Chapter 14: 13
I'm sorry if this book is not as interesting as my sexy Greek god matchmaker. I started writing it when I was really young. I hope you can continue to bear with me I have a fantasy series I will be working on as soon as I complete this book and a couple of my other books I've left unattended to for some time. But until then bear with me.
Luke's POV
Thinking back to what Jack said, I am finding it difficult seeing myself pretend to be friends with Linda. It just seriously irks me. I mean how could she possibly fall for the fact that I suddenly want to be all buddy, buddy, with her. I look at the said girl with my lips slightly curved in distaste.
I don't care what Jack's stupid plan is but I am not going to be friends with someone who's out to get me, be it pretence or not.
I continue glaring at her back and of course the annoying thing doesn't even know because she's enjoying chemistry.
Now isn't she just a nerd?
I finally give up glaring and mentally insulting. Instead I try to understand what Mrs Richards is saying.
Key word try. I am totally not getting this!
I then choose to give up and get some sleep. I place my head on the desk and I'm about closing my eyes, when I see the brown lock of hair dangling at the back of Linda's chair.
It wouldn't dangle so much if she'd just put it in along with the rest or maybe if she'd stop messing with it like she is nervous.
She runs her hand through her hair again and starts to play with that same lock once more. After sometime she lets go of it and it's left dangling.
I sit back there watching her repeat the whole process again and again. I don't even realize the teacher's calling my name until Linda turns around and calls my name. It's kind of sweet hearing it from her mouth. I don't even know when I unconsciously smile.
" what are you smiling about?" Linda asks raising an eyebrow.
And that was all that was needed to break the spell. Thank you Jesus!
I look away from Linda and look straight at the teacher, whose dangling a piece of paper.
" Mr Matthew get your stubborn ass off your sit to come get your test script! " she says looking pretty mad.
The whole class bursts out laughing while I just shrug and stand up to collect the said script. While moving towards her, I scold myself mentally.
What the hell were you thinking? Funny thoughts you've been having all week man.
I take my script from Mrs Richards and head back to my sit. Once I'm seated, I go through it and of course I only got one answer right.
After a few minutes with the test scripts properly dispersed around the class. We sit quietly waiting for Mrs Richards to say something. She goes behind her desk, pulling out a sheet of paper.
" today, I'll be releasing the names of the reading partners. Starting with the least, Mr Luke Matthew you will be partnered with Miss Linda Gail. "
We both face each other with horror stricken looks on our faces.
" but...but, but. " Linda stutters nervously, her hands tightly gripped together.
" and there will be no questioning of this decision. " Mrs Richards adds firmly.
Linda looks to be on the verge of tears.
After class, I notice that Linda is avoiding me, but I don't mind, instead I head straight to Mrs Richards.
" you can't do this to me. "
" oh really? " she questioned, raising an eye brow.
I sigh exasperatedly. " fine I get that you're trying to show who the boss is. Well guess what? You win, I give up. See I'm highly repentant of being a student lacking in all seriousness in regards to my studies. I'll read everyday if you want, just please! Please!!! do not let me stay in bondage by reading with that girl. Just please, I'll do anything you want. "
She first of all, rolls her eyes and sets to doing the one thing she always does that annoys me.
Arrange books,
" Well Mr Matthew "
slap, slap on desk,
"I'm quite sorry you find yourself in bondage"
arrange again,
" But if you choose not to accept your reading partner,"
slap, slap again,
" then you should know "
books ready,
" that I won't be held "
packs them into her case.
" responsible for your failure " she turns around to face me " the choice is yours"
and that is how you know she's made up her mind.
She arranges her suit, straightens her skirt and catwalks out of the class.
~ ~
" I'd rather die than study with that, that... Uh!!!" I keep rambling out of frustration as I pace about in our hideout at school.
The guys were lucky, well except Dave who is presently stuck with Leah as his partner. Russ and Jack were not yet partnered with anyone due to the uneven number of girls.
" when you're done bitching about, then tell me. " Jack says carelessly shrugging.
If only I could pound on his face.
" alright smart guy how would you like being stuck with Linda?"
" or Leah?" Dave says narrowing his eyes at Jack.
" fine, both your situations suck, but instead of bitching about it, why not use it to your advantage? " Jack says smirking like a bad ass.
" how...oh...oh. " I say finally understanding.
Jack's right, if I'm stuck with her I'd better use it to my advantage.
" so how do I go about this, genius? " I ask finally relaxing.
" real simple, Linda doesn't want to fail, I heard she wants to some smart ass university, so you make a deal. "
" so I go up to her and say ' hey Linda, heard you wanna go to a smart ass university. If you don't wanna fail, let's make a deal. "
" uhm...pretty much...kind of..." Jack says wincing slightly.
" yeah, you don't have a plan. I'm going to be butchered by a couple of mean brats and the evidence will never be found. "
" you have to trust me, after all I helped you get your job. "
" right..." I say dragging the word out. " the same job that has nearly claimed my life a number of times. "
" fine, if you want to be stubborn, be stubborn. But if you truly want to get back at those girls, then you have to do exactly what I say and when I mean exactly, I mean exactly. " He says looking into my eyes menacingly.
After a bit of a stare down, I finally agree.
Guess its better to die fighting than hiding.
~ ~ ~
The whole day at school, I couldn't get a chance to talk to Linda. She was practically the female version of flash. Class ends, she's gone, see her in the hallway, next second, she's gone. So I decide to go to her house.
As soon as I arrive, I note that the blue Mercedes Mr Gail uses for work is packed outside and not in the garage.
Seems like he's about leaving the house.
And just like magic, as I'm about knocking, the door opens and Mr Gail steps out, looking very much like the billionaire that he is, in his dark Armani suit and pants, with his hair properly styled. Although, he is looking a bit trouble.
" good afternoon, Mr Gail. "
" Luke, what a surprise to see you here. I thought you were done for the week. "
" actually, I'm here to see Linda. "
He narrows his eyes slightly staring at me suspiciously. " to see Linda, my Linda? "
An overprotective dad, just great.
" yes, we attend the same school you see..."
" I know, you don't really think I'd hire you without knowing who you are? . But why are you looking for Linda. " he asks slightly narrowing his eyes
He knows but then why did he introduce me to Linda on my first day? I'll just find out later.
" that was what I was actually getting to. We were made partners in chemistry and a couple other subjects. So we have to meet almost everyday to read together. "
" oh that. " he breathes in and the smile that's usually on his face is back, except the worry I'd seen earlier is still there. " see you later. "
He drives off, but I notice that he veers towards another direction and not that of his company.
I enter through the door he'd left open, half expecting to see Esperanza or Linda sitting on the couch, but the house seems empty with a kind of unbearable silence. It's then I hear the quiet sobbing coming from upstairs. I rush upstairs, thinking of Linda hurt.
I open Linda's door and she's curled up on the floor, right next to her bed. Another image from a couple months back flash through my mind. I race across the room trying to get to her. As soon as I'm close enough, I kneel so that I can see what the problem is. " are you okay? Where'd you get hurt? " I keep asking her question after questions, but I get no reply. I pick her from the floor, placing her on lap, as soon as I change into a sitting position. I'm rocking, curdling, shushing and begging Linda, but I continue seeing images from the past.
I see her lying on the floor, begging her to wake up, making promises, me crying, but she never did.
I feel the tears that had escaped me all those months back, so I know it doesn't feel right. But I'm so immersed in the flash back that I don't realize I'm actually crying, but Linda's soft raspy voice breaks through my dilemma.
" I don't wanna lose her too, I can't. " she says and I hear the tears in her voice.
I want to tell her that she won't lose that person but I don't want to lie to her either.
I remember everyone telling me that she'd get better but she never did.
I sigh, pushing the memories back. " if we had control over our lives, our loved ones would still be here today. But since we don't, we place those we've lost in our hearts, forever remembering them. "
She pulls her head away from my chest, I notice a bitter look in her eyes as well as pain. " we don't remember all we've lost, we only remember those worth remembering. "
Just who was crazy enough to hurt you Linda?
she wipes her tears from her face and wipes mine as well. " thank you. " she whispers, her lips slightly curved, I help her up and she smiles at me, the bitterness gone from her eyes but the pain still there.
I wish I could wipe it all away. I'm about asking how to fix it when the bedside phone rings. It's when she takes her hand from mine, I realize I'd been holding it.
" hi dad, how's she doing? " she starts biting her fingernails. She breathes in deeply. " thank God. Yeah I'm fine, it's just I was so scared. But I'm okay now. " I notice that she's about crying but she breathes in, and soon enough her eyes are clear. " talk to you later, yeah love you too dad. " she hangs up and turns to face me, her face radiating with joy I'd never seen her express before. " oh Luke , she made it. "
" who made it?"
" my grandmother, she's so much like a real mom to me I just couldn't imagine losing her, especially when my own mom..." I see that bitterness in her eyes once more but she breathes in, as if hoping to drain the thought away.
" your mom what?" I ask curiously.
" I'd like to keep that to myself if you don't mind! " she snaps at me. She winces " I didn't mean to...especially when you helped me today. "
" it's okay, I shouldn't have pried. "
" it wasn't prying. It's just that I don't necessarily like talking about it. "
After that, it's silence after silence and the room is suddenly filled with awkwardness. I could swear that the room temperature has gone a couple degrees up.
" About..."
" About..."
We both speak at the same time and burst out laughing.
" I was just..."
" i didn't... "
We continue laughing for sometime.
" we really should stop this. What did you want to say?" she asked still smiling.
It felt good to see her smile.
" uhm... About me crying earlier, could you uhm...not tell anyone. "
" fine, but you can't tell anyone about me crying either. "
" deal. "
" deal. So why'd you come over? I know you're done with your work for this week. "
Right. Time to do as Jack said. Shouldn't be too hard.
" about the announcements made in school. I think we should set a kind of reading arrangement that won't affect our schedules. "
" you want to read together? I thought you were against it. "
" I was but then I realized that if I wanted to get better in school it would actually be helpful. I heard you wanted to study in John Hopkins, I thought you wouldn't want your GPA to drop. But it's okay if you don't want to study together. It's still your choice after all. "
After sometime, she sighed. " fine, we read together. But this doesn't make us friends. "
" yet. " I say smirking.
" don't let this situation get into your head, I'm not like other females willing to kiss your feet. "
" make me angry and you'll be kissing my lips. "
" of course, in your dreams. "
" we'll see about that. "
She giggles and immediately catches herself. She has this look in her eyes that seems like she's having a conversation with herself. She rolls her eyes, then sees me looking. She blushes slightly.
It looks like a pale pink flower. I wonder, if I reach out and touch would it feel as warm as it looks.
I feel my teeth grinding together in anger.
I seriously have to stop thinking of such things.
" One more thing, the pranks you girls have been playing on me has to stop. We can't study with you always pranking me. "
" fine. " she says narrowing her eyes at me.
" fine. " I say just to annoy her.
" fine. "
" fine. "
We both glare at each other for sometime.
" I can continue this all day. "
" fine, go get your bag from the car. "
" we're starting now? "
" no we're starting next year. Of course we're starting now! Unless you suddenly changed your mind? " she asks giving me a nonchalant stare
" fine, I'll go get it ."
" fine, you should go. "
" fine, I'll get going. "
" fine... "
" we should really stop with this fine business of a thing. "
" uh! Just go already. "
" bye Lindy love. " I say smirking. I turn around about shutting the door when I see the ghost of a smile playing around her lips.
We study hard at chemistry and English. Then choose some other days for maths, physics and economics. At the end of the day things kind of felt easier between us. Through out the day I keep telling myself that there is nothing wrong with what I am doing.
As I walk towards my car, I can't help but ask myself why I feel so guilty.<span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_marker"></span>
Author's note
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