Broken

Chapter 2

We sat in the car, music turned on and every once in a while a car would pass and beep at us and he'd raise to fingers to say hello. He reached over and turned down the music.
"I never did get your name?"
"Gráinne, yours?"
"Jason."
"So, is this what you always do? Pick up random girls and bring them places?" I said it with a smile on my face.
"Nah, I had heard about you, seen you around a bit, just finally got to talk to you today."
"Oh looks like I have a stalker"
He looked over at me and smiled.
"Has your mother always been like that?"
"Pretty much, since I was 8 or so, when my father left."
"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean.."
"No, it's fine I didn't expect you to know, plus it made me look after myself and I got stronger through it all."
"Yeah , I bet you did."
He looked over and laughed, I laughed along with him.
"You never did tell me why we're going here?"
"To get away from that place, Im sick of it, I just wanted to know if you were coming or not."
"Where are we staying?"
"You ask so many questions, my dad own's a house up here, he's gone to Spain for the next month with his girlfriend and wants me to check up on things, so we might be staying longer that 2 days if you want."
"Sure, I don't care."
For the rest of the journey we just talked about random things. He took my mind off of everything.
My phone start to vibrate in my pocket. It was Lexi calling me.
I turned down the radio and picked up my phone.
"Hey!"
"Hey? Where are you its 4 and your not at your house, wait are you in a car? Where are you! Kathryn said you weren't even in school!"
I looked to Jason, he was signalling to me not to say I was with him.
"Im on the bus going to Cork, I'm going to stay with my cousins for a while, I cant handle being there anymore, we're about to stop so I'll call you later ok?"
"Ok, call me later then."
I hung up and threw my phone onto my knees.
He looked to me.
"It's nothing personal they just might get the wrong idea if you say we're together."
"Yeah, I know , it's ok, are we nearly there?"
"Yeah like 30 minutes are you hungry we can stop in the city?"
"Yeah, I'm starving!"
"Good, me too."
He pulled up to McDonald's and we got out, he locked the car and walked right beside me the whole way in, as if to protect me from something.
I ordered and took a 20 from my pocket but he put his hand on my arm.
"Im paying, don't worry ok?"
"Fine but I'm paying next time we get food."
"We'll see" he said while laughing at me.
I walked over to an empty table and sat down, I watched him as he got straws.
"There you go,"
He said as he took the food off of the tray and placed it in front of me. I couldn't help realising that I really liked him. More than a stupid crush, I really liked him.
He talked away, I could listen to his voice for ever, I began to hope he would never stop talking. I stood up and walked to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror. Wow. I looked terrible. I took some makeup from the bag I had slung across my shoulder. I put it on light. It had worked for the other girls, maybe it would work for me. Nope. Still looked as ugly as ever. I walked out of the toilet. He was waiting at the table. He had cleared the table. When he saw me he stood up.
"Ready to go?"
"Yup!"
"Good, we only have maybe twenty minutes left if traffics good."
"Great!"
We sat back into the car. A Honda civic. Black, tinted windows. I liked it.
I turned up the music when he turned on the car, he turned off the car again and slumped back in his seat.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know if I should ask you, because maybe it will make things awkward."
"Just ask me."
"Do you like me? Because I really like you and that's why I picked you up."
"Yes, I like you." I said it with a reassuring smile. He leaned over and kissed me gently on the lips. He sat back with a smile and turned back on his car and began to drive. We probably both looked high. Randomly smiling out the window. He was beautiful when he smiled. We finally reached his dads house. I was in awe. It was massive. Three story house with white walls, two big German shepherds inside the gates, and of course the gates had a code. He parked the car, I got out in amazement. I felt out of place. I was wearing leggings and an oversized hoodie. It looked like the president lived there! This place was the best house I'd ever seen.
He took the key from his pocket and opened it up. The inside was just as amazing as the outside. Marble floors with a spiral staircase.
"This is amazing!"
"Yeah, he's pretty well off."
We walked into the kitchen, which was of course all white marble. There was a note left on the counter.

Jason,
Thank you for coming to the house, I have made reservations for you and one other to go to Rizzolé. Just call and confirm whatever day you arrive, all has been paid for, and remember suit and tie. I have left money in my room beneath my bed in a large red box. If needed for food or clothes don't hesitate to use it.
Yours-
Dad

"Right so who's up for some shopping" He said as he winked at me.
"Hold on one minute. Meet me out front in 5 and we'll go into the city again for a bit of shopping ok?"
"Sure" Although I wasn't so sure, I felt so out of place.
I looked around the kitchen as he disappeared. I opened the fridge, a bottle of coke, beautiful, now if i could only find the glasses. I finally found them and poured myself a glass of coke and began to walk out front. I leaned against his car looking around. I jumped as the sound of the garage door opening. He drove out in a sleek black BMW.
"Hop in then."
I got into the car.
"Are you sure it's okay to be driving this?"
"Yeah, this is my car. I just wouldn't drive it around where we live."
"Yeah, I guess, so where we going shopping?"
"DiDi's."
"What? I cant afford that!"
"I can." He smiled as he flashed a huge wad of cash.
"Jason! Where did you get that?"
"Calm down its also mine."
He explained to me about his family, and how his mother was only a gold digger and didn't care for his father what so ever. So I left it at that as we pulled up to DiDi's.
"Right, come on"
I stepped out of the car and he locked it as we walked in. As soon as we were in he walked over to the tux's, I quickly followed. He turned and looked at me.
"One sec."
"Ok,"
I looked to see where he was going. He walked back over followed by a woman, maybe in her 50's.
"Hello there, my name is Noreen. I'll help you out with what you want to wear."
He walked across the room and gestured me to follow her.
"Your a size....."
"12"
"Yes ok, no problem."
She pulled out a red dress.
"Ok, this is a cocktail dress. I want you to go try it on, with these shoes"
I walked to the dressing room and got changed as quick as I could. When I was ready I looked in the mirror. I didn't recognise myself. I walked out hearing the clicker clacker of the heels on the floor.
I watched as Jason's head darted towards me.
"You look amazing."
He walked towards me, grabbed me by the waist and kissed me gently. I let my head fall on this shoulder and he laughed.
"Noreen," he called out "what do you think?"
She turned her head from the conversation she was having with a slightly older woman who worked there.
"It's beautiful, I knew there was a figure under all those baggy clothes."
I smiled,
"I'll go take them off now."
While taking it off, I looked at the price tag. Fuck! I peeped my head out from the curtain.
"Jason!" I whispered as quietly as i could. "Jason!"
He turned his head looked at me and walked over.
"I can't get this dress"
"Why not?"
"It's €550!"
"And?"
"And that's €450 over what I have."
"I told you, I'm buying, now get in there and put on your clothes before I come in and take them all off." He laughed and kissed me on the cheek.
I stood in the changing room and smiled to myself. I really felt happy with him. This was the happiest I had felt in years.
He bought the dress, shoes and a new tux which I think came to over €1000. I felt bad about not giving him the money but he soon had me laughing again. We got in the car and drove back to his dads place.