Its 4:00 pm, Ava would be waiting for me. God... why can't I drive. Sometimes, it feels like a disability, like now. I mean I'm 17, people of my age fly cars and I don't even know how to start one. Life sucks!
"Cole, Can you please drop me at Ava's house?" I almost pleaded to him, I have to because Rayna wasn't home yet. She has been coming home late due to work pressure otherwise she takes me wherever I have to be, this extra pampering is the reason that I don't know how to drive .
He was lounging on the couch in the living room and playing video games. "What's in it for me, lil sis ?" he rolled in the couch to lay on his stomach and asked sitting his chin over an arm of it.
"So mean of you Cole ," I scowled.
"World works this way lil sis ," he said in a rather old wise man tone and chuckled. He again rolled in the couch to his initial position and continued playing his stupid game with his back resting against the foam cushions.
"Ugh...", an angry puppy look occupied my face, He's a house of annoyance. I headed towards the door to walk to Ava's house.
As soon as he saw me grabbing my jacket and stuff, probably dad's angry face would have flashed through his mind. He jumped out of the couch and asked me from behind, "Wait, where are you going ?
"I'll go there myself", I yelled back as I was stepping out of the porch, my fainted voice made its way to his ears.
"Hey, No, no, I can't let you go alone. I'm coming." he hastily picked up his jacket and the keys of the car and followed me stumbling through the front door. I didn't stop walking to take revenge for irritating me when I asked him for the first time.
"Dad, will be happy to know that I'm taking care of myself and not bothering you for anything. He will feel great," I kept a hand over my face to hide my sarcastic smile. I enjoy infuriating him as much as he does annoying me.
I turned my head behind, still walking, and saw him stand for a while, imagining consequences. He shook of the thoughts and started approaching me.
"Fine, I'll even pick you up from her home. She hulk," he said stepping into my way.
" I knew it", I said pulling his cheeks and laughing.
"You're so mean Claire," he frowned.
"World works this way lil bro", I chuckled giving him the taste of his own medicine, "I love you Cole," I passed him a warm wide smile which he returned with an equally pleasing one.
"Okay, wait here while I take the car out of the driveway," he pulled out the car and drove towards where I was standing, I got in his black love.
I must complete my project by the end of this week, If I want to graduate. Mr. Pastor has strictly said that no delayed submissions will be considered under any circumstances. I've got the whole week, I'll finish. I shifted my thoughts to the scenery running along outside the window. London is actually very beautiful, I realized as I lost in the view flashing through the glass of the window.
"Okay, now go but be ready at 7:00 p.m., I'll pick you up", like always he broke my meditation as we stopped at the texted address.
"Yes, Yes, sure, I'll be ready," I assured him and climbed out of my seat. By this time Sophie was already parking in the driveway. I approached her but Cole scurried away. He wouldn't have noticed Sophie, I guess. I let out a giggle.
" Hey, dear," she greeted me as excitedly as she did the first time.
"Hey, I have to say that I'm astonished by your dressing sense," it was difficult to hold the compliment as I guess she always looks stunning, like this morning and now.
"Well, I happen to be a French girl," she said smiling," fashion runs in our veins". I nodded in assent.
Both of us went through the front door as Ava opened it for us. As soon as Sophie saw Ava, she grasped her in her tight hold and I couldn't help smiling at that, 'you have my condolences', my subconscious commented on Ava's condition. Sophie was lot more comfortable there than me, as if it was her usual haunt.
"Leave me Sophie, otherwise tomorrow's headlines will read that Sophie Richards killed her Friend Ava Marshall with a hug!"
She released Ava with a jerk and she jolted back. Three of us burst into peels of laughter.
"So, let's get started," Ava said sitting on the couch. Ava's living room was splendid, they seemed loaded. Most of the furniture was modern and the decorations appeared exotic. But Ava seemed a simple girl, there were no traces of contempt in her demeanor.
"Mr. and Mrs. Marshall aren't home, I guess," Sophie remarked lounging comfortably on the couch.
"Yes, mom's friend was sick so she's staying at her place and dad's on a business trip, he always is, he has hardly got any time for us," she took a brief pause, more like sighed and then, retrieved her wandered mind via shaking her head.
"Now back to what we were reading", she uttered.
I felt the sorrow in her voice when she mentioned her dad. I've been through this, but I knew that Ava was wrong, no parent does this intentionally, so she shouldn't get them wrong as he has got a family to feed.
Although, I didn't say anything because if I had, it could have turned into a heated argument for I forget to stop when I'm trying to prove my point, moreover, how much do I know her? so I couldn't conclude anything in haste. I kept mum.
"Both of you are utterly boring," Sophie sounded dejected.
One hour went with me and Ava pondering over the books. Sophie checked her phone like million times in this interval. She kept switching her positions till she settled for her legs over the back of the couch and felt comfortable.
"Enough, now break time," Sophie snapped for she was really getting bored.
"But its only been an hour", I said checking out my phone through my reading glasses.
"What? it seemed an eternity, now get out of the books and lets have a little chit-chat so that we can get to know each other better," she pulled out my glasses and said with a beaming smile. We gave in to her and closed the books.
"Okay then break, I am gonna bring some snacks", Ava left for the kitchen.
"So Claire, do you have a boyfriend? and if not I volunteer to get you one," she said cupping her face with her hands.
Sophie was so straight forward that she almost got me chocked as water was about to trickle down the inner lining of my throat to oesophagus (food pipe).
"No, no Sophie, I'm not a girlfriend material at all. I want to major in medicine and these kind of momentary fake relationships are just distractions from your goal, but thank you so much for your generous offer," I tried my best to explain myself but what came next from her totally assured me that all this went in vain.
"OMG! this can't happen grandma, you know what? I've got my second project as you. First one is to get Louis Martin and Ava Marshall together and second is to get Claire and..... well I'll find out soon."
"Wait, whose Louis Ava," I raised a brow with my lips forming a smirk and asked in order to pull her leg.
"Louis as in that well built, cute, Spanish boy who you can always find with Alex. Ava has a huge crush on him!" Sophie filled me in.
"Stop! Sophie," Ava snapped to cut her off. She was visibly blushing, her cheeks turned a crimson shade of red.
"Louis and Ava, Umm," I said taunting her.
She laughed it off.
I wanted to know about Mr. Whatever like who he is, why he's such a jerk and is he the same with everyone else or only I'm a victim, not because I was interested and something, but only for satiating general curiosity. I'm not interested, you got me, I made myself clear to well myself.
So I asked her hesitatingly, "Umm.. Sophie, whose that jerk, I mean about whom you were talking about this morning?"
"Are you interested in my best friend," Sophie said jumping out of her seat and shifting near to me making a thud, her eyes wide opened augmenting a wide smile on her face.
"What? No! he's just so annoying. Wait, your best friend? I turned to Ava with a puzzled look, she nodded confirming that.
"Yes!", Sophie squealed.
"Well, I don't think so as he's the playboy of the school. He treats girls as projects and once he's done with them, he dumps them," Ava said slating him.
"So mean", I scowled in disgust.
"Well, I'm still here Ava and he's not that bad as you bad mouth him and girls throw themselves over him all the time, he makes himself very clear in the beginning that he's not into keeping relationships," Sophie scowled defending her best friend.
"No offence, Sophie", Ava said half heartedly reconciling her.
"None taken", Sophie smiled," But yes Claire, he's not a boyfriend material for innocent girls like you. So I'm on the same page as Ava on this".
There's no one like Sophie Richards.
(Phone rings)
"Hey, Claire I'm already outside, come out", Cole ordered over the call.
I didn't realize that its already 7:00 pm, "Yeah I'm coming", I hanged up and thanked Ava for helping me. Sophie hugged her goodbye, this time a sophisticated hug.
I began collecting my stuff. Ava handed me over two pen drives and said that one contains my project and the other is for backup. I took them and carefully placed them in the transparent pouch of my report file itself so that there will be no chance of misplacing.
I and Sophie headed outside, Cole was standing by the car. He shrugged his shoulders and threw his hands into air to convey his anger, for he had to wait.
"Who's he?" Sophie asked me eying him.
"He's my twin brother Cole", I answered.
"He's really cute".
I saw her with my brows drawn together and lips raised up to a side forming a disrelished, forced smile.
"Just kidding, never mind", she said perceiving my look and waved to Cole and he waved back.
The very idea of them... together rendered me nauseating ..No, no , I shook off my thoughts to pierce the bubbles of my sickening imagination. I'm just overthinking, I consoled myself.
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Wassup dear readers, here's chapter 5 in your services. Would you like to tell the expected ships till now ;) , waiting for your lovely comments. Suggestions are always welcomed :)
with lots of love,
M