Red Hair, Black Soul (Red & Black #1)

16 | She

I rarely dedicate a chapter to someone, but when I do, I have my reasons. Now is the time for @MissPanicAtTheDisco, probably my biggest fan ever (apart from my Mom and best friend, they'll always be no.1). 19 comments in one night is definitely something. Thank you <3 

***

Friday's ceasefire ended the moment Mum came up with another of her wonderful ideas.

Both she and Dad want to invite Jed and his family over for a make up dinner. It's their way of saying: 'Sorry our daughter is a walking, hot-tempered disaster, but let's eat some turkey and forget about it.' It's almost our little personal Thanksgiving, where the word 'thanks' is replaced with 'sorry'. Jed is supposed to ship his happy little Mayflower and park it in our driveway, and I'm supposed to be okay with it.

Hell no.

I tried to get the idea out of their heads, but there's no use. They think it's an American thing. That it'll be polite and nice, and that both they and we will become best friends forever. I don't think they realise how the world works nowadays.

I don't think I do anymore.

I've spent the entire weekend arguing with them. We've gone through a gazillion of arguments and fights until Dad threatened he was going to call another emergency meeting if we don't shut up. That's another thing. Whenever I do - or don't - want to do something, they come up with the idea of an emergency meeting. After they discovered it's sure to shut me up, they started exploiting it mercilessly. Now I have to learn how to ignore it or else they'll have some sort of a power over me. And becoming obedient is not an option. Especially not in this case.

As to Everett, he's been surprisingly quiet through all of this. Normally, he tends to side with our parents, especially lately, but this time, he remained neutral. He even tried to help me and persuade them to abandon the idea if I felt uncomfortable with it, but when they didn't listen, he simply backed up. It wasn't much, but still- we're making progress.

On Monday morning, I try simulating a sickness but no one falls for it. I'm delegated off to school with the commandment of finding Jed.

Finding Jed my ass.

I pray not to see him the entire day. I've made a deal with myself. If I spot him, - or rather, he spots me, - I tell him. If not, I tell my parents he wasn't at school and wave the reconciliation dinner goodbye. Makena's not back yet, which means she won't be the reason the two of us stumble across each other. The chances of two people coming across each other in such a big school are close to zero. Even with my luck, our eventual meeting is almost impossible. It's not like we see each other every day. Why would today be special?

I spend the breaks hidden in the furthest corner of the classroom and eat the lunch with a speed that in other circumstances would gain me a registration in the Guinness World Record. When the last bell rings, I shoot up from my seat, nearly stumbling over my own two feet in my rush to the door. A few people throw me irritated glances as I elbow my way through the crowd but I don't really care. I have my eyes set on one goal, and it's right in front of me. I make a beeline to the front door, praying to God I won't break anything, or worse, throw someone down the stairs or across the corridor.

The odds must be in my favor because I manage to get to the door without any incidents. I don't count all of those people I had to push or elbow in the ribs to pass through - let them pay for how many bruises I used to sport before I learned how to handle your own in high school. My heart thunders in my chest and my breath comes out in short pants when I reach the door. I grabbed my jacket during the last break so that I wouldn't have to go to my locker and spend any extra minute in the endangered territory. Satisfied, I make my way to the door and congratulate myself for a well-performed action. Somebody even holds the door open for me and I pass through like a queen, throwing a hurried thank-you over my shoulder. Grinning to myself, I adjust the straps of my backpack and march off toward the parking lot. I'm just about to pass the group of girls standing near the bicycle stand when someone speaks. To me.