminded me. But what if he was just being polite and he doesn't really want to be friends? I groaned internally and trudged my way to Logan's car, with him leading the way. But of course, the girls walking past us gave me a dirty look from head to toe. Seriously, what is their deal? It's not like we would make a cute couple anyway. I'm an Asian and I have a weird mix of Chinese and Filipino. I have black hair, almost brown eyes, not so deep eye-lids and I'm short and stubby. I look far from any of the girls in school. They were all tall, tanned, skinny and just bloody attractive. 

I rolled my eyes at them and continued following Logan out of the school campus and to the parking lot. We walked over to a red glossy Mazda RX-8 . I can't help but whistle. It was a pretty little thing, this car.

Logan shot me a half-crooked smile and I had to look away for five seconds because it was just too breath-taking. What the hell Arianne. Get your shit together. Since when did cute guys have an effect on me?

"Ever since Niall." The voice in my head taunted. What the fuck. I don't even know how Niall looks like. But I could tell that he was cute from his voice and the way he laughs and... Okay I need to stop. I climbed into the passenger seat and fastened my seat-belt. I instructed Logan on how to get to my house and after our awkward conversation on the weather and cats (yeah I know what the hell), he finally pulled into my driveway.

"Thanks for giving me a ride home. I was too lazy to walk." I turn to him and smile. 

"It's no problem. I hope we can do it more often." he shrugged and blinded me with a wide grin. 

I smiled again and unbuckled my seat-belt and was about to open the car-door when I felt his hand wrap around my wrist. I turned around with my jaw open.

"Hey..maybe we could have dinner sometime? I really enjoy spending time with you..." he murmured shyly. 

I sat rooted to my seat. Why was the cutest guy in Science class asking a walking potato out? I shuffled uncomfortably in my seat and bit my lip deep in thought. I've never dated ever since the horrible thing that my ex-boyfriend did and caused me to be scarred until now. I promised myself that I would be satisfied with being in solitude. On the other hand, I didn't want to reject him because he was such a sweet thing and I'd like to believe that he would never do anything to hurt me. But all I could think about was Niall. We've only ever talked on the phone once and I don't know him at all except that he's from Ireland and that he texts like a baboon handling a phone. Somehow I'm still captivated by him just by his words, his laugh and the way he texts. 

"Um..could you ask me next time? I don't think I'm ready to start dating. I'm sorry Logan." I flushed as I say this. I felt like a total bitch for rejecting him. But I didn't want to go on a date with him if I don't feel for him, right? 

"Oh..er sure..I'm sorry I asked..I'm so stupid...Um see you tomorrow then..." he said as he rubbed his neck and ruffled up his hair. God, he was so cute. But that's just it. I just think he's cute.

"No I'm sorry Logan. I feel like a complete bitch now but I truly am not ready for this yet." I tried to make it seem like it was my fault because I felt guilty as shit. He flashed me a weak smile as I got out of the car. He has obviously never been rejected before. I can see why no girl would say no to him, but I have no idea why I did it. 

I focused on getting to my house without looking back at his crushed face. Once I unlocked the front door and stepped into the comfort of my home, I sighed in relief. What the fuck just happened? I just turned down a nice guy. I was more or less ready to date to be honest, I just didn't want to. So what's stopping me? I can't wait to tell Nina..Nina!! She was coming over tonight and I groaned. She was going to shine a light on me and interrogate me. I just know it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

After I finished showering and got some school work done, I waited for Nina, my saviour yet my torturer, to come over. The doorbell rings and I gulped. I opened the door and took in the sight of my beautiful best friend. As usual, her black curls were let loose and hung over her waist, her face was glowing and she looked like a goddess even without make-up on. I've always envied how she looked like. She was a transfer student from Malaysia and we became friends when she was just new to the school. That's how it all happened. 

"ARIIIIIIIANNE!!" she yelled and almost broke a mirror. 

I gave her my award-winning smile and run into her for a hug. I haven't seen her in weeks. I inhaled her familiar scent of strawberries and vanilla deeply and held it there for a few minutes. We pulled back and we proceeded to do what we normally do whenever we had a sleepover. We would always change into our onesies and watch a cheesy love film while drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows. So we did just that. This time we watched Moulin Rouge. I'll admit, I cried when Satine died and when Christian said "Thank you for curing me of my ridiculous obsession with love."

After the movie we brushed our teeth and made ourselves comfy on my bed. Shit. This was it. It's time to tell her everything. As if she was reading my mind, Nina arched her eyebrows and asked "Well?" Oh joy. Let the interrogation begin. I took a deep breath and told her everything. I told her about how I sent the suicide text to the wrong number, how Niall introduced himself, how he kept me company throughout the whole conversation with the advisor, how I felt about him and the way his laughter gives me butterflies on the inside, how we agreed to be friends but I was afraid to text him and last but not least, my recent encounter with Logan. By the time I was done, I saw that Nina's eyes were about to pop out of their sockets and her jaw was just a few inches from the floor. 

"What?" I frown as I ask this. 

"D-d-did you just say that Niall was from Mullingar, Ireland and he plays for a band? What band does he play for exactly?" Nina shook uncontrollably as she asks.

I shrugged and shook my head. What is up with her? She never behaves this way. And she completely ignored the face that Logan asked me out. That was weird.

"Arianne. From the way you described Niall, you might have sent the text to a member of the world's biggest boyband. One Direction."