Chapter 2

TALKING AGAIN

Before I know it, it's the end of the week and it's the weekend. As I walk out of my last class to my locker I think about Christian, he hasn't talked to me since the start of the week all he's been doing is staring at me non-stop in all the classes I have with him. And before I know where I'm going I bump into someone and land hard onto the tiled floor, as my subconscious yells "You fucking twat watch where you're going!" I ignore my subconsciousness, and I hear a familiar voice "Hey, are you okay?" Oh shit! I look up to see Christian holding out his hand to me, I take it rather shakily and say "Yeah I'm fine you know you're really fit." He smiles at me and says "Yeah I do a lot of exercise." I turn to leave but he says "Oh wait you forgot this." I can see from afar that he's holding my art journal. Oh crap! "Thanks" and the weirdest thing happens he follows me out into the fresh and damp air of Seattle, I realise it's raining. Danm it! I forgot my coat, my subconscious says with sassiness "How could you forget?" Christian turns to me and asks "Grace what's wrong?" I then say "Umm... I may have forgotten my rain coat." He smiles and takes my hand and pulls me toward a grey coloured Audi R8. Christian turns to me and opens the passenger door and says "It's my car, come get in I'll take you home." I turn and gape at him and manage to say "Your serious, this is yours?" He looks at me with a serious face and says "Would I be telling you to get in if it wasn't. Now get in or you're going to get a cold." I get in the car and he closes the door behind him while my subconsciousness yells "OF COURSE ITS HIS DANM CAR! YOU IDIOT!"

The drive is quiet, Christian is concentrating on the road. I then realise he's not going the right way and I told him where my house was. I turn my face to him and ask him "Hey Uhh… Christian, where are you going? This is not the way to my house." He stops the car just outside of a mansion. As he smiles he says "We're here Grace." I look up at Christian and then at the house and I do this over and over. I finally say "Umm… Christian, where are we?" I can't help but smirk. He smiles and says "Something funny? And we're at my place." I look at Christian with a face that says, "Are you serious?" And as if he reads my mind he nods and takes my hand and leads me up to the double door entrance. As I go to open it, it opens and I walk in to see a boy about 17 years old but he looks older and more official in his grey suit and tie, holding the door open for us. Christian says "Hey Lannan" the boy smiles and fist pumps Christian as he says "Mr Jackson, Miss Rose. And by the way Mr Jackson your father and mother are still at work, your little brother is in his room, your sister on the other hand is outside in the garden." Christian smiles at the man and nods as he takes my hand in his warm grip.

As I step into the main room of the mansion I realise that the mansion is beautiful, the floor is made of dark wood but the walls on the other hand are made of white stone. I turn to see the living room it has a black rug and a light grey couch that could easily fit my whole family plus four more people, I then turn to see a fire lit modern fireplace above it are various vases, pictures, paintings and drawings. I turn to see Christian looking at me and smirking. I say "Christian this is your living room its amazing way bigger than mine." He says "Yeah my dad he owns a company and is a model, my mum on the other hand is a nurse. How about your parents?" I say "Well my mum she's an artist and stays home working but doesn't make that much, my dad he's an ex-navy person and now he's working for Seattle police."

And before I know it Christian is taking me upstairs to a room with his name on it. He says "This is my room nobody's been in here not even my family. You're the first person to see it." My subconscious squeals and is jumping up and down on the spot screaming in a high pitch tone that annoys the hell out of me like it always does, "Yippee your special this guy is taking you into his bedroom that not even his family is allowed in." Christian takes my hand and stops my subconsciousness's screaming. Thank god for that! He unlocks the door and opens it, I'm surprised to see a very spacious room that is double the size of the living room I don't believe it Christian's room includes, a king size bed with dark navy blue sheets and pillows, his very own kitchen with stools and the bench top is made from the finest marble, he also has his very own bathroom with a glass shower, a studying desk with a lamp and the desk is made out of birch wood, all sorts of photos and pictures hang on the wall, on the floor he has a deep blue rug same colour as the sheets on his bed, and last but not least a full size grand piano black in colour, I then catch the sight of a window opening up to a balcony.

I glance back at the grand piano and my subconscious asks herself "I wonder if he plays? Ask him Grace." And as if reading my thoughts Christian says "Yes I play the piano I started lessons when I was 5 years old." I say to Christian "Wow Christian your bedroom is amazing, but I must ask you. Why do you need so much space when you're on your own? Same with the kitchen and pantry?" Christian looks at me and says "Grace there are some things you should know about me. I barely come out of my room except for exercise and school, that means I never have dinner with family and I never play with my siblings, because if I do I might hurt them." I hear the certain fear in his voice and I nod. The next thing Christian does is turns and heads to the grand piano and starts playing a piece of music I don't know and sings with it. I'm shocked he's amazing at singing and at playing, his voice is low and soft, unlike his usual voice and tone.

On the ride home from Christian's place my subconscious keeps on asking questions "Why does Christian believe he'll ever hurt his family? Why does he stay in his room all the time and never lets anyone in? Why was I the only one who's ever gone into his bedroom?" All these questions go through my head and my subconsciousness. When we pull up to my house and I turn to Christian and say "Thanks for this afternoon." Christian nods and smiles as he asks me "Hey Grace Umm…, what are you doing tomorrow?" I look confused and say "Not that much except for working." He smiles and says "Good, cause I was hoping you'd go out with me?" I stand shocked. I smile and nod as he says "Cool, what's your number?" Next thing I know Christian has given his number to me and so have I. The last thing I say to him is "Bye Christian drive safely." He smiles his warm smile and says "Will do Grace, thanks for the amazing afternoon, bye."

Next thing I'm in my bed in my pj's when my phone pings, it's a message from Christian it says *Thanks again. I'll see you tomorrow get a good night sleep. –Christian* I smile and respond with *Thanks Christian. I'll try to get a good night sleep if someone will let me. I'm also looking forward for tomorrow as well. –Grace* He texts back *Okay I'll let you get to sleep. Goodnight Grace. –Christian* I text back *Thanks, goodnight Christian. –Grace* and with that I fall into a dreadful sleep.