Down The Highway

Chapter Twenty

The barista arrived together with the White Chocolate Mocha Espresso we both ordered. He placed it down on the table while Travis paid a one hundred dollar bill to him as he got his chance after a few seconds. Silence filled us while we took sips to the cups served to us.

Maybe he was just feeling a little awkward talking to me. "Can I ask?" I started the conversation since I found him not planning to start it. "Oh, okay. Sure. About what?" Before saying a single word, I looked behind me. Behind the transparent door. "Why do you walk to school when you have a car?" He slightly laughed while sipping.

He leaned back on the chair and smiled at me. His white teeth were so much brighter than the lights above us. "I just got my car last week" I nodded, but honestly didn't understand what he said. As I stared into his face, I noticed some pimples, but those pimples suit him and got a fit on him. Like he was not complete with it.

I couldn't stop staring at his charming face. And also noticed that from, blonde, his hair turned into black which was so much better than before. I thought he had a haircut but didn't ask for his confirmation on it. His lips were as red as the red velvet cake in there and his skin was so perfect. Not dark, not too much white. But just right.

I smiled, and he noticed that I'd been staring at him for a long time. Which made him smile and look at me seriously. "You okay?" He already noticed that I've been stuck on him but played dumb. Because that's what he always does. He plays dumb about everything though he's not clueless.

"Yeah, umm, it's nothing," I said then looked away, still tried not to make it obvious that I've been stuck with him. The cold temperature of the espresso made my teeth freeze. It ran to the roots of my teeth.

I took a deep sigh after getting a short brain freeze. "Oh, look who's here!" An unfamiliar voice came around from my back. I turned around and saw a group of four guys, our age who were wearing jerseys and jeans. I thought they weren't coming to us so I ignored them.

But then I felt someone tapping my back which made me struggle to get it off me, I hate physical touch, especially from strangers. "Get off me!" I defended myself. I knew they were the type of bad boys who has the sense of being rude. The guy behind me smiled as he winked at me that was so disgusting. I rolled my eyes to make him go away but he didn't.

Because all along it wasn't me who they came for. Travis was. They went to him and slightly and sarcastically tapped his head like he was a broken toy. Not just that. Aside from that, they laughed at him saying, "this London boy is dating a girl. So how is it like finally dating someone. I thought no one would date you" said the guy who recently touched me.

I rolled my eyes again when he looked at me. They started playing with Travis' face like a toy while he did nothing but keep his head held down. "Hey what's your problem!?" I asked screamingly, showing my courage as I stood up and tapped the table. "Woah, the girlfriend is getting mad" they raised their hands in defense and sarcastically laughed.

I found it insulting and so I went closer to them acting like a girl in a Netflix movie. "You don't know who you guys are messing with. I can play gas with fire" the smile on their faces vanished while they looked at each other and finally went away. I thought that I would need the security guard but I didn't. Because with the threatening skills I got from Netflix movies, I was able to be better than a security guard.

Travis smiled up at me as I sat back on the chair. "Sorry you had to be involved in this thing," he said while keeping his head held down. But I used my fingers to look at him and kept his head held high. "Don't need to be sorry" I took another sip on the container.

"So tell me, who are those?" I asked.

"As you can see, it is so obvious that they are my bullies." I nodded while biting my lips because of the ice that got in my mouth.

"How long have they been bullying you? Why don't you report it?" I asked concernedly.

"Since I moved here. Nothing will happen anyway. But they will stop bullying me soon" that was when I realized how poor he was to be that kind of guy.  A soft guy and someone who gets bullied and can't fight. Our situation at that time was different. He was the guy so he was supposed to be brave for me. And I was the girl but I ended up being brave for him.

But little did I know that behind his innocent face and very innocent actions was braveness he was hiding in his heart which I never saw. And I wish I knew everything about him first before I fell in love with him. But those things happened already and nothing can change those anymore.

What happened, happened. "Yeah, you're right. Soon they will. But there is nothing wrong with fighting if it is for your own good" it was another proof that Xanny's description of him was very different from what I was seeing. "Umm, I need to use the bathroom," I said and he nodded.

Then I immediately made my way to the bathroom. But I froze when even before I entered the bathroom, I saw blue-green cardboard on the floor. I looked around me to check who brought it there. I picked it up and read every single letter written in it.

Hey Jade! Nice job today, keep up the good work. We are about to accomplish and succeed in our mission.

XOXO,
Xanny