RANDOM QUESTION:

Getting To Know You (Part 1).

"So," I said as I approached Xavier on our way back to the beach house. "You are a racer."

"So," he said as he looked at me with a smirk. "You are a virgin."

I stood still as he walked behind the rest of them, my mouth wide open. After shrugging off my initial shock, I ran up to him and said, "Seriously?! You bring that up now?"

"I had to bring it up sometime. Now seemed the most suitable."

"Oh please. You just want to change the topic," I scoffed.

"So are you telling me that 'Virgin Mary' was just a joke?"
The amusement on his face made it obvious that he was enjoying watching me squirm.
With my face as red as a tomato, I said, "No, it wasn't a joke. I just don't want to have sex with someone I barely know."

He stopped walking and effectively made me stop too.
With a genuine expression on his face, he said, "Don't say it as if its a bad thing. If anything, it just means that you aren't extra hormonal like the people we go to school with and that isn't something to be embarrassed about."

I gave him a small smile, yet again shocked by his understanding nature.
"Come on," he said as he beckoned me to follow him back to the house.

I took a step and suddenly remembered something.
"Hey, you changed the topic!"

"I did?"

"Yes you did. Now tell me......You are a racer, right?"

"I don't want to talk about it Veronica," he said with a serious expression.

"Why not?" I pouted. "I know for a fact that that is what you meant by 'automobile engineering'. And the tutoring part.....you taught Roy how to race, didn't you? And what was that phone call about that day in school. I have a feeling that it was about the same thing and you-"

"Would you just drop it?!" he yelled and I flinched. The others were far away, not even in our sight, hence they obviously didn't hear his outburst.
"I never force you to tell me things about your past because I respect your boundaries and I know that it is difficult to open up about certain things to people. Why cant you just do the same?" he continued.

I realised I had pushed it a little too far so I tried apologising and said, "Xav, I am sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"No see that's the thing Veronica, you and I both know you have been wanting to ask me about my past for a long time. That was the reason why you wanted to sit next to me on the plane and asked me to hold that chocolate of yours, didn't you? I am not Austin, Veronica and I wont just get up and babble everything about my life to you. You, out of all people should have understood that. And I didn't mention this before but its really obvious that he doesn't like you hanging around me much and the kiss pretty much sums up how he feels about you.

He is my friend, Veronica, and I don't want to get him upset. This is his birthday trip and he was generous enough to not only invite my sister and I but my best friend too. I don't want to take advantage of his generosity and friendship and take away the person who matters the most to him. You."

He then came up close to me and whispered with a pained expression, "Don't try to dig into my past, Veronica, because you will only find disappointment and pain."

The sad look on his face made my heart wrench. I wanted to comfort him, to make him realise that whatever it was.....I could handle it. I could help him handle it.
"It cant be that bad, Xav, it cant be worse than what I have been through."

"Pain is relative, Veronica. And I am not saying that whatever you went through was or was not more traumatic than my past but I need you to understand this : Everyone is miserable in their own way. Some are just better at pretending."