Trouble's Favorite

Chapter 19

Mrs. Jones was babbling things for the past twenty minutes. Trust me when I say her voice is annoying. It really is.

     “Okay so now, dear students, I’m about to tell you a good news. The good news is… the deadline of your thesis is moved to another date,” Mrs. Jones told us, and the room was filled with voices saying yes! And yey! “…And that would be tomorrow! Ain’t that nice?” Mrs. Jones continued.

      The room was flooded with BOO's and complains. “I purposely paired you with the person you are comfortable with, so I assume you’re done with it.”

     Having no other choice, I guess I just have to finish it tonight with Kean.

     My phone buzzed in my pocket and I took it out carefully so that Mrs. Jones wouldn’t notice. “Meet me later on the parking lot. Drop by our house and let’s finish the thesis,” was Kean’s message.

     I replied, “Copy.”

*

I was on my way to the lot when I met coach Harnet. I smiled slyly at him and he smiled back. He approached me and said, “Hey, Chloe. Could you do me a favor?”

     I nodded, “Yeah, yeah. Anything.” What choice do I have?

     He gave me an envelope and smiled, “Can you hand this to Drake? It’s really important, so I hope it would reach him on time. Guess you’re the only person I could rely.”

    Teachers... Seriously? “Oh, yeah. Sure, sure,” I assured him as I took the envelope from his hand.

     He gave me a goodbye pat and said, “thank you, Chloe. Bye.”

Kean was leaning against his car, looking at his phone from time to time. I felt bad for not showing up on time and it was already getting dark.

     “Hey,” I greeted with a smile.

     “Let’s go?”

     I nodded and he went to the other side of the car to open the door for me. “Thanks.”

     Kean started the engine and I silently sat on the passenger’s seat, with the envelope still on my hand. There’s something about this paper that I wanted to know badly. Coach said it’s important and it should get to him on time. It’s probably an urgent message.

     “Um, Kean, can we drop by at Drake’s place? I have to give him something.”

     Kean didn’t ask what it was, he just simply nodded.

I rang Drake’s doorbell for a couple of times but to my dismay, nobody welcomed me. The light was on in the second floor and I could see clearly from the window a shadow moving. Drake’s Lamborghini was even parked outside.

     I noticed that the front door was unlocked, so I decided to go inside. Trespasser alert

    Since no one was in the living room, I made my way upstairs. Drake’s house was extraordinary. It looks simple from the outside, but it’s magnificent on the inside. They sure are rich.

     There were three rooms on the second floor and it’s gonna take me some guts to open one of those doors. I might open the wrong one and be accused of attempted… stealing? Is there even a law for that?

     But I have a strong feeling that the room on my left side was Drake’s. It was like the door was pulling me toward it and my feet decided going to that direction. I clutched on the knob, fighting the urge to just run away. But I was here, I had to do this.

     I knocked three times but then again, nobody responded. So, I just turned the knob, silently praying that Drake wasn’t inside.

     When I found the strength to peek, I saw Drake on his desk, looking intently at the papers scattered on his table, leaning on his elbow. He didn’t even notice that I was inside—or does he?—so just stood there for few more seconds and stared at him, the way I always do before.

     “What do you want?” he asked, making me snap from my thoughts.

     I slowly walked toward him, “I… uh…” I was too nervous to finish my sentence. From that moment I just wanted to cry, hug him, and slap him in the face, just to show to him how painful it is when you miss someone. “Uhh, coach asked me to give this to you.”

     He looked at me, his eyes looking not only in my eyes, but also my soul. There was something about the way he looks at me. As if there were words he wanted to tell me yet left unsaid. His eyes were crying for something. There were too many emotions in his eyes, and I don’t know whether I should comfort him pity him, or even get mad at him. We were just staring at each other, but I could feel something, something that connects the two of us.

     Not knowing what else to do, I just gave him the letter and went outside. I was waiting. Just waiting… for him to stop me. But he didn’t. He doesn’t even need me.