The Element of Surprise

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Claude's P.O.V.

After around five minutes she storms back into the room. She is fuming, even angrier than when she left. Her brother never follows. I wonder where he went. What she had said to have him not even return. Her brother never returned, confusing his friends, as they all got up and rushed after him.

She sits beside me with a huff and looks directly into my eyes. "Yes." she blurted. I raised my eyebrows, yes what? "Yes, I will come with you after school today." she explains.

A smile instantly brightens my face. "Awesome! Are you sure? I mean, didn't you say your brother-"

"I don't care what my brother says!" I was cut short by her harsh words.

I was...stunned. I never thought I would ever see her this way. So angry and...passionate. It was intriguing. She mistook my silence as a negative reaction and begins to shy away again.

"I'm sorry. I probably seem like a total freak now, huh?" she says in a hushed tone, her head hanging low. I put my index and middle fingers under her chin and bring her face up so, I could see those beautiful emerald eyes.

"Not at all. It was just surprising. You are always so quiet. I never knew you had it in you." I say, chuckling. She smiles.

RING!

"We better go. We don't want to be late." she says, getting up. She gives me a small wave. "See you after school."

"Meet me at the bottom of the steps." I say. She nods and walks off.

*************************

"Heads Up!" I heard some random jock yell behind me. I swing around just in time to see Olivia get nailed in the head with a football. My eyes widen as I take the steps two at a time to make sure she doesn't fall. I reach out to steady her wobbling form.

"Are you alright? Do you need ice or anything?" I ask, gently placing my hand right above her temple, where to football rammed her head. She chuckles lightly and gently shakes her head, like it is a natural instinct to be careful.

"You forget, I grew up with an older brother. Wrestling and throwing things at each other is how we communicate." she says quietly. I pull my hand back, embarrassed. She blushes a light red and pulls her luscious, pick, lower lip in between her teeth.

"Right, sorry. So you ready to go?" I ask. She nods enthusiastically. I begin to lead her to...oh crap. "Wait there is one minor detail I forgot to mention." I chuckle nervously. She looks right in my eyes as she analyzes my guilty face.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" she asks concerned. My eyes widen, my guilt building. I never meant for her to worry.

"No, no nothing like that it's just... I didn't drive my car to school today. It is in the shop." I explain. She tilts her head slightly with an adorable confused look on her beautiful face.

"So...we are walking to your house?" she questions me, trying to get a straight answer. Once again, I laugh out of nervousness.

"No I um...brought my bike. My motorcycle, I mean." I finally say. Her pupils instantly grow three times their size and she stops in the middle of the parking lot.

"I-I-I don't know about that." she stutters biting her bottom lip out of nervousness. I slip my arm around her slender shoulders and pull her close, trying my best to comfort her.

"It will be alright, I promise." I say in a soothing and gentle voice. Her body shakes as she takes slow deep breaths. "We don't have to ride on my bike if you don't want to. I can ask one of my cousins to pick us up." She is still and silent for a minute but, eventually she shakes her head and stands up straight and tall.

"No. No you were right. I need more excitement in my life." She says as she looks up at me with her emerald green eyes. "Let's go."

I scan her face skeptically, "Are you sure?" She giggles and looks up at me

"Positive." she states confidently and begins to walk toward the only motorcycle in the parking lot.

I follow suit until we are in front of my baby. She again looks slightly confused. "What's wrong?" I ask. She looks at me and then to the bike and back at me.

"N-N-Nothing is wrong, it's just...shouldn't you wear a helmet...shouldn't we both wear helmets?" she says in the tone that a parents would. I chuckle at her cute, naïve nature.

"Don't worry, I have a spare under my seat if you really want it and as for me I don't need one." I reply with a wink, but seriousness seeps through my speech so she knows that she is safe with me. I lift the seat panel and hand her the helmet. I turn back to the bike and swing my leg over my baby and look back at Olivia.

She looks way too adorable for her own good. With the dark color of the helmet bringing out the brightness of her emerald green eyes and the sun reflecting her naturally highlighted chocolate brown hair. She looked absolutely stunning. Perfection. I must have been gawking because she blushes and looks down at herself.

"What? Is something wrong?" her eyes widen as she begins to pat herself down, "Is there something on me? Is it a spider? GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" She screams as she brushes her hands up and down her body, jumping around like a maniac. I laughed softly at the looks she got from random members of the student body leaving campus. I grab her arm and pull her closer to me, "No there is no spider. I just think you look beautiful, that's all. "I nearly whisper to her.

She visibly gulps and blushes and even deeper shade of crimson. She chuckles embarrassed as she climbs onto the back of my bike. I start up the engine and grin.

"You might want to hold on tight there Livy." I say. I kick up the kick stand and head towards home.

Olivia's P.O.V.

I feel the contraption beneath me rumble and vibrate. I clutch my hands together tighter and squeeze my eyes shut as the machine's speed escalates. I lay my head against Claude's back, trying to think of anything else but the fact that I am on a death trap. I can feel Claude's chuckles from how tightly I was holding him. I shoot a glare at his back and attempt to punch him in the gut while squeezing the life out of him.

"Come on, Livy. Open your eyes. It's beautiful." He yells over the roaring winds. I immediately shake my head vigorously against his back, shrinking even farther into the warmth of his skin. "Trust me." he reassures. I hesitate for a minute, but I realize that I do trust him. Even though I have only known him for two days, I trust him. There is something about him that lures me in and makes me feel comforted and content.

I slowly begin to open my eyes. The wind burns my eyes and whips my hair back uncomfortably, but I don't care. The stunning and awing view of the rapidly passing town was worth all of the pain. The buildings zip by as well as the car as driving around us. I watch the city fly by until we stop and park in front of an apartment complex.

We dismount Claude's bike and I follow him into the lobby and into the elevator. He presses the eleventh floor and the elevator zooms up past the other floors straight to the eleventh. He grabs my hand unexpectedly, pulls us out into the hall, and veers right.

I look down at our intertwined hands and blush feverishly. His hand was hard and callused but gentle as if he thought I needed to be cared for. He stops in front of a fading blue door and opens it with a loud creek.

"Guys! I'm home!" he says as we set our backpacks down. He looks down at me and smirks, his blue eyes sparkling, "And I brought a friend..."