Surrounded

Chapter 13

I opened the car door of the Jeep and sat inside. I slammed the door and strapped the seat belt along my upper body. Jayden stared at me incredulously for a moment. He looked as if he was considering something, then he just shook his head, grinning. He leaned in and gave me a gentle kiss on my lips knowing right there that something was up. He turned to face me, beaming at me.

“Are you alright?”

“Sure,” I murmured.

“Don’t lie to me. What happened?” His smile faded away just like mine that morning when I woke.

“Dad is annoying me, that’s all.”

“What did he say?”

“He’s pressuring the idea of me getting my driving license, he said he wants to take me to sign up for it tonight without questions asked. The fact that mom didn’t stop him from bossing me around is the most exasperating thing.”

“Baby, I know he’s irritating – he’s irritating me too knowing that you’re feeling bad in your own house – but he means well. He wants you to have a car for the reason that maybe he had always dreamt of seeing his only daughter drive a car like the idea of seeing your only daughter go off to college. Do you know what I mean?”

I nodded. He sighed and took my hand in his, entwining our fingers.

“Please, don’t be upset. Your smile is what makes my day.”

I instantly redden and a smile was flashing on my face. He had all the means in getting me to laugh and that’s what I’ve always looked for in a guy. He stroked my cheek with his thumb while he bit his lip. I knew that he was fighting the urge to kiss me, he wanted to control himself, he knew I wasn’t overjoyed to a certain extent.

“Okay. We ride.” He turned the key of the car so the ignition started off, and the car roared to life. The whole ride, I could feel his eyes on me from under his eyelashes – he didn’t stop smiling – like a dimwit. When we had arrived to school, we unfastened our seatbelts and next, he opened the car door for me being a complete gentleman. In school the school corridor, he barely took away his hand from mine even though he struggled to open his locker, and when I took my hand off, he was almost insulted. However, he was just the most adorable person. I leaned against the locker as he got his books and rearranged some of his belongings.

Sapphire was arm in arm with Nick when they came up to us. What appealed to me was that Sapphire, for once in her life, had actually succeeded into making her own self look like crap. She had bed hair, her eyes were puffy and she was wearing sweatpants and a knitted sweater. Alas, she seemed like she had an horrifying night. On the other hand, Nick had brushed up. His hair was styled into a comb-over, he wore jeans and a white shirt, and you could literally smell his cologne from the other side of the corridor. In five words, Nick was nothing like Sapphire.

“What the hell happened to you? Attacked by a bear?” Jayden mocked.

“Tremble down a hill in the forest?” I continued.

“Had a fight with your wardrobe?” Lars said, startling Sapphire from behind.

“More like having Lars living in the same house,” She mumbled.

Lars sneered, “It’s not my fault someone is too calm.”

“Well now I’m looking like a trashcan.”

“You look beautiful, Sapphire,” Nick gave her a peck on the cheek.

“Save it. I look horrendous.”

She ran her fingers through her hair and made it into a pony tail, then she fished out something from her purse – a pink lipstick and a small mirror – and applied some on her lips whilst staring at herself.