Down The Highway

Chapter Thirty-Four

At least Shawn was prepared. I thought that I won't be able to pass something to the professor but Shawn was the one who took down notes of my answers as his project to the professor and he also took notes of his answer so I could pass something to the professor. Acted like my knight and shining armor I was lucky that he was my partner. I dialed him earlier since I got his number from our professor and when I asked him all about our project, what he said was that he got it all together, organized and I had nothing to worry about.

"Pass the papers from the back to the front" our eyes met, I didn't have a reason to ignore him since he already made my project for free. So I smiled as a way to thank him and he smiled back. Mood swing. "Okay. Great job guys. That's it for today. See you again next week. Have a great weekend everyone!" Again, he clapped his hands. He went out of the room while a guy, one of our classmates, stood and stole the moment. "Party at my house tonight! Everyone is invited!" All of them screamed in excitement. Except for me and Shawn who kept quiet as we watched them celebrate.

Party? No thanks. I would rather watch thousands of Netflix shows for the whole weekend than drink, dance, and meet new strangers who could make my life more miserable when it is already miserable. They stood up, "going with us to the party tonight?" Jannet asked as I looked up at her. I shook my head. "No thanks, I will be busy. Besides, Dylan doesn't like the idea that I would come to a party alone, without him. Especially when there are strangers"

I didn't lie because it's true that Dylan doesn't want me to go to some parties without him. "Well, you need time to relax bestie! And you're not going to be alone because we will be there with you." Maureen defended. I packed all my things back into my bag. The books, pens, notebooks, and binders. "I still don't think that Dylan would allow me to attend" I spoke.

"Just at least try to ask him for it. You don't know, he might allow you. The host of the party is one of his friends anyway. So I think he trusts him" Myrna communicated. I know that the host is Dylan's friend and I knew that he would allow me to attend. But I had no plan to, I just didn't tell the girls because I didn't want to disappoint them. I just really didn't want to go. "I will be busy"

My brain ran out of alibis. Being busy was the last thing I thought of. I didn't lie about it.

****

School's over. I am about to go home. Finally, the long week is over and it is now the weekend! It is what I am usually always waiting for. Because it is the only time when I could relax and do all the things that I want to, without any distractions.

I was there, once again, making my way back home under the yellow, honey sun. Walking down the highway. At the St. John Street. Where everything started between me and Travis. Also where we ended. Speaking of him, there we went to bother me once more.

I felt someone tapping my back. "Hey," he said, I thought that a way to thank him for what he did with my project, is to simply talk and not ignore him. I smiled back at him as he walked beside me. It was like we were starting again. Like we were back to the day we first met. Not a deja vu, but a little coincidence that we were taken back to where we were before. "Hi? What brings you here?"

I said confidently as he held his backpack while walking. "Nothing, just on my way home and found you walking" he articulated calmly. I rolled my eyes and shook my head sarcastically. "Oh, Travis. I know that the first time we met a few years ago here in St. John Street, everything was planned and intentional. Don't tell me that this isn't or if you do I won't believe you anyway"

He looked down and smiled in annoyance. He raised his shoulders and looked away from me. "Don't deny it, Travis. You were wearing red hoodies that day" he looked at me while frowning. "I was wearing a brown hoodie" my eyes widened, didn't expect that he would respond like that.

"It was red" I defended. He raised his shoulders and smiled. I stared at his eyes. "Here's a deal. Since I know that it's you. I would call you Travis when it's just the two of us. But I will call you Shawn in public if that's what you want. If you just want to hide under a name that you don't own" he didn't say a word next to that but held his eyes straight to the road where we were walking together with all the other strangers around us.

I sighed before I look at him. "Travis" I called. He didn't look back. "Shawn" I called again then he looked straight to my eye and asked, "yes?" I just shook my head in response. "You won't call me for nothing," he said. It was true, I never called him for anything. And it was also true that I just called him by his two names, to confirm which one of those two does he wanted me to call him.

He showed that he wants me to call him Shawn, but I didn't want to. As a replacement, I decided to indicate what I told him earlier. That I would call him Travis in private but will call him Shawn in public. Apparently, for no reason, he changed the topic. "Going to the party tonight?" As I said, I had no plan to. But 5% isn't zero. "No, I don't think so" but let's see. Maybe I would.