Can't be Bought

Chapter 9 - Ready or Not?

Saturday rolls around faster than I expected. Meghan and I head to volleyball practice together. I'm not really paying much attention to what she is saying, I can't help but think about what to wear tonight. I'm not sure where we are going or what we are doing. How can I plan for that? Meghan knocks me out of my trance by grabbing my arm. 

"So you have that date tonight?" She asks, smirking and raising her eyebrows. 

I pull our arms apart jokingly with a smile.

"Come on Meg." I sarcastically reply. 

"It's not like a real date, it's an auction date. We all know nothing happens, we just go do something together and that's that." I try to brush it off and act like I'm not excited, even though I can't stop thinking about it.

"Oh, you mean like what happened to Max last year?" Meghan looks at me, rolling her eyes. 

"That's because Max is awkward." She replies matter of factly. 

Ah yes, our friend Max. He was a senior last year and not to mention, a pretty attractive guy. He was auctioned off for a couple hundred dollars to a super cute girl, Ashley. Like most of the auction dates, it was awkward and went nowhere. They went to some park and had a picnic but it barely lasted an hour. He never saw that girl again. That's typical though. Half the time people don't end up planning a date so nothing ever happens. 

"I'm not talking about Max," I say sternly rolling my eyes back at her. 

"You know how these things go. I'm not going to get my hopes up. I'm sure we will just go get something to eat and then never speak again." Meghan sarcastically shakes her head as I hook our arms again. We head into practice. 

Why would I say that? I don't want that. 

Ugh, my thoughts need to stop, I can't focus. The practice goes horribly. I'm too in my head and couldn't focus on the ball. Coach benched me halfway through because she could tell I was out of sorts. I decided to jog home, leaving Meghan behind. I need time to think alone and I could use the extra time to get ready. 

I take a quick shower and head to my room to pick out my outfit. I stand in my towel, staring at my clothes. Why do I have so many? This is making it hard to choose. 

Since I don't know what we are doing, I decide to go for some pants, as I don't want to end up on a hike in a dress. I grab some white skinny jeans, hoping whatever we are doing won't get them too dirty. I spot one of my favorite crop tops. It's a pastel top with tan, blue and orange stripes. It ties in little bows on my shoulders and has a small peplum flounce at the bottom. It shows a tiny bit of my stomach, but I decide I'm alright with that. 

Satisfied, I pull on my jeans and top. I search through my closet and settle on the same tan platform sandals I wore to that party we went to. I grab my circle gold necklace and some small gold hoop earrings. 

I adjust my top and sit at my vanity. This time, I decided to add a small topknot to pull my hair back. My natural waves are perfect, so I don't have to curl my hair. I do my usual natural makeup look. I add a bit of red to my lips, not too much but just enough that my lips have some color. 

I stand up and walk over to the window, checking if he's here yet. I don't see anyone. I look through my closet, trying to find a purse. I settle on a black crossbody bag. I start to put my sunglasses and keys in my purse when I hear the doorbell ring.

"Coming!" I hear Meghan shout, followed by her footsteps down the stairs. I run out of my room to the stairs and spot her in a hurry. 

"Meghan!" I shout at her, trying to stop her from opening the door. 

She looks up at me, gives me a thumbs up and smiles. She turns back around and heads straight for the door. 

"Shit," I mumble, worried that she will embarrass me. I grab my phone and bag and head down the stairs quickly.

That's when I see her, leaning against the door inviting Maddox in. He steps through our door, looking around at our small apartment. Then his eyes land on me, he smirks. 

"Hi," I mutter out, quietly. Walking the last few steps. At the bottom, I clasp my hands together in front of my waist, waiting for a reply.

"Cammie. Ready to go?" He asks, looking me up and down with his eyes. I nod my head up and down. He puts his sunglasses on and turns to head out the door. He stops and holds the door, motioning for me to go first. I thank him and look back at Meghan who is grinning from ear to ear. She doesn't say anything which I appreciate. Maddox raises his eyebrows at her and nods his head in thanks, shutting the door behind him.

I notice his car, it's a Tesla. All black with the doors opened. The doors open up towards the sky, making it look like a bird in a strange way. He catches up with me just by walking. One step of his is equal to two of mine. He casually passes me and helps me into the car, shutting the door for me and heading to the driver's side.

My thoughts are racing as I analyze his car, it's very clean and smells like the ocean. The beach is my happy place so I am relieved to be surrounded by something familiar. He gets in the car, shutting the door and starting the car. 

Ready or not, here I go. I think to myself, focusing on my breathing. 

With that thought in my mind, I hear his voice mumble. 

"Hang on." I look for something to grab but I can't find anything. He suddenly floors the gas and we speed up quickly. I look at his speed and we are going 75, but the speed limit is only 25 here. 

He slows down and looks over at me, grinning. 

"You like that?" He asks me, staring at my expression. 

My eyes are wide and my hand over my chest I reply. 

"Actually yes." He laughs and so do I. It was bit of a surprise, but an exciting one. I liked it. 

"I was not prepared for that though, whew," I say, fanning my face as though I am hot. I am finally relieved and relax for a second. 

Maddox smiles, his dimples on full show as we make our way to wherever the heck we are going. He turns the music up and rolls down the windows. I stare out mine and let the wind blow my hair.  

Suddenly, we pull up to a building. I read it, Toyota Sports Center and start to smile. I know where we are!

"Skating?" I ask while watching him put the car in park, trying to hide my excitement. 

"Are we going ice skating?" I ask again, trying to get an answer.

He smirks, turning his head to look at me. 

"We sure are." He replies, opening his door. I try to get out, but I can't find my door handle. These stupid fancy cars are hard to figure out. I feel around, trying to find something that will open the door. By this time, Maddox has made it to my side of the car and is standing outside the window, looking in.

"Help." I joke, running my hands down the window as though I am trapped. He flashes a small smile and pulls the door up, setting me free. 

"I couldn't figure out how to get out of there." I joke, pointing at the car and pretending to be relieved. Maddox laughs, a sound I love. 

"Come on, let's go." He says, pointing towards the entrance. I follow him inside to see an empty rink, not a person in sight.