Mia Williams

Mia's P.O.V

Knock knock

"May I come in?" my dad asked from the other side of the door.

I yawned, still feeling a bit sleepy. "Yeah, Dad," I replied loudly enough for him to hear.

He entered my room and sat down beside me on the bed. "Morning, sunshine," he said, gently stroking my cheek. "Hope you had a good night's rest."

I smiled, feeling a bit more awake now. "Yeah, Dad, I did."

Dad's expression turned serious. "It's time to get ready for school. You'll have to walk today, okay? Desmond's not here yet, and I don't want to risk being seen with you."

"That's okay, Dad. I'll just take the bus instead. I'm already running late," I said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before heading into the bathroom.

"I'll wait for you in the dining room, sweetie," I heard him call out as I shut the door.

After I finished getting ready, I emerged from the bathroom to find that Dad had laid out an outfit for me. I couldn't help but smile. It was a small gesture, but it showed me that he was paying attention.

I felt a surge of gratitude toward him. He'd always been there for me, especially since Mom left. It was just me and Dad now, and I appreciated how hard he worked to take care of me.

I walked to school after getting off the bus, and as I approached the gate, I noticed a swarm of paparazzi gathered outside. A sleek Tesla Model S pulled up, and a boy around my age stepped out. He was immediately mobbed by the paparazzi, who bombarded him with questions.

What struck me as odd was that he didn't have any bodyguards with him. He seemed overwhelmed, and on a whim, I did something crazy. I picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at the windshield of the Tesla.

The driver, a tall, imposing man, leapt out of the car, his face thunderous. "You, come with me to the station!" he barked, his eyes blazing with anger.

As expected, the paparazzi swooped in, surrounding us with cameras and microphones.

The paparazzi bombarded me with questions, their voices rising in a cacophony of curiosity.

"Why did you smash the windshield of Mr. Shawn's car?" one of them asked, shoving a microphone in my face.

"Do you know what you've done?" another reporter chimed in, her eyes wide with excitement.

"How do you plan to pay for the expenses?" a third reporter asked, his voice dripping with skepticism.

I ignored them all, turning my back on the chaos. I opened the door of the Tesla and slid into the passenger seat, leaving the paparazzi frustrated and disappointed.

The driver, still visibly angry, got into the car and started the engine. As we pulled away from the curb, the paparazzi scrambled to get out of the way, their cameras and microphones at the ready. But they were too late. We left them in the dust, their disappointed shouts fading into the distance.

*****

As we drove, Jimmy received a call from his boss. "Yes, boss, we're on our way to the station right now," he said, his tone professional.

After hanging up, Jimmy turned his attention to me. I had turned on the radio, and he quickly turned it off. "Hey, you're not allowed to touch anything, so keep your hands to yourself."

I chuckled and turned the radio back on. "Come on, Jimmy, don't be boring."

Jimmy raised an eyebrow. "How do you know my name?"

I grinned, pointing to his name tag. "Funny how you'll have a name tag on and forget you do."

Jimmy looked down, realizing his mistake. "Oh."

The music filled the car, and I sang along to one of my favorite songs. "If I can't be close to you, I'll settle for the ghost of you..."

Jimmy sighed, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "This used to be Shawn's favorite song."

I raised an eyebrow. "Who's Shawn?"

Jimmy glanced at me. "The kid I dropped off at your school."

I nodded, remembering the commotion outside the school gates. "Oh, you mean the poor thing who was about to be devoured by the media."

Jimmy's expression turned wry. "Yeah, that poor thing."

I was curious. "So, why doesn't he like the song anymore?"

Jimmy's voice turned somber. "Well, he's been through some things. Hates love now."

I frowned. "Oh, I see. But isn't he a bit too young for heartbreak?"

Jimmy's expression turned enigmatic. "Love is ageless, and I never said love is the only factor that put him in his current state."

I leaned in, eager to hear more, but Jimmy's response was cut short as we arrived at the station.

I groaned, disappointed. "Why're we here so soon?"

Jimmy chuckled. "Yeah, don't want to get off."

I grinned, opening the door. "Of course not, the ride was just getting fun. Oh well, no need to get sad. You'll drive me back to school."

With that, I hopped out of the car and hurried into the station, eager to get the formalities over with and learn more about this mysterious Shawn.

Jimmy walked into the station, unaware that I had already reported myself. "I'd like to report a crime," he said to the officer.

The officer nodded. "I know, she already reported herself."

Jimmy's eyes widened in surprise. "She what...?"

I chuckled, walking up to them. "Just told him, have you cleaned your ear lately?" I teased, amused by Jimmy's expression.

The officer smiled. "So, Jimmy, what do you want us to do with this young lady? Arrest her or make her pay for the damage?"

Jimmy hesitated, looking at me with a mix of surprise and curiosity. "(Sighs) She's too sweet to be arrested..."

I spoke up, surprising both Jimmy and the officer. "So, how much should I pay then?"

Jimmy's eyes narrowed, a challenging glint in his eye. "Forty-two thousand dollars."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Really, just forty-two thousand dollars? So I went through all this drama for nothing."

The two men stared at me, shocked. What was a 16-year-old girl doing with such a large amount of money?

"Do you have a cheque book?" I asked the officer,

He nodded, and he handed me a cheque book and pen. "Thanks, Officer George."

George looked at me curiously. "How do you...?"

I grinned. "Your name tag."

I tore out a cheque for forty-two thousand dollars and handed it to Jimmy, who looked like he was still in shock. I waved goodbye to George and left the station, waiting for Jimmy to return. They were probably checking if the cheque was real or not.

Jimmy got into the car, his eyes fixed on me with curiosity. "What's your name, dear?" he asked.

"Mia Williams," I replied with a smile.

Jimmy nodded thoughtfully. "Nice meeting you, Mia. Please excuse me, I need to make a call."

I nodded, watching as he stepped away from the car.

Jimmy spoke into his phone, his voice low. "Boss, she's paid for the damage."

There was a pause before Jimmy continued, "She what? How much did she pay?"

Jimmy's eyes narrowed slightly. "Forty-two thousand dollars."

Another pause, and Jimmy's expression turned serious. "Yes, I'm sure about that. She gave me a cheque, and we confirmed it's authentic."

Jimmy listened for a moment before responding, "Where did she get so much money from? Be alert; she must be fooling you. Return her to school."

Jimmy nodded, his eyes scanning the surrounding area. "Yes, boss, also her name is Mia Williams."

Jimmy hung up and got back into the car, his expression thoughtful.

As we drove back to school, Jimmy seemed subdued, but I managed to make him laugh a few times.

When we arrived at the school, Jimmy looked almost unhappy. "I wish I didn't have to go now, but I have to. See you around, Jimmy, maybe when next you come here."

Jimmy smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Sure, bye Mia."

I got out of the car, and Jimmy watched as I walked into the school compound.

As he pulled away, Jimmy noticed a man in black overalls with a glass and hat standing under a tree. He had seen him there earlier that morning when he dropped Shawn off.

Jimmy's eyes narrowed, a spark of suspicion igniting within him. But he shook off the feeling, telling himself he must be mistaken.