The Princess of the Streets

Nineteen - Making Plans

I stiffened at the same time as my dad, and reached up to grab his arm. I looked up to see Dad with a clenched jaw. "Do you see it, too?" I whispered.

"Hmm," was all he said.

"Should have left me on the road," I told him quietly, getting nothing in response. Maybe he was wishing the same thing.

Paul wrapped his arm around the blonde witch and pulled her close to him. She actually looked at ease as if she'd never seen us before in her life as her eyes slowly went over my family. As soon as her gaze went to me, she rolled her eyes and looked away. "You might recognize her as superintendent over at the high school. It took a lot to get her that job, but I'd say she deserves it."

She smiled up at him. "I definitely recognize the Olivier's. That one's made a commotion in my office a time or two," she said jokingly.

Dad tried to force out a laugh with Paul, but it came out through clenched teeth. 

"Well, I'd say we've stood in the foyer for far too long. Please, come into the living room while we wait for dinner," Paul said.

"Oh, uh - yeah, thanks," Dad said, attempting to regain his cool. I looked around at my sisters who also recognized my mother. Mila and Kaycee looked at me and Dad sympathetically while Sofia couldn't have cared less

My family started to follow his when Chace cleared his throat. "Dad, do you think I could give Chase a little tour?" 

His dad looked at him with a little half grin. "Sure, knock yourself out." I couldn't help but notice how my mother gave Chace a little warning sort of look. I could imagine her trying to say 'Don't let her break anything' with her eyes. 

My own dad looked surprised, but he half grinned. "Don't hurt him," he 'whispered,' purposely saying it loud enough for Paul to hear. He laughed and everybody went off into the living room.

I stood there awkwardly, actually surprised at Chace's offer. Maybe he just wanted to take the opportunity to talk about the project. Or maybe make fun of me about earlier. Yeah, probably the last one.

Chace sauntered over with a dimpled grin that would have made me melt if I were the melting type.

"Ready to see my humble abode?" he asked, motioning around the ostentatious foyer.

"Humble my ass," I laughed.

He grinned and a glimmer shot through his eyes. "Your ass isn't all that humble, let's be honest."

I rolled my eyes and smacked him in the chest, but he grabbed my hand before I could take it back. He started pulling me the opposite way of everybody else toward another doorway.

"How do you not get lost in this place?" I asked him as we made our way into the white hallway with a big staircase at the very beginning. We started going up it and into another hallway.

"It's pretty easy to find your way around when you've been living here since birth," he pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess." I couldn't keep my eyes in one place. There were so many things to look at, from the beautiful pictures of scenery framed and hung up on the walls to the many doors lined down the hall. At the other end of the hall there was yet another staircase. "Sheesh, where are we going? The launch station or something?"

Chace chuckled. "You can call it that if you want, but usually I just call it my room."

My face went hot and I made a point to look away. "Why are we going to your room?"

He scoffed. "I'd rather not deal with Jenna more than I have to. You've met her, I'm sure, considering all your detentions and shit. She's a bitch."

I couldn't keep the smirk off my face. Oh, I knew. I was just curious as to what she did to Chace to make him hate her. "I know better than you can imagine," I murmur. 

We came up to a door at the end of the stairs. It had a bunch of stickers, ranging from of crossbones to dragons and a license plate with 'CHACE' across it. It sort of reminded me of a little kid trying to be intimidating. I snickered.

"Cute door. When did you last update it?"

"When I was twelve. It is a pretty good look, isn't it?" he mused with a half smile. He opened the door and went in.

I made a noise of surprise when I went into his room. Or more like his floor. His bedroom was the entire top story of his house! I shut the door behind me as I looked around.

The doors to his four rooms were all open. A bathroom, an actual bedroom, a room with weights from what I could see, and one more with another bed, though the first bedroom was the one he actually slept in. I could tell by the unmade bed and clothes on the floor. The main room that we first walked into had a gigantic TV on the wall and a nice leather couch and chair across from it. Game systems and a speaker system were beneath the TV.

"Wow... Now I get why you're such a spoiled brat," I told him. 

He turned his head to glare over his shoulder, but it dropped as soon as he saw my joking smile. His eyes softened and he turned all the way around to face me. 

He let the comment go and stared at me coolly for a few seconds."Did I tell you that you looked beautiful?"

My jaw dropped on its own accord and my face lit up like a forest fire. I cleared my throat and tried to play it off. "Uh-um... huh?"

 So much for that! I wanted to slam my head into the wall. In what world do I get tongue-tied for a guy?! He did  say something earlier, but I figured he was joking where right now he seemed sincere.

He smirked at me. "No, I must not have. I would've remembered that reaction."

"Yeah, I'll bet. You probably remember every time I make a fool out of myself."

He laughed. "No, nobody has that much memory space."

I rolled my eyes and flipped him off. "Is there a reason you wanted to bring me to your room?"

"Oh, yeah there is. I... I figured now might be a good time to talk to you about what happened at the park."

More like what almost  happened. "What about it?"

"Well, I want to know if you want to try that again. Say tomorrow around noon. We could go out for lunch or something. If you want to anyway." He managed to sound cool and breezy, proof that he was no stranger to asking girls out. That was the part that got to me a bit.

My eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets."Are you asking me out?"

"Yeah, is that a problem?"

Yes? Possibly. What would a date - just the thought is insane - with Chace Collins entail? Actually, that was a good question. I pursed my lips as I thought about it. In the end, it was curiosity that made things go in his favor.

"... I guess we can go out. But don't get any ideas. It takes a lot more than lunch to win my heart, Collins," I joked.

The wide, bright smile that dawned his face made my heart convulse. His dimples and white teeth were practically all I could see. He looked like he would've when we were little if he had actually been nice.

"I wouldn't expect anything less." 

Distantly, I could hear Paul shouting for us to come down to eat. It was amazing that we could hear him, but his voice really carried.

"Better get down there," Chace said, striding toward the door. He stopped in front of me first, dropped a gentle kiss on my cheek, and walked out the door so quickly that I barely comprehended what had just happened.

My hand went to my cheek on its own as I watched Chace go down the stairs. It took a moment longer than it should have for me to follow. 

I was actually glad I had that to distract me from the awful, awkward dinner gathering waiting for me downstairs. And thankfully, it was little glances from Chace across the room that distracted me from the hidden glares from my mother all night.