𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐲'𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞

23 | 𝐺𝑒𝑡 𝑅𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑

"I don't get it," I said bluntly.

"You're not supposed to," my mom replied, flipping a page in her novel. "Pride and Prejudice is a timely piece of literature which illustrates the importance of love." Her exaggeration dims to a low grumbling utter, "something, you have yet to experience--"

"Damn, one day you decide to change your whole hobby and the next thing you know, you're talking like Shakespeare," I noted with a roll of my eyes. I fixed a few granola bars into my bag before hauling the mini backpack over my shoulder blades.

"I am not," she snapped with a chuckle, leaning closer to the pages. She was like a lost puppy moments prior, spinning in timeless circles before finally curling up on the sofa with clumps of blankets at her legs. "Where are you off to?"

"Vulpine Union," I muttered, walking to the door and doing a sweeping glance towards the mirror. "We're going to a nature reserve. We're planting trees and--"

"I didn't know you were in a club." She laughed and then added knowingly, "is Sullivan in it?"

"Oh, you know me so well," I quipped with a few hearty chortles. I brushed the loose tufts of hair behind my ears, the majority of my caramel locks were tucked in a high pony, tied into a singular pink elastic. I wore the typical white-gray fitted jeans with baby pink sneakers and a pink crewneck. Pearl earrings popped out of the holes of my ears to match also.

When I heard a resounding honk outside of the house, I peeked through the window to see Sullivan's topless green BMW Z4 Roadster parked at the curb and inside was seated Penelope, Jay, and Kayla.

My heart stopped and I could feel it lodged in my throat like a shower plug. My mom's voice faded, but I could hear what she was trying to say. She pulled up closer to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You'll be okay."

She knew about the whole Kayla and Liv situation, because what daughter wouldn't I be? My mom liked the gossip and I needed to talk to someone other than Keiona, Jay, and Victor.

"I should get going," I murmured tightly, sucking in the air and exhaling with minimal head nods as I pushed forward after giving my mom a gentle hug and kiss on the cheek.

When the front door shut behind me, I hastened my steps and glanced at all the options of seats, which just so happened to be next to Kayla. Penelope sat in the passenger side giving directions to Sullivan who didn't bother looking my way when I approached the car.

I placed my hand on the car door and drew closer to me, though it didn't budge and only made a sound that caused everyone to turn to me.

"Just hop in," Sullivan brushed off, looking back at his phone which was tied up above the radio as a GPS. I internally scowled as Kayla squirmed closer to Jay, attempting to decipher a nonexistent hallucination before shaking his head as if there was a fly by his ear.

I threw my leg over the door and stumbled in, falling atop Kayla and Jay as my sneaker tripped over where the window should be. Penelope swung around to see me toppled over on Kayla's lap. "You alright?"

"Better than ever," I mumbled into her legging clad knee before hauling myself up and shifting as far away from the girl as I could be, even if that meant flat up against the door.

Sullivan nodded one last time at the demonstration of the GPS directions before switching gears and rolling down the block. Kayla turned to me quickly and I didn't return the expression of pity. "Riyah--" she started in a low whisper.

"Not now," I gritted through my teeth. 

"But--"

I said no, Goddammit. I'm not even worried about that right now, in fact, I am focused entirely on Victor. Well, no, not exactly. I'm focused on what he said, mixed with lessons and thoughts about San Francisco.