Chapter 24: Chapter 24

"And I don't care about you?" Steven asked, slowly closing his one eye. I was always amazed at how openly he would say things, he wasn't a shy person, but very creepily straight forward.

"I don't even care, you don't need to say anything." I shrugged my shoulders, acting like a petty, jealous girlfriend when I should be worrying about my crush being in the woods with his ex.

"But you still didn't tell me if you accepted my apology or not." He asked, perching on the grass like it was his father's garden. He didn't bother people wandering around him like bees, he just got comfortable.

"Like you care?" I muttered, raising a brow as a mean girl would. I too slowly sat down, it wasn't like I had someone waiting for me so his company was the only thing to prevent me from getting bored. Plus, after he went all defensive for Dina, I imagined he would never bother my existence, but the attention felt nice.

"That's true too." He being a jerk he was, mumbled and smirked. He waved his hand at one of his friends and the guy approached him, "two burritos!" he said and the guy walked away after giving him a nod. I was amazed at how his friends respected him.

"You really think I will eat with you?" I rolled my eyes and avert my eyes to see the sunset.

"Who said the other burrito was for you?" he grinned, scoffing and licking his lips like an annoying little child. Damn, he was rude and mean.

"Then why did you order two burritos?" I questioned, trying to outsmart him. He had done that way too many times, had always left me in an awkward situation.

"Because I eat two." He rolled his eyes, making me to feel embarrassed even more.

Side note: I really hate this guy for this.

"You are rude," I stated since he always outsmarts me. His friend came back with two burritos in his hands and saliva in my mouth drowned my tongue. I can get up and order one for myself, but the line was too long and the friend of his actually owned the stall so he got it for him easily.

"Not to you." He quickly snapped, "now that you have really asked for one, take one." Steven unwrapped one burrito and rolled the other in my lap, he was so rude. Who even treats a burrito like that?

"Hello! I don't want your burrito." I muttered in anger and he smirked, "What?" I asked when his smile seemed a little creepy to me. I fixed my body a little away from him and rested my one hand behind me on the grass.

"I have my own burrito, trash the other one if you don't want it." He knew I would never do that, but the smile on his face was really off.

"But why are you smiling like that?" I had to double-check.

"You are cute." He made a comment and took a bite from his burrito, making me hungry. That actually made me blush, but I had to keep all the sweet reactions to myself, I hated this guy.

I am cute!

"You eating it or not?" He asked, taking another bite. His soft lips touched the burrito and he took a bite as he kissed it, his sight was truly mesmerizing.

"I think I am going to eat it because that is your punishment for being rude to me that day." I just made an excuse to eat a burrito, hashtag hungry AF

For the next few minutes, we two just watched everyone and kept on eating our burritos when Steven began laughing again.

"What now?" I asked pissed, still eating though.

"You have food on your--," he pointed at my chin and laughed again. Well, that wasn't funny, but that was Steven so whatever. I tried to remove it, but he kept saying it was still on my face, making me mad.

"You are lying right." I annoyingly watched his face and stared at him. He was doing it to piss me off, I knew him.

"Nope, there really is something at your lips now." He mumbled, at this point, we were the only ones to sit in this area. Everyone has started to leave now and Tucker hasn't come back yet.

"What is it?" I asked, my mind partially thinking about Tucker.

"Do you want me to take it off?" He said with a smirk on his face, my body felt a strange vibe and I looked away. Why was he talking about my lips and how was he going to wipe them clean without his skin coming in contact with my lips?

"You are an idiot, I hate you." It was obvious now what he was trying to do.

"You don't." He mumbled and licked his lip, but that was unintentional, he had a habit of licking his lips, but not in a gross way, it was just more like an unintentional thing. "By the way, it is getting late." He informed me, there was no way he didn't know who I was waiting for.

"Yeah! I will leave when Tucker is back." I murmured, picking up my phone and dialing his number while Steven silently watched me. Tucker cut my call and no matter how many times I dialed or texted him, he never answered. I have started freaking out now, if he doesn't come back how will I go home? At this point, it was even too dark for me to walk back home. At least Tucker should have informed me earlier so that I would have managed myself a ride back home.

"You are wasting your time; he is not going to answer you." Steven got up and shed the leaves off of him.

"But--," I was hurt, why does Tucker always do this to me? I wonder if he was okay. Maybe something happened, maybe he needs my help?

"I will drop you home." Steven shook his head and announced. He was standing beside me, his head bowed down as he stared at my face with an expression that yelled I was fooling myself.

"Don't you have Dina to drop off?" I sarcastically smiled and straightened my back as I stood on my feet.

"Nah, I have more important works to do." he smiled as he said that, my cheeks turned red and I rolled my eyes. Did he call me important? Does that mean I mean more to him than Dina?

No hate for Dina, but she first went after my crush only to ruin it for herself, and then she stole my friend from me. I simple words, I was jealous of her for being Steven's first priority.

"So, you are coming?" He began walking towards his bike and voiced. I followed him for a while, but then halted, I can't do this. There were too many people outside and I would never want anyone to see me with Steven, if they told Tucker, he will be hurt and mad at me like he was at Dina. Plus, being seen with the orphans meant I was just like them and I would never jeopardize my dignity for anything.

"What happened?" Steven, who now noticed that I was no longer walking behind him, asked as he stopped pacing. I didn't say anything, but somehow he got it, "walk a little towards the bridge, I will be following you on my bike, and then you can hop on from there, no one will see you there." His tone was a little down as he said that. He sounded hurt, but he has to understand that I wouldn't risk Tucker's friendship for Steven's.

I did what he told me to do and he picked me from the bridge. The whole ride, he was utterly silent, which was very unlike him. I sensed that my action had hurt him, but I was miserable when it came to Tucker. Though I was dying inside of guilt, I kept a straight face.

Steven dropped me off and didn't even wait for me to thank him and neither did I try to stop him. Walking inside the house, guess who I met? Of course, Ivory has to interrupt.

"Where is Tucker?" She had her hands on her hips, standing in my way.

I wanted to just tell her that he isn’t in my pocket, but I can't say anything like that about him, also, I cannot hurt anyone who was related to Tucker. I have dreamt and worked so hard to be where I was now in terms of my relationship with Tucker and I was not going to push him afar.

"Maybe with his friends." I didn't want to throw dirt on his character by saying he went in the woods with his ex and didn't return back from there, so I lied.

"That was Steven you came with." Just when I thought the trouble is no more, she continued. Making her say his name terrified me, she saw me with him and she will make sure to inform her brother.

"Umm, I ----I was ---I ---, I stammered, playing with my fingers and not making eye contact with her. Why does she have to be the awake one?

"You are a ho*" she shouted, stopping my heart in my chest. My body felt cold, my soul leaving my body. "How dare you try to trap him? Didn't you think of Tucker before you did that? My brother is nothing, but being nice to you and went behind his back to sleep with his enemy." She began yelling loudly, my skin felt the goosebumps. Tears sprung down my eyes pretty quickly, It was the first time that somebody has shaded my character and it seriously killed me. I began sobbing and shivering, not knowing how to defend myself when Lauren heard everything and she rushed at us. My body trembled at the eyes of Lauren, Ivory knew nothing and accused me of such a big thing.

"What is going on here?" she looked scared, Ivory's anger was making us creeped out.

"Steven dropped her home. She has been sleeping with him and ---," She was crying streams and streams of tears, even more than I was. Lauren's eyes jumped out of their sockets and she stared at my face.

"I've never talked to Steven because of Tucker and look at her!" she continued insolently, her tears weren't fake. I was amazed at her reaction.

"This is--not true. He just dr-opped me bec---," I stuttered, trying to defend myself, but it was too hard for me to speak at that moment.

"How could you---," the only person I thought would believe me; Lauren launched at me and slapped me right across my face. My whole existence was trembling, she slapped me like she doesn't know me at all. That slap wasn't only for me, but it was a hit in my character. This ugly situation made me look like Dina, and only I knew how much Lauren despised Dina.