Chapter 3
“I’m never letting you drive me anywhere, ever again” Callie got out of the car feeling sick.
“I’m an amazing driver!” Jack defended himself.
“No, you really aren’t! How did you pass your test?!”
“I didn’t…”
“What!?”
“I have a learners permit” he shrugged.
“Oh my god, oh my god – isn’t that illegal, I think it is illegal” Callie freaked out.
“Hey, calm down” Jack said soothingly, she hugged her and stroked her hair.
“I’m sorry” Jack said sincerely. “I will get Alex to drive you home, he can drive very well and has his licence” Jack reassured her.
“You could’ve killed me” Callie accused.
“That’s very over dramatic… I’m sorry.”
“Okay…”
“Let’s go meat Alex” Jack jumped up and down and grabbed her hand running along the path. He didn’t bother knocking at the door and ran right in.
“ALEX” he yelled.
Alex walked into the room and stopped when he saw Callie.
“Hi” Alex greeted her.
“Hello” Callie hid behind Jack slightly.
Jack brought her into the front room.
“Guys this is Callie, Callie this is Rian, Zack, Matt, Alex, Cassadee and Lisa” Jack introduced.
“You didn’t tell me how many people were going to be here!” Callie said so only Jack could hear.
“I didn’t know” Jack stuck his tongue out.
“Jack can I speak to you in the kitchen?” Alex asked.
“Sure – Callie socialise” Jack joked, letting go of her hand and going to see Alex.
“Hi” Cassadee said warmly to her, Rian and Zack said hi but quickly entered the kitchen where Alex and Jack were.
“I don’t see what your problem is with her?” Jack’s voice was heard in the front room.
“I don’t see why you like her so much” Alex accused.
“She is a friend! Am I not allowed to have friends?” Jack said annoyed.
“Yes but not with geeky annoying rich kids!” Alex growled.
“She isn’t like that!”
“Oh really, because she was exactly like that in high school.”
“You don’t know her now and you didn’t know her back then” Jack argued.
“Neither did you.”
“I think I should go, I don’t think I am welcome here” Callie told the girls and walked out the room before they could stop her.
“Where did Callie go?” Jack asked, coming in the room five minutes later.
“She left” Cassadee said sympathetically.
“She heard you and Alex talking, I think she got upset and she left before we could stop her” Lisa added.
“Fuck sake” Jack growled.
“Couldn’t handle it” Alex laughed without humour.
“Stop being such a dick!” Jack growled pushing him.
“Don’t push me” Alex growled back.
“Okay, I think this has gone too far” Rian got in-between the two before anything worse could happen.
“Fuck you” Jack spat and walked out the door.
He ran along the road where Callie would’ve been walking to get home, he didn’t know how long it had been since she left but he really wanted to catch up with her. He was close to her house when he saw her.
“Callie” Jack called out, she turned slightly and saw Jack.
She then seemed to turn back around and speed up a little.
“Callie” Jack called again but she didn’t do anything this time, Jack sped up and caught up with her.
He heard her sniffle and saw her wipe her eyes discretely.
“Hey” Jack said softly, he gently grabbed her arms and brought her to a stop, turning her around to face him.
“I’m sorry I walked out” she looked down at the floor and Jack started laughing.
“You are the most polite person I have ever met! I should be the one saying sorry, I don’t know what Alex’s problem is and I am sorry you had to hear it.”
“It’s okay, I don’t mind” she lied.
“Do you ever get angry?” Jack was slightly annoyed.
“Yes” she replied unsure.
“I don’t believe you.”
“I do!” she protested but once again sounded unsure.
“Who are you trying to convince” Jack replied with raised eyebrows.
“Why do you even care?” she spoke up.
“Because you are my friend!”
“No I’m not, I am your pity project and I don’t want that – I certainly don’t need it!”
“Well done” Jack said really happily.
“You don’t even take me seriously!”
“You’re standing up for yourself!” Jack sounded proud and she couldn’t help but laugh.
“So you want me to get annoyed with you?” she asked in disbelief.
“Not with me, I just want you to not be like a scared little kitten” Jack said simply.
“Okay…”
“I will walk you the rest of the way home” Jack insisted.
There was silence for a few minutes as they walked.
“You’re not my pity project” Jack spoke up. “I always thought you were really cool in school” Jack blushed. “I never really had the courage to talk to you and so when I saw you I surprised myself. Then I sort of confused myself as to why I was scared of you.”
“You were scared of me?” Callie laughed hysterically. “That is like a lion being scared of a mouse!”
“Whatever” Jack blushed slightly.
“Why do you care so much Jack? Why do you want to be friends with me so badly? I have been going over it and over it in my head and I cannot see the motive behind it and I would just rather you tell me now because I am sick of getting close to people for them to disappoint me!” Callie rambled on.
“I don’t know” Jack said.
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“I don’t know why I want to be friends with you but I just feel like I do, like I really really want to be friends with you. I can’t explain it, I just do.”
“You are the most confusing person I have ever met!”
“Why?”
“Because I am good at reading people, I can tell what they are like by the body language or the expressions. You are so different, how you are acting and how you are feeling are completely different things and I can’t work it out. you act like a five year old half the time but then you will be really sweet or say something really deep and then you will ruin it again by being perverted.”
“I like that you can’t read me” Jack decided.
“I don’t” Callie grumbled. “I don’t like surprises, I like knowing what to expect from people.”
“I happen to love surprises!”