Chapter 25: Chapter 25

The next morning, I'm awoken by the beeping alarm from my phone. Rolling off of bed, I dash straight into the bathroom. The warm shower cascade down my body, enlivening me and spinning me back to last night's memory. The way his mouth taste in an undescribable way. The way his eyes glint at me. The way his rock-hard body presses me against the car. I feel as though I'm living back in the moment. I need to think of something else or else, Nicklaus will be the only the thought on my mind. Yeah! There's school for me today. Let's think about that. I need to think about how I'll not have outstanding in my science subjects. I haven't even done assignment in weeks, meaning I'll have a lot to catch up on when I get to school. So goes for Shade and Mia as well. Carl, I haven't heard from him too. Maybe he'll be at school today.

Shit! My car.

Quickly, I hurry up in the bathroom, and when I'm done, wrap the plain white towel onto my body and scurry to the bedroom, where I pick up my phone and dial Shade's number. As the phone rings, I hope she brings back my car from the clubhouse yesterday.

"Rayne." That's a sleepy voice I hear. Perhaps she's not going to school today.

"Morning Shade. Sorry to disturb you. Did you bring my car back from the club?" Anticipation etched my tone.

"Yeah. It's at my place."

"Oh, okay. I will come and get it."

"You're going somewhere?" Shade yawns as she ask. I fiddle with the hem of the towel.

"School, today's Thursday, remember?"

"Oh, I almost forgot I'm still an high school student. I'll get dressed quick, so we can ride together."

"Sounds like a plan." I pause. "Er, I'll come to your place then, wait till you're done."

"Sure. See you." From the other side, she finishes and hang the call. I flip the phone over into the bed and begin to dress. About ten minutes later, I am wearing an undershirt with short sleeve grey cardigan on top, and blue long jeans. Accompany by a yellow sneakers and my hair, dressed into a curt ponytail. Checking myself in the mirror and seeing I'm out-worthy, I stride to the kitchen to get myself a fruit drink from the fridge and prepare four flat breads where I stuck them together with butter in between each and eat. Lethargically, I tiptoe to the master room where Mom and Dad are still sleeping and wave them goodbye in their sleeping mode.

Out of the house, I cross the street to Shade's house and knock twice. My brain drift back to the movie named Don't knock twice. One of the eerie movies that scares me the most out of all the horror movies I've watched.

The door opens to reveal a caremel-skined woman, looking to be in her early thirties. Her black hair is braided into a string and and drawl over her shoulder. Her brown eyes checks me vividly and squint. She wears an apron over her green gown, stained with a sprinkle of red pepper in grind form.

"Rayne?" She ask, unsure.

"Yes. Mrs. Cole? Shade's mother?" I ask in return. She smiles invitingly and usher with her hands for me to walk inside as she opens the door more wider.

"I am. And it's an honour to finally meet you. Shade's Dad and I are mostly busy." Her Mom says as she walks to the a path. I take her unspoken invite and follow behind her.

"My parents too."

"Oh. I'd like to meet them. I like you." She says, darting her eyes over at me. I blush lightly. "And amazed that you learned how to pronounce Shade's name Yoruba-ly."

While she laughs, I nod.

Mrs. Cole opens the door to the kitchen area and I enter after her. "Let me just take off this apron and go call Shade for you."

"She's known that I'm here. We already spoke on phone." I say. I realize that Shade's accent is the same as her Mom, but her grandmother is bit more un-English. The Yoruba language has dominated her accent fully, which seems fascinated to me though.

"Okay, then. Do you want some cookies?"

"Yeah, thanks."

She passes me five cookies into a porcelain plate, and I take it with a bent back— something I learned from Shade, done to people who are older than you.

"Did Shade taught you that?" Her mother smiles as she pulls me back from my arching back position.

"Yeah. I did it to her grandma."

"Rayne, it's not necessary. My mother was just being grand." Her mother snicker, and turn back to cooking.

Shade enters the room just in time I start eating the cookies.

"Hi."

"You're ready?" I ask and she nods. She grabs two cookies from my plate, causing her mother to send her a glare. Eating quickly, Shade finishes with gulping down a carton of juice and carries her bag from the living room.

In the car as I start the engine, Shade tells me. "Mia is coming to school as well. I binged her. Says she has school news for us."

Typical Mia to be the school's news-feeder.

I finish my last period before lunch time alone. Plus, it was almost excruciating when the teacher wouldn't stop talking after the bell rang just because he wanted to wrap up with his intended work to finish with in today's class. By the time, I get to the hallway, it's crowded, causing me to fit my way to the cafe. On getting there, I see Shade and Mia on our usual seat, eating already. Walking to grab food, I smile at the scene, before it fades when I did not see Nicklaus, nor Adeline at their own seat which is not far from ours. See you tomorrow, Rayne. Vibrantly, his voice echoes in my ear. I remember him telling me those words, but he's not here.

"Looking for someone." A familiar masculine voice says, whose owner's words comes to my mind few seconds ago steps from behind me to beside me. There he is, looking so dashing in his black leather jacket, underneath is a white inner top, that mars the lining of his short jeans. His height makes me look up to access his delicate pale face.

"Nicklaus." I say his name coolly. I stare into his radiant cerulean eyes that has more shades of blue than green. I think his original eye colour is blue because I see it more often.

"As you can see I'm here to grab food." I say in response his first word to me.

He keeps mute as I pick a bottle of water in addition to my collection of light food. I don't know what to say especially now that the silence has built for up to minutes.

"I want you to forget that we ever kissed." He start, his usual annoying features are back on his face.

"What?" I pretend not to hear him well.

"You heard me. I—am not someone you want to be with. I'm not a kind of someone that sticks to one person. I'm a bad person."

"No, you are not." I argue, certainly. "I know you have a good part inside of you. And that good part is the one who kissed me back last night. You should stop fighting your feelings."

Or had he no feelings? My subconscious guesses.

He barks a laugh, then look at me intently. "If only you know I have no feelings." He confirms my thought.

"I don't do relationships and commitments, meaning I don't do the girlfriend thing. You should stay away and this time, never try on doing random researches on me, or else you'll end up getting hurt—" I halt his statement with a word of mine.

"You know what, I'm tired of your bullshit." Nicklaus arches a brow. He seems amused behind those stoic facade, I assume. "And don't think that I am sticking with you just because you're handsome, but because of something I can't quite explain myself. When that senses of yours that kissed me comes back, we'll talk." I say, grab the tray and leave for my table.

I make my way over to Shade and Mia, catching them in a middle of some conversation. Sliding into my seat, I push any thought of mine that want to wheel over to Nicklaus and the irresistible pull.

"Disclose." Shade says whisperingly at me as I take an apple to eat. Shocked for a moment, I shift my eyes to Mia; she's looking at me with the same intent gaze on Shade's face. What are they up to again?