CHAPTER FORTY NINE
CHAPTER FORTY NINE
**MARIANNA**
“Marianna!”
“Marianna!” I heard someone’s voice penetrate my sleep. I mumbled some inaudible things before I turned my head. I was drifting off to sleep again when the person shook me.
“Marianna! Wake up!” The person said loudly and I opened my eyes slowly. The person that was trying to wake me up was Tyler.
“What happened?” I raised my head from the table and rubbed my eyes.
“You slept off and it’s late already. There’s nobody left in the school. The students have served their detention and left.” He explained.
“Oh shit!” I sprang up when I heard that. I winced in pain when I felt the effect of how I sprang up in my knee. For a moment there, I forget that my knee was bruised.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” I asked, ignoring the pain in my knee as we walked out of the cafeteria together.
“You were tired and you seemed to be enjoying your sleep.” He uttered.
“Acting like a gentleman, eh?” I quizzed teasingly.
“Fuck being a gentleman,” He rolled his eyes, “I was just taking a little pity on you.”
“Whatever you say.” I mumbled and we fell silent.
We arrived at the detention room a few minutes later to see that there was no single student present inside. The only person we saw was a teacher, Mrs. Bensoj sitting behind a desk.
“Good evening madam.” I greeted her while Tyler stayed quiet.
“Hey, you guys are here for detention right?” She asked.
“Yes ma’am.” I nodded.
“Where have you been? Your fellow students have come for theirs and they’ve gone home already.” She stated.
“We were caught up with something, ma’am. But we’re here now.” I responded, wishing she could stop asking questions already so that we can get this detention over with.
“Well, the Principal told me to inform the both of you that you won’t be serving the detention anymore. You’re free to go home.” She said.
“Really?” I asked, hoping that I heard what she said clearly.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.
“Yes, you’re free to go home.” She replied and I junoed in happiness.
“Thank you ma’am.” I smiled.
“You should thank the Principal, not me.” She said snottily as she picked up her bag, “The both of you made me spend extra hours today, I won’t even get paid for it and my kids will be waiting for me at home.” With that, she walked out.
“What is up with her?” I asked no one in particular, “Thank God we are not staying for this detention, we can finally go home now.” I said to Tyler and walked towards our classroom. I picked up my bag that was already zipped up, my friends must have done that because my books were all over my desk.
I sauntered out of the classroom after taking my bag, the whole place was quiet since there was no single student in the school, except Tyler and I of course. A few minutes later, I was outside the school, about to begin the long journey of walking home since I didn’t have money for cab on me.
A red sports car came beside me, the window was winded down and Tyler’s face came into view, he was in the driver’s seat.
“Get in.” He said.
“No, thank you.” I said.
“Get in now, it’s pretty late for an highschool girl to be going home by this time.” He stated.
“But it’s not that late yet.” I argued.
“I’m offering you this ride now, you should know that I’m not that nice. And nobody says no to me.” He groaned.
“I didn’t ask you for a ride in the first place so you can take your display of niceness to another place. Who knows of you’re gonna do something bad to me when I’m alone with you in the car?”
“I might be a bad boy but I don’t go around molesting or harassing girls sexually,” He said with a look of annoyance and continued, “See, if you know that you don’t want me to take you home, it’s fine. No need for the indirect insults.”
He was going to start driving away when I stopped him with what I said next. I summoned courage and dropped the hard expression on my face.
“I think I need that ride, I don’t even have the money for a cab and my house is pretty far from here. I’m sorry for insulting you.” I uttered, the last sentence feeling sour on my tongue.
“If you feel like I’m forcing you, you can choose not to get in.” He stated.
“You’re not forcing me, I want to get in since you’re helping me.” I answered.
“Good, hop in.” He inclined his head and I moved closer to the door of the back seat.
“What are you trying to do? Get in the passenger seat, do I look like a cab driver to you?” He said and asked. I chuckled at the question.
“Don’t mind me.” I responded chucklingly and rounded the car to get to the passenger’s seat, I opened the door and slid in, right beside Tyler.
He revved the engine after I had settled in my seat.
“What’s your address? I don’t know where your house is located.” He asked.
“Don’t worry, I’ll direct you.” I told him and he faced the road.
After a couple of minutes of Tyler driving and me doing the directing, we entered our street. I suddenly remembered that our house was not the best to look at and Tyler can mock me about it since his own house was a magnificent one to look at and one can even stare at his house all day long.
“Erm… drop me here Tyler, we’re already close to my house.” I said when he was already close to our house.
“Is this your house?” He pointed at a house that was not really far from us.
“No but I’ll find my way to my house, just drop me here.” I stated.
“No, I’m not dropping you here. I insist on taking you to your house.”
“But I can find my way from here!” I exclaimed.
“I insist.” He pressed on and I got tired of the conversation.
“Fine, but don’t you dare laugh or mock me when we get there.” I warned him a glare.
“I won’t, cross my heart.” He did the sign of the cross on his chest with his left hand that was not on the steering wheel.
“Alright,” I sighed and continued, “Just drive down a little further and turn to the left, you’ll see my house up ahead.”
Soon enough, he pulled over in front of my house and I alighted, he came out too and rested his back on the car.
“So this is your house, huh?” He asked while looking around.
“Yes, what’s wrong with it?” I asked back with a slight sneer.
“Hey! Calm down tigress, I never said anything was wrong with it.”
“You don’t need to say it, your facial expression says it all.” I rolled my eyes.
“Well, maybe you’re not a good expression reader.” He laughed loudly, his laughter enhancing his boyish look, making him look cuter and hotter at the same time. Damn, what’s wrong with me?
“Whatever.” I heaved a breath.
“You’ve dropped me now, you can go.” I said, in a bid to get him to leave.
“Oh yeah, bye.” He said and stood straight before he got into the car.
“Bye, thanks for the ride.” I smiled slightly.
“No biggie.”
I watched him drive off before I walked into the house. I saw mom in the sitting and she looked sheepish, like she had been caught doing something bad.
“Good afternoon mom.” I greeted, looking at her suspiciously.
“Welcome back, Marie. How was school?” She stated.
“School was fine.” I replied and plopped down on the couch.
“Why did you come back late?”
“Oh, we were doing some projects which took a lot of time.” I lied through my teeth, hoping that she didn’t catch on that I was lying.
“Oh okay.” She said but she looked like she wanted to say more.
“Alright, spill it mom.” I stated with a roll of my eyes.
“Who was the boy that dropped you off?” I knew this was the question she was going to ask, I just knew it.
“He’s a friend.” I answered, even though I won’t consider Tyler my friend.
“Are you sure that he’s just a friend?” She asked teasingly.
“Yes mom, just a friend!” I said loudly.
“That’s good then. I’m not ready to be a grandmother.” She said with a giggle.
“Mom!” I shouted loudly as she burst into a hysterical laughter.
TBC