Haunted

Chapter 6

SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT OMG SORRY SORRY SORRY

but yeahhh,

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It's around 10am when I wake up, meaning I've already missed first and second period along with some of third. I try to fall back asleep but the attempt doesn't work so I decide to just change into comfy outside-of-home clothes.

I've already planned that I'm not going to school today so most likely I'll just be spending my time roaming the neighborhood. By the time I'm dressed, my mom informs me that she called the school and will be finding a way to get me my homework sometime around the end of my last period class.

She kindly approves of me leaving the house and strolling around the neighborhood during school hours. I'm even more surprised as she offers me the keys so I can drive down to the small nearby market to pick up some things. "Learning your routes around here is a great way to spend your day." She encourages me, so I leave the house before my dad gets back to work.

Even though I have a drivers license, I've never put the privilege to use very often. Mostly it's because I don't have my own car but something about driving doesn't make it feel like a fun thing to do for a girl like me.

The driving scenery in Los Angeles is far more different compared to my old home, from the generally odd distractions to traffic appearing at the oddest of times. I drive a little more until I notice the back of the market which connects to an open ally. I pay no attention to it until I see someone with his head lowered kicking the gravel out onto the sidewalk, a lit cigarette between his index finger and thumb.

He raises his head, me being met with Zayn's stern features. When the car ahead of me makes a turn, I quickly decide between two things. Should I just ignore him and drive off? Or would an apology from me because of yesterday seem like a more "mature" thing to do?

When the car behind me honks as he drives around me, I go off the road and pull up to where Zayn is heading. It takes him a moment to see me and when he does, I swear I hear a curse word leave his mouth.

"I don't take rides from people in a type of car only mothers drive." He spits, flicking his cigarette against the No Parking pole.

"Who said I was giving you a ride?" I try to joke around, catching a small glimpse of his lip shaping into a slight smirk.

"Touché, so what do you want then?"

"To give you a sincere apology." My tone is dry, not what I wanted.

"Okay that was sincere, I'm walking away now." Zayn sticks the cigarette in his mouth while motioning for his departure that has come too soon.

"Wait," I turn the car off and unlock the doors, shyly trying to find a way to just say it. "Can I just talk to you in an apologetical way, I won't give you a ride if you don't want one."

What am I even doing?

"I'm having second thoughts on your offer, agh fuck it." He opens the passenger door and hops in as I turn the car back on. The cigarette he's been smoking is still lit and when he catches me staring at it he waits for me to tell him to throw it out.

"It's fine, I'll just get an air freshener.." I try to be nice at the least, which he seems to pay no attention to.

"Why aren't you at school?" He asks before I can begin my own idea of my upcoming apology.

"I'm 'sick'." I do quotations with my hands to fit my answer.

"I can tell." Ouch.

"Back to why I'm talking to you in the first place." My grip tightens on the steering wheel as I clear my throat. "I shouldn't have yelled at you and I'm sorry for that obviously, but I just don't understand."