A to Z

Chapter 15- That Fine Line

Chapter 15- That Fine Line




We stood at the edge of a motorway, on the hard shoulder, waving goodbye to D. Aiden had given Alex a little goodbye scratch and in return received a heart warming purr. I had given Alex a hesitant pat and in return received a heart lurching growl. During the hours we had spent in Debbie's car, Alex had not warmed to me. The same could not be said for Aiden, however. I didn't know whether I was jealous of Aiden or impressed with his cat-taming skills.

Debbie didn't own a phone either, so we couldn't phone for help. She was adamant and fiercely argumentative about phones being the cause for cancer but she gave us her address for the expected wedding invitation anyway.

She had dropped us off, just about into Manchester. Although she offered, D couldn't afford to drive us all the way home so there we were. 30 minutes away from car, hours and hours away by foot. It was a daunting prospect.

Without even discussing it, we both knew we would try to hitch a ride. It shouldn't have been hard. Hundreds of cars whisked by, into Manchester, yet none of them even gave us a second glance. We must've been there for at least an hour, swinging our arms for help but nobody stopped beside us like Debbie had done. Luck didn't strike twice.

Unexpectedly, a beaten down, stuttering piece of junk came to a stop before us. It was old and made a sound like a washing machine dying. The doors were a different colour to the rest of the car and the bumper was scratched heavily. My heart sank a little when a lanky, runty looking 19 year old wound his window down and said,

"Hey gorgeous." He winked for affect.

Aiden looked ready to punch him but I grabbed his wrist warningly. Before Aiden could open his mouth and ruin our chance of getting home quickly, I replied quickly and tried to act girlish.

I noticed a huge stack of beers in the passenger seat. I prayed to God, hoping the driver was not drunk.

"Hi. Me and my friend are sort of stuck." I giggled as if I was some sort of blonde bimbo. "You couldn't, maybe, give us a lift?" I ended the sentence on an unnaturally high tone. This wasn't me, flirting to get what I want. This was Chanel. I had seen her do this plenty of times but I realised quite suddenly, it was a lot harder than it looked. I felt so stupid.

The boy looked a bit gormless. I suspected he didn't expect his 'Hey gorgeous' line to work.
I waited expectantly for an answer. An answer that didn't seem to be appearing any time soon.

"Well?" Aiden interjected irritably. I stood on his foot.

The boy blinked a couple of times before forcing out a reply. He stuttered a bit and he didn't seem quite as confident or arrogant as he had at first. This calmed me. At least I knew I wouldn't have to keep up the ridiculous flirting charade.

The boy told us to get in the back. Aiden opened the door to see a snoring blonde occupying one of the seats and another boy drinking beer quite happily in the middle.

"Oh wait a minute." The boy in the drivers seat made to move the beers next to him but Aiden cut him off quickly.

"No, it's ok," he said quite sharply. "We'll squeeze into the back."

Aiden lowered himself into the seat, trying his hardest to avoid touching the drunk boy next to him.

He sighed loudly. "You're going to have to sit on my lap."

I didn't complain. Instead, I climbed in hesitantly, making sure to avoid stepping on anything. There was a lot of junk on the floor and I felt a bit of vomit come up when I saw a used condom.

The boy started driving while Aiden and I tried to make our seating arrangement a little more comfortable. The boy was either a terrible driver, drunk or both. We kept lurching unsteadily and juttering to sudden stops. Because of his reckless driving, Aiden had to hold me tight around my waist to stop me from flying forwards. It was also very hot in the car. I was starting to sweat with Aiden's thick jacket still on me but I couldn't take it off. I only had my bra on underneath.

As soon as we had settled down, a phone started to ring and the driver huffed loudly and picked it up, driving with one hand. It made my stomach clench but I ignored it and clutched a little tighter to Aiden.

"What Mum?" He answered rudely. Aiden smirked and I pretended I couldn't hear his conversation. His mother was very loud and very angry. I was quiet. I didn't trust myself to speak.

Sitting on Aiden's lap was a little awkward but other than that, it was fine. It kinda felt nice.

"Oh hello." It was the boy next to us. He sounded surprised, as if he had only noticed us then. He was obviously drunk out of his mind.

Aiden glared at him. I smiled hesitantly.

"Hi." I gave a little wave.

He waved back, a bit too eagerly.

"I'm Rob and you're hot." His casual demeanour made me laugh.

"I'm Zoe and you're drunk." I replied with an eyebrow raised.

"I know!" He broke down into hysterics and I tried to stifle my own laughter. I turned to Aiden with a 'can you believe how drunk this guy is!?' expression on my face, only to see his stony look. He had a disapproving look on his face.

"D'ya wanna drink?" Robs words were slurred together and he offered me his beer.

"She's underage." Aiden answered coldly. His arms grew a little tighter around my waist.

I gave Aiden a bewildered look and re-adjusted his arms around me. I managed to loosen them a little.

"Thanks, Rob, for offering but I don't really drink." I smiled politely.

Rob just gave me a look saying 'your loss' and took another swig from his bottle. He turned to me straight after with a pout and dark, smouldering eyes. They were actually a very intense hue of blue.

"Do you have a boyfriend, sexy?"

Aiden's arm twitched as I laughed. Rob was unbelievable. He reminded me a little of Chanel.

Laughing I answered. "No, I don't."

"Maybe you'd be more comfortable here then." He patted his own lap. I wanted to cringe. He was coming off so creepy and desperate, it was embarrassing. I wasn't scared. Not at all. He wasn't going to try anything, that much was obvious, but I knew he would regret this if he ever remembered.

I smiled ruefully. "I'm good here thanks."

He shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for trying." And he took another deep swig of beer.

The boy next to him grunted a little in his sleep. We were silent save for the driver still arguing with his mother on the phone.

"Is it me or is it really hot in here?" Rob asked. He almost sounded sober.

I nodded, agreeing with him. "It is pretty hot."

He gave me a sly grin. "Sure you don't want to strip?"

Before I could answer, Aiden intervened sharply. He face was hard and stoic. I could see how he could look scary but I wasn't scared at all. I'd gotten to know him too well.

"You're going to shut your mouth, 'Rob', before I do it for you. So drink your beer, sit tight and shut the fuck up. Got it?" His teeth were gritted and his voice came out low and threatening.

Rob nodded solemnly only to burst out laughing a few seconds later. Aiden clenched his fists and I quickly grabbed hold of his arm before he did something stupid. I shot him a look involving a pitiful glance at Rob, telling Aiden that Rob clearly wasn't entirely aware of what he was saying or doing. Aiden only calmed down slightly, his body still tense.

I predicted a riot.

And then we were quiet again. Aiden had his teeth clenched together while I sat on him, somehow trying to lighten my weight. (I didn't want to seem too heavy.) Rob got another beer from somewhere off the floor and the sleeping boy whimpered something about sitting on a ferret and being sorry. The driving boy was still hissing to his mother.

Needless to say, it was awkward.

It was overwhelming. Maybe it was because I was the only female in the car or because I was the only one affected by the awkwardness, I tried to make conversation. I guess in hindsight, I didn't choose the best topic but I was desperate and extremely uncomfortable.

So I said, "You wouldn't believe it's the middle of winter here in this car, would you?"

Several things then happened simultaneously. The moaning car came to a neck breakingly abrupt stop at a traffic light and we all went flying forwards. The snoring boy suddenly screamed "I'LL BUY YOU A NEW FERRET!" with his arms outstretched. Rob's beer went flying all over Aiden's jeans and my shorts and the boy driving had just accidentally told his mother to perform a sexual act on him.

I didn't know who was angrier. The mother or Aiden.

"I'm sorry babe. I'm so sorry. I'll lick it off, if you want?" Rob asked and bent his head down towards my legs. The sleeping boy had probably been knocked unconscious and the boy driving was furiously ranting to his mother. His mother was somehow louder than him, even though her voice was coming from a phone.

"NO!" I shouted hastily and I quickly pushed his head away from me. I realised I might have been a bit too violent and so hesitantly rubbed his head a little afterwards. Aiden had also pulled me away from Rob at the same time.

"It's ok Rob." I fake laughed. "I guess you cooled me down." I fake laughed again. I had the strongest urge to slap Rob. Yes he was cute, in a strange drunk way and he was endearing in a strange drunk way but he was really getting on my nerves. I had the overwhelming urge to slap him but I resisted. Ten more minutes and we'd be home. Just ten more minutes.

Rob sighed irritably. "Just take your jacket off." He sounded exasperated and he moved forward and pulled down the zipper of the jacket swiftly. I gasped loudly and pushed Rob away from me. I grabbed the jacket and wrapped it round myself, flushing furiously and trying to zip it back up again.

Rob's eyes widened comically and his mouth fell open. "I'm so-". But he never got to finish the sentence as Aidens' fist came flying towards his jaw.

***


"Get another mug to give you a ride, PRICK!"

And the car screeched away, engine clankering, leaving us in its smoke. Aiden was shouting after them loudly, swearing and cursing away while I stood, legs trembling in pure frustration.

We stood on a deserted road, at least an hour away from home. If Aiden was angry, I was beyond angry. But not at the boy who had unceremoniously chucked us out or even Rob, the utter moron. My rage was directed at the one and only, Aiden Cross.

Silently, I looked down the road, sighed and started the long walk home. I looked down at my scuffed feet and pressed my lips together firmly.

"Where are you going?!" Aiden shouted after me. I was already a couple of metres away.

I didn't answer.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" Aiden shouted again though a little louder. I didn't turn around to reply.

"Home Aiden. I'm going home." My words were clipped and harsh. I tried not to convey my anger through my voice but it seeped out anyway. I couldn't keep it in. It was going to burst out. I was going to explode.

I heard him jog towards me and I felt his hand on my shoulder but I shrugged it off quickly. I didn't want to feel that warm tingling sensation I always got when I was close to him.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly.

"Nothing." I said harshly.

"Zoe-" he tried again reaching for my hand this time.

I yanked my hand away viciously and whipped around to face him.

"Don't touch me!"

He recoiled but his face hardened.

"What is it?! Why are you being like this?!" He asked, his voice a little louder now.

"I'm not being like anything!" I shouted angrily, the wind blowing my hair out behind me. The wind was cold against my hot, flushed cheeks and they were starting to burn with cold.

"Oh come on Zoe!" He rolled his eyes and lifted his arms letting them flop down next to his sides again.

"Fine! Fine! You want to know? It's you! It's YOU!" I screamed, jabbing my finger at him. I felt powerful, with the wind urging me on. A few drops of rain fell down and then they started to pummel down. Fat, heavy drops of rain fell down on us in a torrent. The water was fast and hard and vicious, slapping our faces.

Aiden looked confused and with the fish-mouth thing he was doing, speechless too. He was shivering too, in just his flimsy top but I didn't feel bad for him. Instead, I carried on, unleashing my wrath.

"All you had to do us was sit in that death trap of a car for another 10 minutes! In fact, by now, we would've been home! I could have been at home already! But you! YOU! You think getting all alpha male is impressive? Throwing your weight around just because Rob was annoying you!? What? You were protecting the damsel in distress?! No! NO. Because I was fine. I was fine! Maybe I was embarrassed and Rob was a complete prat but he was drunk. He probably won't even remember us tomorrow. He'll just have a huge bloody nose and the worlds worst hangover!"

Aiden, with his hair and t-shirt soaked, managed to cut in.

"I was trying to protect you-"

"No! No you weren't! You were trying to get one up on Rob! You were-" I accused and blinked a few times. My vision was getting blurry.

"We'll be home soon! It's not the end of the world!" Aiden tried to reason with me, clearly exasperated and thinking I was over reacting but I wasn't having any of it.