Chapter 25: ♤Chapter 18♤

When I came up to the small group, I heard what they were talking about.

“C'mon man, it's fall. It's a celebration.”

“I'd hardly call a random high school party a celebration.” Chris said.

“C'mon, T,” a feminine voice said, “Leave him alone. He wants to spend the night with-”

“Stop,” Chris said, and there were giggles, “It's not like that and the second she gets here I'm leaving.”

I shook my head, “Hi!” I said loudly.

They all turned to me where I stood at the passenger side of the car and I waved with a smile. They returned my greeting and I looked back at Chris.

I watched as his eyebrows raised on his forehead as he took in what I was carrying.

“Flowers.” He stated, meeting my eyes.

I pouted, “I know right, they're so cute,” I looked down at the small bouquet of flowers that I received today, “They make me hate them less now.” I voiced.

Today was my first day back at school in weeks. Yes. Weeks. And I still wasn't one hundred percent healed but I got the okay from my doctor that I should be good to go back.

Yes, my stubborn ass contacted my doctor first this time.

My bag was currently heavy with papers which held all my assignments. I didn't have to do them, my teachers told me they excused me for the missing assignments, but I told them I wanted to do it.

I sat at home for weeks without doing anything and while I always wished I could do that, I didn't really like it. All I could think about was all the shit I was missing and how stupid I was gonna feel when I finally got back and had no damn clue what was going on or what they were talking about. Did I mention I hated that?

But the most memorable moment of the day was when a group of guys had came up to me after lunch(I had lunch with Chris and his friends today)as I was going to class and handed me a bouquet of flowers, notes and chocolate. And now I was engaged to three guys. It's so funny how that works.

“I wanna marry all of them.” I told him as he took my bag from my left shoulder. My right one had a sling that was supporting my arm.

I was supposed to be wearing it the second I came out of the hospital, but… I'm stubborn. And apparently it works, so I started wearing it a couple days after that homecoming.

“I thought I was your husband,” Chris said, frowning at me playfully over the top of the car. He closed the car door after throwing my bag in the back seat.

I stared at him in pity, “Aw, sweety,” I blinked, “You still are.” I said softly, nodding as I played along and he laughed lowly to himself.

He was not going to let me live down that day. When I was drugged up and called him my husband. Too bad for him, cause I don't give much of a damn.

We both got into the car and he got his keys out.

As I was struggling with my seatbelt, I stopped when his hand closed around mine and took in from me. He leaned over to pull it and brought it across my body, then there was the click.

“Thanks,” I mumbled. I still hated the fact that I really couldn't do much still. Sure my arm didn't hurt as bad as it used to, but it still did and it was gonna take a couple more months to fully heal. That was the sucky part.

“No problem,” he smiled, still leaning against the center console. His eyes drifted down to my lap, “Want me to take that?” He asked.

I looked down at the flowers laying on my lap and reached for it, shaking my head, “No, it's fine.”

He nodded, pulling back and fiddling with his keys again, looking for the one for the car, “Ready to go?”

I nodded, “So…” I started, trailing off as I watched him insert the key in the ignition, “I'm going to your house?”

He looks over at me, his eyebrows twitching, “You said you wanted me to help you.”

I nodded, “Yeah, I do.”

He smiled, “Okay then.” He turned the key and the car started.

I rolled my eyes, “You just have to make it awkward.”

He laughed, pulling out of the parking spot after checking his rear views, “How did I make it awkward?” He retorted.

“You just do!” I laughed, “I was just trying to confirm what was happening and you go and-”

He cuts me off, talking over me and that ended up with the both of us just talking loudly and not listening to what the other was saying.

“Just drive the car man!” I laughed.

“Don't tell me what to do!” he said loudly, “I'll pull this shit over.”

I covered my face, shaking my head in laughter, “Bruh, I can't stand you! Can you just drive!” I gestured toward the road and the cars lined up to get out of the school's parking lot.

“Um, hi!” Came from the back seat, cutting off our bickering.

I jerked in my seat, looking over my shoulder and Chris leaned forward, laughing obnoxiously. He obviously found it funny.

“Hey,” I laughed at Nate sitting in the backseat, shaking his head at us,  “I didn't even know you were here.” I voiced.

“Of course you didn't, you were too busy having your little lover's quarrel,” he gestured to the two of us, “I swear, you two argue like a married couple.”

I shook my head, letting out an exaggerated sound, “I really can't stand your friend,” I told him playfully.

There was a scoff next to me, “Yeah, okay.”

I turned to look at him, eyeing him, “The hell are you scoffing at?”

He glanced at me for a second, “I'm really about to pull this car over-”

“No you're not,” Nate cuts him off and I snickered, “You might not have work but I do and you said you were gonna drop me off.”

Chris looked up at the rear view mirror before looking over at me, “He just saved you.”

I mocked him with a face, sticking my tongue out. Then reached out with my hand to dig my fingers into his side gently.

I snatched my hand back with a loud laugh when he shouted and the car swerved. Honking came from behind and continued swearing.

“I swear if you make him crash this car with me in it…” Nate said in the back, his hands gripping the shoulder of the driver's seat and mine.

All the while, I tried to focus on getting air back into my lungs from laughing so hard.

♤♠♤

“Ouu…” I snuggled back into the seat, taking in the neatly trimmed bushes and high ceiling houses that we kept passing, “This is nice.” I voiced.

He lived in a really nice neighborhood. It wasn't even like just an okay neighborhood. Everything was polished and perfect and the houses were really modern.

The privilege.

I pressed my left elbow into the center console, watching the houses move by as he drove at a reasonable pace.

It was beautiful. The neighborhood, the houses, the landscaping. It all screamed money but I couldn't focus on that. I could only sit in silent awe at how, whoever was in charge of the landscaping, did a damn good job at it.

I blinked out of it a couple seconds later when he turned onto a graveled driveway. I turned to look through the window, blinking at the perfectly green low cut lawn and the sprinklers that were spurting water all over.

“That's so pretty,” I muttered, watching the way the water from the sprinklers reflected off of the sun and casted tiny flecks of rainbowed colored drops.

The car died down and keys jiggled.

I turned back to him quickly, grabbing his hand, “Please, can we go for a walk first?”

He laughed, “Ha ha ha, no,” then he reached for the door handle, keys still in hand, and opened it.

He stepped out of the car and closed the door. I made a face, leaning forward to watch him walk towards the backseat door.

“Get out,” he said, taking both our bags from the back seat.

I eyed him with a stank face and the car door slammed shut.

“Fuck you talkin to,” I sat back, “Boy…” I shook my head with a small laugh.

The passenger door opened and my eyes narrowed at the windscreen.

“Ariana,” he said slowly, “I'm dedicating my day off from work to helping you with your assignments. Mind you, it's a Friday night. We can't do that if you want to slack off and go on strolls.”

I averted my eyes to the opposite window.

He lets out a breath and I think he shifted closer, “Okay. If we finish enough on time…” He makes a sound, “Then we'll go for a walk.”

I held back a threatening smile and reached down to undo the seat belt. And because one hand was in a sling, I had to twist myself first, taking a hold of my flowers, then pushed myself towards the edge of the seat and setting my feet on the gravel.

He took my hand and helped me to my feet.

I finally looked up at him, “I don't get angry often,” I told him, “And I'm not,” I shrugged, “But watch it.” I patted his chest.

His eyes fell to where my hand was then he looked back up at me, “You sound like a mom.” He said.

I smiled and hummed, “Step away from me, Rich.”

A slow smirk lifted onto his lips and pulled his bottom lip between his teeth before nodding. He took a step back, “Yes, ma'am.”