Chapter 4 - Pearl the Professional Chef
I woke up the next morning, all alone in my house. I stayed in bed, looking up at the ceiling trying to forget that my parents have been gone for exactly 15 hours. I lazily got out of bed, brushed my teeth, got dressed and walked downstairs, still feeling dizzy.
The doorbell rang and I yawned, walking over and opening it. Standing in front of me was a familiar figure with cargo pants, a purple t‐shirt with a cartoon on it, and the same dog tags as yesterday.
"Hey th‐" I turned around and left Lucas standing blankly at the doorstep. Why did he come here? I went into the kitchen to get a granola bar and heard Lucas following me. "You know, you're very rude?" he said.
"I've never had people come to my door before," I said in monotone, like I was not surprised he came to my house. "Why are you here, Lucas?"
"I'm sure I didn't tell you my name yesterday," he said, raising an eyebrow. I didn't say anything and gave him a pointed look. "Right, you should've heard from school because I'm that popular." He paused. "Why are you looking at me so scornfully?"
"Because you're so full of yourself," I answered. "Part of the reason why I know you is because of the million introductions and cheesy games we had to play at the beginning of the school year. It's not only because you're some popular douche bag. Now tell me why you're here."
"My dad said to take you to school and drop you off, too," he said, twirling his car keys on his index finger.
"What?" I blurted. "No. Way." Lucas seemed surprised for a minute, but he regained his composure.
"Seriously, do you hate me that much?" he said. I shook my head, picking up my backpack and slinging it against one shoulder. "You know I don't mind because I go to the same school."
"Okay look at it this way," I said. "You don't seem to understand that a person like you should never mesh with a person like me. If anyone else saw, all the hate will go to me. Like there isn't enough already."
"I don't mind," he said.
"But, I do," I said. "You'll be fine, because everyone loves you. But then people are going to think 'Oh my god, why's she hanging out with Lucas. Oh my god, did Lucas break up with Brigit because of her, oh my god'." I used an extremely clingy, girly, and annoying tone to imitate the people in my school and rolled my eyes a lot to bring the effect. Lucas laughed and put a fist to his mouth, and I stared at him in disbelief.
"Alright, I get you," he said. "I'll drop you off at a corner where the catwalk is and you can go on from there." I only gave in because I wasn't willing to walk in the boring sun outside. I locked the house and saw the lustrous, sleek car waiting on my driveway. It was shiny and black, flaring under the sunlight. Oh how much I wished I could drive and get to own a car like that. As soon as I looked at the logo on the hood, I knew it was a Mercedes Benz. So lucky.
"Enough admiring my car," he said, going into the driver's seat. I put my backpack with his in the backseat and buckled up in the passenger seat. His car smelled like mint, cologne, and cinnamon, just like him.
"Does anyone else use this car?" I said, rolling down my window.
"I would kill anyone who does," he said, starting the car and reversing it onto the driveway. I pulled down the little flap of the mirror and looked at myself for a minute. I sighed and put it back up. "You know, I searched everywhere in your room yesterday. For make‐up."
"You're such a snoop, you asshole," I said. He chuckled and I slouched as low as possible so the students walking on the sidewalk couldn't see me.
