Fighting the Disquiet

5

"Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd little waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like."
― Lemony Snicket

Coincidentally, my ride, aka my father, was picking me up at the back of the school by the tennis courts. Where Decker said he was meeting his friends. I took my time going to my locker and dropping off my textbook since we, fortunately, had copies that we got to keep at home. I hoped that by the time I made it down to the tennis courts my dad would be there and Decker and his friends would be gone. I called my dad but it was sent to voicemail. I wasn't surprised because he like never answers his phone because he was always on it for work since he's a realtor. But I was annoyed that I didn't see his car anywhere in the pick-up line.

I leaned against the chain-link fence in front of the tennis courts and dropped my bag to the floor. I put in my headphones and blocked out the sound of the conversations around me and teenagers blasting music from their cars in the parking lot.

I was enjoying the music when my phone vibrated in my back pocket.

Dad: sorry honey I'm stuck in a meeting and won't be there for a while.

I gritted my teeth in frustration and decided to make myself comfortable by sitting on the ground. I figured it was a good a time as any to work on my homework. I pull out my agenda and run my finger down my list of homework assignments. I decide to work on pre-calc since that doesn't require a textbook and is a pre-test the teacher had handed out. I'm pretty engrossed in my work getting through several pages when someone taps me on the shoulder, making me jump.

I rip one of my headphones out and look up to Decker. I notice that he's got light brown eyes with surprisingly long lashes that are currently staring at me.

"Sorry," he smiles, "didn't mean to scare you."

I hope he can't tell how fast my heart is beating having him kneel so close to me. I look around, relieved when I still see a few people waiting for their parents as well and in the distance I see the rest of his friends huddled around a car.

"Did you need something?" I mumble realizing that it probably came out as super rude.

"I was just going to say that we're about to leave. So it's your last chance if you want to come," he says.

He's looking at me expectantly and I can tell that he's hoping I'll say yes. I feel my phone vibrate reminding me that I received a text a couple of minutes ago and I pull it out ignoring his comment so that I can read it.

Dad: Still in my meeting. Can you get a ride home?

Who did he expect me to get a ride home with? I have no friends. I grumble internally about how annoying and inconvenient my dad is before looking back at him.

"Um, would I be able to get a ride home?" I ask chewing on my bottom lip while I wait for him to reply.

"Definitely," he says with confidence, standing up from his kneeling position and holding out his hand to help me up.

I decline his help and stuff my things back in my bag before following him across the parking lot to the car huddled by people.

"Look who changed their mind," he says happily as we approach the group.

"Oh my god, yay!" Summer squeals giving me a hug.

I awkwardly hug her back and she releases me returning to holding her girlfriend Taylor's hand.

"Scott's car is a convertible so are you cool riding with Decker?" She asks me smiling.

I'm not sure what having a convertible has to do with me needing to ride with Decker but I nod already regretting my decision to come along. They wave goodbye saying they'll meet us there as they turn and walk towards what I'm assuming is Scott's car.