That Makes The Two Of Us

Chapter 24

I haven't even relaxed on the car seat properly when Raymond speaks up.

"Listen here, I'm not at all interested in driving you to school so don't think for a second that I'm doing this for myself. I'm dropping you to school only because mom asked me to, not because I'm feeling generous and wanted to do something good for you. If it went my way, I'd rather dump you in a mud creek."

And there goes my plan to relax.

"Look Raymond, I don't really care about why you're driving me to school. I myself don't want to take a ride from you but I'm late so I don't have any other option. I just know that you're doing me a favor so thank you for that."

"You're very welcome," he says, his voice laced with sarcasm. "You'd better not get used to this."

"Don't worry, it's only today that you're having to drive me to school. You won't ever have to do this again."

**********

We both get out of the car at the same time when we reach school. Almost everybody in the parking lot stops to stare at us as both of us exit the car. I can't blame them, really. Everybody in the school knows that Raymond and I hate each other's guts. I don't think that both of us coming to school together in Raymond's car is going to be something that people will take normally.

Get ready for another round of rumors. Let's see how creative can people be this time.

I think of going towards the opposite direction of the way Raymond's going but then I remember that our lockers are situated side by side.

Great, just great.

Taking two deep breaths to  control my frustration, I head towards my locker in step with Raymond. I take a glance towards him and find that usual neutral expression on his face.

Is he ever affected by anything?

By the time we reach our lockers, I'm ready to burn down a building. Not only did I have to come to school with that jerk, I also walked to my locker with him while almost the whole school stared at us like we're aliens.

What a great start to a day!

As I collect my books from the locker, I remember that I'm supposed to discuss about the Homecoming with the Student Council. I open the group chat and send a text informing everybody to meet at the meeting room after school.

Beside me, Raymond speaks up,"Why are we meeting up?"

"To discuss about the Homecoming."

"You mean that event for which you have selected the worst possible themes for the last two years?"

I look at him in disbelief and say, "Excuse me?"

"What? I'm saying the truth. Do you honestly think that a coral theme and Alice in Wonderland were such amazing ideas?"

"Those themes actually gave people a lot of options to choose their costumes from. Is that a bad thing?"

"There can be a lot better options than those," he says, closing his locker door.

"What can they be, may I know smart sir?" I say, sarcasm dripping from my words.

"Hey, look I know I'm way smarter than you but you don't really need to call me sir— it makes me feel older than I am. And I'd rather continue this conversation during our meeting when I won't have a class to attend," he says and walks away.