Chapter 3 A Ride Between Us

• It has been half an hour. I had been sitting outside waiting for half an hour for Brian to come out of the men's bathroom. And it had been more than an hour since school ended. What was I going to tell my stupid brother and my mom for why I was late?
• As school ended an hour ago, not many people were there. Just a few teachers and some students. People passing by gave me odd looks from which I could tell that they were thinking why I was sitting directly outside the men's bathroom.
• Brian dragged me to the men's bathroom from the parking lot. Of course I tried to run away but I couldn't because he held my arm so tightly as if his life depended on it. I swear he stopped blood circulation in my body. And now he was making me wait for him. And why was I still here? Because he got his hands on my phone! And I had no idea how!
• Was he ever going to come out of that bathroom today?
• Finally an eternity later, Brian walked out of the bathroom. His clothes were all wet and his hair was disheveled and wet too.
• He looked at me. Well, more like glared at me.
• "You're driving me home," He stated sternly, leaving no room for an argument.
• "Excuse me? Give me my phone back! I'm not driving you home!" I stood up, sticking a hand out in front of his face for my phone.
• "Fine. I'll just flush down your phone in the toilet," He said, turning back. Oh my God! Not my phone! I can't live without it!
• "Wait!" I said and he looked at me expectantly. I groaned. "Okay I'll drive you home!"
• "Good."
• "But what about your bike?"
• "My friend will drop it off at my place. Now don't waste my time and drop me home. You have a car, right?"
• "Er...yes," I said, running my eyes over his form. "But it will be spoiled if you sit in my car!"
• "Does it look like I care. You are dropping me home and I don't care whether it will spoil the car or not." He gritted out.
• "You're such a jerk." I muttered under my breath.
• "Are you even from this school? Because if you were you'd clearly know me as the sweetest guy ever," he said proudly.
• "I'm from this school and I do know about your reputation but right now you're sort of contradicting it."
• "I'm a good guy but don't think of me as a pushover. Did you expect me to be friendly when you best me to a pulp?"
• I felt extremely bad for him. "I told you that it was a mistake. I didn't want to do that to you, but someone else."
• "Doesn't matter. I'm the one who suffered in the end."
• I glared at his retreating figure, hoping it would literally burn holes in his back. In frustration, I raised my hand into a fist and punched the wall adjacent to me. "Ow!" I hissed in pain, cradling my hand against my chest. Why the hell did I do it? Clearly my brain and my actions were temporarily unconnected.
• I unlocked the car and got in the driver's seat while Brian sat in the passenger seat. I cringed as I saw the paint sticking to the leather seats. He noticed it and smirked before rubbing his back on the seat which caused it to get more paint on it. I glared at him.
• "Are you going to start the car? I don't have all day to get home."
• "Asshole," I muttered under my breath.
• I pulled out of the parking lot and he directed me towards his house.
• After a thirty minute drive, we finally made it to his house.
• "Carry my bag. I don't want it to get dirty."
• "And it's okay to make my car dirty," I muttered and grabbed his bag. God, the bag was so heavy. What did he carry in it? Dumbbells?
• I dragged it towards his door and he unlocked the door, signalling me to place it on the sofa. The house was huge and beautiful but I didn't get enough time to admire it because as soon as I was out of the door, that jerk closed the door on my face. He didn't even thank me for waiting for him for half an hour, for dropping him home or even for taking his bag up to his house. Such a meanie! What more can you expect from an asshole like him?
• I glanced at my watch and it was five in the evening. I was two hours late.
• I hurried to my car, quickly putting it in reverse gear and driving to my house.
• "Where have you been?" Ryan questioned even before I could step inside the house. His voice was dripping with fake concern.
• "I had some work to finish. And you don't need to be nosy," I knew my brother very well. He couldn't be all caring and worried about me unless it would get him something. For now, he wanted my car. He had been pissing me off this past week to lend him my car. But I wouldn't. He was just sixteen. Yeah, okay he turns seventeen in a month but that doesn't mean that I would give my car to my underaged brother. I would be responsible if he drove straight into a tree or accidentally killed someone.
• "Brooke, why were you so late today? Ryan thought somebody had kidnapped you," Mom asked, walking out of the kitchen.
• "Mom, I had some work. I was with Claire at her place."
• "Oh. Come on in. But next time you do that again, you will first inform us."
• "Yes mom," My family was really very overprotective. And that was annoying sometimes. But nevertheless, I still loved them.
• It was after dinner that Claire called.
• "Hey, traitor," I answered the call.
• "When did you get home?"
• "I don't know, maybe two hours after you left me with him."
• "Oh. What did Brian do to you? Why did he make you stay for so long?"
• "Wow. That's more important to you than saying a sorry to me."
• "Oh, yeah. I'm so sorry, Brooke. Now tell me what did he want?"
• I looked at the phone incredulously. She really was more interested in knowing about him than apologising to me.
• "He wanted a ride home because he didn't want to make his precious bike dirty. And so he made my car dirty. I'll have to clean it up. My car is coloured blue like a Smurf just took a shit there," I groaned.
• "A smurf's shit is blue?"
• "Claire!"
• She just chuckled from the other side. "Sorry. And by the way, your prank was a total shit. I'm just being honest."
• "You bitch!" I huffed, "Did you expect me to come up with a better prank in half a day?!"
• "Yeah, I know you couldn't. I'm sorry. For leaving you there and all too."
• "I am going to kill you tomorrow at school for leaving me with that douche. He made me wait for half an hour outside the men's bathroom!"
• "Uh, Brooke. It was a snap decision. I was scared."
• Scared my ass. If I was in her place, I would have stayed with her even if he tried to kill us.
• I just hung up on her.