Chapter 16: Chapter 16

As I powered walk under the sun with my bag in my arms, hugging it like it held some treasure, I had a sense that I wasn't alone. I turned around to quickly glance at the fellow walker, but my amusement reached a new level when I witness Sid and Kyle behind me. Fastening my pace I thought I will leave them behind, but as I got closer to the tunnel before my house, I saw the same drunken man who bothers every girl, standing there. I was stuck in between trouble, behind me were the orphans and in front of me was the old drunken man.

I kept walking in haste, I can hear Sid and Kyle talking to each other behind me. As I approached the tunnel, the old man stepped forward with a bottle of wine in his hands.

"I can give you a bottle for sex," he mumbled and stepped even closer. I tried to walk away, but he came in front of me. Why would he think I would take the empty bottle for sex with him?

"Look, I'll call the cops on you," I warned him with a broken voice. He noticed how afraid I was and that brought a laugh to escape his lips.

"Is it that precious to hide in your jeans?" He stated and disgust took over me. I narrowed my eyes and stepped back. He was watching my body like I was naked, my skin stretched as goosebumps took over.

He pulled his hand forward to touch me and I slapped it away.

"Don't touch me, you sicko," I yelled, my heart beating fast in my chest. I didn't think he'll be this aggressive today. I took another step back, but he wasn't quitting. With his hand stretched out, he stepped closer to touch me again.

"Yo, she said don't touch her." A loud growl came from behind me, as much as I wanted to turn around, I couldn't look away to give this old man a chance to grab. . Sid and Kyle marched in front of me and glared at the old man.

"She was harassing me." The drunken man rolled his eyes as anyone would believe him.

"Stay away." Kyle stepped closer to him and stared him in the eye, his hand tapped against the old man's chest, hence pushing him further away.

"Go home," Sid ordered, not even looking at me. Too many questions forming in my mind, but I ran through the tunnel and straight to my home.

Why did he help me?

I was breathing profusely; I didn't even turn around to see what had happened behind me. I was shaking, my body trembling miserably. I hadn't noticed where I was standing, sweat drops slipping down my body.

"Where were you?" Mr. Ben was standing in the lounge with his arms crossed. I was guessing they already had their lunch. His appearance startled me and I dropped my bag that I had been holding close to my chest this whole time.

Usually, Lauren would wait for me and eat with me, but she had swiped clean the table this time.

"I---" I halted, if I told him that Tucker left me in school and drove home with his sister, Mr. Ben would be mad at him which I would never want.

"I was with my friend, she needed me." I lied, lowering my head. It felt bad to lie. In order to be nice in Tucker's eyes, I have started to look bad in everyone else's eyes. I bet he guessed from the appearance that I was lying, but it was nice of him to not investigate me any further.

"Next time, ask me first." Mr. Ben was staring right into my soul as he was talking to me. I nodded my head and began walking in the direction of my room.

"Giselle!" Mr. Ben continued, stopping me in my steps, "Lauren and I are going out of town to her parents, I believe you'll keep the house guarded." He mumbled and walked into his room. Relief hit me, so he still had belief in me, he knew nothing illegal would happen in my presence. Plus, the thought of being left alone with Tucker and Ivory, who will most probably be busy in her room face-timing her friends, was tickling my stomach. On normal days with Mr. Ben and Aunt Lauren at home, Tucker wasn't allowed to come near me or my room at late timings, we were allowed to talk to sit together as Mr. Ben didn't like it, but now that they'll be gone, my heart said Tucker will try to talk to me. I knew he was dating my friend, and I won't agree with that. I would look for ways to talk to him, I'll find excuses to sit and look in his eyes, but I had to reserve myself.

Lauren and Mr. Ben left in the evening, I stayed in the lounge to watch TV since Mr. Ben was gone.

I saw Ivory coming out of her room, dressed up like a vulgar version of a Barbie doll, and ready to be headed out of the house.

"Wait!" I caught her attention, getting up and standing straight, "Mr. Ben would be very upset." I couldn't just tell her that *oh you can't go* so I found a nice way to say it otherwise.

"And who will tell him?" She tapped her sandals on the floor and stared into my eyes.

"Ivory, he'll ask me and then I won't be able to lie." I tried to make her understand, playing nervously with my fingers.

"Oh, so you can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to me?" She raised her brow and smirked, I knew what she was talking about. She knew everything about that night when Tucker took me to a party and left me on the road.

"I lied because I didn't want Tucker to be in trouble." I looked down as I announced this part.

"So you can't lie to me? Is Tucker special to you?" She had this smirk on her face that was making me uneasy. There was no way she would ever guess that I've feelings for Tucker.

"You are a girl and there are predators outside." Having no answer to her questions, I recalled the old man and played the card.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Lock will help me since he is your friend now." She shrugged her shoulders and her smile faded away. I gasped, my jaw dropping to the deepest layer of earth.

"What, that's not true." I wasn't requesting anymore; my voice was more like in a defensive tone.

"Everybody saw you with him this morning." she crossed her arms and stubbornly tapped her foot.

"That's because we are assigned together for this upcoming event." words were coming out in a mixed order. If everybody saw that, Especially Ivory, Tucker must know that too. What is he thinking of me? Dammit, Steven.

"If that's so, keep it that way." she made a tight line of her lips and exit the house. There was no point in debating with her, she wasn't going to listen to me anyway.

I sighed and sat on the couch again. I pulled my phone and sent a text to Dina, she had left me a single text to inform me she has safely reached home.

Me: Dina you okay?

It wasn't long when she answered back.

Dina: I don't know.

Me: But can you tell me what happened?

Dina: I can't.

Me: Why not?

Dina: Just give me some time.

Me: Sure, but know that I'll always be there for you, okay?

Dina: Thanks, Elle.

Tucker came out of his room and my attention was averted to him. He was wearing a black jacket and holding his phone.

He ignored my presence and jumped on the couch with me. His closeness always gave me goosebumps and now that we were perched on a couch so close, my whole body was frozen.

I cleared my throat to start a conversation, my heart always felt this urge of talking to him that I can't explain.

"Tuck, can we talk?" I asked and slightly turned my face to him. My back was straight and I was perched on the edge of the couch while he was almost laying on the couch with his feet hanging down.

"First, it is not Tuck, and second if it's about what I said to Lauren, I did what I thought was right, so don't tire yourself." He didn't bother looking my way, his brow was raised which was evidence that he was extremely pissed.

"It is about Dina," I mumbled, even though I was highly offended with his rudeness, but I ignored that I continued anyway. Dina was his girlfriend; he should have been a little concerned about her if not about leaving me in the school.

"Oh, what about her?" his tone changed, there was a smirk on his face now. I had no idea what was going on with him tonight, but he was behaving weirdly.

"She was very upset today." I stayed and watched his face covered with a smirk.

"Was she crying?" He proudly shuddered and put one foot on another.

"Yeah! She was broken. Wouldn't you wanna know what happened?" At this point, I was afraid to hear the answer.

"I know." He shrugged his shoulders and grinned, it was very awkward.

"Aren't you concerned?" I inquired, not liking his attitude for the first time.

"Yeah, I'm, look I'm even crying." He sarcastically scoffed and shook his head like I've said something unbelievable. It was strange how he was acting because he used to be so aggressive about her and now he wasn't even worried. Was he bipolar? I looked down, my lips curling from the ends as I remained silent for a moment.

"But---," I tried to speak, but he wasn't interested, so I got up from my spot, staring at him in disbelief. He was still busy on his phone.

I can't understand him sometimes.

I zoomed off upstairs and landed in my room.

The problem was that I was still in love with him. No matter how rude he is to me, I will never fall out of love.

I spent the next two hours in my room until 12 am, honestly speaking, it was hard to stay with him especially when he was acting weird. I heard some noises coming from downstairs and it felt like someone was at our home. For the first few minutes, I was sure that Tucker was watching TV, but then the door to my room hung open, revealing him.

I turned around quickly and saw him with a bottle of wine in his hand, he was drunk and in my room. His eyes scanned me like a hungry beast, I can hear my heart beating in my head.