If Only

Chapter 46

Austin's POV

I take Garrett's advice and put on red and blue checkered shirt with a pair of denim jeans and my white Vans. I figure that this make me look what Garrett would call normal. I walk downstairs to see Katie and Jonathan walking in from one of their long nights, "What brings you two home?" I ask as Jonathan closes the door while Katie looks me up and down with a smile on her face, "I live here, and I think the question we should be asking is why are you dressed like that?" I look down at my outfit thinking that something is wrong with it and I am starting to regret ever trying something that I am not used to. 

"I was trying for something new but from the look on both your faces I would say that it was a huge miss." I turn to go upstairs but before I can get too far Katie grabs my hand turning me back around, "Boo, I didn't mean it like that,but I will say that you look good outside your usual collared shirts and dress pants." I let out a breath and smile at her, "I am just wondering what brought this change on?" I just shrug my shoulders, "I guess I am just tired of people having this notion of me." Jonathan steps up beside Katie and slings his arm over her shoulder, "Never change who you are, if someone doesn't like you for you, then it is their loss because they are missing out on a great and humble human being."

I look at Jonathan with a lot of surprise on my face, "That was actually really sweet Jon, I didn't know that I meant that much to you." I give him a light side hug as a knock is heard on the front door. "Come in!" Yells Jonathan as Garrett opens the front door and walks inside. Garrett has changed into black leather jacket with a white T-shirt underneath, an old and ragged looking long sleeved shirt tied around his waist, very dark washed blue jeans, and black boots. "Huntsman?What are you doing here?" Jonathan asks in a protective yet pissed off tone of voice. "For your information Evans, I am here to pick up Austin." All three of them look at me with different looks on their faces. 

Garrett has a whatever look on his face, Jonathan has a look on his face like he trying to figure out what is going on, and Katie is looking at me like I what are you thinking. "We are hanging out at the mall today." Garrett starts looking around the dorm room for some reason almost like he is looking for something, "How long were we away? Because if Garrett Huntsman and Austin Black are friends then hell must have frozen over." I let out a small laugh as I shake my head at him, "Hell did not freeze over, but it is like I said when I told you about people have this notion about me, I want to try to get outside my box, and what better to that then trying to get along with my enemy."

Garrett places his hands in his pockets, "To the mall?" He asks and I nod my head walking away from Jonathan and Katie and over to Garrett, "I will see you two later." I smile at them as Garrett and I walk out of the dorm room and out of the building as we get into his car and head to the mall. It is about an hour drive to the mall and in that time Garrett and I start getting to know each other by the topic of music, I like all types of music and come to find out Garrett isn't picky either. 

We arrive to the mall and start walking around, I look at Garrett and I can tell that he nervous about something and it makes me wonder if he nervous about people seeing the two of us hanging out. "I found out that you are going to the masquerade party with Cassidy." Garrett lets out a deep breath nodding his head, "It was weird because normally I would have asked her, but this time she asked me." I can see him kind of starting to relax which is a good thing because a tense Garrett is a very unpleasant Garrett. "What is the deal between the two of you anyways?" Garrett looks at me with look of bewilderment, "We are dating,why are you asking me that?" The truth is because I haven't forgotten what Logan wants plus me having feeling for him is also another motive but I am never going to tell him that.

"Just trying to get to know you." Garrett stops in his tracks making me stop with him, "Most of my personal life is completely off limits and I don't want to talk about it." I nod my head wondering what Garrett could be hiding that is so bad that he doesn't want to talk about it, then again, I am no position to question him. "Understood." Garrett nods his head as he keeps walking until we reach the center of the mall. "We have been walking around forever and we haven't gotten to know much about each other or shopped at all." I nod my head as I look around at the massive mall, "I was waiting until you got done, I have a few stores that I want to check out." Garrett leans against the rail as he looks down at the food court,

"Then why are wasting time by just walking around?" I stare at him as he keeps looking down at the first level, and the second that Garrett and I figure out where we are going I hear, "Austin?" I turn and look in the direction of my name to see someone familiar walking off the up escalator. He is 6 foot in height with light brown hair and blue eyes, he is wearing a white dress shirt that is tucked perfectly into his dark blue dress pants with a light brown belt around waist, and a pair of light brown dress shoes. "I never thought that I would run into here." The man says walking over to me and giving me a hug as my body tense up a little.

I think Garrett caught on to the fact that my whole attitude and demure changed when this man showed up, "Austin? Who is this man?" The man pulls out of the hug and turns his icy and calculating eyes to Garrett, "I think the more pressing question is, who are you young man?" I let out a deep breath turn my attention to Garrett who is looking at the man like he wants to toss him over the second-floor railing. "Garrett, may I introduce Warren Black, my dad." Garrett's eyes go wide as he looks from my dad to me multiple times.