Being Lame Again

 

CHAPTER THREE; Being Lame Again

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The trees and street lights blurred as the red Lamborghini drove faster on the road. Inside the expensive car floated a soft and mellow melody of a 90s song, the complete opposite of its ferocious speed and dashing color.  

The driver hums along with the music whilst tapping his finger on the steering wheel. The guy is too relaxed while driving the car at a speed of almost 60 kilometers per hour. He was dressed in his thick and expensive leather jacket, sitting languidly on his seat like the doesn't even care about crashing and dying.

On the other seat sits a petite girl in her violet cocktail dress. On top of her dress is a thick black coat, trying to protect her delicate skin from frostbite. 

The said girl was glaring at the driver through his reflection in the window she was leaning on. She was not bothered by the speed of the car at all. Her glare did not even falter when he increased his speed.

The man, upon noticing her murderous glares, showed a lazy and attractive smile on his ravishing red lips. Althea wants to reach out and pull his lips to destroy that smile. What an infuriating smile it was!

"Althea, no matter how much you glare at me, I will not pull back and send you to your apartment. I mean, you've agreed to come."

Althea rolled her eyes and sat up straight. She watched the seemingly unending road ahead of them. No one knew she quit looking at him through the reflection because she was envious of his sinful lips. 

'Darn,' she thought. 'His lips look more appealing than mine, a girl. Not just that though, I noticed that his skin is much smoother than mine. That is, again, a girl. How though?! He does sports, how come his skin has that kind of texture? What skincare does he use? What routine? Argh, the perks of having tons of money.'

Despite her rambling inside, she replied calmly. "You forced the responsibility on me." 

 He shot her a sideways glance, the corners of his lips raising for a playful smirk. 

 "You hold the decision, though. You can agree, and you can also decline. I'm fine with either of the two, by the way. But, in the end, you choose to accept."

 She surpassed the urge to send him flying with a kick for the fear of her dear life, besides, Althea could not refuse his words. She accepted and said yes. But—!!!

 They were forcing me! 

 Her shout resounded in her ears. She refused to let her frustration out and just dismissed the topic with a harrumph.

 Tyler, fully aware of her forcing the topic down, chuckled. His low laugh drowned the music that was playing. Althea thought that he would push out a taunt, but, to her surprise, he remained silent. Hiding a smile on his pretty lips.

 She thought that Tyler never backed down with anything and talked back with a taunt or teasing, but he just stayed silent and it looked like he was ignoring her completely.

'Well,' Althea once again started her inner monologue. 'Not that I know this, uh, a crush of mine.' She nearly laughed at what she referred to him. It was not a lie, though. 

Come to think of it, I transferred here in September. Then a week passed, and that is when I met Tyler. Not met, 'met', since we did not talk, just, just sudden eye contact, accidentally, I tell you. Then I began observing him from afar. Then, in November. Yes, it was November when he first talked to me.'

Althea mentally face-palmed, just remembering that scene.

'After that super ass lame hitting, for some reason, I decided to avoid him, and after just two months, here I am, sitting in his car.'

The two friends of Tyler did not give her a breather after he said those words, making her easily lose her calm. She wanted to throw the groceries she bought toward them and ran for them, but she couldn't. If her mother gets wind of her wasting food, she needs to prepare and pack back home. Wasting money is a big no-no.

She, of course, doesn't want to agree. But they told her that if she went, they would help her out by distracting Tyler so she could go home early. She only hesitated for a minute before giving in.

 Don't get her wrong. Not that she hates attending parties, but this city is different from where she came from. And, of course, she knew no one here. Just some classmates, and some familiar faces, but they cannot be considered friends. They are not close enough either. Just classmates or schoolmates' relationships. A very formal one.

 The old Althea doesn't like noisy places. As much as possible, she wants peace. She was often alone when she was in elementary. When she was already in the middle of middle school, she was afraid of being left out, so, sometimes Althea attends parties created by her previous classmates in the past. 

Getting used to the loud music, and stinky place with sweats is hard. It took her a lot of effort to not push the monkeys that were trying so hard to get close to her. But she is gradually getting used to it and she sometimes enjoys parties and such.

 So she sees attending parties as so-so. Not bad, but also not good.

 And besides, she can't deal with two annoying monk-humans

at once.  

 Althea heard their conversation earlier.

 'Come on Tyler, the girls won't come if you don't!'

 She snorted in her mind once again. She already knew that Tyler is pretty popular around the campus, so maybe nearly half of the female population was after him. She also once heard that he likes parties and girls. After hearing this, she unconsciously draws a line between them.

 "We're here."

Tyler's voice pulled her wandering mind back to her head. Althea looked out from the window. Tyler's car entered a huge lawn. Even though in the dark, you can see expensive cars parked neatly on the other side. Tyler drove past them and found a free space to park his own.

His car stopped, and he unbuckled his seatbelt and then reached out to turn the music off. Althea did not wait for him. She got out of the red car and was welcomed by a very cold breeze of winter. 

Althea was grateful that she wore a coat. 

Meters away from where the cars were parked stood a mansion where loud music was booming. She can hear the faint voices of the students partying wildly inside. 

Althea wants to go back home already. Her precious weekend is now ruined.

 "There's no backing out, you know." 

 She heard Tyler's voice behind her back. She shrugged, now not wanting to retort back.

"I know."

 Tyler chuckled and shot her a sideways glance. "Let's go." 

 Tyler went ahead, and she trailed quietly behind him. Althea looked at his wide back and unconsciously gulped.

'Such wide shoulders and arms. If he ever loses his mind and tries to crush me, I, with no doubt, will break in two.'

She shuddered at the thought and looked up, only to meet Tyler's smiling eyes. Even in the lack of light, his eyes shone brightly. 

It was winter, but his eyes were very warm. Comfortably warm. Like the spring after the winter. The feeling was also like finding shelter amidst a raging blizzard. She felt her heartstrings move.

Heartstrings-- what stupidity is that?!

 Althea looked away. He chuckled and looked back in front. He thought that it was a shame that she withdraws rather easily. But he was also oddly satisfied with her reaction.

 There was silence after that. Althea can hear their footsteps against the paved floor and the distant music. She looked at the mansion with tired eyes.

 "I wish there were many chairs there." She unconsciously mumbled.

Tyler did not stop walking, but he laughed hard at what she said. His whole body was shaking while he was basking in mirth. Althea's face, after realizing what foolishness she just mumbled, went pale, then red from embarrassment and anger. 

"Who sits at a party?" 

Althea wanted to kick him. "I'm sorry, but I do!"

Tyler laughed heartily before slowing down his pace until they were both walking side by side. His laughter stopped, and he glanced at her briefly.

 "Well, if there are not enough chairs, I will make it so there's none," Tyler spoke slowly, every word was spoken out languidly. "But sitting on my lap will do.”

Althea stopped dead in her tracks, while Tyler's laughing voice sounded in her ears as she glared at his back.