Escapade » z.m

28. My Nerdity Is Exposed (I'm No Nerd, Btw)

The plan was, that Zayn would stay by the scooter almost a mile away from their home, mostly not to be seen by anyone other than the two sisters, because while Gemma and Every's home was in the remote part of the town, their neighbours, according to Gemma, were the nosiest people she had ever laid eyes on. The neighbour's daughter, for instance, never lost a chance to demolish their family's image in the town, by spreading the most ridiculous rumours Gemma ever had the pleasure of overhearing from people, who recounted the stories with their own added flair, and had nothing better to do.

Adding cherry to the cake, their daughter-whatever her name was, Zayn hadn't quite caught it while Gemma blabbered about her against the wind- was also a student of Imperial University, and if she were to just happen to lurk around in her garden at this godawful hour, she would surely see Zayn, which would increase the chances of him going into detention by almost two hundred percent. Therefore, he had to stay alert, and stay safe. At least, that's what she said.

Part of the reason, Zayn deduced, was that Gemma didn't like the prospect of leaving her scooter alone while they went to bring Every out, but he could simply be exaggerating.

Naturally, the plan did not work.

Zayn had had enough with all the rules, he had them for most part of his life, and now, when he finally felt like he had escaped every confine, he wouldn't lose a second of it before this dreamer's life was taken away from him.

And, when he had come this far, from jumping down the railings to driving the scooter to her home at the odd hours of the night, he might as well risk it and enjoy at the stake of suspension from the University.

If he is living his dream, he thought, he might as well live it to the fullest.

So, keeping that self imbued foreboding advice in mind, he shoved Gemma's warnings to the back of his head, and followed after her, down the path, towards her house.

Truth be told, though, while he walked in her wake, he had expected their home to be on one of the rare vibrant bustling streets of Ravenford, where liveliness prevailed even at night, but on the contrary, it was in a rather hushed part of the town, almost like the town had a countryside of its own, if some were to call it that.

There were trees all around, and an unpaved road connected the avenue to the main road where most of the traffic was.

The gravel crushed beneath his shoes, but amidst the trees, he was warmer than he had been on the scooter while he rode, streamlining the sharp wind that hit him.

Gemma was already inside through the metal gate, that had creaked when she had opened it, but it wasn't too loud. It was almost soft in its movements. Like her touch had made it want to smoothen itself.

Zayn was almost in awe, standing behind the nearest tree he thought provided a good hideaway for him, if he were to be spied on by far away neighbours, because the fence that bounded their house was engulfed in flowers of every kind the descending October could favour.

Their dwelling was a two storey standalone house, the kind for a single family, with the fence tinted with as many flowers as it could laden itself with without crumpling down from the weight of them.

There were two more houses that he could see from his vantage, standing close to Gemma's and quite similar in the architecture, but it didn't have the same plush flowers hemming it. Nor did it have a certain ambience to it, the way the dimmed lights coming from the windows of Gemma's house seemed to have. Her house felt almost welcoming, as if calling you in to sit and enjoy it's hospitality.

From this distance, and the inky night, it was difficult for him to recognise them all, but with what the wide range of colours had to offer, he could tell there were rows of heathers and viburnums, at least, adorning the not-so-high wooden fence. He could tell it wasn't meant to keep people out, but a way to keep the flowers in.