The Competitor

Chapter Eleven

Dahlia

As Sofi and I step out of school doors, I look out and the first person I see in the crowd is James. Even though Niko seems to be talking next to him, his gaze is fixated only on me. 

Sofia bumps my shoulder, "Just go with him. I'm interested in what he has to say"

I look at her, "So you're willingly sacrificing your best friend to possibly get some drama?"

"It's not sacrificing if we know it's James. I don't think he's going to do anything other than discuss stuff for your assignment. He is almost as big of a nerd as you are"

I give her an annoyed look, "I'm not a nerd thank you very much. But it's weird Sofi, in our 17 years of living he wanted nothing to do with me, let alone stay in the same room with me. Now he wants to go out for ice cream? Even if it is for an assignment, it's weird"

"I guess it kind of is", Sofia pauses, "but just go along with it. He's stubborn so he's not going to let this go. Besides, what's the worst he could do?"

Sofia's remark takes my thought back to Aunt Jule's kitchen. A shiver goes down my spine. Something like that can never happen again, I'll make sure of it. 

We walk toward Niko and James. James probably stood there waiting for me, as expected. I wonder what would happen if I'd just go home instead of going with him. 

Niko looks at me and grabs my arm gently, "My dearest Dahlia, can you please tell James that you are going to go home with Sofia in her car so I can drive back home with James?"

"No", James replies before I could even open my mouth to say anything. 

"He is not letting me go home in his car because he and Dahlia have some stupid assignment to do and now I can't go home"

"Well you're not going with me", Sofia scoffs, "You broke my alarm clock this morning"

"Because its was waking EVERYONE ELSE BUT YOU", Niko insists.

I look up at James, "Why can't we just put him home first and then go-"

"No", James replies.

A sigh comes from Sofia, "Fine, go home with me then. But we're going to stop at Starbucks on the way"

Niko nods and the two siblings made their way to Sofia's car. 

I look up at James and see him already looking at me with a cocky smile on his face, "Ready to go, flower?"

His car has this wood like smell. Not the actual smell of wood but like the wood cologne men usually wear. Describing it in my head makes it sound real illogical, but it's fine. 

James said it would be a fifteen minute drive. I suggested we could go to the little ice cream shop around five minutes away from school, but he said he didn't want that. I don't understand why we couldn't just go there, but it's useless to discuss with James. That man is more stubborn than a bull. 

"Tell me something, Dahlia", James' voice takes me out of my thoughts. 

"Like what?", I ask him. 

"Anything", he replies, "for this group assignment to work you have to start talking"

"Why don't you start the conversation if you want to talk that bad?"

"I already have. You are lucky I suggested we'd go to get ice cream, I don't actually like ice cream"

"You don't like ice cream?", I halt, "then why did you suggest we'd go to get some?"

"Cause you like ice cream. I thought you knew I don't like ice cream, as kids I never was one to chase the ice cream truck every time we heard it coming"

Now that I think about it I've never seen James, even as kids, enjoy even a scoop of ice cream. Some of my fondest childhood memories are built of ice cream and sitting down and eating with Jacob, Camille and Sofia. 

"I must've never paid attention to it", I say looking at the road in front of us.