Inside | Shane Harte

9 | Like a chicken

"You may love it all you want, but you will never play with passion. But, yesterday when you sang, that was true passion"

Shane's words won't leave my head alone, they keep spinning around and around almost making me dizzy. It may sound ridiculous, but me going to a musical academy and playing the violin was something that I've always thought I wanted. My mother had my whole future all planned out and I just kind of agreed with her and accepted everything she decided for me. Was that wrong?

Wait, why am I thinking like this? How can I be so selfish to just throw away everything me and my mother fought for after one conversation with someone like... Shane? I must be going mad, this is not like me. If mother heard that I felt... True passion... While singing and not playing the violin, she would definately kill me right there on the spot.

"Let's go downstairs. I'm hungry" Cora says and walks out of her room before I even have the time to answer. I chuckle, shake my head and follow her down the stairs to meet Isabel standing in front of us.

"Kayla, why don't you stay for dinner?" she asks softly and gestures to Stefan who is cooking something by the stove. The smell that spreads all over the house is amazing and my stomach rumbles.

"Oh, it's okay, I'll just grab a pizza on my way home. Don't want to be in the way" I smile.

"Nonsense" she snorts. "Sit down, dinner is ready in 10 minutes"

She's gone before I get to thank her and both Cora and I start laughing.

Right when we sit down around the table and start eating, someone rushes down the stairs to the hall.

"Shane, stay. Have some dinner with us" Isabel asks softly. He turns around with a completely blank expression on his face.

"Nope"

With that he turns around again, grabs his wallet and keys and walks out the door. Isabel's face drops for a second and I feel bad for her. All of us stay silent for a good minute before Stefan clears his throat.

"I'm sorry for his behaviour"

"It's fine, I've seen all of his bad sides already. I'm kind of used to it" I smile politely.

"So, tell us more about yourself. You're going to the same college as Shane and Cora I've heard" Isabel says and everyone turn towards me with a curious look on their face.

"My full name is Kayla Smith and I'm 18 years old. I'm from Owen Sound where I live with my mother Karen and father Ben, but father is abroad quite often because of his job"

"Wow, Owen Sound? That must be like..."

"4 hours from here, yup" I smile and they all look very fascinated. "My parents have always been very supportive in my musical dreams, but it has mostly been mother who's helped me with college and such stuff since she's been home more than my father"

"Wow, sounds like you're going all in with your music career" Cora says and I nod.

"Yes, it's very important to me. It always has been"

We continue to talk about anything and everything and the time just flies by. When I eventually lighten my phone screen it says 9 PM.

"Okay, it's time for me to go. Thank you so much for the dinner, it was very kind and generous of you" I say as I stand up and grab my dishes.

"Don't bother dear, we'll take care of that" Isabel smiles and I thank her while walking to the hall.

"Have a nice evening!" I say and they wish me a nice evening as well. I then put on my shoes, jacket and step outside the front door. The cold fall air hits me hard in the face and I shiver. Darn it, should have brought a warmer jacket.

Just as I walk down to the road, a black Honda Civic drives up and stops right in front of me. Not knowing who it is, I start to walk away from it in a fast pace. What if it's a killer or rapist or something? You never know...

"Hey! Kayla!" someone shouts behind me, and I can tell that the voice is getting closer. I speed up the pace and my eyes frantically look for someone nearby to call for help, but not a soul's in sight.

"What the hell are you doing? It's just me!" the voice continues, and that's when I realise - it's Shane.

I stop and turn around slowly only to face a panting Shane stopping in front of me, bending forwards and placing his hands on his knees. I can't help but smile until I can't hold back the laughter anymore.

"What's so funny? I should be the one laughing my ass off because you ran away like a scared chicken" he chuckles between the breaths.

"Oh, yeah? Remind me again who's breathing like an elephant right now" I smile, surprised by my own sass. I never knew I had it in me.

".... Shut up" he snorts. "Anyway, I thought that I could give you a ride back to campus"

Okay... What in the heaven is happening right now? Is cocky, mean Shane Harte actually being nice for a change? Wow, I must say that I'm surprised. Never saw it coming.

"Uh, are you serious or are you just going to dump me somewhere along the way?"

"Oh stop it, I'm not THAT mean"

"O-kay... Fine. But we're headed straight to campus, no 'emergency stops' on the way, okay?"

"Do you even have a choice? Or did you plan on walking a good 25 miles?" he smirks and I roll my eyes. "Good. Jump in, chicken"