When I arrive home, my mom's brows shoot up in surprise and she asks me what I'm doing here. I make up a lie about how Reid told me on the last minute that he couldn't meet me at the library to avoid an earful on how I'm so stupid not to notice a note on my locker.
But then I receive one about being so stupid to be stood up, because how couldn't I ask him beforehand if he could make it. I'm an idiot with her either way so I just mute her out and eat as peacefully as I can despite feeling weird with how Molly's gaze has been watching me excitedly since I announced I'd go to Reid's house later.
I go to my room with Molly trailing behind, I attempt to close my door on her nose but she steps in faster and closes it herself before facing me with a crazed look on her face.
"So you're going to Reid's huh?" She says suggestively, wiggling her eyebrows and I sigh.
"Apparently," I walk to my closet and start going through my clothes to change out of my baggy pants and a ratty t-shirt. I need to look a bit more presentable with Reid's family. I'd be embarrassed to look like a hobo with a family as well-off as his.
"Aren't you excited?" Molly squeals and I roll my eyes, knowing a certain someone isn't there to tell me I'm sick.
I take a pair of black yoga pants, a white shirt with sleeves running up to my elbows and a black jacket that belongs to a tracksuit I used to wear on my early days to the gym and Sean's class. As I put it on, I notice how it almost swallows me and I beam.
I go out of my closet and sit on the bed to tie my sneakers. "Why would I be? I'm nervous to be around him for long, to be honest," I utter without thinking.
"Why?" She asks suggestively and I make a blank expression.
"Because he's an ass and I don't like being in his territory. The library's a common ground," I shrug. Yeah, that's just it, it's not that he simply makes me nervous with his sudden innuendos or anything.
I'll have to run from Reid's place and the thought alone makes me want to cry. Or I could drive... Nah, I'm safer walking thank you very much. I say goodbye to my mom and I'm about to turn the doorknob when she stops me and walks until she's standing before me with a bandana on her hair, an old blue shirt, and old grey pants.
She leans on the broom she's holding and has those warning eyes. "If they invite you to dinner deny politely, okay? I don't want you eating anything outside the diet, you hear me?"
I grind my teeth and nod. "Yes, mom I know. I'm not a baby," I roll my eyes at her and walk out leaving her on the spot.
I walk for about half an hour and when I've reached Reid's neighboorhood I gape while looking at the big, beautiful houses surrounding me. They all have vast front lawns with tall trees and flowers that have started to hide from the harsh weather that's coming soon.
Columns and high roofs with large windows and elegant decorations are all over the place and I have to admit I'm not very sure about my outfit-picking today. I should've worn jeans... or a dress. I should've dressed up and brought my yoga pants in a bag to change at Sean's studio.
I snap out of it with my ring tone and I answer without looking who it was. "Hello?"
"Where are you Bear? I'm waiting, we have to finish Mr. Darcy's review," He says in a mocking tone and I roll my eyes.
"I'm almost there you idiot. And it's not my fault I had to walk here, you know? Why couldn't you send me a text instead of waiting for me to open my locker and discover at the last hour that you canceled me?"
"I thought it'd be more old-school romantic," I can hear him smirking and I feel funny on the inside with what he said but quickly try to discard it from my mind. I bite hard on my cheek to do so and finally regain my brain's full control before answering.
"Well, I'm just walking up your street and your house is like ten meters away," I trail off as I reach two metallic, large double-doors that open automatically the moment I step in front of them. I look at the bright, golden numbers and confirm that I didn't run into the wrong house.
I breathe out shakily and notice Reid's voice still in my ear. "Did the doors open?"
"Yeah, yeah they did," I answer and step ahead, into the enemy's property. Trees are scattered all over, they're tall and imposing. The path to the house is wide enough for a car to cross it and when I look into the distance I see one of those fancy roundabouts for cars to parade until people climb out of them. An elegant fountain spurts water in the center and of course, flowers surround it.
Let's not get started on the Reid residence.
"Cat got your tongue, Bear?" Reid chuckles into my ear and I squint my eyes and see him waving at me from his porch, with his phone on his other hand. I roll my eyes and hang up before walking the long trail until I'm finally standing on the porch's steps.
Reid towers over me and smirks before he says: "Well finally, took you long enough," He turns around and walks into his house, prompting me to follow him inside. I roll my eyes and tie my hair into a messy, low bun.
His house's a combination of modernity with classical style and it actually looks like somebody lives here for a change. It feels homey and cozy. Usually large, elegant houses are more difficult to fill in with love. People have more room to absorb themselves in their life and get away from their own family in a larger space.
There are pictures hung on up on the walls, and I spot several picture frames adorning a beautiful fireplace as we go by the living room. We finally reach the dining room, there's a table big enough for eight people and apparently, Reid was working on the exercises I gave him for math in our last tutoring session.
"I see you've been practicing," I grin at him and he looks sheepish.
"Yeah, I really want to um... get a good grade for a change," He takes his papers and puts them away before turning his laptop on and getting to work.
*****
It is two hours later and we've gone through the analysis of the plot and the epoch when and where this novel was written. My head hurts and I don't feel like going to Sean's class at eight. We continue on with the characters of Pride and Prejudice and once again we're fighting over who's the proud and the prejudiced, Elizabeth or Mr. Darcy.
"Oh, come on Reid, Mr. Darcy judged her by the way she was dressing! He judged her too fast, and he was the one to apologize not her! He's both proud and prejudiced," I say as I cross my arms
"Yes, at first! Then she just gave him a hard time every time he approached her; even you wrote in your essay that she was hard-headed," Reid counters and I see challenge brightening his bright brown eyes.
"She gave him a hard time because she misunderstood his situation because he was too proud to come around and talk it out!"
"No, she gave him a hard time because she judged too quick and chose to trust other people instead of going straight to Darcy and talk to him!"
"That's pure bullshit, Mason! He pushed her away first! Women had it rough standing up for themselves back in that time and obviously she didn't want to expose herself to more of his manners,"
"Well, he was the first to express his feelings so Elizabeth won the proud title there,"
"Well, then Darcy was prejudiced, considering he judged her family as well," I shrug and set my jaw and see Mason cross his arms and look at me defiantly.
"Fine," He agrees grudgingly.
"Fine," I shrug.
"Fine,"
"Fine,"
"Fine,"
I sigh and turn to our second analysis in our word document. St. Vincent's poem and Pride and Prejudice are done and I'm about to admit how proud (no pun intended) I am about Mason's... I mean Reid's improvement on analysis. His points of view and inputs on the project are serious and quite asserted. I don't share his opinion on some points but he actually has valid point behind them.
I feel my head pounding and I feel dizzy for a moment before my vision goes back into place.
"Blair?"
"Huh?" I turn to Reid and he looks at me with something hinting at concern.
"Are you okay, you kind of... swayed a little. And you're pale,"
"HONEY, I'M HOMEEEE!" A female voice thunders from the main entrance and I jump in my seat while Reid grunts and murmurs something under his breath.
"Do you want anything to drink?" He asks standing up, looking nervous at something behind me until the bearer of the voice shows herself and he's trapped in her arms.
She has brown eyes similar to Reid's, a bright smile that drips of pure happiness, a sleek looking black hair that reaches an inch below her shoulders. By the looks of it, she must be Reid's sister, the one Molly told me about. She's about twenty-six; that's my best guess.
I wait awkwardly to be noticed while Reid's crushed to death and when he finally catches a breath he clears his throat. "I missed you too, Jo," He grunts but I can see the playful, happy glint his eyes have now that his sister is here.
I smile at the sight of them and Ried clears his throat. "Um, Jo, this is Blair, Blair this is my condemn -I mean, my sister- Josephine," He smirks when his sister sends him a fake, angry glare and then she rushes up to me. Before I know it I'm enveloped in a bone-crushing hug and my arms are pasted to my sides while Josephine crushes me in her arms as well.
"Jo, what the fuck?" Reid says but his sister pays him no mind.
"I'm so glad to finally meet you, Blair. We've heard so much about you! Thanks for putting up with this dimwit's stupidity," She says taking my hands in an appreciative gesture, mocking Reid.
I laugh and smile at her openly. I like her already. "Pleasure's mine Josephine, and no worries, I like a challenge,"
"Oh, call me Jo. Josephine's a mouthful," She grins.
I choose to ignore how she's 'heard so much about me' and Reid goes into the kitchen to fetch us something to drink by his sister's request. He grumbles all the way before Josephine looks at my laptop and asks: "So what are you guys doing?"
She seems to have the same confidence and facility as her brother to talk to people she's barely met, but with a little less violent approach... Except for the hugs. She's a bear-hugger.
I gesture to my laptop and she starts skimming through the text. "We're doing a project for English Lit. We're analyzing some poems and classic novels and we're going to deliver a small booklet with our opinion and analysis on them,"
"So that's why he asked," She laughs and sits down so I do the same.
I smile confusedly and she continues. "He asked me a couple of days before that if I could explain some things to him about the book and if I could help him write an essay,"
I knew it. I laugh lightly and feel my stomach tighten excitedly. "Really?"
"Really. He was really worried he wouldn't be able to keep up with his partner," She nudges me and on cue, Reid enters the dining room with a water pitcher and three glasses with ice on them.
I watch as he sets the glasses in front of each seat before filling ours first. I smile and drink quickly, feeling my tummy rumble as it is the only thing I've ingested since I left home. No one seems to notice but Reid's analyzing my face and sighs before finishing his water with a gulp and standing up to stretch his arms over his head.
"Bear," he whines and I look up at him. I'm surprised he called me that in front of his sister, but she simply smirks and sips on her glass. "Let's take a break, I can't take any more medieval romance shit,"
I laugh and nod my head. "Yeah, I could use a break,"
And an Advil.
"I'll check and see if we have some. Wait for me in the living room," He says. Apparently, I said that aloud.
Mason, leaves me with Jo, who smiles at me secretively and not knowing what to do, I give her an awkward smile before excusing myself and wandering to find the living room by myself. When I do, I plop down heavily on a large and very comfortable L-shaped sofa. I prop my feet on the feet recliner in front of me.
I close my eyes and rub my temples harshly, before putting my hand over my eye-sockets to ease the pain in my tired eyes. A finger taps me on my right and I open my eyes to see Reid with a pill in his hands and some more water. I thank him quietly before swallowing the pill while he settles to my right. He's three feet away and while I'm almost hyperventilating, he's totally chill turning on the t.v. and logging in on Netflix.
"What are you doing?" I ask dumbly and he smirks.
"Well, I'm trying to find something to watch during our break,"
"What makes you think our break is going to be long enough to finish Iron Man 3?" I squint my eyes at him and he grins with mischief. He looks so handsome with his Nike black pants and a gray shirt. Actually, he always looks good, the idiot.
"Whatever," He turns the t.v. off and reclines his head against the sofa and spreads his legs before him. "I'm kind of sleepy anyway," He closes his eyes and I have the opportunity to ogle at him in peace. The perfect outline of his profile astounds me... his straight nose, his lips. His eyelashes fan out over his cheeks in a very cute way. His jaw is squared and sharp and some scruff is starting to grow on it.
Feeling self-conscious I wrap my jacket around myself, cover my belly and sigh while I retrieve my phone from my pocket.
"Okay, we'll take a short nap," I'm interrupted by a yawn that makes me close my eyes and then I continue. I open my eyes and he's smiling at me and I roll my eyes. "That wasn't even funny Mason, I don't know why you're smiling," I say and blush because I know I look like a monster when I yawn.
He chuckles and I put an alarm to wake us up on time. "I just set an alarm to wake up and continue working; I have to leave by seven thirty okay?" I say but he just grumbles a response.
I shrug and yawn again before settling myself, not caring about sleeping in an unknown family's couch because sleep just clouds my judgment right now. As soon as I lay down on the couch, rest my head on the cushion and close my eyes, sleep engulfs me and swallows me in a dreamless, peaceful, pitch dark land.