[1] BROKEN ONE // t. stark

18

I couldn't stop blushing all the way down to the car. I've also come to notice that I walked differently than how I usually walk (weird?). They'd had turned into a skipping-like walk like a little girl, who was happy to get a candy, while humming to my favourite love song with the biggest smile on my face since Dad brought me to spend summer with him.

     I realise I didn't want Mom to know what happened, so to avoid her from noticing how happy and flushed I look, I slapped myself hard on the cheek. I felt nothing at first, but eventually I felt warm and it stung a bit. It worked for a few seconds, but when I glanced over my shoulder and saw that Peter was already looking down at me from his bedroom window, I blushed again.

     "Okay, let's get going," I said to prevent myself from getting awkward in the car with my mother - and Happy, possibly. Happy doesn't look like he cares, but he has his way of knowing about everything.

     As the car started moving forwards, as I kept my eyes out of the window, I felt two pair of eyes watching me eagerly. I winced, but blushed to myself when the thought of Peter came into my mind again though afraid that they might know something happened to me while I was sending Peter to his front door. I bit my inner cheeks to hold myself from smiling wider.

     But when I glanced at the rear-view mirror, Happy wasn't looking at me through the glass as I thought. Maybe he was actually keeping his eyes at the cars behind us. Also, when I glanced at Mom, she was not looking at me. She was playing with her phone - or maybe rather checking her emails to make it sound better. Maybe I was only being paranoid because I didn't want them to know.

     I sighed in relief silently, knowing that nobody noticed my blush because it would be hard to explain. I'm 16, but my father was strict. He didn't like seeing me in a relationship with somebody else. I'm only allowed to have a boyfriend only when I turn 18 and that was way too long to wait. My friends made me want to feel to have a boyfriend during high school and I wanted it.

     Neither Peter nor I came to ask for each other's phone number. This was probably one of the saddest story you've ever heard. Even though that happened, but I was still waiting for a strange number to text me. I would know it's him because I had never gotten a text message or a call from any unfamiliar number before. In the end, I locked my phone and put it in the handler on the door and drifted to sleep.

     I didn't know for how long I've fallen asleep, but when I woke up, the car was already in a halt and Mom and Happy were looking at me. I looked around to see if there were buildings I recognise - and sure there were. I recognised New Avengers Facilities's big and wide building with thick forest beside it. There were no one else around. The wide area where the agents were trained are not at sight. Where am I exactly?

     I looked at Mom and Happy, then. I looked at them puzzled and asked, "Why are we here? Wait, how do you know how to get here?"

     "I have some agents here work for me, honey." Mom answered and smiled down at me. "Let's get inside."

     "What?" I frowned.

     "Let's get inside first. I'll explain to you later," Mom said, patting me on the shoulder as a cue for me to get up. For sure I got up, wiping my tired eyes, couldn't wait to hit my bed and pillow in Dad's room.

     "Where are we going to bunk in?" asked Happy.

     "Dad's room," I answered lazily. "We will be sleeping there."

     "Tony's room?" Mom was astounded. "Would it be enough? The bed....the...."

     "It's a chamber. Happy can sleep on the sofa, I guess, but if you don't want to sleep in Dad's room, you can sleep in my room. I'll sleep somewhere comfortable," I explained. To be honest, I didn't really care if I had to sleep in Dad's room, but the thought of invading his privacy didn't sound so right.