Secrets

Chapter Twelve

Hope you enjoy!

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Life is full of decisions. As human beings, what happens to us is based off of the choices we make. Our outcome depends on whether those choices were timed right or timed wrong, and whether or not they were acceptable or looked down upon.

There comes points in your life in which you can't possibly make the right decision, yet you are still required to decide. The people around you may judge you and think lesser of you, but you know in your heart that you did what had to play out.

Then there are times when you know what you are capable of, and you know what is socially right in this society, however you find yourself doing the complete opposite. This is seen as making a wrong decision.

I sit abnormally still on a wobbly stool in my kitchen, staring intently at my empty bowl. My mother is walking through the kitchen, searching for the ingredients to make fresh, baked cookies. She doesn't question my quietness, or my seemingly strange mood. The older woman probably just assumes that I'm bothered by the fact that I have to return to school for yet another day.

However that is not the case, because I am not attending school today. I pick up my bowl and scoot off of the bar-stool. Walking over to the white, porcelain sink, I make sure to rinse the delicate dish out before leaving it sitting in the left side of the sink, soaking in water.

Grabbing my backpack from its position on the floor, I sling it over my shoulder before hugging my mom from behind as a way of departing the room.

I find myself standing outside in the slightly windy, chilly air of a Thursday morning. Instead of having Sean pick me up or having my mother drive me to the educational hell for hormonal teenagers, I quickly make my way down the street, wandering even further away from the high school. Skipping my classes is the easy part. What comes next is going to be an unexpected ride, however this time the setting is not the mysterious Secretò Bus.

I make my way down the leaf covered sidewalk, my heeled boots clicking against the concrete. Glancing at the house that had the mysterious van and suspicious looking man, I take note of the fact that nobody is home.

After journeying not too far from my house, I spot an expensive looking, red car that seems extremely out of place in the middle-class neighborhood that I live in.

Approaching the vehicle slowly, I knock on the passenger's side window, which is tinted as dark as the devil's soul. The window rolls down, revealing a familiar, smirking young man sitting confidently in the driver's seat. "I'm surprised that you actually showed up," he admits as I open the door and carefully climb into the car.

"Yeah," I reply as I fix my wavy, chocolate brown hair in the rear-view mirror. "So am I."

Nerves begin to build, creating pressure in my chest and causing me to become very anxious. The car begins to move forward, driving away from my source of safety. I look sideways at Jay, feeling uncomfortable, unsafe, and unwelcome. "Where exactly are you taking me?"

His arctic blue eyes flash towards me for a moment, before he returns to intently watching the road. "You said you want to be able to trust me." I nod in agreement, confirming that is statement is true. "That's our goal for today. You and I are going to spend a day together, and I'm going to prove to you that not only can you trust me, but that the Secretò Bus is truly safe and a wonderful environment."

"You avoided the question, so I guess you're just not going to answer." I sigh heavily, trying to understand the complex man beside me. "Is it really necessary for you to take me somewhere?"