9

“You’re extremely annoying” I bickered as Jaxx and I walked into the restaurant as everyone turned towards us.

“Trust me, you’re more annoying” he countered.

“Don’t you too ever stop arguing?” Matt asked as he sipped whatever was in his cup.

“Don’t you ever shut up?” I questioned as he stopped drinking midway.

Chris faced us “What are you two arguing about today”

“Stupid here thought she could control what I listen to and how I listen to it in my own damn car” Jaxx said.

“Oh please, you were disturbing my ears. I needed to keep its sanity” I defended as I took my seat.

“Those dirty ears of yours have no sanity” he attacked but I snubbed him because I knew it would hurt and from his eyes, I could tell.

The guys went on with their conversation which clearly wasn’t of much interested to me so I stood up and walked up to the service area where Stephanie was working her shift.

“Hey how was your field trip with Jaxx” she asked with a small smile, her usual bubbly self, gone.

“So, everyone knows he never participates huh?” she nods

“To be honest, the guys thought you would have forced him to participate, seeing as you both are stubborn heads but as at the time we finished, I didn’t see you then I knew you weren’t able to do the job” she explained.

“Come on, how was I supposed to force someone to participate when even I wasn’t motivated to do so”

“Like I said, stubborn heads” she said with a faint smile before excusing herself to attend to the customers.

I had so many questions to ask her but, I dismissed it immediately.

I got up and entered the service area to get myself an ice cream sundae which I especially loved.

“Hey” Chris spoke from behind me. I turned around to face him, still having my sundae.

“You good?” I asked, noticing his stance.

“I just have a favor to ask, that’s all” he said shyly.

I sighed “Normally I’d have said no already but I’m in a somewhat good mood so go on”

“Good. So, I need your help to accompany me as my date” he proceeded.

“To...?”

“A party hosted by my parents annually for people of their caliber” he explained.

“Rich and snobby people? Hell no” I refused.

He stood up, took the cup from my hand and put them in his “Please, do this for me. At least the guys as well as Stephanie will be there so it won’t be so bad” he pleaded.

“Why can’t Stephanie go as your date” I crossed my arms.

“For many reasons, she just can’t” he defended.

“So, will you?” he pressed on, in hope that would say yes.

“Yeah sure whatever” I groaned.

What am I turning into, jeez?

He exclaimed and kept thanking me, kissing my hands to my dismay.

“Ew, stop I hate physical touch” I told him as I put my hands back to the crossed position.

He chuckled “Yeah yeah. I will text you on the other things. You won’t regret this, I promise” he said as he sauntered away.

“Still don’t know how you guys got my numbers” I frowned. Then in walked Stephanie with a brighter smile than before.

“You said yes to his favor huh?”

I nodded.

“Anyways, my shifts over. You want to have a ladies night in?”

“I-”

“And don’t try to back out. Abby is good staying over at my grams with my sister and cousin so don’t bother. We can stop at your house to get your stuff too” she interrupted before I could talk.

“That’s not exactly the matter. I have never been to a sleepover so I don’t know how that stuff works” I confessed but she didn’t seem unperturbed by it.

“There’s a first for everything, you know?” She asked and I nodded.

“So, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

“Come on in” she said and gestured “Welcome to my apartment” as soon as she opened the door.

I expected her space to be as dramatic as her character, but that wasn’t the case here. In fact, it was the exact opposite.

As if reading my thoughts, Stephanie spoke up as she led me to the couch; “I know the place looks bland and it doesn’t exactly suit my personality, but between school and my two jobs, decorating doesn’t seem to be on my list at all, at least for now”

I nodded in understanding.

“It’s kind of tough when the responsibilities on you, isn’t it?” I smiled knowingly.

“Very. But at least I’m grateful for my Grams and my aunt, they’ve helped a lot” She let out a loud sigh as she began changing channels.

I really didn’t need to ask to know that her parents were no more, I could tell.

Not comfortable with the silence, spoke out “Want to make some food?”

I was ready to refuse her offer but right there, my stomach decided to betray me by growling, which I’m sure she heard so I answered with a “yes”.

She got up and walked to the kitchen so I took it as my cue to follow her. When we got there, she began searching for something to prepare but after a while, she let out a sigh, closed her fridge and turned to me saying “Looks like we’re going Mac and cheese way”

After clearing our plates, we decided to head back to the living room to binge an entire season of ‘The Umbrella Academy’ to get our night started.

“So….. what’s the deal with you and Jaxx?” she asked as the series began.

I kinda felt the question coming so I wasn’t taken by surprise or anything.

“That airhead? Nothing. He just never ceases to annoy me” I answered in a heart beat.

She didn’t seem satisfied with my answer but she immediately changed subjects to avoid questions, so I went with it.

“Did you ever feel like an outsider knowing others had friends but you didn’t, you know at some point in your life?” her full attention now on me.

I averted my eyes from the tv to her and replied “I never once felt like an outsider or any sort and its not like I was a complete loner, I had my cousin Carlton so I didn’t really mind any other thing”

“You seem to be doing well with the guys, you know that right?”

“I don’t know. They are all annoying lots so I don’t care” I shrugged and sat up straight, my legs crossed.

She let out a light laugh “Trust me, I’ve known them for so long and I know they all love you, even though they just met you”

I packed up my hair in a clip before lying on the couch, making myself comfortable while we discussed movies, celebrities, hobbies amongst others.

“Why did you come all the way to study though?” she asked as she began to doze off.

With the incoming sleep and my disinterest in answering the question, I just replied “That’s a story for later” and allowed sleep to take over.

But unfortunately, my sleep was caught short by the scrapping of chairs and the small whispers inside the house. I looked over to Stephanie’s sleeping frame which hadn’t moved despite the noise.

Seriously… can’t you rob without making noise?

Wait.

I got up slowly without making any sound, to go look for something to defend myself with. No one disturbs my sleep.

With care, I tiptoed to her storage room in hopes of getting something to use. I wasn’t as fast enough though, because as I touched the door handle, a piece of metal was flung at me and I immediately lost my balance, my vision blurred and my head hot.

The only thing I heard before I went unconscious was Matt’s unmissable voice that said “What did you just do?”