perception

chapter thirteen

as my head fell back on the pillow and my shoes collided with the ground, i felt pure happiness. it had been a while since i was happy, but it never felt like this. it was almost unrecognizable. 

there were some things i didn't understand. why did he ask me on this date and why did i have a good time? with these questions wandering around in my brain, i still knew one thing. i wanted to be around him more. i wanted to be close to him. i wanted to look in his sparkling eyes. i looked up at the bubblegum wrapper pinned on my wall and dozed of to sleep.

i woke up for school the next morning feeling better than i had in months. i woke up with a smile on my face. i got dressed and tried not to stare at my phone while doing so. maybe he had texted me? or maybe not? i convinced myself to look just in case. i had three messages. one from camille asking to get coffee before school, one from my mom telling me to lock the door when i leave, and one from an unknown number. 

"goodmorning bubblegum." 

grant. 

i hurriedly responded, not caring if i seemed needy. 

"good morning spiderman. i'm not sure being spiderman gives you my number, though. how did you obtain that?" i typed, hovering over the send button. 

my door opened abruptly, scaring me into accidentally sending the message. 

i hadn't read over it three times yet!

i heard a ding as i put my phone in my pocket and looked up to see my sister. a look of fright seemed to wash over her face as she stood in the doorway. this usually wouldn't worry me, as my sister likes to pull pranks. it looked different this time, though, too real.

"what is it, rhea? what happened?" i said, showing as little emotion as possible in case she was playing another game. 

"i'm bleeding out. i think we need to go to the hospital. i woke up in huge spot of my blood and when i went to the bathroom there was blood everywhere!" she exclaimed, clearly terrified for her life. 

i laughed loudly at her reaction because i had almost the same interaction with my mother when i first started it, my period. 

"WHY are you LAUGHING?" she screeched, holding her stomach in pain. 

"it's your period, rhea. there's pads and tampons under the sink. take a shower and clean yourself up. you aren't dying, you're growing." i said in between laughs. "it's just hormones!" i said, mocking my mother.

she huffed out the room and i heard the shower turn on as i traveled down the stairs. i took my phone out of my pocket to check what grant had said. before i could unlock my phone, i got another ding. 

the first message read:

"you gave it to me in AP Biology last year. i never used it, that is until now." 

the next message read: 

"still think i'm a stalker? look outside." 

i responded, "WHAT?" as i rushed to my front window. i looked all around. 

another ding. 

"you didn't really look out the window.... did you?" he teased.

i sighed, half out of relief and half out of disappointment. 

"rushed to it like a puppy hearing it's owners keys." i responded, smiling at my phone before realizing that i looked stupid. 

i put my phone down and went to make waffles for rhea when she got out. i pushed them down in the toaster.

ding.

i picked it up. 

"what would you have done if i was really there?" 

i wasn't even sure myself but i knew i had to be quick and witty. 

"well, i'd be angry that you gave me no time to get ready. i can't sit next to you looking like i rolled out of bed, now can i?" i said, mocking his large ego. 

"fifteen minutes. get ready. go." he said.

he was coming to get me. that means we were going to show up to school... together. my social life would be cured. that's definitely why i ran upstairs, well, skipped up stairs. 

i couldn't wear this. i had a second chance at making friends. this was my second first impression, just me. no brother, no messed up family. just plain old me. 

i looked in my closet. i just picked the first outfit that looked trendy enough, but still original. i didn't want to be fake, but i also didn't want a classic fashion nightmare. throwing on some makeup fast, i got another text. i layered some mascara as i read the message.

"ten mins." 

i put on some chapstick and combed out my hair. i put some water and sea salt spray in it and scrunched it a little. my natural waves fell lightly over my shoulders. i knocked on the door of the bathroom. 

"ten minutes, rhea. luca will be here in twenty minutes to take you. waffles in the toaster." i yelled. i heard a faint, "okay, bye" as i walked down the stairs. another message appeared on my phone as i texted camille to tell her i couldn't get coffee with her this morning. i'll get some with her next week maybe. 

"five mins." it read. 

i grabbed my shoes and put them on. i put my books in my bag and grabbed it off the table. i grabbed my keys from the wall and walked out. i locked the door behind me and as i turned around, i saw a car sitting right in front of my house. the same car i kissed grant in. the same car i took the bubblegum wrapper from. the same car i had my first date with him in. 

as i walked toward him, i saw his eyes scan me. he smiled and when i got to his car, the doors locked. i bent over to the window. it rolled down and he smirked at me. 

"what?" i asked, my eyes flashing to the locked door. 

"go back and change, i'll wait." he said, smiling innocently at me. 

i looked down at the skirt i was wearing and the top i had thrown on. i stared at him as if he had slapped me. 

"no. why?" i continued, wondering how he could save himself. 

"it's not you. i want to show up with bubblegum in my car, not chewed spearmint." he joked, but i could tell he seriously meant it. 

i sighed, putting my bags through his window and into the passenger seat. i pulled out a pair of glasses, a pair of paint stained jeans, and a t shirt. i looked toward the backseat suggestively and he smirked, unlocking his doors. 

i got in the back and shoved his face forward. i unzipped the skirt and put on my jeans. i threw my hair up, not caring about how it looked as usual. i took my shirt off and felt a sudden chill, but not from the cold air and my bare skin. it felt almost like a person. i looked up and met his gaze in the rear view mirror. i put my shirt over my head and climbed up to the front seat, hitting his head on the way up. 

he chuckled and said "you wouldn't know you had a body under all the sweat suits you wear." i shot him a warning look. "hey, i don't mind what you wear, but i think seeing you in something more confident suits you better."

he thinks i'm confident.

i smiled and rolled my eyes while putting my previous outfit in my bag. 

i began to have the feeling that these encounters were going to start becoming frequent, that it was just one date anymore. although, i'm not sure i minded.