You Are More .

Chapter 8

Small talk is an understatement for the amount of conversation I'm able to make with Zack. He taps his fingers on his lap in front of him and my hands loosely fall around the white leather of the steering wheel. Snow dances in the half light of the street lamps. I'm still not used to the roads here and the snow doesn't help a bit .

I watch Zack out of the corner of my eye. He bobs his head to the faint music in the car . I can see his blonde hair glow every time we pass underneath a light . The silence is deafening .

"So where did you say you were from?" His voice booms through the car making my whole body tense up . He apologizes silently.

"Well I lived in Detroit before coming here." I loosen my grip on the steering wheel and my knuckles return to their normal pink color instead of white .

"Oh , city girl . I remember ." He flashes a bright smile that reflects off of the front window.

"So I heard you were in football?" I ask. Trying my hardest to seem casual.

"Yeah but I never really liked it . It got pretty dramatic last year ."

"Oh?" My voice sounds strained , almost fake.

"Yeah I mean I was the newbie last year. I had played for my previous years in Alabama. I came here and I got a whole bunch of attention." He smiles, embracing the memory. Zack continues after a moment and his smile fades, "Xavier was...a rival for a really long time . We just didn't see eye to eye. I guess it's partially because the scouts came to watch me after I won the game against the coastal team. Xavier threw a fit and went crazy....got him kicked off the team." I wait for him to continue, "Great player, shitty intentions."

Images of a frustrated Zack cross my mind . I wonder how angry he can become .

The ride is silent for a while longer before I finally get off at the right exit.

"What housing did you move into?" Zack asks. I didn't really know the name of the neighborhood but I knew that it's the area where celebrities come to stay.

"I actually have no idea what it's called . I didn't pay much attention." I reply with a light laugh . He joins me.

"Well do any of our classmates live around you?"

My mind drifts to when Dante brought me home.

"Yeah that Knight kid-Dante." I lean back in my seat and rest my back. He tenses up next to me and his snaps his attention to me.

"Don't talk to him." His response sends me taken a-back. I furrow my brow and open my mouth to speak, but he interrupts me, "He's bad news."

Curiosity fills my senses, but I keep my questions to myself.

Zack's neighborhood appears to the right and I ease my way down- what I think is- the right road.

"Which house?" I ask simply.

"It's at the end of the road. You can't miss it."

Okay..?

Even before the end of the road comes into view a big blue house is seen over the top of most of the typical retirement homes. We get closer and I can finally see the driveway - the very long, dirt, driveway with foreign bonsai trees lining the edges. I stop the car in front of the entrance and look at Zack. He looks ahead with a cocky smile and turns to look back at me.

"You're kidding." I laugh, "Rich kid."

He laughs.

I drive down the driveway that seems like it continues for ages. When the bottom of the house comes into view I look up at it in awe. The front porch is illuminated by two old English lamps and the doors are made of auburn wood. In front of the door is a nicely sized deck. Above that is a white trimmed balcony that wraps around the whole house.

The end of the driveway breaks into a loop around a patch of rose bushes. I go around the left side to find three Mercedes sport cars parked in front of the house .

Seriously?

I pull to the front and shift to park .

"Don't seem so shocked. My house isn't as nice as some of snobby high schoolers here." Zack laughs and unbuckles his seat, "Thanks for the ride, I really appreciate it."

"Of course." I smile.

Zack opens the door to the car and immediately the car is filled with the sound of gun shots. I jump out of my seat, but Zack just rolls his eyes.

"Sorry. They are idiots sometimes. You wanna come in real quick?" He steps out of the car and looks at me expectantly .

I glance at the clock. I figure I have a few minutes to spare before I need to get home, but I decide against going in. Instead I decide to walk him up to his door.

We walk around the new cars and up the few stairs to the front deck. The house is lined with greenery , lightly lit up by walkway lights. Zack digs his hands into his pockets and retrieves a set of house keys.

"Seriously thanks so much." He says again.

"Anytime." I put my hands in my pockets and wait for him to open the door. Before the keys even reach the key hole, the door unlocks and swings open, revealing an older lady wrapped in a silk robe. Her highlighted blonde hair is rolled in foam curlers . Her eyes study me, much as I'm studying her. I feel my checks flush a deep shade of pink .

"Mére, Elle s'appelle Lea. Elle est ma ami." He says, probably thinking I don't understand French.

("Mom, her name is Lea. She is my friend")

I smile up at her," Bonjour Madame."

She smiles back," Oh honey you can speak English if you want."

I blush again, turning to Zack. He seems impressed by my bilingualism. I learned when I was really little so that communication with my grand parents was easier.

He laughs, "Lea this is my mother, Grace."

"Nice to meet you." I reach my hand out and she accepts it kindly.

"Are you staying for dinner, honey?" Grace asks.

"Oh, no. I really can't. My brother will be waiting for me. I check my watch, realizing I'm not actually lying.

"Of course, dear. Lovely meeting you." She turns and leaves Zack and I on the porch.

"I'll see you Monday." He says and with that we go our separate ways.

•••••••••••

The car ride home is agonizing . My eyes feel heavy and the dark is hard to see into. It's seriously only about 10 minutes from Zack's house but the time doesn't make it any easier .

I find my exit and eventually pull in to my road into my driveway. All of the lights are off except the one on the front porch.

I jump into the cool air and my teeth start chattering immediately. I don't even comprehend if Seth is anywhere downstairs. I think maybe I pass him-I'm not even sure. I go straight to my room, throw my purse to the side and fall into my bed, dozing off in my skinny jeans and sweater.

|| This is kind of choppy, but it explains what I feel right now so xD-Léa ||