May Blossom High

Emma's Pov (31)

He parks at the very entrance solving a huge task for me, I unclinch my seat belt and grab my bag from the floor to leave.

"Em..." He starts, I'm filled with goosebumps, afraid of what's gonna be said.

I didn't wait to hear anything before shutting the door in anger. Whether I wasn't appreciative of his free ride or his efforts at trying to make amends I don't care, I feel no remorse for zooming off the way I did. I rush into the hallway as quickly as I can, sighing in relief for escaping his overwhelming presence.

After the tests, I make my way towards the parking lot to wait for mummy Joana, as promised she's supposed to come to pick me up once I'm done but instead, I see Einstein's car somewhere in the line.

"Fuck! There's no way I'm getting in that car again" I dodge behind a trash can. Slowly making my way to the gate.

His engine revs to life and I turn to see he's driving toward me. I'm tempted to run but that's stupid because I can't outrun a car.

He winds down.

"What?... Why are you still here?"

"I'm picking you up" he states, adjusting his glasses. What's with them though?

"No my mum is. So you can drive home, I'm fine thanks" I say walking away.

"She can't make it, the car's still at the workshop. She asked me to drive you home" he calls.

I stop and turn to him.

"You're lying, you just want me in that your car"

"You can call her Em, and why would I go all the way to lie?" He asks. He exhales before getting off his side to open the door for me.

I climb into his car and the engine rushes to life so smooth, the air con blows on my hot skin and I sigh in relief.

"You like it?" He asks watching me all along.

I'm suddenly conscious and pretend I don't know what he's going on about.

"Can we go now? And please take those shades off, makes you look like an avenger" I murmur, brushing off his question.
The truth about the matter is, it doesn't sit well with me. Einstein acting nice and friendly, it all seems like he's acting and I'm not cut out for another of his shenanigans.

"Since you had a tough day and it's hot, some ice cream would do right?" He says after he's parked at a diner.

"What are we doing here?"

"Can we sit and talk ins_?"

"No!... Take me home Einstein, I don't wanna talk with you. I don't care what you wanna say to me, just let it go and stop pretending you're suddenly a changed guy. Is this a prank or something?..." I ask, my words coming out in rasps.

"I promise you it isn't a prank Em, I'll take you home just please listen to me even for a min_"

"I said no!... Just take me home or I'll walk" I grab the handle but it's locked. I become scared suddenly.

My mind creates different scenarios of what might go down here.

I take a breath before I speak. "Let. me. out," I say calmly.

He slowly unlocks the door and I jump off with speed, he's on my trail.

"Emma, please!!... I'm sorry!!" His words echo through the space.

"I know I've done pretty bad things to you that you hate me so much but I'm trying to make amends. I haven't been myself like forever"

I stop walking, my legs wavering for some reason. His words are heavy, I don't want to believe the sincerity in them.

"Emma you don't know how long I've punished myself for what I did to you at the fields. I thought self-harming myself would make me feel better but my therapist advised me to talk to you"

"Your therapist?... You're going for therapy?" I move towards him in shock.

He nods in shame. "I... I had to. I've hurt everyone around me cos of my attitudinal problems" he looks up at me his eyes filled with tears.

"Are you gonna cry now?" I ask in surprise. I've never seen Einstein Hat cry this is absurd.

"N...no I'm not" he wipes his eyes but they still seem like he'll shed tears soon.

"But why does it seem like you're about to? I mean your eyes are filled with tears"

"It has always been that way. I got contacts on them"

"Oh... Contacts" I whisper then suddenly realize he didn't wear them before.

"Why contacts?"

"Well... I had my left eye stitched when I was younger. Home accident" he shrugs like it's a norm.
"Stuffs still bugging me to date, it's the reason for the shades.

My mind throws back to Eric's story of his guilt eating at him and why he's been so understanding and protective of Einstein. Now I connect the dots. I wonder why I've never noticed his tear-filled eyes before today.

"Well you can put them back on if it's for that reason" I stutter, wondering why I feel a little pity for him.

He shakes his head.
"Can we sit over a cup of ice cream?" He suggests. I hesitate before following him inside, we order vanilla flavor both realizing we have the same taste. Eric would die for the strawberry flavor.

I decide to break the silence with a safer topic since he seems to be threading with caution around me.

"You already wrote the tests with the rest of the seniors, why didn't you go for the trip?" I ask stabbing at my ice cream.

"What's there to enjoy?... Party, girls, a different city? I've been there twice, besides I'm on suspension"

"Oh..., I tend to forget you're older and much more sensible than us?" I tease.

"No, I'm not saying that. I just have a lot to deal with. Myself, for example, being around such things may trigger that part of me again, I don't want that"

"Mh, cool... I wish I went with the rest though. It's been a trip I've been anticipating for so long and this happened"

"I'm so sorry Em. When's your last paper?"

"A day after tomorrow"

"Well, it isn't too late if you miss a week out of two. You can still make it"

"Hell no!" I refuse. "Okay let's say I agree, how am l supposed to get to Hawaii? With my mother's rickety car? A bus? That could take days, bedsides I can't afford a plane ticket" I rant.

"I can take you" he says.

I sit back in surprise, can today get any better? I wonder.
Einstein Hat the notorious bad boy offering to take me to Hawaii? I wonder how he plans to accomplish that.

"What a joke" I laugh.

"I'm being serious Emma, I'll pay for everything. It's the least I can do for putting you in this situation despite being on suspension" he adds.

"I think I've had enough of your surprises today, can we go now?" I mutter dryly.

He obliges without a word, and that's how he ends up driving me to school for the next two days.

Next time we're on the road to San Francisco International Airport.
When we got there we discovered that due to the weather conditions there's no direct flight from here to LA.

"What are we going to do?" I ask Einstein when we're obviously stranded.

"I think we have to drive to LA" he announces.

"What?! That's like six hours road trip"

"I'll make it five Em" he assures and grabs my hand for the exit.

><{{{(•>

A road trip!!!!!!

What do you think about this?