Trophy Daughter

Chapter 9- All Your Friends Are Basic

Sing this to the tune of  'all my friends' 

____

If any of the people in my street looked up from their phones for a second, they would have realized that the night was in fully swing, and the stars were like little fairies up in the sky. A much prettier metaphor than just little balls of gas in the sky. 

I was dressed in a pair of sweats that hugged my perfect ass (if I say so myself) and a cropped sweater with a beanie. The beanie was just because my hair was kind of oily, and that ain't attractive. 

A jeep pulled up in front of me, the familiar beautiful face of Vincent smiling as he leaned over and opened the door. 

"Hey there cupcake, get on in" 

I grinned and slid into the truck, giving him a kiss on the cheek before I settled in my seat. He stilled as soon as my lips touched his face, then turned to me with a wicked grin on his face. 

I raised a brow. "What?" 

He moved his attention back to the road, tongue slipping out to wet his lips. "Nothing. Just, I like the feel of your lips. I could get used to that." 

Well. If that didn't make me feel all gooey inside, something was wrong with me. A blush crept its way up my neck and I pushed a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "That's nice." 

Ooh, Casanova hasn't got anything on me. Vincent chuckled then sped off, driving out into the darkness with a confidence in where he was going and what he was doing. 

Did anyone else think a guy looked super hot if he could drive really well? 

I asked for permission to touch his stereo (in which he gave me permission), and took out the CD. It was an old school hair band, Warrant, commonly known for their song 'Cherry Pie.' I grinned and pushed it back in, turning it to track four, and letting the power ballad rush over me. 

Vincent glanced at me, surprise raising his eyebrows. "You know this song?" 

"Know it? I sing this song in all my shower X Factor auditions." I deadpanned, picking out a small guitar solo as well as trying to beat the drum riff. It didn't really work- but I gave myself points for effort. 

"As long as i'm the hero to this little girl" I belted, fist pumping the roof and nodding my head to the beat. 

"Heaven isn't too far away" Jani Lane sang with me, voice textured and soaring into the sky outside my open window. 

American Glam Rock Bands were the literal shit. 

"Wow. You can sing." Vincent whistled, moving his head to the beat of the drums. I laughed, reaching over to pinch his ears. "Have you had your ears tested recently? I sound like a deaf seal being run over by a concrete truck." 

Vincent shook his head, his pretty face earnest. "One, you're wrong. Two, that was strangely specific." 

I rolled my eyes and leaned out the window, letting the wind fly through my hair and over my skin, goosebumps raising. 

"Let's enjoy our night. Without my singing." 

And Vincent answered by turning the song up, so loud it was like Jani Lane was singing to me. 

_____________

"You need to find the distribution. P1 and P2 are found within the-"

I held my hand up, halting Barnaby in his bore filled tutoring session, and pretended to scratch my head. 

"Can you say it a bit slower? I didn't really get it." 

He turned his head away from me, and I could make out his lips silently counting from one to ten, eyes closed and hands fisted on the table. Did I mention this was the fourth time I had done this? 

He moved back to me, taking one last exhale of breath before starting up again, just like a broken record. And then, when I raised my hand for the fifth time- he exploded. 

And it was glorious. 

He burst up from his seat, green eyes blazing and finger already in my face. Veins popped out from his high forehead, and I swore I got spat on as he started yelling at me- no doubt going above the decibels needed to maintain a peaceful atmosphere. 

"You're doing this on fucking purpose- I just know you are, Circe Dillon Lux. What the fuck is wrong with you? Why the fuck would you want to go over statistical basics so much if it wasn't just to piss me off? Do you even want to pass this fucking year, because it sure as hell doesn't seem like it. You must want to be seen as a dunce, an idiot, a drop kick for the rest of your life if you want to fuck around this close to exams!" 

I sat back and watched him go on and on about where I would end up, nodding apologetically in the appropriate places. His gestures got bigger and bigger as he got angrier and angrier; wide, sweeping movements or accusing fingers in my face. 

He really got into this- more than I would expect him to. I snuck a look back at Geneva, who stared, gobsmacked at the school Golden Boy. Or was it that she had lost a bet and I had won? 

I gave her a smirk, one she returned by pulling out a huge bag of peanut chocolate chip cookies. For a moment, I forgot I was meant to be the repentant student and clapped my hands together, giving finger guns to Geneva. 

There was a sudden silence, one that made me hesitant to turn back and look at Barnabas. My face scrunched up and I inched around, holding my breath. 

Barnabas was now sitting, but with such a wrath filled glare it took a lot for me to not boost it out of there. 

"You did this. For cookies." 

It wasn't a question. 

"Yes." 

Barnabas exhaled loudly, then snapped his eyes open. "We're tutoring on the weekend too. And you're giving me some of those fucking cookies." 

I gasped, for two reasons. "I'm busy on the weekend. And you can't have any cookies." The weekend was where I caught up on all my missed material throughout the week with professor Malin, and Geneva's cookies were the best. 

Barnabas's fist smashed down on the table and he practically snarled at me. "You're coming to my house in the weekend, and you're bringing the cookies." He then stood, threw his books into his bag, and stormed out, slamming the door behind him. 

I huffed, folding my arms as I stared at the table. I was already behind enough in my classes with Malin, and I had an exam coming up soon. Plus, Barnie was so going to eat more than just half of my cookies- and I had won them, fair and square. 

At his expense- but who cared about their stupid conscience? 

Eh. A bag of cookies came in front of me, and Geneva lighted knowing eyes on me. "He likes you." 

I scoffed, taking the bag. "you're just trying to start shit now that you lost a bet." 

Geneva twirled a strand of grey hair around her finger. "Maybe. But I know what boys do when they like a girl- I've got four sons- and that's what they all do when they liked a girl. Made out they hated her, annoyed her." 

"Wow. How affectionate." 

Geneva chuckled, patting me on the shoulder. "He's a fine boy that Barnabas. You would be a good couple." 

I rolled my eyes. "Maybe I would be happier on my own. Maybe a girl could be happy by herself and just be single for the rest of her life." 

Geneva shrugged. "True. And you definitely well could be. But I think you'd love the challenge of taming that man, and love the amusement of having him trying to tame you." 

Damn that woman. 

She knew me too well. 

____

IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME< I KNOW. 

I have missed Circe, she's super cool. And really fun to write. 

Team Vincent?

Team Barnabas? 

Not even I know.