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✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Today was the last day to choose your roommates for the school trip of this weekend. Definitely didn't wanted to be arranged with some random people, so I was really looking forward to be with Jess.

"Are you going to the school trip?" I asked Jess who was getting some stuff from her locker.

"Yes I am, are you?" She asked back closing her locker.

"I am too, can I stay with you?" I don't think she could tell but my anxiety was horrible in that moment, I couldn't wait to have the certainty that I had someone to stay with.

"You are going?" She asked with a shocked expression and I nodded. "I had no idea! Why didn't you told me before? Jake, Eve and I were missing a roommate since the other idiots aren't coming, so we invited one of Jake's friends."

"Oh, don't worry! I understand." I said right after she finished talking. I truly understand, I never go to these trips, so of course she wouldn't contemplate me going this time. It's my fault for not telling her before, but I didn't know I was going until my mom practically obligated me.

I was hoping that Jake wouldn't be attending, but of course he wouldn't miss a chance of partying. When Jess mentioned he would be staying with her I was completely convinced I didn't want to stay with her anymore. I wouldn't be able to sleep being near him, who knows what he is capable of, but I'm not willing to find out.

"I'm sorry Adi, do you have someone else to stay with?"

"I do, don't worry!" I said with a small smile trying to convince her it was ok. I clearly had no one else to stay with, but I'm not telling her that.

I wish I could just stay home and don't go to this freaking trip, but my mom won't let that happen.

Soon after it was lunch so I made my way to the cafeteria hoping to find the boys already there.

"Come on Jordan, it will be fun!" I could hear Roman practically begging Jordan as I made my way to their table.

"No." Was all Jordan replied glaring at Roman, I could tell he was getting really annoyed. I had no idea of what they are even talking about.

"What's going on?" I asked geniuely confused making them all look at me.

"Jordan doesn't want to go to the trip." Roman said showing his middle finger to Jordan before turning back to me.

"Oh, you guys are going to the trip? Me too." I said smiling, earning a smile in return from Roman.

"Hell yeah!" Roman said excitedly. "Who are you staying with?" He added.

"Um I don't know, probably with some random people." I said avoiding eye contact, I was embarrassed of myself. Everyone goes with their friends, can't relate.

"Random people?" Jordan asked with a frown in his face.

"Yep, I have no one to stay with and my mom is kinda persistent about me going to this trip." I said before sighing.

"You can stay with us if you want." Jordan offered and I couldn't help but smile at that. I felt the anxiety that has been overwhelming me all day leaving my body as those words left his lips. I've been really frustrated at the thought of staying with random people, that's scary as heck.

"Only if you guys are okay with that." I said looking at each of them, making sure my presence wouldn't bother them. Blake smiled at me and Roman seemed even more excited now, so I take that as a yes from both of them.

Staying with them is the best that could have happened, even better than staying with Jess and her friends.

"Of course you are staying with us pumpkin!" Roman reassured me with a cheeky smile. "Also, who is 'us', Jordan? I guess you are going now, huh?" He added smirking looking at the angry boy sitting by my side.

"I'm just going since now we are 4 and a random isn't staying with us." Jordan snapped towards Roman.

"Yeah, alright." Roman said shaking his head while rolling his eyes, clearly not buying it.

Jordan still looked irritated, but when he turned his head towards me I wasn't scared to give him a soft reassuring smile. To my surprise, I could see his facial features softening a little bit. He sighed and looked away from me.

"Adira?" I turned my head around to meet a smiling Theo standing in front of me.

"Uh hey Theo. What's up?" I gave him a small smile in return. I noticed how everyone in a table near ours was looking at us, making me think something was up.

"Can we talk?" He asked nodding his head towards the right as if indicating that he wanted to talk somewhere else.

"Sure." I said standing up and anxiously crossing my arms.

We walked away a little but it was enough so the boys in my table couldn't hear.

"This is for you." He said handing me a big Hershey's chocolate bar, leaving me extremely confused of what the heck was going on.

"Oh, thank you! But why are you giving me this?" I asked with clear puzzlement in my features while grabbing the chocolate from his stretched hand. This was so random and nonsense.

"Well it was kinda rude of me to call you a nickname you clearly didn't like, and still you were so nice with me. I feel bad so take it as an apology gift." He shrugged.

I was left feeling even more confused, he wasn't even actually rude to me, an apology wasn't even necessary, let alone a gift.

"What? You weren't even rude, Theo. I promise it wasn't that deep." I chuckled at this whole situation because this is probably something I would do. I feel guilty for the stupidest things.

"This was completely unnecessary, but food is always welcomed." I added shaking the chocolate bar in my hands making him laugh.

"I don't know if you like that chocolate but I hope you do." He said to which I quickly replied, "I love it! Thank you, Theo." I said reassuringly to him. To be honest I love all kinds of chocolates so that wouldn't be a problem with me.

After that, we both made our way towards our tables. When I reached mine I was meet with 3 confused pairs of eyes looking at me.

"You want some?" I asked them with a smile hoping to make this less awkward.

"Is that even a question?" Roman said as I opened the chocolate and cut it in 4 equal parts.

"What did he wanted?" Jordan asked with a blank look as I handed him a piece.

"He gave me this as an apology gift." I said gaining a frown from Jordan, the two other boys were just curiously looking at me while they ate their piece of chocolate.

"Why he wanted to apologize?" Jordan asked again, this time he actually seemed mad.

"Well he called me 'ball girl' because of my accident in the gym class and I didn't exactly liked the nickname but I didn't really mind, still he thought that was rude and gave me this."

"Okay, first of all, 'ball girl' is such a lame nickname, 'pumpkin' is better. Second, he definitely used that as an excuse to talk to you. And finally, if that's the case I hope he continues to be 'rude' with you so we get more chocolate." Roman explained using a lot of hands gestures to emphasize his words. I laughed and shook my head at his way of thinking.

"I mean I hope he is being jokingly rude, because if he is ever actually rude we will kick his ass." Roman added with a serious look.

"Nah, he better don't be any kind of rude again." Jordan said with a serious look as well.

For some reason, they are so protective over me, specially Jordan, and that warms my heart. But I feel like it isn't something personal, they are just nice and respectful guys that don't like women being mistreated, they will probably do the same for another girl, and I'm not complaining at all.

"Who are you to talk about being rude when you are the meanest person I know." Roman said to Jordan with a smirk. He really loved teasing him.

"Am I really rude tho? Or are you just a little bitch?" Jordan said resting his elbows in the table and moving his head forward with every word. He was clearly ready to play Roman's teasing game.

"Nah, you are just rude man." Blake said agreeing with Roman.

"Told you." Roman said with a triumphant smile.

"Fuck you both." Jordan said rolling his eyes at the pair of boys.

I didn't said anything because I didn't wanted to take sides, but of course Roman had to include me in the conversation. "What do you think Pumpkin?"

"She is on my side, of course." Jordan said putting an arm around my shoulder bringing me closer to him.

"See! You won't even let her decide, asshole." Roman complaint.

"I'm on no ones side." I simply said. "Jordan is kinda rude, I give that to you guys." I said looking at Roman and Blake who high five each other. "But, he is less rude than some weeks ago, so I give that to Jordan." I added now looking at Jordan who smirked at me.

"You are just so nice Pumpkin, so nice." Roman said shooking his head.

"You should learn from her, idiot." Jordan said glaring at Roman.

"We all should, we don't deserve pumpkin." Roman said making me laugh and shook my head.

.

The rest of the classes came to a end quickly and we were finally able to go home. As usual, Jordan drove me home.

"Is it too cold?" Jordan asked making me internally curse at myself for not being able to play it off.

The air conditioner in the car was a bit too cold for me, but it was probably comfortable for Jordan and it's his car, so asking him to fix it for me is a bit too selfish. I don't know, but I hate asking other people to do something for my own good.

I can resist a couple minutes in these conditions, I mean whenever I'm in a car with my dad and something like this happens I just wait and try my best to play it off, not wanting to make him mad or something.

But, this time, Jordan probably noticed my shivering that I was trying to control but it's not that simple, or he noticed my body language that was currently asking for some warmth.

"Uh, yeah, is a little bit cold for me, but it's ok if you-" before I could finish Jordan increased the temperature a bit and moved the direction of the air conditioner grids that were pointing directly towards me.

"Thank you." I said feeling more comfortable in the now chilly temperature inside the car.

When we were close enough to my house I saw a car parked in my house, more specifically my father's car. What the fuck is he doing here so early?

I could feel the fear already flowing in my body just as my mind started filling with thoughts of what the heck I should do. 

"Uh, could you please park here." I said to Jordan, my voice coming out as shaky. I was trying my best not to start panicking right now.

I was terrified at the idea of my dad seeing me getting home with Jordan, he would go crazy on me saying that it's dangerous, that I'm being stupid and naive, that Jordan will try to take advantage of me, and every possible horrible scenario.

I don't really think he cares, he just loves to rub in my face how stupid I am and make me question myself.

"Why? What's up?" Jordan asked frowning at me while parking the car a few houses before my own.

"Um, if my dad sees us, he will get mad." I said as vaguely as possible, and I think Jordan would have just let it go and wouldn't press onto it if it wasn't for the fear plastered in my face.

"Why would he get mad because of that?" Jordan asked, the look in his eyes made me think he was trying to put the pieces together.

"He is just very strict with me hanging with boys." I explained, which is true.

"Okay." Was all Jordan replied and I was glad he didn't question me anymore. He unlocked my door and I got out after thanking him as I always do before getting out of the car.

As I walked on the sidewalk I tried to pull myself together, breathing in and out hoping to calm my racing heart.

I got to my front door and got in. While I locked it from inside I looked through the door window and noticed Jordan's car moving from its parked position and going away.

"How did you got here so quickly?" My dad asked behind me, almost making me jump.

"My last class ended earlier." I said confidently. Jokes on him, I had already thought about some questions he could ask me and prepared some answers to them.

That's what I always have to be in my dad's presence, prepared.

He didn't cared to reply anything else so I took the chance to ask him. "Why are you home so early?"

"Home office." He replied heading back to the kitchen.

"Oh nice." I said with my fakest smile. It was clearly not nice for me, as rude as it sounds but I didn't want him here.

"Now, would you tell me why the fuck you left the milk out of the fridge? It's trash now." He joined me in the living room with a milk bottle in his hand.

I started doubting myself for the first couple seconds, but then I quickly came to the realization that I definitely wasn't the responsible of that.

First of all, I don't even drink milk, like ever. If I ever do is mixed with coffee or in a milkshake, but still I barely drink milk in any shape or form. And second, I always make sure that everything is on its place like 5 times before leaving a place, and that's mainly because I can't help it but doubt myself, and my dad makes it worse by questioning me.

So there wasn't any way I actually left the milk out and totally forgot about it. It probably was my mom, but I couldn't put the blame on her, I know my dad would go crazy on her and I hate the thought of that. She doesn't deserves that.

"I'm- I'm sorry, I was in a rush-" I started talking trying to think of any credible excuse, my hands slightly trembling already just at the view of my dad's angry gaze. I was terrified.

Suddenly a loud noise made my trembling lips stop, making me instinctively take a step back and close my eyes for a second.

The, probably rotten, milk was now on the ground, coming out of the plastic bottle and spreading on the floor. I looked back at my dad with widened eyes.

"You are a useless piece of shit!" My dad screamed at the top of his lungs glaring at me. Each of his screams making me jump as the loud sound reached my ears.

He kept yelling insults and horrible words, I knew talking right now wasn't of any use, he would just get angrier, so I just  did what I always do, I stayed quiet hoping he would stop soon so I could get the hell out of here.

"Now clean this fucking shit before your mother gets home." He kicked the plastic bottle making more milk spill along the floor.

"Yes father." I simply said trying to keep a blank face but tears threatened to escape my eyes.

The second he went upstairs and I heard a loud door thud indicating he was in his room already, I let some tears flow down my cheeks, but still I was trying my best to not start sobbing and keep it together. He could come back down any second and say how I love to exaggerate.

After all this years of him telling me I'm exaggerating whenever I express myself in any way, I started to believe it. Now, expressing myself makes me uncomfortable, so I just don't do it.

I grabbed a mop and some napkins to clean the whole mess on the floor and when I was finished and it seemed like nothing even happened, I silently made my way to my room and got to sleep to stop myself from an anxious episode.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE
Hey guys I hope you enjoyed! Thank you for giving my book a chance, it means a lot. The next chapter will include the beginning of the trip so be ready!

-ARV

Published: August 20th 2021