Losing Home✔️

12. The Eye Of The Storm

The rest of the day passed by quite quickly with some new-found friends that I had made of Xavier's. They embraced Rainer and me without hesitation, and even Jess once she joined us in PE.

Isaac wrangled me into sitting with him, Hayden, Mason and Xavier in Psychology, and then once again in PE with Ethan and Xavier, until Biology came, and Isaac was replaced by Frasier. Both of them refused to let me sit without the boys, which in a way I was grateful for because I wasn't alone for once.

Walking down the steps of the school's entrance with earphones placed snuggly in my ears listening to Patsy Cline's, Crazy. Sometimes I think that I was maybe born into the wrong generation, don't get me wrong, I love some of today's music, but there's something about older music from the '50s, 60's, 70's, '80s and 90's that pulls me in.

My dad always said I was an old soul, mingling with people older than me, rather than people my own age. So, it was a little surprising to find that I had a good time today with so many people around. Normally, I would be finding any and every excuse to be by myself, but not today. I was still drained from trying to keep so many conversations, but it felt... different.

The clouds rolled over in the sky that was a deep charcoal black, thunder booming loudly every few minutes. It was only a matter of time before the lightning and rain would follow.

Speed waking out of school grounds, I wrapped my arms around me. The cool whispers of gusty wind ghosting my skin and permeating through the rips in my jeans, goose-bumps forming immediately at the touch. Why didn't I bring a jumper?

It was only a couple minutes later, that heavy droplets of chilling rain started pouring and white streaks of light pierced through the dark clouds as the rumbling of thunder continued to stir. The rain was heavy and unforgiving, soaking my clothes instantly in a matter of seconds. It began to blur my vision as it fell like a cloud of smoke in front of my eyes, making it increasingly harder to see just six feet in front of me. I was still around ten minutes from getting home, which had probably turned into twenty, with this downpour.

Two beams of yellow light shone brightly past me, offering only a semblance of clarity in the rain. A sleek, black car came into view, pulling up right beside me. A flash of worry spread through me at the possibility of it being him. But, it quickly dissipated into a relieved sigh when the window was wound down revealing non-other than Xavier.

"Need a ride?" He shouted over the rain.

Hesitating, I glanced around in hopes of maybe someone else may be nearby instead but, coming up short. "Come on. It's pouring, I don't bite. Much." A cheeky grin playing on his face.

Rolling my eyes, I pulled open the door and plopped down on the leather seats, instantly welcoming the warmth and refuge his car offered. He turned the heater up as I settled in the passenger's seat. My hands were trembling, lips quivering, and teeth chattering from the cold. "Th-th-thanks" I stuttered out.

When he didn't reply, I turned towards him to find that he was already looking at me intently. His gaze was trained on me – my eyes. It slowly flickered down to my trembling lips and I unconsciously bit down on it to stop it from quivering. He visibly gulped – his Adam's apple bobbed – before bringing his eyes back to mine. The air between us was thick and heavy, settling over us like one of the hefty rain clouds that lingered outside.

"Your lips are blue." He said quietly, just above a whisper.

I reached up with my hand to feel my lips like by touching them I would be able to see that they were in fact blue. Wordlessly, he reached into the back over the centre console to dig for something in his side bag. My attention, however, was focused on the slither of toned, tanned skin that was left visible from his shirt that had risen up. I only snapped out of my trance and looked away when he stirred and began to move back into his seat. I trained my eyes on my hands that were fiddling nervously with the hem of my shirt, a warmth spreading across the apples of my cheeks.

Clearing his throat, "Here," he handed me a black hoodie.

Grasping the thick fabric in my fingers, I mumbled a quick 'thank you' and slipped it on over my wet clothes. The fabric was soft to the touch and provided a warmth that had me instantly starting to warm up. It also smelled strongly of Xavier – lemon, cinnamon, sandalwood and powdery lavender laundry detergent.

It took a lot of self-control to not blatantly sniff his jumper, but being in his car, with him, wearing his hoodie, offered enough of his scent.

Why does he have to smell so good?

"Uhm, where do you live?" He was scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Oh! Ah, right. It's 18 Sunset Ave."

"Hmm, okay." He hummed and put the car back in drive.

"What?" I queried with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing." He hummed again.

Sure, it's nothing.

Everyone knows when someone says it's 'nothing', it's always something.