Down The Highway

Chapter Nineteen

I put on the jean jacket I bought earlier that month, the one I bought online. I fixed my hair, trying to straighten it when it was already straight. "Would just hang out with a friend" letting mom and dad know. They both looked at me and then looked at each other but didn't say a word after that. So I immediately went outside the door.

But for a moment, I froze, when I suddenly realized that I should have been wearing the dress that Xanny gave me. I bit my lips, not sure of my next move. But then my fur raised and I started sweating, feeling that someone was watching me. I immediately went back into my room and mom and dad watched me struggle. "What are you wearing?" Dad asked when he saw me wearing the black tight mini dress. "It's for a project" I didn't want to lie to them but I had to.

Because I was stupid when I was thinking that someone would kill me if I wouldn't. I wish I was smarter before. But then, my stupidity went on and on. I knocked on Travis' door and he immediately opened it as if he had been waiting for my knock for a long time. "Hi!" I said, but then he froze when he saw my dress. He gulped and slightly smiled with a little frown. "Nice dress" he scanned it with his eyes.

Another proof went on. First, the tragedy that happened at the party which Jannet has told me about, and then the dress that Xanny gave me where Travis reacted. "Thanks, got it as a gift" I didn't want to tell him about it for I got convinced that Xanny was existing and watching me. "Stay here, will just get my car," he said as he closed the door and went behind his house.

A car came in front of me as its window went down and I saw Travis inside. "Come in!" He said with a smile and opened the door for me. I sat in the soft and relatively large passenger seat of his car and fastened the seatbelt. The scent inside was undeniably good. Like a mixture of male perfume and spices in food. I observed his car as he started to drive

He was such a very good driver. Along through our way, he said, "thanks for the time that you decided to spend with me, this means a lot to me since I need a friend right now" I listened to him but I didn't pay much attention because I was still thinking that day who Xanny was. Also, when I heard him, I kind of wondered why he needed a friend and why me?

We passed many houses but I also ignored them. I didn't reveal that I was secretly smelling the scent inside his car. "Umm, we're here" from lying in the passenger seat I immediately stood up and peeked out the window. We were in Starbucks Café, my favorite place in the whole world. That was also where I and Jannet used to go together with Myrna back when we were in high school. "Wait, how did you know that this is my favorite place ever?" I excitedly asked.

He frowned at me and asked too, "this is?" He sounded so clueless. "Well, I only took you here because this is also my favorite place and wondered if you would like it here" I smiled when I noticed that Starbucks was his favorite place. "I don't like it here bruh, I love it" I got into my boyish side again, talking to him using the word bruh which was not supposed to be said by me.

But for me and Jannet often use that word when we talk. "What are we waiting for?" He asked energetically and hopped out of the car as he opened the door for me while I unfastened the seatbelt which was tying me up. "Thanks" I thanked him after he helped me get out of the car with my heels.

I am not the type of a fancy girl like how I acted that time but I had no choice since I was scared of Xanny, I wore the dress. I honestly wanted to wear a pair of rubber shoes but I knew how awkward it would be to wear a pair of shoes that wouldn't match your dress so I wear black high heels which made me taller than him even if he was already tall. Without those heels, he was taller than me but because I had those, I was taller than him.

We were greeted by the cold air from the air conditioner as well as the fragrant smell of coffee that surrounded the entire coffee shop. We found an empty table for two and we both saw it so we went on the same way. We both sat on our chairs at the same time. He smiled at me and asked, "what do you want?" He asked while keeping his head held high at the menu attached to the counter.

I already memorized the menu there since I've always been there and knew what I always wanted. "White Chocolate Mocha Espresso" I mentioned while a barista came to us and asked for our orders. "Two White Chocolate Mocha Espresso please" the barista nodded and immediately made his way to the counter. "You like that too?" I asked, smiling and wondering while I was still being caught up by the nice scent of the coffee around the shop.

"Umm, yeah I do. I love it so much. You do too?" I leaned at the back of my chair, facing him, his handsome-as-hell face. "Yeah, I love it so much too" it started in Starbucks. After narrowing at his car, I asked myself, why does he walk for school when he has a car? I didn't ask him that, instead, I kept quiet and kept that question for me to figure out the answer. What I didn't know was that the answer was the one who has been waiting for me.