Feeling a tug on my ponytail, I expect to see Zayden as I turn around. Instead I come face to face with a smiling Caden.
"Hey, Sugar." He greets, smiling at Marcheline. I ignore him, turning back to her.
"Are you sure you don't need a ride?" I confirm. Marcheline shakes her head, her skating bag in hand.
"Zay is going to give me a ride. Don't worry about it." She waves me off, before walking off to meet Emery.
"Hi, Caden." I finally greet, struggling to fix my hair as I balance two textbooks between my knees. Caden bends down, plucking the books from me, holding them patiently as he waits. "Thank you."
"So." He begins. I meet his eyes, raising a brow at him.
"So?"
"Project."
Crap. "Right. About that...unless you can give me a ride, I'm not sure if we can go anywhere besides the school's quad."
Haisley had given me a ride this morning, dumping my ass before speeding to track practice after school.
I haven't seen much of her lately, and it bothers me, but I've learned not to question what isn't needed to be questioned.
He shrugs, "No biggie, I can give you a lift."
I have never actually seen Caden get to or leave school, unless he's with Kinsley.
We begin walking to the parking lot in silence, avoiding the crowds. I try to fall in step with Caden, but damn his long legs.
Making it halfway down the large lot, I don't expect to stop short.
"A motorcycle?" I pale slightly, shaking my head. "You ride a motorcycle?"
He gives me an amused look, leaning against the handlebar. "Problem?"
I bite my lip nervously. "No, I-I've never been on a motorcycle before."
"Always a good time to try something new." He places a helmet on my head, knocking on it lightly. "Safety first."
I watch grimly as he swings his leg over the bike, sliding forward to make room for me. He pats the seat behind him, smiling calmly as I take a step back.
"I don't think so..." I trail, shaking my head.
My mother always told me two things: carry your pepper spray, and don't get on a motorcycle.
He holds his hand out expectantly, waiting for me to get over myself. I take the hand nervously.
There's less space than I anticipated, oawkwardly positioning myself as I try to keep my distance. Except...there is no distance.
"I don't like this." I mutter under my breath, beginning to really question if I trust Caden at all. Or enough for this at least.
He chuckles, "You're going to have to wrap your arms around me, Sugar." I ignore the smugness in his voice, doing as I'm told reluctantly.
I'd preferably not die today.
I hesitantly wrap my arms around his torso, doing my best to block out the fact that the entirety of my frontside is pressed against his back.
I yelp as he turns on the engine, squeezing tighter. His chuckle vibrates against my skin as well. "Come on, Charli. You're safe, I promise."
Promises, what a silly thing. Because in the end, promises are just placeholders for broken lies.
I take a deep breath, nodding against his shoulder. I close my eyes as he takes off, slowly as first then faster as we pass the school.
"Sugar, open your eyes." Caden laughs.
I shake my head vigorously. "No. Definitely not."
"Oh come on, it's really not that bad." He argues, coming to a stop light.
Prying my eyes open, I lift my head, taking in our surroundings. We're in a neighborhood I don't know, but recognize. One more mile and we'll be amongst the wealthy.
Huh.
"Where are we going?" I ask, looking over his shoulder. He shrugs, keeping his eyes on the light.
"You'll see."
Oh dear. This is how most girls die in horror movies. I don't think Haisley's ready with her body bags yet.
Deciding to trust Caden on last time, I don't question anything until we reach a large white mansion.
He parks the bike, hopping off it with ease. He extends a hand, helping me off.
My eyes scan the place in wonder. It's beautiful; vines crawling up the sides, a fountain in the entrance way, large glass doors. It's medieval. "Where are we?"
"My parent's house." Caden shoves his hands into his pocket, grimacing as I gape.
"This is your house? I didn't know-"
"Not many people do, and I prefer it stays that way." He states. I nod, understanding the silent request.
"Lets go then." His dimples appear as he takes the helmet from me. I follow him through the large front doors, amazed by the inside immediately.
Chills run down my arms as I pick up Great Gatsby vibes.
It's gorgeous, expensive, and empty.
Our footsteps echo across the marble floor as we pass through the corridor, coming to a stop before two huge wooden doors. Caden glances over his shoulder, pushing the doors open.
"Holy shit." I whisper as we enter a library. "This is amazing."
I swear this only happens in Disney movies.
Caden scratches the back of his head, sheepishly. "Yeah."
I run my fingers across the spine of book after book, pointing out the large collection of classic romances.
I pull out three copies of Romeo and Juliet, turning back to Caden with raised brows. "Believe in romance much?"
He laughs, waving me off as he dumps his bag on one of the many desks. "My sister believes in tragedies."
"Sister?"
Caden nods, grimly. "Older by two years. She's currently at Cambridge."
Oh.
"I wasn't aware you had a sister." I placed the books back carefully. Caden joins me, shrugging.
"We haven't gotten along in years." There's a pause as he looks away from me. "What about you?"
"What about me?" I cross my arms, observing him.
"Do you believe in romance and all the fairytales?" He offers a lopsided smile, pulling out A Tale of Two Cities.
I watch him for a second before turning back to the books. "I do and I don't."
"That's interesting."
I snort, "I don't believe in love at first sight, or true love. My parents are the only reason even an ounce of me believes."
"Fairytale parents?" He leans against the bookshelf.
I fidget with my ring. "No, not even close. But at the end of the day, they find a way to happily ever after. They found their way back home."
"That must be...nice." I catch him watching me out of the corner of my eye. I shrug it off.
I clear my throat. "What about you? How come no one knows about this palace?"
He huffs, crossing his arms. "If you really want to know, this is technically my house, but not my home. I live alone, closer to Atticus in West Valley."
My face scrunches slightly in confusion. Sensing it, Caden continues.
"The short story, to save you the tears, is that my parents cut me off me a few years ago," His voice turns brittle. "I had an issue wit-my life was out of control. They didn't have the patience,"
The bitterness pinches my heart, as my lips purse.
"So I moved out. Found a better place, where I could focus. Atticus was always there."
Years of reading people have led to this moment; the moment I realize he's a damaged boy who never received the love and support he needed.
Caden James may really not be that bad.
Without thinking, I place my hand on his arm. "I'm sorry."
He brushes me off. "No, don't be. It's nice when they're not home."
I drop my hand, smiling. "Well it is really pretty. And the books, I love all the books."
He laughs, motioning for me to follow as he walks deeper into the large room. We reach the back as we stop in front of a large window.
"It's usually really nice to watch the sunset from here." Caden points out the horizon.
"You know, you're not so bad." I blurt. Suddenly I'm ready to die.
He smirks, not taking his eyes off the view. "Not too bad yourself, Day."
"Oh shut up." I roll my eyes.
"Hey, what did I do?" He dramatically guffaws, placing a hand over his heart.
"Boohoo, lets get to work."
"You're no fun. Tragedy is more your speed then, huh?" He teases, leading us back to the tables.
I snicker, "Tragedy will be your middle name if you don't pick up the pace. This project isn't going to do itself."
❂ ❂ ❂
I follow along as Caden word vomits his thoughts, typing it all out on a Google Doc. We begin with the easy questions, organizing a timeline of events and people we would like to know more about.
Begin at the beginning and slowly make our way to the very end. Each interview will consist of one main question, with mini sub questions. Simple enough.
Caden taps a pen to his chin. "I think we can make a great documentary out of this. Something straight out of National Geographic."
I tsk, "Don't get too cocky. Arrogance leads to stupidity."
"Well you know what else is coc-"
"Nope," I yelp, covering my ears. "Nope, nope, nope. Don't need to know."
He cackles, throwing his head back. I gnaw on my lip, shaking my head as I beg myself to focus on the computer screen and not his smiling face. I resist the urge to grab my camera from my bag, knowing the lighting is perfect.
My stupid photographer instincts can wait another day.
"You know, Day, you have a good sense of humor." Caden teases.
I drum my fingers along the table. "Ha ha very funny. It's drier than your taste in girls."
"My taste in girls has nothing to do with the word dry. In fact-"
"No." I scold, glaring at him. "This is a PG-13 program, Sir."
"But Rated R is so much more entertaining." He smirks.
"If you keep this up, it'll be Rated R for language and violence." I scowl, shutting my laptop. He narrows his eyes, but his mouth remains shut. I smile widely, knowing damn well there's a smug look on my face.
"Oh shush." He waves me off, grinning. "I choose to keep my mouth shut right now."
"Mhm, whatever you say, Hot Stuff." I shove my belongings into my bag. "How beautiful is the sunset here?"
"Like I said, the best." Caden shrugs, giving me a questioning glance.
"Great, I might be back sometime soon." I joke, waving my camera. "I'm joking, don't worry."
"Come back anytime, Sugar. These doors are always open to you." He leans back in his chair, a streak of golden hour light crossing his face.
I bite the inside of my cheek, begging myself not to do anything stupid. "Would it be weird if I asked to take your portrait right now?"
His brows raise, "Yes...No? Actually, go for it?"
"Really?" I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, fiddling with my camera strap. I ignore the way he observes me before nodding.
"Why the hell not?" He sits up, flexing. "Would you like me to pose like David?"
"Definitely not. I'm not Michelangelo. I don't paint French girls either."
I stand, leaning across the table to grab his chin. I position his face back to its original tilt. "Don't move." I murmur. I play around with the clarity and zoom of my camera as I move his hair around to hang over his eye.
Once the shutter goes off at least ten times, I know I've got the picture. I look down, smiling at the result. Shadows cover the lower half of his face, light streaming on the top half, making his eyes glow.
"Can I see?" Caden asks, not moving his face. I laugh, turning my camera to him.
"Yeah, and you can move now." His eyes flicker between the photo and I, shock written on his face. Is it so hard to believe that I posses an ounce of talent?
"So the rumors are true." He whispers, looking back at the picture. "You got talent, Sugar. You'd make a good photographer."
I blush, "Thank you. Thanks for letting me use your face."
"No problem," He nudges me. "Anytime."
I slide off the table. "Once in a lifetime."
❂ ❂ ❂
The ride home is quiet. Caden and I barely uttered a word as he handed me his helmet, and as we sped down the street. I learned that if I keep my head up and eyes forward, there's a little space between us.
Thank god.
"Turn left." I direct. He nods, ignoring my hair as it whips around us. Shortly, we end up in front of my house. He parks along the sidewalk, steadying the bike as I hop off.
I turn back to him, handing him the helmet. Well...more like dumping it onto his head to make sure he doesn't die. "You should really invest in a spare helmet."
He buckles it, adjusting the strap. "I usually don't have a plus one. Unexpected visitors are tedious, ya know."
I knock on the top of the helmet before taking a step back. "Funny."
"Cute."
"Ew."
"Time will tell, Day. You'll learn to love me. Just watch." He states, egoistically.
"We'll see about that, James. I'm counting down the days to your doom." I start walking backwards, careful not to trip over the lawn's sprinkler.
"Don't let the tally stump your own self discovery."
"I'm blooming like a butterfly well on my own." I retort out as I make my way to my porch steps. "Bye, Asshat."
"Bye, Sugar." He chimes, engine roaring as it sparks to life again.
I shake my head, entering my house. I barely cross the threshold when I'm greeted by an amused mother.
"Hi?" I greet uncertainly, suspiciously scanning the house to make sure nothing lurks in the shadows.
"A boy dropped you home." She nods out the window.
Crap.
"Uh," I scratch my head. "Yeah. My Lit partner."
She raises a brow, arms dropping by her sides. "That's Caden?"
"Yup...why?" I trail, suddenly concerned. Mom doesn't ask about these things, and it's not like Caden and I are magically in love with each other.
We've just barely established our basic level of respect for one another.
"Nothing." She says coyly. Her cheeky smile speaks levels; levels I don't want to explore. So instead, I eye her as I make my way to my room.
Odd.
"He's cute." She calls out. I scrunch my nose in distaste, turning around.
"Didn't notice," I deadpan. "Must be all his idiocy clouding my eyesight."
"Although, I can't say I'm too fond of you riding a motorcycle."
"I know."
She smirks knowingly. "Don't make the mistake I made, Charli."
I open my mouth to protest, but it snaps shut as my brain struggles to process the meaning of that loaded statement.
"Trust me. Hell is not a pleasant pastime, and the journey doesn't always lead you right back to where you were. Or who you were." She walks away, leaving me with her cynical statement.
"What the heck." I mutter, shutting my door behind me. I drop my bag on the floor, moving to lay on my bed.
I stare up at the ceiling, expecting my anxiety controlled tears or anger. But there's nothing. It's just a blank wall.
Then my mind begins to reel as I replay the day, allowing an overwhelming amount of thoughts in. Nothing make sense, leaving me with unanswered questions. That bothers me.
It's been well over a month since Caden and I started the project. Friendship can be all fun and games until someone call it quits.
I don't need another person in my life who will eventually throw me away when all is said and done.
That's why we're just project partners. Not friends. Not enemies. Nothing in between.
Nothing.
I run a hand down my face, deciding to make my way to my bathroom. Determined to wash away all the grime, I scrub my face with a makeup wipe before drenching it in hot water.
A rapid knock comes on my bedroom door, startling me. Getting water all over my shirt, I curse under my breath, jumping back.
"Hold on." I call out, grabbing a towel. I ignore my shirt, making my way to my door. I swing it open to find my little brother holding his phone with an anxious expression. "Yes?"
He brushes past me, frantically waving for me to close the door. I close it behind me, leaning against it as I face him, crossing my arms.
"Sure, come on in, Leo." I quip sarcastically. He tries to glare, but fails as he almost drops his phone. "Okay, what the hell is going on?"
He groans, tossing me the phone. I catch it with ease, not looking down at the bright screen as I raise a brow at him expectantly. "I-I need girl help." He mutters.
I stifle my laugh, covering it with a cough. I take a seat on my bed, patting the spot beside me. "Come on, Bud."
He shoots me a grateful look, taking a seat as I begin to read over their convo.
Looks like my brother has gotten himself his first official girlfriend, ladies and gentlemen. Or at least he's trying.
❂ ❂ ❂
*I want to say this quickly before everything else: plz go follow my instagram account @ universal.boredom.writes, link's in my bio*
With everything going on, I've found it really difficult to write. These two chapters took weeks. So I sat down and thought about it, & came to the conclusion that I've been so disgusted by our world recently, it has entirely affected my focus.
I haven't spoken about current events on this platform, & that's my mistake. If you follow my book blog instagram @ day_dreamer394, then you know I've spoken a lot about it on that platform. In short, all lives cannot matter until black lives matter. I'll never be able to understand, but I see. I will listen, I will learn, and I will respect. Black lives matter. Period. No buts, ifs, however. Just facts.
Thank you for all the support & love; it honestly means the world to me. I hope you have an amazing day or night, and I hope to see you in the next chapter ;)
-K