“I’m going to go to the grocery.”
My eyes snapped up to my mother, who was walking down the stairs, carrying her purse. I frowned at her. Ever since I was fifteen, I always do the grocery chore. “Mom, isn’t that suppose to be my job?” I asked.
“Yes, honey,” Mom replied, patting my cheek gently. “But, unfortunately, I don’t want you to be alone at the grocery ever again. Ever since you disappeared… God knows I don’t want that to happen again.”
“But, Mom! I wasn’t kidnapped or something. It was my own free will. Why don’t you let me go?” I asked, pouting slightly. It’s Friday night and because I’m grounded, I’m stuck inside my house while my sister was attending another party.
“Because I don’t want you to disappear again, Melanie,” Mom said, putting on her white sweater and scarf all around her. Then she went to the door and opened it. But before she could go out, she turned back at me, a sympathetic expression in her face. “I’m sorry that you have to stay here in the house for a Friday night. But you are grounded.”
I sighed as I slumped down on the sofa. “I know.”
“Maybe you could call Jasper or Amanda to come over?”
I shrugged. “I already did. Jasper’s out with his parents—some formal party his parents were attending and he was forced to go with them. Amanda’s sister visited her and her mother for the weekend.”
“Do you have any friends that you want to come over?”
Oh yeah sure. I do have friends but I don’t want them to come over. You know why? They’re vampires. But I just shook my head at my mom. “Can’t I go with you at the grocery?”
“No, it would be too much of a hassle.”
“It wouldn’t be! I promise you.”
“No one is going to stay and guard the house.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Who would want to rob us?”
“Oh I don’t know, robbers?”
I rolled my eyes and then crossed my arms across my chest. “Fine. I’ll stay. Be safe on your way to the grocery.”
“Okay, bye.” And with that, she closed the door behind her.
I sighed as my attention snapped back to the TV show that I was watching. And after a minute or two, I was already laughing my head off. How I Met Your Mother really cracks me up all the time.
“So you watch that kind of show, eh?”
I jumped on my seat, very, very startled. I looked up at the familiar voice that had spoken. I gasped. “What are you doing here?”
Garret shrugged and slumped on the seat beside me. “Well, it’s Friday night and I’m bored.”
“What are you doing here in my house? And how the hell did you got in? The doors were locked and even if they weren’t, I would have heard you coming in!”
He smiled at me secretively. “Well, I came in from your window.”
“My window?!” I gasped.
“Didn’t I just say that?” he sighed, rolling his eyes at me. “I climbed on your window because I was thinking that your mother might be home and all that. But when I learned that you were alone, I thought that I might talk to you.”
“Talk to me?” I asked. “About what?”
“I don’t know, random things?”
“But why are you here?”
He sighed. “Sometimes I really wonder what Jasper sees in you.”
I gave him a look. “Gee, thanks!”
“I told you I was bored and I want to have some fun.”
I raised an eyebrow. “And you can find fun in me? Wow, I never expected that.”
“Well, you’re new in my life,” he pointed out. “Roxanne and the others… I’ve known them for years and years now. They seem so old to me and you, Melanie, are new. So… what do you want to do?”
I stared at him; trying to figure out why the hell is he here and why the hell does he want to spend time with me. Surely I can’t be really that fun to him. He told me I’m annoying as hell and I know that he wants me gone in his life. But now, he’s here inside my house and wants to have fun… with me.
The thought itself brought a smile to my lips.
Then I quickly dropped it when I remembered that I’m grounded and I can’t go out. So I just sighed. “I can’t go out. I’m grounded for a month… or for eternity.”
“Your mother isn’t home, right? So why don’t we go out while she’s gone?”
“What if she comes back and then we’re not yet here? She’d go crazy, thinking that I disappeared again,” I pointed out, sighing.
“Well, why don’t you leave a note? Or bet yet call her now. Tell her that you’re out with a friend.”
I thought about this for a while. Then I sighed and nodded. “Fine. I don’t want to be stuck here for the rest of the weekend.”
“Good.”
I sighed as I grabbed my phone that was lying on the coffee table innocently. Then I dialed my mom who quickly answered in the first ring. “Melanie? Is everything all right? Why are you calling?”
“Oh… um, I’m going out.”
“What?! Now?!”
“Yeah… I’m going out with a friend.”
“What friend?” she demanded.
“You don’t know…,” I said, trailing off but quickly added, “her.”
“Are you sure it’s a girl?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Promise me you won’t scamper away again.”
“Promise.”
“Well, then. Off with you,” she said and hang up.
I stared at my phone in amazement. So I just have to tell my mom that I’m going with a girl and promise that I won’t scamper away? Who knew it could be that easy?
“So where are we going?” I asked Garret as I stuffed my phone inside my pocket.
He grinned. “Do you want to go a restaurant?”
“Nah, I’ve already eaten.”
”Movies?”
“Nope, seems so cliché, don’t you think?”
“Then where could we go?”
I smiled brightly. “Let’s go to the park.”
He frowned at me. “In this time of hour? It’s like, eight in the evening. And it’s September. And parks are so cliché.”
“Then where else could we go?”
And with that, he slowly broke into a charming—genuine, mind you—smile. “Would you care to go out with me in the carnival?”
My jaw dropped. “A carnival? You freaking kidding me?”
“Nope, I’m not,” he replied, winking at me. And sitting on the couch, my heart almost gave away and I could have fainted. Who knew that Garret knows how to wink? Wink! And I’m not surprised that the way he winks was just so oh-so sexy and hot…
I shook my head, clearing any thoughts about Garret’s wink. Why the hell was I thinking about that? Instead, I raised my eyebrow at him. “A carnival? As far as I know, there are no carnivals near in my house.”
“But in Springfield, there is.”
I gaped at him. “But—but it’s—.”
“But I drive fast,” he said, rolling his eyes. “You know I drive fast.”
“And you know that I get carsick when I’m in a fast car!”
“Ah, but this is not a car we’re going to drive,” he said, smiling slyly at me. “I was thinking about my motorbike.”
“What?!”
He looked at me innocently. “What?”
I crossed my arms on my chest. “No way in hell I’m going to ride a motorbike. I hate motorbikes. No, I detest them.”
“Hate and detest are the same thing,” he pointed out.
“Whatever. But there’s no way I’m going to ride your motorbike! Can we just go somewhere here in Chicago?” I asked, batting my eyelashes at him.
He shook his head. “You said so yourself you want to go out in a Friday night.”
“Yeah, but only in Chicago!”
“What’s wrong with Springfield?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Nothing, of course. It’s just…” I trailed off. Then I gave out an angry sigh and raised my hands in exasperation. “Fine! I’ll go to that stupid carnival in Springfield.”
He grinned. “That’s a good girl!”
“Promise me there will be no vampires.”
He crossed his heart. “No vampires,” he promised.
I nodded, satisfied. “Fine. I better go upstairs and grab my wallet and house keys.”
Garret nodded. “Okay, fine. I’ll be waiting here.”
Then I stood up and climbed upstairs. As I opened my door to get my wallet and keys, I can’t help thinking that Garret was acting as if he actually likes me. For once, we didn’t snap at each other. For once, we didn’t glare at each other. And for once, we actually agreed in something… even though I was slightly against it.
As I walked to my door and leave, something caught my eye from the window. I quickly turned and walked to the window, bracing myself for some spiders or worse, cockroaches. I shuddered; just thinking of those… beasts scares me.
But when I dismissed the thought of spiders or cockroaches inside my room, I noticed that Jasper’s silky black Porsche was parked innocently on their driveway. Weird. I thought Jasper was driving his parents to the party. Well, that’s what he told me.
I sighed and then left my room. When I arrived back at the living room again, I caught a glimpse of Garret smiling. Yep, a true genuine smile. Maybe because of the show that I was watching. How I Met Your Mother never fails to make a person laugh.
But when I glanced at the TV, the commercials were running. Then I turned to Garret, who was still smiling to himself. Suddenly, I smiled to myself, thinking that Garret was smiling to himself because he’s going out with me.
As I opened my mouth to call for him, the doorbell rang. Instantly, my eyes snapped to the door. “It can’t be my mom,” I muttered under my breath.
“No, it’s impossible,” Garret said, frowning. “She just left, didn’t she?”
I ignored him and kept quiet. Maybe the person who was ringing the doorbell would think that nobody is home and then would leave my house alone.
But whoever that person is doesn’t give up easily. The person rang the doorbell again—repeatedly.
When he finally stopped, a familiar voice said: “I know you’re in there, Melanie! You’re grounded and the lights are on! Don’t think that I don’t know that you’re hiding from me.”
I sucked in a breath as I realized whose voice is that. I glanced at Garret and then we locked eyes.
Jasper.
“What will I do?” I whispered at Garret. “I can’t let him in! He would see you and God knows he’s the jealous type.”
Garret ignored me. He stood up and walked to the door. Then he opened the door. Jasper’s familiar face was revealed and then he broke into a grin. “I know you—.” Then he realized that Garret was the one who opened it. His grin quickly faded and then he looked past him—to me. “Melanie?”
I smiled weakly at him. “Hi.”
“What—what is he doing here?” Jasper asked.
“He… he was just paying me a visit?”
“A visit? But…” Then Jasper pushed past Garret. He walked towards me and quickly crashed his lips to mine. I was about to push him away when he pulled out from the kiss. He looked down at me, his expression jealous and hurt yet curious. “Is he courting you?”
I burst out laughing. “Courting me? What? Is it 1851?”
But Jasper was serious. “Melanie.”
I stopped laughing. “No, he was just being a friend. We were just about to go out.”
His jaw tightened. “Go out? Where?”
“Springfield,” Garret replied for me. Jasper turned to glare at him but Garret wasn’t affected. “We were about to go to Springfield.”
“Springfield?” Jasper repeated. “That’s like, two hours away from here!”
“Yeah, but not when I drive.”
“Even though,” Jasper replied angrily. “She’s not going to Springfield. Does Gwyneth even know you’re going to Springfield?”
I winced. “No. Mom doesn’t know.”
With that, Jasper turned to glare—at me. “Are you trying to disappear again, Melanie?”
“No, no! It’s not that!”
“Then why do you want to go to Springfield without your mother knowing?”
Garret sighed, making Jasper turn to glare at him. “Because there’s a splendid carnival in Springfield.”
Jasper glanced at me. “A carnival? A bloody carnival?!”
Silence. Then I sighed and glared at Jasper. “Yes, a carnival. You’re not my brother or my dad, are you? So why can’t you just leave me alone? I can make my own decisions, you know. And I told you that I won’t run off again. I’ll be back later.”
“But with him? You want to go out with someone you don’t even know from outside the school? Do you even trust him?” Jasper hissed at me quietly, making sure that Garret won’t hear. But Garret is a vampire and he has superhuman strength, so he obviously heard what Jasper was saying.
“I do,” I breathed. “I do trust him.”
That caught Jasper off guard. But then he regained his composure and said, “Aren’t you grounded? Aren’t you supposed to stay here?”
“Yeah, but I asked permission from my mom.”
“And what did she say?”
“She let me go out.”
“Really? Does she know that you’re with a guy?”
I winced. Again. “No. She thought I’m with a girl.”
Jasper was quiet, staring at my eyes. Then he sighed in a defeated way. “Suit yourself. Go to the bloody carnival. But in one condition.”
I almost jumped for joy. “What?”
“I must be with you.”
And the happiness died down. “What?”
Jasper crossed his arms on his chest and gave one short nod. “Yes. I must be with you.”
I glanced at Garret who was obviously glaring at Jasper. “It’s just supposed to be the two of us,” Garret told Jasper. “Why do you need to be with us?”
“So I could check on her, that’s why,” Jasper replied, narrowing his eyes at Garret.
“Guys, stop this,” I said dismissively. “Garret, we’ll take Jasper’s Porsche. There’s no way we can fit in your motorbike. Jasper, leave Garret alone. If you really want to join us, then you’d be in your best behavior.”
“Oh I will be,” he replied, wrapping an arm around my waist.
Garret rolled his eyes at him. “Whatever.”
One hour and thirty minutes later, after three rides (Jump and Smile, Teacups and my favorite, Chair Swing Ride), I was pretty exhausted. But it didn’t stop me from dragging the two boys to the Ferris wheel.
Jasper was—as always—cheerful and happy. And Garret was—as always—moody and grumpy. It was ten in the evening and my mom had just called, asking when I would be home. I told her maybe around twelve or something. She started snapping at me to go home but then I told her Jasper is with me and she reluctantly agreed with the time I suggested.
I sighed dreamily as my eyes wandered around the carnival. Even though it’s really late, there are still a lot of people wandering around, in groups or with their boyfriend or girlfriend. Obviously everybody was having a lot of fun and whenever I look around, people were smiling.
Well, except from Garret.
Then again, he’s not a ‘person’ or ‘human’.
“Tickets please,” a middle-aged woman asked in a bored tone, referring to our tickets for the Ferris wheel.
I smiled at her as I handed her the ticket she was asking for. She grumbled something that I didn’t catch as I stepped in the carnival.
“Tickets please,” the woman said brightly to Garret, who was behind me.
Garret gave her the ticket and then Jasper next. We continued walking to the carts of the Ferris wheel and when we got into the front of one of the carts. A teenage guy was helping the passengers to get in.
He opened the door for me and flashed me a smile. “Have a nice ride, miss!”
I smiled back. “Thanks!” Well, at least he’s more polite than that woman in the entrance.
Garret went in after me, sitting across my seat.
“Have a nice ride, sir!” the guy said. Garret just grumbled.
I frowned. Really, what’s with the grumbling?
Then the guy closed the door of the cart. Jasper immediately protested. “Um, hey, I’m in their cart.”
The guy gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, sir, but the cart is only for two people.”
“What? Does that mean I’m going to share with some unknown person?”
“I’m afraid so.”
As if on cue, a teenaged girl appeared next to Jasper. She was wearing horn-rimmed glasses and big braces. She gave Jasper a grin, which he returned with a fake smile of his. When our cart moved up, he looked up at me and mouthed, “Help.”
I just laughed and waved my hand at him dismissively.
Then I looked in front of me and saw Garret, staring at me. And that’s when it hit me.
I’m alone with Garret.
I cleared my throat, hoping he would start a conversation. When he didn’t, I looked away from him and to a small window in our cart. “It’s really a nice carnival, right?”
Garret made a grunting noise.
My head snapped at him. “Hey, I’m starting a conversation here. The least you can do is to reply, you know.”
He sighed and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he leaned forward to me. “I’m sorry, Melanie. It’s just…” he trailed off. Then he sighed again and ran a hand through his magnificent blonde hair. “It’s just I wanted this night to be ours. I wanted this night to be alone with you.”
I furrowed my eyebrows. What does he mean he wanted this night to be ours? Isn’t he supposed to hate me? Why is he suddenly talking like we were actually best friends?
“What do you mean?” I slowly asked.
“I wanted to know you more,” Garret replied. “I don’t know why but I want to. I wanted to spend time with you, and not because you’re stuck with me, not because you have no choice. I wanted you to spend time with me with your own free will. And I thought this night would be ours. But then your… your…”
“Friend,” I suggested.
“Friend,” he continued in a menacing tone, “came along and ruined everything that I planned.”
“You planned this?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he said, nodding. “Roxanne told me about this carnival. And I thought it would be good if I’m going to bring you here.”
“Why do you think it would be… good?” I asked. But I didn’t give him a chance to reply since I continued hastily, “And why the hell did you start to be like this? It was just like yesterday that you hated me and you don’t like me. Then now, you suddenly asked me out and it seems like you’re jealous with my… my…”
“Friend,” he suggested.
“My friend,” I sighed.
He just sighed and took my hand, which really surprised me. “I didn’t hate you, Melanie. Annoyed, maybe, but never hate. And I am jealous with your friend.”
I stared at him, shocked. “What…?”
“I like you, Melanie.”
My jaw dropped. He didn’t just say that.
Did he?
“Ga—Garret, what are you talking about?” I asked, not sure I heard him right.
“I like you. As a friend, don’t worry,” he added quickly.
And just like that, the fire that sparked inside me died.
“Because I like someone else,” he continued. “You know… the ‘her’ they were talking about?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I know.” Then I frowned at him. “But why are you jealous with Jasper?”
“Because he—.”
Then the cart stopped. The familiar teenaged guy opened the door for us and grinned. “Had a nice ride?”
I stared at him blankly. Was it really two turns now? Wow, so fast.
I nodded. “Yes. Quite nice ride.”
But truth to be told, I hoped it was nicer.
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I hope you like the chapter. :) My heart wasn't in it when I wrote this chapter because I was thinking about this book I'm currently reading, lol. I want to finish it so badly. Hahaha. Oh well. XD
So are you a Team Jasper or Team Garret? Comment to let me know. ;)
And drop a vote if you have the time! :) Thank you so much.
- Lovella, xoxo.