?WINGLESS AND BEAUTIFUL?
?EPISODE 26 ?
The minute I locked Alibri’s door that night, I saw Chaise
standing in front of his pickup. He usually drove his Porsche to school, but I didn’t really have to ask what happened to that car.
He must have sent it to the garage. I could only imagine the sharp dent my attacker left on it with his army knife.
We didn’t speak on the way home, like I didn’t know
what to say to him. When he stopped in front of my house, I
thanked him and he smiled at me. He didn’t leave until he
was sure I was safely inside.
The next day, he sat with me and Denise in the
cafeteria.
Denise looked at him as if he grew an extra head.
“Seriously, leave so we can talk about you,” Denise said
blatantly.
I glared at her.
Chaise turned to me with a smug smile. “So… you talk
about me?” he asked.
“No!” I replied a little too defensively. That was true.
Denise talked about him. I was an unwilling participant in
the conversation.
“Like, really? Why are you here?” Denise asked him.
He shrugged. “Alice is my friend too, Miss…” he trailed
off. “What’s your name again?”
Denise glared at him.
“Anyway…” Chaise continued. “I want to sit and have
lunch with my friend. Even if it included other less nice
people within her circle.”
Denise was about to retort back with something but I
stopped her. “Guys! Do you want me to leave? You can do this all day by yourselves. I think you got it covered. You
don’t need me here.”
They stopped talking at once. We ate in silence for the
first five minutes. Then Chaise asked, “How’s your Lit paper
going?”
“Practically writing itself,” I replied.
Denise groaned. “I haven’t even started mine.”
Our teacher asked us to write a review of the bestsellers
tackling the controversies in religion. I already picked out
The Da Vinci Code.
I have read that book about a thousand times. Chaise and Denise both said they were lost. They hadn’t even chosen a book to review yet.
“Why don’t I go to the bookshop with you today?” he
asked me. “I can read there while you work and do your
homework.”
That did sound like a good idea. I had a feeling he would
insist on picking me up again anyway.
So why don’t I do him a favor and help him write his
paper?
“Can I come too? I still don’t know what to write about,”
Denise said.
I smiled at her excitedly. “That would be a great idea!”
“It was a great idea until five seconds ago,” Chaise
muttered.
“I heard that,” Denise said glaring at him. She turned to
me. “I’m okay to go, right?”
I nodded.
“No,” Chaise said.
“Says who?” Denise asked.
“Says the nephew of the owner of the bookshop,”
Chaise replied evenly.
“She’s okay to go,” I said. I turned to Chaise. “Says the
night manager of the bookshop.”
“Fine,” Chaise said in defeat.
Denise smiled triumphantly. Then she gathered her tray.
“I have to go to my next class early. I haven’t done my homework yet.”
“Last minute?” I asked her in disbelief.
“Yeah,” she replied. “I couldn’t concentrate in the
house. My menace of a cousin brought some trouble home
again. But nothing interesting. I’ll catch you later.”
I turned back to Chaise. “Mr. Anderson… you promised
you will be my friend. And that means you should befriend
whoever I am friends with.”
“Seriously? Her?” he asked.
I raised a brow at him. He sighed. “Fine. I thought I could get some alone time with you, so you could get to know
me.”
I bit my lower lip. “Chaise…” I started. “Why are you
doing this? I mean… look around you. Plenty of girls are
glaring at me right now because you’re sitting here having
lunch with me.
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