Today is the 1st of October.
It's the last day of our carpooling arrangement.
Has it been a month and a half already?
"Sasha I just want to start by thanking—"Jacob begins but stops once I send him a death glare through the rearview mirror.
All of us have been in a somber mood ever since we got the notice on the school's official page.
I thought I'd be the most affected by this but all my friends have been equally sad.
How do I explain this?
All of us know that carpooling is not going to end our friendship or something. We still have many different ways to communicate and hang out, but the idea of letting go of something that brought us all so much closer together hurts tremendously.
The confines of my previously lonely car suddenly became the hub of gossip, random chit-chat, dissing each other's music tastes, jamming to some common favorite songs, playing truth or dare, and so on.
Our journey became all the more fun than the destination itself.
But our destination is school...
Anything is better than school.
Never mind, that was a poor comparison.
"It's not like we won't meet, stop being such a Debbie Downer Jacob," Sam says and chuckles dryly.
"Who knew getting our parking spaces back would suck so much."
"Have you seen 'I am Legend' Sam?" Anne asks and a huge grin settles on my face.
Our lunchtime is unusually silent and I'm glad Anne decided to start making conversation, even if it's a little irrelevant
"Huh?" Sam asks, clearly confused at the randomness of her question.
"Have you seen 'I am—"
"I heard you the first time, why are you asking me this?"
"Well did you know that the pet dog that Will Smith had was also called Sam...Short for Samantha?"
"Anne?"
"Yeah?"
"How is this relevant to anything?"
"Just stating a correlation," She says and continues eating.
And that's it, no more conversation.
Until...
"Did you know that the pet dog was a German shepherd? Sam—The German Shepherd."
Sam drops her fork with a loud clatter and looks at Anne exhaustedly. All of us burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of the conversation.
Amidst our laughing, we hear a loud clearing of throat behind me. Everyone except Matt and I look at the person with shock. I slowly turn my head around to see, Ryan.
Oh no.
Honestly, Can this day get any worse?
I definitely think not.
"Am I interrupting something?" Ryan asks in a sickeningly sweet voice that makes me want to throw up.
All of us don't even bother acknowledging him with a response but that only seems to egg him on because he just pulls up a chair from somewhere and sits in between Jacob and Anne.
Can't this guy read the room? We don't need his company.
Anne bites her whole lower lip hard while Jacob sighs and rolls his eyes.
I just look down at my plate and don't even bother looking up at him.
"I didn't mean to intrude, I just wanted to say hello. It has been a very long time since I have seen you guys."
"A good thing that is" Jacob mutters making Ryan glare at him.
"Did you have something to Jacob?" Ryan asks rhetorically and Jacob sends him a glare of his own.
"I think you have overstayed your welcome here, Ryan. Could you please just leave us alone at least this time around?" Sam says making Ryan smirk a little.
"Now now Sammy, what's the rush? Look, I know that I haven't been the best person to you guys but come on, I'm not looking for any trouble now. I just want us to start over." Ryan says so convincingly that you'd immediately melt.
But we know better.
The guy is a natural actor.
"Is there something you need Ryan? Why are you here?" Nathan asks calmly and Ryan looks at him with confusion.
"Ah, Nathan...The new basketball champion. Can I just be honest with you real quick? When I saw you a few days ago I could've sworn that you aren't that baggy shirt, nerdy glasses kinda guy. You know? But now... Geez, getting all the girls you want. Let me guess", he turns to look at Sam, "after the breakup with Tim and Nathan being popular and all that, the switch must've been fairly easy"
All of the heads snap in Ryan's direction in disbelief.
I mean we know that guy has some serious issues but reliving the weirdness that he radiates is making us feel disgusted at his sucky actions.
"You know Ryan, if I were you, which is a punishment of its own, I'd ask you to rethink the words that come out of your mouth next," Nathan says and looks at Ryan with an impassive face.
Ryan just raises his hands in mock surrender and laughs.
A maniacal one too, I might add.
"You've changed," Ryan says
"And yet you, sadly, haven't," Nathan says and raises an eyebrow.
Ryan just chuckles and looks around the table, until his eyes land on me...
Oh god
"Who's this?" He asks and looks at me up and down perversely.
Is he for real?
I was his go-to target for all the time he knew me...Did he seriously forget?
Wait... He doesn't remember me...
Heck yeah!
I am so freaking happy right now.
His eyes are still on me as he continues to scan my face, he raises an eyebrow as though waiting for me to reply to his question.
I don't want to reply but I'm worried that my lack of response might cause him to behave irrationally but before I could contemplate further, Ryan leans a little on the table to look at me closely.
"You look vaguely familiar," He says and my eyes widen.
Damn it, he's going to remember me and I'm going to be the laughingstock in school this year as well.
Just like all those years ago.
I wish I could just, for once, not cower to his foolish manipulative games and bullying.
Maybe I could do something different this time.
I look up and see his gray eyes, I immediately avert my gaze and look around the table to see everybody looking at me with some concern but mostly encouragement.
It's like they are trying to tell me to kick his ass.
As though I'm brave enough to do that.
I think the most badass thing I've ever done was cuss out the whole cafeteria after Matt, excuse my French, was being an asshole.
Good times.
But I digress from the original issue at hand...
I look at Matt and he's wearing an expression I can't fathom. His jaw is clenched, his head tilted to one side and his fingers absentmindedly drumming the table.
I look back at Ryan and his eyes are now set on my... Lady parts?
Pervert!
I sit up straight in an attempt to make him look away and he does so.
"Why do I have a feeling I've seen you before?" Ryan says and I take in a sharp breath.
I've got a brilliant idea...
"I don't think that's possible... I just joined the school this year" I say as a confident smile tugs my lips.
The entire table looks at me in shock but I pretend to not see them and continue with my ploy.
"Ahh...You've got a beautiful voice, What's your name?"
Is this maniac seriously flirting with me right now?
"Uhm—P-Penelope" I reply and Ryan smiles smugly.
"Penelope...Cute name. Which school did you study in before this one?"
Why is he asking me so many questions?
I don't have a freaking answer...
I sense slight movement next to me and an answer flashes before me.
"New Hampshire? Yeah, I was a student at a Boarding school in New Hampshire..." I say, trying to sound convincing.
Every single one of my friends has an amused face but Matt's face is priceless. He just looks like he won the lottery or something.
Ryan nods tentatively but doesn't seem satisfied with my response.
We stay silent for a while but Ryan fixes his gaze on me.
"What happened to the Williams girl? Little Princess decided that she couldn't handle school and decided to stay at home and write poems?" Ryan asks and I look at him wide-eyed.
Does he really hate me that much? What the hell did I ever do to him?
I can see Anne closing and opening her fist as though she's restraining herself from doing something she'd regret.
"Ryan", Anne starts and speaks through gritted teeth, "I really think you need to leave. What makes you think that you can just waltz in here and start talking nonsense about my best friend? I recommend you leave now before we all regret having this little mistake of a meeting"
At this very moment, I'm filled with so much joy that I've got Anne, My protective best friend who's always there for me.
"Still feisty Anne? Relax. I just want to catch up with my best friend", Ryan says and throws an arm around Jacob who shrugs off the former's arm, "And his new friends."
"You must be Matthew...The new guy. Heard you were from New Hampshire, like Penelope here as well. You two know each other?" Ryan asks and I'm starting to panic.
Why am I getting the feeling that Ryan knows who I am but is just pretending to not know me?
Matt just gives Ryan a bored look but doesn't respond. He just continues eating his salad without a care in the world.
I notice anger flash through Ryan's normally cocky face but it leaves immediately as it comes.
"Not much of a talker I see. That's alright, you're new to the basketball team, we'll get to know each other better" Ryan says, eyes still pinned on Matt expecting some kind of reaction.
Again Matt does nothing to acknowledge him. He still continues to eat while occasionally glancing at his watch.
Ryan sticks his tongue in his cheek and raises his eyebrows, out of irritation.
"Where were we? Ah Yes, the missing member of your group! Sasha Williams, that's the name, isn't it? What was the name you had for her Jacob?", he snaps his fingers rapidly, "Muffin. Eh...Cute", he says and gives a disgusted look, "But now, you guys don't have to suck up to the rich girl...She's gone... Good riddance too I might add".
My eyes burn because of the unshed salty tears that are so close to rolling away from their origin.
His words shouldn't hurt me. He's told way worse things.
I see, through my hazy vision, Anne trying to get up but she soon stops mid-way when Matt clears his throat.
I blink away my tears and the burning sensation subsides. I look up and see Matt leaning, with his arms crossed on the table.
"You're the ex-captain of the basketball team aren't ya?", Matt asks and everyone, including Ryan's face, contorts to one of confusion.
Ryan nods but still looks at Matt with confusion.
"Why'd you leave this school and move to another one?"
What point is Matt trying to make with all these random questions?
"I needed a change of space. Why?" Ryan answers but Matt just nods.
"Oh, nothing. I was just curious, 'Cause you know, from what I heard amongst the players of the team, they told me you were one heck of a basketball player"
Ryan grins and leans back in his seat a little
"They also told me that you had to move 'cause of your..uhm..How do I put this diplomatically? psychotic tendencies?" Matt says and gives an innocent look.
Ryan's grin falters but there isn't much change in his demeanour.
"I did get expelled...If that's what the fuckers meant. But what's your point?" Ryan asks growing a lot more impatient.
"Hey, no need to get all defensive. I'm just a curious guy. There are just too many rumors about you that just scream bad news", I smile a little when he says that. I remember saying the same thing to him in one of our earlier conversations. "But now that you are here, sitting with us, I kinda want to believe that maybe, just maybe, that those rumors may be true. 'Cause who talks about anyone like the way you just did?" Matt says the last line through gritted teeth.
Ryan glares at Matt but the latter remains unfazed. He casually sips the apple juice from his juice box that he loves.
"You don't look like the guy who gossips," Ryan says and smirks a little.
"Oh, you're right. I'm not the one to gossip. But somehow, your story is everywhere. Everybody has some opinion about you, each one being worse than the other, but I'm just the new guy so it didn't matter. I mean, Why do I care right?"
Matt pushes his tray away and leans back on his seat. Ryan follows Matt's every move with an intimidating glare.
"But what I do care about is you sitting at this table when everybody doesn't want you here. Come on dude, we've tried to tell this to you, ranging from polite to being candid but you just can't seem to get the hint. It's either that or you're trying to prove some weird-ass point by making a fool of yourself by sitting here."
Ryan's jaw clenches and he looks like he could blow up any second.
Matt leans on the table again, imitating Ryan like when the latter tried to scrutinize me. Matt smirks and begins tapping the table with his fingers.
"Okay I'm going to make this easier for you, You can leave this table now cause I can very clearly see that you're embarrassed, join your minions at the other table and let them increase your ego. You don't want to be seen getting ambushed by the less "popular" people here. " Matt says and gives Ryan a bone-chilling glare.
Ryan looks at Matt with raised eyebrows and a scowl settles on his face. He gets up from the chair, gives me a saccharine smile, and walks away without another word.
Matt mutters, "Good riddance" and watches the retreating form of Ryan.
The entire table looks at Matt in awe and I have the strongest urge to hug the life out him right now.
So I do just that.
I guess I must've tackled him with too much energy cause I heard a soft "oof" from him.
He doesn't react immediately and I start to panic but just as I begin pulling away a little he wraps his arms around my shoulders
Our hug is very awkward because we are still sitting in our respective chairs but the discomfort does nothing to diminish the beautiful feeling that fills all over my body.
My ear that was pressed against his chest could pick up the fast beating of his heart but that could be because of the suddenness of the hug. He wasn't expecting it.
"Okay, you guys! The show's over, let's keep this pg-13" Jacob says sarcastically and I start pulling away a little but Matt doesn't loosen his arms.
"That's rich coming from the couple who can't keep each other's hands to themselves," Matt says and I grin.
"But Sasha...Penelope? Really?" Nathan asks and I just give him a giddy smile.
"It's the first name I could think of"
The rest of them continue talking about random things and about how much of a badass Matt is.
Did I mention that he's still hugging me?
My head was facing the rest of my friends probably a deep hue of red from all the blushing but I couldn't care less.
'Cause this feeling? Right here? Just hugging him? Is a whole new sensation.
"Muffin! You look so happy" My dad says and I give him a huge hug.
"I'm just glad you're back from your business trip"
"Is that the only reason?"
No, I'm also happy that my crush hugged ME.
It's just a hug...
Honestly, if you've only ever been hugged by the older men who happen to be my very own flesh and blood as a form of greeting, you'd understand my excitement.
And this is Matthew we're talking about. Anything he does lets out a kaleidoscope of butterflies that just flutter about my body.
"Yes...Now, tell me all the fun things you did in Europe!" I say and pull him towards the dining table.
I forgot about the fact that today was the last day of our carpooling.
Shoot.
But then now that I think about it, why do we need to end it? We can just continue to carpool...
I would be lying if I said that I hadn't thought about this earlier but I didn't suggest it to my friends because I didn't want to sound too eager.
And I also understand why my friends didn't say it because they might think that I would think of it as a burden to drive them around back and forth.
That's just a load of bullshit.
So I quickly pull out my phone, add contacts of all my friends, and create our group chat.
I still can't believe that we don't have our group chat yet.
The name?
Carpooling Clan.
Question for the day! What's your favourite book and your favourite author? (Doesn't necessarily have to be on Wattpad! Anything is fine :)
Mine is...I wanna say...The Abundance of Katherines? By John Greene...
It's the one book I remember reading and being like, "This is an awesome book"...I know , I know...TFIOS and Looking for Alaska are amazing but they've reached the pinnacle already...
The Abundance of Katherines was a great book that had a unique storyline that I immediately fell in love with...
Great author, many lovely books...
Anyhoo...
Coming back to this chapter... what did ya think?
Let me know your views in the comments, please vote, share it with your friends, let other Wattpaders know about this little work of mine..And yeah... That's about it..
Oh and also...
Love you all!!❤️❤️