Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

"Will you bloody stop that?!"

I smirk as I manage to rile up Ruder...I mean, Ryder. With a shrug, I stop my fingers that were constantly tapping on the windowsill.

"But I'm bored!" I say as I turn in my seat to face him. He glances at me for a moment before turning his eyes back to the road. "Do I look like I care?"

I think about it for a moment. Tapping a finger on my chin, I hum. "Surprisingly, no, you don't actually."

"Glad you understand."

It's silent for a moment. The constant humming of the engine is the only sound accompanying us.

After a while of contemplating, I finally decide to ask the question that's been on my mind (Currently a little sober) for a long while.

"Then why did you decide to take me home?"

He shrugs.

"Ryder?"

No answer.

"Ruder?"

He glares at me without saying anything.

"Ruder Ryder?"

He sighs irritated. "You just don't know how to shut up, do you? I don't know okay! I owe Sam a favour and I guess I..."

"You...?"

"I..."

"Yes...?"

He shoots me another one of those Go-rot-in-hell-you-filthy-piece-of-trahs glares. "Stop interrupting me. I think...I wanted to apologize for my behaviour this morning. I was unnecessarily rude to you. Too many people were looking at me and I sort of snapped." He mutters under his breath.

My face breaks into a wide grin. "Say what? You're sorry?"

He grumbles. "I guess."

So, this guy isn't that much of an ill mannered as I thought him to be? But still, it's way too fun to mess with him. He's hot and he's moody. Perfect target for me to prey upon.

And I'm probably digging my own grave but oh well. I can blame it on the alcohol later.

"What?" I cup a hand around my ear, "I'm getting old. I didn't hear you!"

"You heard me just fine! Shut up!" He snaps.

I chuckle. "Well, don't you have special way of apologizing?"

"No. This is the best I can do," is his curt reply.

"Not even a sorry?"

"That word's not even in my dictionary."

I cock an eyebrow at him. "It seems the name Ruder fits you perfectly than."

Throwing me a look that clearly says way too many colourful words, he focuses back on the road. "Is this your neighbourhood?"

I look around nodding. "Yeah. Great job driver!"

Choosing not to reply, he pulls up beside my house. "This is what the address says."

I jump out of the car. "I'd give you a tip but I don't have any money. I blew it all on the stripper!"

He narrows his eyes at me. "Go to hell."

Giving him a cheeky smile I say, "Anyway thanks for the ride. Bye Ruder!"

He starts his car and without a word leaves me standing there.

Hm. What did I do?

***

"Ah fuck!"

Those were the only two words I uttered the whole Sunday. I thought hangovers were the worst in the morning and gradually it got better as the day passed.

Well I thought wrong.

I got a strong lecture from my mom, then a stronger lecture from my dad and then the strongest lecture which included both of them.

I have no idea how a lecture about me violating curfew becomes about me having a messy room.

But I guess that's parents.

And the worst thing about my drinking wasn't the hangover, it was that I remembered everything from the night before.

My dance on the bar, My utterly stupid behavior, Me making a fool out of myself and behaving very rudely to Ryder.

Speaking of Ryder...

I have to apologize to him.

That brings my thoughts to his apology...

It was so cute.

My eyes widen.

No, no no no no no! Not cute! Dude! Totally and utterly rude! That's what a best friend is allowed to think about the guy! Rude and bad news! Not cute and handsome!

Did I just say handsome?

Damn it! He's Chloe's okay? They are the perfect couple! Chloe should have been the one drunk off her ass and going home with him yesterday! Not me!

Not me. I'm not...

Forget it. He probably just did it out of courtesy to Sam.

Speaking of my friends...

"Chloe!" I shout as I stomp my way towards her. She's closing her locker but as soon as she sees me, she jumps up and starts running in the opposite direction.

"Not so soon!" I say grabbing the back of her hoodie. She probably wore it today to stay out of my sight.

Too bad it's the one that's preventing her from running away.

"Lisa! Haha! I absolutely didn't see you there!" She squeaks out.

I smile sweetly at her, "And I gave birth to Kim Kardashian."

She laughs nervously, "Haha. You're hilarious. So I have class..."

"Not so soon," I say tugging her hood back as she plans to sneak away, "Where the hell did you go on Saturday night?"

"Home?" She suggests.

"With whom?"

"Gavin?" She smiles sheepishly.

I close my eyes and groan, "No no no! You were supposed to get ass drunk and go home with Ryder! What about my godchild?"

She rolls her eyes, "Stop being so dramatic. I have no interest in Ryder."

"So you hate him?" I ask hopefully, "Because all of them do at-"

"No," she cuts me off, "I don't hate him. I don't even know him and Sam told me he took you home when you were too drunk to even walk. So he might not be a that bad of a guy. Still I don't want anything to do with him."

I give her a look as we begin to make our way towards our class, "So with whom do you want something to do with? Gavin?"

She blushes! Hell she literally blushes!

I groan and roll my eyes, "Only you Chloe. Only you."

"N-no! It's nothing like that! It's just...he's just..."

As we sit down to take our seats she still continues to defend herself that nothing happened at the same time saying how nice of a guy Gavin is.

Actually kinda proving my point.

She's so whipped. And my matchmaking skills have gone to total waste.

The day passes by in a blur and it was already lunch. I get a burger (Yes I know about the blood and spit promise but seriously guys. A girl's gotta eat when a girl's gotta eat.) and orange juice and make my way towards our usual table only to find it empty.

I roll my eyes and send my friends a group message though having a strong suspicion about where each of them might be.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

Chloe - 'So sorry! I'm at the library doing assignment!'

Alexis - 'So sorry! I'm in the storage room doing Dylan!'

Sam - 'Not sorry! I'm in detention for not doing assignments!'

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Chloe ditching me and doing assignments in the library isn't surprising. Neither is Sam getting a detention. And I was fully prepared for Alexis ditching me too. But what is surprising is how Alexis can 'do' her boyfriend and text me at the same time.

Honestly, I got to give that girl some points.

Sighing I pick up my tray and walk out of the cafeteria. I have no intention of sitting alone and looking miserable. The fat girl with no friends.

Don't get me wrong. I have tons of friends I could sit with. But I don't really have the energy to entertain them.

Because that's just who I am. The entertainer.

I walk down the empty hallways since most of the students were in lunch and sit down on a ledge beside the window. Why the school has a ledge beside every window inside the hallway, I'll never know.

While I munch on my burger, my eyes suddenly drift towards the window. It overlooks the school field. Some guys are playing football, pom pom waving girls are cheering for them, Ryder is reading a book under a tree, a couple is making out under broad daylight...

Wait, what?

I quickly stand up to look more clearly at the scene. Beside the mass of hooping boys and giggling girls, Ryder was leaning on a tree reading a book.

He? A book?

I don't know why I did what I did next, I can't even blame it on the alcohol this time. But in less than a minute, I find myself jogging out of the school and peering over his shoulder to look at what he was reading.

Hah! See this Houdini? I can do magic tricks too!

"Do you always spy on people like that?" He gives me a bored look as he cocks his head back to look at me.

I squeal in surprise. Damn it, he caught me! Shesh, I still have a lot to learn from Master Houdini.

"No! Why in the world would you think that?" Crossing my arms over my chest, I give him the nastiest glare I could muster and try to cover up the fact that he is spot on.

He gives me a look which causes me to huff and slide down the tree.

"Did I ask for your company?" He raises an eyebrow as he also sits down beside me.

I shrug, "Well I needed one."

He looks at me for a while. Something in his gaze unnerving me.

"What?" I snap.

"Nothing. It's just that... I needed one too. So thanks," he mumbles as his eyes return back to his book.

My face breaks into a grin. "Aww...you just said thank you!"

"Good job, Sherlock."

Rolling my eyes I glance down at his book, "What are you reading?"

"Something."

"Something what?"

"Something you wouldn't understand."

"Tell me!" I try to peek a look at the title.

"It's nothing interesting anyway," he snaps trying to move the book away from me. But he was too late.

I gasp loudly, "Is...is that..?"

A faint tint covers his cheeks, "Shut up! I know it's lame and all and it probably doesn't suit my image-"

I snatched the book away from his hands, "Is this seriously Torey Hayden's Ghost Girl? Torey Hayden? The psychologist?"

"You know her?" He asks surprised.

"Know her?" I ask offended, "I love her! She's my idol! I've read all of her books! She's the reason of me wanting to become a psychologist!"

For the first time since meeting him, a smile grazes his lips. Granted, it's not much of a smile more like a twitch of lips. But nonetheless, a smile.

"Wow. I never would've thought you to be a book lover," he says still smiling that half smile.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I glare at him.

"Nothing!" He puts his hands up in defense, "It's just...you seemed more like a party girl. You know the type that drinks her tears away and dances with strangers? Not someone who reads books about psychological mysteries."

I huff, "Well you seemed like the type who hates the world and everyone in it. But I prefer not to judge a book by its cover."

Lies. But he doesn't need to know that.

He chuckles but doesn't say anything. I decide to break the silence, "Well what kinds of book to you read?"

He glances at me, "Well, as a kid, I loved Sherlock Holmes. Now I read Dan Brown, Agatha Christie, David Berkowitz, Leo Tolstoy, Torey Hayden etc. I prefer reality to fictions."

I gulp, "You mean to say...that you've read some of the books of the greatest writers in the universe?"

He smirks, "Some? I have all of them in my room."

I grasp his shoulders, "Oh My God! You're my soul mate! Marry me?"

Shock and amusement covers his face, "Huh? What?"

I begin shaking his shoulders violently, "Thank you Lord! I never would've thought there would come a day when I'd get the whole package! Hot and loves reading? God! You granted my prayers!"

That's when he starts laughing. My hands fall from his shoulder in shock. The sound of his laughter was like music to my ears. Its not scratchy or way too husky nor was it forced. He wasn't laughing at me. He was just laughing because he was happy.

"Jesus! You're something else aren't you?" He asks between chuckles. I stare at him in amazement. From all his glares and grunts, this was a good change. A great change.

"Okay," he smirks.

"Huh?" I blink stupidly.

"I'll marry you," he says smirking, "On one condition that is."

"What condition?" I find myself blurting out.

"Say you'll never leave me," His smile is playful but not his eyes. There's a emotion akin to sadness in them. As if he's recalling something horrible that happened to him.

I want to lighten up the mood. I want those eyes to twinkle like that when he was laughing.

Why?

Probably because it's what I love doing. It's what I do best. Take people's pain away. Sometimes, I get so much into it that I forget I'm hurting myself for that. That I'm the one in pain.

So I joke as always, "But marrying me would have huge side effects you know? I can't even make a cup of coffee without burning the kitchen down."

He gives me a crooked smile, "Well bad luck. I'm no Masterchef either. Guess we'll hire a maid."

I bite my lips to stop me from laughing, "Then we'll have to hire a nanny to help with the kids."

"Then we'll have to hire a lawyer to help with the divorce cause I'll be sleeping with the nanny." As soon as the words leave his mouth, I throw my head back in laughing. I can't seem to stop. I don't even remember the last time I laughed this much. A laugh that didn't include me making fun of myself.

A laugh that was real.