Thomas Verner was messing with me, I knew it. He was so confusing at times. He pretended like there was something on my face just for there to be nothing. Then he complimented me? The worst part was, I liked it. I actually liked it when Thomas complimented me. How twisted was that?
When Twine handed our papers back, I was happy with my result. I deserved it but I couldn't help feeling that with the distraction of getting a job and all of my family troubles that this grade wasn't to reappear.
As a result, I decided to become a lot more observant in class but so far, the only thing I had observed is the amount of girls that were constantly staring at Thomas. I couldn't wrap my head around what the amazing thing about this guy was that everyone seemed to be obsessed with.
He paid no attention to it and seemed to be entirely focused on something else.
I tucked my paper back in my bag and safely zipped it away before packing the rest of my things away.
"You're taking longer than usual to pack up." I heard Thomas' voice from my left say.
"What?" I asked, utterly astounded.
"Your things. Usually you pack up really quickly, but you haven't for the last few days."
I looked at him, eyes wide. Had he been paying this much attention to me? See what I mean? Messing with me.
He looked shocked too, like he had admitted to something he wasn't supposed to.
It was true though. I had started to find Thomas slightly more tolerable so I no longer felt the need to get away from him as quickly as possible. Sure I didn't like him but that didn't mean that I had to nearly sprain my ankle from how quickly I was rushing out of the lecture hall. Waves of guilt still hit me for it. How could I find the man that ruined my mother's letter tolerable?
I turned away, suddenly uncomfortable and got up. Now I was desperate to get out of that lecture hall when the perfect opportunity arose. A girl, she looked to be around my age, approached Thomas and his usual placid expression that he gave me turned sour. She had bouncy blonde hair and bright green eyes. She was smaller than me and wore black leggings and a hoodie. I glanced down at my baggy jeans and grey jumper. She was the exact opposite to me.
She smiled at him and said, "Hey Thomas, I saw you at training today. You were really good."
I gave her a smile, wishing her the best with this guy but she didn't return it. Oh.
"Thanks." He said, packing up his things, not really looking at her.
"Did you see me? I'm pretty sure we made eye contact."
"No. I didn't." He said curtly.
"I was in the window..."
I decided to take this opportunity to leave. I walked around them, heading to the exit while tucking a strand of my hair away from my eyes.
I hurried to the entrance to the building, desperate to leave. I scanned the crowd of scattered students, trying to spot warm brown hair and a freckled face but came up empty handed.
Just then I got a ping on my phone. Mable was the only one that had my phone number so I knew who it was right away. I didn't trust anyone with my number. I couldn't risk it getting back to my family. The red phone, I didn't carry everywhere with me, therefore I could keep it in a separate part of my mind, a part of my mind that belonged at home.
This way, if my father ever called, I felt like I had some semblance of control over it. It was stupid, but I needed to feel like I could control something because it stopped me from throwing up every other day and biting my nails in an anxious fit until my fingers were raw.
I stared down at my apple phone in the latest model. This was the only expensive thing I had allowed Mable to give me. She gifted it to me last Christmas and since Christmas was my favourite time of year, I couldn't say no. Plus she said that she would be an anxious wreck if she couldn't contact me and knowing what that felt like first hand, I couldn't refuse. It put my baking set I had got her to shame but she uses it every weekend so I count that as a win.
Mable: I'm really sorry Val but I completely forgot that I was going shopping with my Mom. I had to leave early - you can make it back on your own right?
I typed a quick reply, not wanting to worry her.
Me: Don't worry, have fun, I'll just take the subway xx
As I was about to leave, I glanced outside to see that it was pouring, and I mean pouring with rain. Not the English drizzle I was used to but a complete downpour. The worst part was, the nearest Subway station was a 15 minute walk from here.
I debated my options. One, I could wait for it to clear up but a quick glance at the weather app told me that it would not stop for another two hours. Two, I firm it and walk in the rain.
Just as I was about to walk through those doors and get soaked I heard a familiar annoying, deep voice say, "You forgot this."
I turned around to see Thomas standing there, holding my pen out. I looked up to his face which was quite a feat considering he was so tall. He had an earnest expression on his face and he was already looking into my eyes. They trailed down to my hair before making their way to my eyes once again.
I frowned. He drove to and from school and the car park was on the other side of school. He came all this way just to give me my pen back?
I took it from his hand, our fingers touching for an instant and I bristled at the contact.
I tried to play it off and said, "Oh. Thanks." But from the smirk that he had, I knew he knew the effect that touch had had on me.
Mortifying.
His eyes moved from mine to the downpour outside. He frowned before saying, "How are you getting home?"
Why did he care? Why was I always running into the one person in this school that I despised?
"Oh, I was just going to take the subway." I shrugged while putting the pen in my pocket.
A look of disgust washed over his face. Of course he was disgusted, snobby prick.
"You'll get wet." He pointed out.
"Yes, I'm well aware."
"I can drive you home if you want."
I stared at him in complete utter shock.
"You're offering me a ride?" I said, surprised.
"You could get ill." He said. He seemed completely indifferent. Maybe he gave rides to everyone.
"Do you just hand out rides to strangers normally?" I asked, wary.
Before he could answer, I heard a voice say, "Verner!" I looked over to see the guy that was on the rink with Mable, Marcus, Thomas and I a few weeks back.
Thomas instantly scowled, not bothering to look at the guy before saying, "Fuck off, Simon."
Simon didn't need to be told twice and was about to walk away before he spotted me and gave me a wink. I raised my eyebrows at him, looking and feeling quite repulsed.
Thomas turned to look at him and he either said something or looked at him in a certain way because Simon scurried off.
Thomas turned back to me and said, "Do you want a ride?"
"I don't know, you could be a serial killer." I said, tone very serious.
He laughed a proper laugh, one that I had never heard before. "I'm not a serial killer. And besides, I gave you a ride before, didn't I?"
I looked at the guy I hated and then I looked at the pouring rain. Two less than perfect options but he did have a point. He had given me a ride before and I didn't die and I didn't want to get ill when I was starting my new job in two days.
I sighed. "Okay."
---
I was in Thomas Verner's car again. How did this happen? I looked at him from the passenger seat and wondered how I got here.
I mean, was it really that hard to avoid him? I was doing a pretty shit job.
We were sitting in an uncomfortable silence and I had no idea what to say. He, on the other hand, looked completely at ease, his hair slightly damp from the rain and his black t shirt clinging to his muscles.
Jesus Christ.
"You can drop me four streets from here." I decided to say, not knowing what else I could say.
"I remember where you live. With Mable right?"
"Right." God, I wanted to get out of this car as soon as possible.
"She's the only person you know in New York right?" He asked, glancing over to me before putting his eyes back on the road. He remembered that I said that. He sounded like he actually cared which took me aback because I thought that all Thomas cared about was himself. Maybe I wasn't completely right about him.
"Yeah, her and I guess Jack too." I said.
His eyebrows pulled together in a frown.
"Jack?" He asked.
"He works in my local coffee shop. I've only known him for a couple of months but he's a friend."
"Right." Was all Thomas said. He looked like he was thinking very hard about something.
He pressed a button and the radio came on. Amy Winehouse's 'Tears Dry On Their Own' started playing. My favourite song. He was about to change it when I said, "No, leave it. I love Amy Winehouse."
My cheeks flamed up in embarrassment. Who was I to tell him what he could and couldn't play in his own car?
"Sorry." I muttered.
"Did Valerie Fawkes just apologise to me?" He said in pretend shock.
"Yeah, yeah don't let it get to your head too much." I said, a small smile on my lips. Then I remembered that I was supposed to hate him and quickly wiped the grin off of my face.
He seemed to notice the change because he said, "Is she your favourite singer?"
"Yeah, she actually lived near where I did, in North London." I said. I looked at him again and he wore an expression that gave me the impression that he was storing this information away in his head.
"Your favourite song?" He asked.
"This one, actually." I said.
"So she was number one on your Spotify Wrapped then?" He asked, giving me one of those rare smiles. I didn't know how to feel about Thomas. I hated him. I think. But then he asked me questions about myself, which no one ever does, which got me thinking that he isn't such a bad guy.
"Oh, I've only had a phone for like three months." I said shyly. What the fuck was I doing being shy around some guy? Thomas, no less.
He gave me a funny look but didn't comment. Once we reached my apartment, he turned off the engine and I was about to get out of the car and thank him when he said, "Wait."
I stopped in my tracks and turned back to face him, my hand still on the door handle.
He ran a hand through his hair and he looked... nervous? I don't think I've ever seen Thomas nervous.
"I just- well I wanted to say... like I know it was a while ago-" I gave him a strange look. What the fuck was going on?
"I'm sorry." He blurted.
My mood changed into something less pleasant as I remembered my letter. Then I felt a wave of guilt so strong that it stole my breath for even forgetting about it in the first place.
I wasn't sure he was apologising for this so I asked, "What for?"
"That first day." He cringed and then continued, "I shoved you over into a fucking puddle and didn't even say sorry. I was an asshole. I am an asshole. And well... I'm sorry." He met my eyes and I was shocked with his sincerity.
"Why apologise now? It was weeks ago." I said in a small voice. I didn't expect this from him. I never expected him to apologise to me because I just thought that he was that much of a dickhead.
He looked embarrassed and I suddenly realised, "You didn't remember it happened."
"Look, I know this isn't an excuse but I had just found out that my brother was in the hospital and I was going to go and get him-"
I immediately cut him off, "Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" I said, covering my mouth with my hands.
"What?" He said, a look of pure confusion covering his face.
"Your brother was in hospital and I was mad about a stupid puddle!" I said, embarrassed.
"I feel like I've done this wrong. This is one of the first times I've apologised to someone but I don't think you're supposed to say it back." He said.
I ignored him, "I haven't even asked you if your brother is okay!" I exclaimed, absolutely mortified. "Is he?" I added tentatively.
"He's fine." Thomas said curtly.
"He's grand?" I checked.
"Yeah he's... grand?" Thomas said, smiling at me.
"I really am sorry. I know what it's like to have someone you care about in hospital." I said softly. He looked like he was about to ask me more but decided against it and instead asked me something that made a stone drop in my stomach.
"I heard something about a letter?"
Fuck.
"That's probably my fault too so I'm just going to apologise anyway-"
"It's fine."
"Are you sure?" He asked, giving me a soft look.
"Don't worry about it."
His face softened and he looked like he wanted to ask me more but before he could, to my relief, my side of the car door swung open.
I swivelled around to see Mable outside of it, drenched in rain, holding a baseball bat.
"Mable?!" I yelped and nearly jumped out of my seat. "What the fuck?!"
"I saw you in a car with a strange man and came down to help. I know how you get anxious. Oh, hey Thomas." She finished warmly. "Wait- Thomas?!"
Thomas looked like he wanted to shut the door in her face and continue the conversation but before he could, I was already stepping out.
"Thanks for the ride." I said to him.
"Anytime." He replied and he looked like he meant it. It also sounded a lot like an offer. I didn't know how I felt about that.
"A ride?!" Mable said as I closed the car door.
"Would you put that down?" I said, gesturing to the huge baseball bat she was swinging around. "You can barely hold that thing."
"A ride?!" She repeated, following me as I made my way to the door to our building.
"Well, it's raining and he offered." I shrugged like it was nothing but we both knew that that was a lie.
"He offered? Thomas Verner offered to give you a ride." She said in disbelief.
"Is that so hard to believe?" I asked, walking up the stairs to our apartment.
"Um... yes! The guy hates everyone and now all of a sudden he's offering rides?"
"I don't know what you want me to say." I said truthfully.
"What happened?!" She asked, looking wild with anticipation.
"I think you need to calm down." I said, unlocking our front door.
"Calm down?! You were in Thomas' car! What did you guys talk about?" She squealed.
I shrugged off my bag and Mable put the baseball bat down before I said, "Well, actually he apologised."
"I knew it!" Mable said all giddy.
I opened the window and reached for my cigarettes.
"You should really quit that." Mable said, slightly more deflated.
"I know." I said truthfully. The thing was, when I was feeling anxious it helped to calm me down even if it was slowly killing me. "And hang on a second... what do you mean you knew it?"
Mable turned to me, a guilty look on her face. "Well..."
---
Thanks so much for reading. Idek if anyone is but I've really enjoyed writing this so I guess that's all that matters LMAO okay next chapter coming soon xx
Word count: 2727