The Princess of the Streets

Twenty-Three - One on One Time

So it turned out that I had a concussion after all, though I wasn't entirely sure how I had gotten to the doctor in the first place. I suspected Ryder had called my dad and he took me, but he left to go handle work issues before I could ask him.

Cara drove me home, but not before questioning the doctor on everything she could possibly do to help get rid of the concussion. Finally, as she was driving me home, she told me I could miss school if I wasn't feeling up to it.

So naturally, I was at home this morning in my bed while the sun poured through my light curtains. I was fully awake, but I didn't feel like getting out of bed. Not even to get some cereal or something which was sort of strange. I should've been hungry especially after missing dinner last night. Probably just my head messing with me some more.

The only thing that made me feel bad about missing school for was leaving Ryder to deal with her problem alone. But it wasn't like anybody else knew, so it wasn't that big of a deal yet.

I was still shocked by what Ryder told me before I passed out yet again. What on Earth was she going to do? I didn't want her unhappy with her life, but I also knew that her life wasn't the only one to consider anymore. I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. I had to quit thinking about it. For now, anyway.

I grabbed my phone off the floor beside my bed, stretching half of my body off of my bed in order to reach it so I didn't have to get up - even though that was probably more work, but who cares?

I turned on Just Give Me a Reason by Pink and started singing a duet by myself while looking through my texts. 

Footsteps were coming up the stairs, so I assumed it was Cara coming up to tell me she was leaving for work. I was singing loudly, but I didn't care if Cara heard me. 

My door opened and I stopped singing abruptly. To my complete surprise, it wasn't Cara but Chace standing in my doorway. He leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed and the cockiest smirk I had ever seen in my life.

And here I was with wide eyes and my mouth hanging open while lounging on my bed wearing the sports bra and short shorts that I normally wore to bed. 

"Hey there," he snickered as I gaped at him in shock.

"What are you doing here?" I shouted, sitting up in an instant. "Don't you have school?"

"Nah, I'd rather ditch and keep you company. Unless you don't want me to..." he said, though he didn't seem to have any intention of leaving as he stepped further into my room and looked around.

"No, no, you can stay. To be honest, that sounds much better than being here by myself all day." I stood up and went to my little closet, picking out a plain gray T-shirt to cover up with. 

"Sorry for walking in on you. I didn't know you slept half naked," he muttered, scratching the back of his neck, averting his eyes like a gentleman. 

I grinned at how cute he was. "It's really not that different from being in a bikini. I never really understood that, to be honest." I slipped on the shirt and went back to my bed while he snooped around at the stuff on my dresser.

"Your room is a lot... girlier  than I expected. No offense."

"None taken. It really is girly, but that's not a bad thing. I am a girl after all."

He looked over at me with a half grin. "I've noticed." He set down the orange teddy bear beanie baby my uncle Mat won for me at the state fair six years ago and then hesitantly came toward the bed.

"Come on, you can sit if you want."

He sat on the edge of the bed and then unexpectedly put his arm around me and pulled me to his chest. I yelped in surprise, but he pretended like he didn't hear anything. "So you have a concussion? You think that might be why you were crazy enough to agree to be my girlfriend?"