Chapter 7: The awakening of a very weird feeling

The next day, Midnight didn't show up. Ryder just couldn't understand why she felt disappointed. Did she really want him to come by? Her thoughts were already in chaos, overthinking about that weird urge to protect a man she didn't know anything about that woke up last night. Why would she harbor such feelings? Ryder wanted to know why but didn't know where to search for the answer.

On the other hand, Jasmine had her own thoughts about this guy that wanted her precious daughter's attention. After Ryder saw Midnight off that Saturday night, Jasmine was waiting for her in her room. Acting as if the room was hers, she had sat right in the middle of the bed, her legs crossed, her elbows resting on her knees and her right hand holding her chin. When Ryder walked inside the room, a chill ran down her spine, feeling like she had just walked into an interrogation room.

Jasmine didn't say anything as her eyes studied carefully the expression on Ryder's face. The fair skin of Ryder had turned red, the bright color had not faded yet. The cognac eyes looked almost scarlet, like two precious rubies. The girl was biting her lip, as she didn't bother to walk farther into the room, but sat on the floor and leaned against the door. Jasmine snorted inwardly: This rascal and her bad habit of sitting on the ground.

"Why are you blushing?" Jasmine asked her casually, but her eyes studied her and mentally noted every twitch of Ryder's lips, every tremble of her eyelashes, or stiffness of her muscles. Jasmine didn't plan on letting her deceive her, whether she was planning on doing it or not.

"I...."

I don't know? She really didn't know, but Jasmine wouldn't let her be.

"You?"

No words came from Ryder. She just stared down at her hands, suddenly feeling miserable. Why the hell did she name that young man after a psychopath from a book? Why didn't he decline? What was all that shit about Ryder looking excited? So what if she looked excited? How does that concern him? The more Ryder thought about it, the more embarrassed she felt. The redness of her face crept down her neck and colored her ears, she looked like a tomato with eyes. How much of their conversation did Midnight hear? Will he think she has a few screws loose? What if she had listened to her talking about Midnight (from the book) being her baby?

OH MY GOD, PLEASE DON'T!!! The shame!!!! The embarrassment!!! Ryder felt like dying.

Seeing that the redness was just getting worse, and Ryder had hidden her face behind her hands as she shook her head furiously, Jasmine couldn't handle this behavior of hers anymore and grabbed the pillow from under the blanket. Using her full force, Jasmine threw the pillow at Ryder's head. The pillow hit her so hard, that Ryder's head flew backward and bumped against the door.

"What the hell are you thinking about, pervert?!"

Snapping out of her thoughts from the strong impact and the pain, Ryder flared up in anger. She was getting unjustly accused. "I wasn't thinking about anything of that kind! Why the hell did you hit me, you idiot!"

"Then why were you blushing like that?"

"Because it was embarrassing!"

"Huh?" Jasmine stared at Ryder in confusion. Why was she embarrassed? It's not like they did anything wrong. From Jasmine's point of view, all that happened was very normal.

Ryder felt helpless as she had to explain it to Jasmine who even after hearing the explanation, only felt that Ryder was just overthinking it. In her opinion, unless she had been seen running naked while waving her bras in the air, Ryder didn't have to feel embarrassed. How could this ease the feelings stirring Ryder's heart? If anything, it only made her feel worse.

After they stopped bickering, Ryder suddenly asked Jasmine. "Why do you want to protect Remy?"

The annoyance in Jasmine's eyes disappeared. The brown eyes softened, looking like melted chocolate as her face relaxed and a small smile brightened that scary aura that surrounded her whenever she was angry or annoyed. If Ryder didn't know that this is how Jasmine reacts towards everything she cherishes and wants to protect, she would have thought that maybe this thug romantically liked Remy. Yet this is Jasmine. She brightened like this when she talked about that puppy she found on the side of the road and forced her uncle to raise or that four-year-old cousin that lives two hours away from her house...

"Because I don't want to see him in pain," Jasmine said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, but why? Why him?"

Jasmine ran her hand through her mane-like hair. "When I first saw him, he looked like a lost puppy getting beaten. Miserable and pathetic..." A soft chuckle puffed its way out of her plump lips as she recalled the image of Remy back then. "He looked so pitiful, but I liked his eyes. There was no fear in them, just sadness." Jasmine straightened her back and looked Ryder right in the eyes. "You know, he tries so hard to hide it, but I have noticed that when he thinks no one is watching, he looks sad. Little Rem Rem wants to look tough. He's always alone, trying to look scary and all, but he's quite cute actually. I don't want him to be alone and look sad."

What Midnight had said before Ryder stormed off, crossed her mind and a frown hung on her lips. "I like the stars... and I like the quietness... I wanted to taste both of them at the same time..." then the answer he gave her when Ryder had asked him why he had broken into her backyard... running away from life... His voice sounded sorrowful...downhearted... recalling that voice, Ryder tasted that feeling again.

Suddenly, she didn't want that stranger to sound like that again.

"Why are you asking?" Jasmine narrowed her eyes at Ryder who had slipped once again deep into her thoughts.

Instead of answering, Ryder ignored her question completely. "What do you think about him? Midnight, I mean..."

A sigh breezed Jasmine's lips as she lay down on the bed. She patted the place next to her, gesturing Ryder to lie by her side, and crossed her arms underneath her head. Ryder looked at her for a moment, then lazily stood up from the floor and lay down next to Jasmine.

The bright pair of chocolate eyes of Jasmine stared at the dark ceiling painted as the night sky. "I think he's handsome."

Ryder blinked in surprise. Didn't this idiot call him ugly twice? Or was she just trying to deliberately get on his nerves?

Jasmine cast a glance at Ryder and when she noticed the dumbfounded look on her face, she couldn't help but chuckle. "He seemed to be as cool as a cucumber. I'm surprised I didn't receive a single punch after all that."

You went berserk! Who would dare to deal with you when you're like that? Ryder frowned. "I think he's in pain."

"Well, one thing is for sure..." Jasmine closed her eyes and grinned.

For a moment, Ryder was scared. What is this girl thinking to do now? She already fought with four guys today. Is that even normal? Where the hell does she find all that energy?

The dark eyebrows of Ryder furrowed. "What?"

"We have to find out who he is."

Unconsciously, Ryder nodded. Wait, what? We? Who we? "Excuse me, what?"

Jasmine propped her upper body up with her elbow and looked at Ryder directly in her eyes, a strange fire burning in her eyes, that made Ryder shiver. Damn it. Her inner Sherlock Holmes has woken up. "That guy knows me. Now I NEED to know who he is."

"And what is your plan?" A gust of uncertainty took over her heart. Ryder was scared to even ask. This thug was planning on digging holes a few hours ago and she wasn't even that interested in Midnight back then. Now that he had her curiosity, God knows what she plans to do.

Ryder prayed silently for Midnight in her heart.

May your soul rest in peace.

Jasmine didn't answer, just sinisterly laughed under her breath before playing dead on the bed, refusing to tell Ryder anything.

The next day, Jasmine refused to leave the house and waited patiently in the backyard for Midnight to show up, with a bat in her hand that God knows where and when she found it. It took Ryder three hours to persuade her to hand over the bat, but before Ryder could sigh in relief, this thug grabbed the shovel from the ground and played around with it innocently as if her intentions weren't obvious at all.

Ryder had started cleaning the backyard thoroughly, getting rid of everything that littered the tormented grass, moving them to the attic that still needed to be cleaned, but for the time being she had decided to deal with the attic after she was done with beautifying the backyard, for this had turned into her new project. Ryder had sought her father's help, to keep her mother away from the backyard, which wasn't that hard, to begin with since she avoided it like the backyard was a pile of shit. This was why there was a shovel in the backyard.

Upon seeing the shovel being swung in the air as if it was Excalibur, Ryder rushed to get rid of the hammers and saws or any other thing that could be used as a weapon by this brat.

But Midnight didn't come.

The reason why Ryder didn't know. She started to wonder... Maybe he got scared away by Jasmine. Or was he afraid that Jasmine would call the police on him? It wouldn't be a surprise before, but now that he got her curiosity, it wasn't likely to happen. But Midnight didn't know this, did he? What if he just simply didn't want to show up again?

When this thought struck Ryder like lightning, the eagerness to find out who this Midnight was, intensified. If she knew who he was, he wouldn't have where to hide anymore. The possibility of him hiding in plain sight, made Ryder's blood boil.

By the time Monday came, Ryder was like a cocktail of feelings, annoyance, eagerness, curiosity, excitement... she harbored all these and walked through the hallway with a strange look in her eyes. The cognac color of her eyes looked like two pits of lava.

When Aiden noticed Ryder, he smiled, however, hesitated to approach in fear of facing that damned chihuahua that looked as if it would bite him any moment. When he noticed that Ryder was alone, with no beast in the body of a chihuahua to threaten his pride or physical health, he rushed to her, face full of smiles.

"Morning." The warm like spring sunshine voice made Ryder freeze in her spot, her heart speeding for a second before she managed to look calm.

"Good morning." Ryder smiled at Aiden shyly.

"Where is that Boxer Girl?" Aiden asked, wanting to make sure that he was out of danger before trying to make any move on the still clueless Ryder.

When Jasmine was mentioned, Ryder muttered a soft "oh" and looked behind as if searching for her amid the students, even though she knew that her Mama-bear had run away, chasing after Remy to give him the stuffed wolf. This was unintentional and quite a pointless thing to do. However, this reaction made cold sweat run down Aiden's back. So he was in danger after all?!

"She went to find Remy." Ryder turned her eyes to Aiden with a smile.

Aiden almost sighed in relief. Then he remembered who Remy was. Remy... Remy Millard? The scary dude that is always alone picking fights? Why the fuck was that scary chihuahua trying to find him? "Did he do something to her?" Aiden asked. Will there be a fight? Boxer Girl vs the Weirdo who always hides his face... this would be interesting.

Before Aiden could fantasize any further, Ryder who hadn't noticed the excitement in his voice, still lazily smiling, shook her head, shattering Aiden's daydreaming. "No. She made him a gift."

Aiden felt as if he was hit on the face with a brick. What the fuck? "Does she like him?" Just the idea made him shiver. Imagine how terrifying it would be if those two became a couple. Who would dare to oppose them then?

Once again, the clueless Ryder shook her head. "No." She chuckled softly. "She is adopting him."

"..."

If a minute ago, Aiden felt like he was hit by a brick on the face, now a whole building had fallen on his head. His brain shattered trying to process that one sentence. Jasmine Hasen... adopting... ADOPTING... Remy Millard... What the fuck is going on??? He just couldn't imagine that little girl with wild hair, trying to adopt, ADOPT, that weirdo that everyone tried to avoid because he looked like a pervert with that hair down and being alone all the time. Adopt...how the fuck does she plan to adopt... what is this bullshit? I don't know what is going on anymore.

Ryder noticed, for once, the strange look on Aiden, and her cheeks turned red. She must have sounded crazy to him. After all, not many knew how the head of Jasmine worked. How could she explain the situation to Aiden without sounding as if her brain was damaged? "Jaz... hmmm... she, in a non-romantic way, likes Remy... you know... she just wants to treat him well and have him under her protection."

The expression on Aiden's face worsened. That weirdo needs protection? How the fuck does he need protection? People need to be protected from him.

Seeing the expression on Aiden, Ryder felt helpless. She had no idea how else to explain it to him. Is it that weird to understand? To Ryder, after she went through this herself and because she didn't quite know what kind of behavior was considered abnormal, what Jasmine was doing wasn't that weird. Just a tiny bit weird, maybe.

With the conversation going nowhere, but just getting weirder, Aiden decided to change the topic. "So what were you thinking earlier? You looked quite... fired up..."

Ryder had to think about it, as she had lost the track of her thoughts being suddenly interrupted. "Ah." Her eyes brightened when she remembered. The face she made looked very cute to Aiden. He had to surpass a chuckle, biting his lower lip. This girl is so innocent... like a cute little bunny.

"There is something I want to figure out."

Aiden slyly got closer to Ryder as she talked, acting as if the hallway suddenly was too crowded. Ryder didn't notice that this was on purpose, thinking that it was a blessed moment from heaven that made her cheeks feel warm.

"What is that?"

"I..." The voice cracked. Ryder cleared her throat as the already warm cheeks turned scarlet red. Why is she always blushing around him? Is this normal? "I want to find someone." As she said this, the cognac eyes went to Aiden's hands unconsciously. It was stupid because the voices weren't the same but the eyes searched for the little mole before she could realize it.

"Are you free after school?" The topic once again took a whole other direction. Ryder was confused. How is this question related to what he asked previously? Is this how you do small chats?

"I'm going to buy some gardening tools... why?"

Aiden cursed in his heart. How come she is always busy? Always had plans? How busy could she be, when she only hangs out with that chihuahua? Yet, Aiden refused to give up. He was determined in his task. "Do you mind if I tag along?"

Why would Aiden want to come with her to buy grass and flower seeds? "You might get bored..." Jasmine always complained whenever the two of them went shopping, the happenings of Saturday afternoon being the proof. If Aiden came along, maybe he would get bored and not want to hang out with her anymore. Ryder didn't want to risk it. Even though it was a bit odd to have her crush talking and spending time with her, Ryder didn't dislike it. Even though it was a bit awkward, she enjoyed it and for this reason, she didn't want to give Aiden any reason to get bored of her.

"Not at all." Aiden gave her one of those dazzling smiles of his. "Why would I get bored with you there?"

EXTRA:

Famous last words:

Aiden: Why would I get bored with you there?

1 hour later

Aiden: I have regrets ಠ_ಠ. Why does nothing ever go as fucking planned? T^T