Chapter 12

"How was it, Jordan?" Sierra asks, sitting on my bed, crayons and coloring book in hands.

"It was great. Really great. We had a fun time," I tell her, choosing a page in my own coloring book with Cinderella.

"And that was it? That's the most description I'm getting?" I feel something knock into my head and find a maroon color crayon has been thrown.

"Hey, what was that for?" I ask, rubbing my head, though it doesn't actually hurt.

"Details!" Sierra screeches.

"Fine, fine." I continued to explain in somewhat very detailed manner, pausing for dramatic gasps from Sierra here or there.

"Oooh! You guys would be the cutest couple! Come on, really!" Sierra exclaims.

"Ssshhhh! My dads downstairs. He'll murder Ray if he finds out I went on a date," I hiss, chucking a pillow at her face.

"Didn't your mom tell him? Either way, he's gotta figure out sometime. Come on, Jordan! Lighten up! You just went on a date!" Sierras voice rises a severe amount on the last sentence.

I hear footsteps. Oh, gosh. The footsteps. I can recognize whose they are anywhere.

My door flies open and my dad walks into the room. He looks at me questioningly.

"What is this I hear about a date?" He asks.

"Uuuuhhhhh......."

"Jordan and this really nice kid named Ray went on a date last night," Sierra butts in.

My dad stares at us for a minute before his stern face drops. "Oh, Ray! That's the kid who came over here a few days ago. He did ask about taking you on a date! Nice kid you've got there."

"Really? Wait, he asked you permission?" I ask, trying to contain my surprise.

"Yes, as he should."

"Didn't... I thought you said that when I went on a date you'd have to tackle the kid."

"Do I have to?" He asks, eyebrows raised.

"No, he's great, thanks."

"Alright, I'm headed to work. Bye, sweetie." And he leaves the room, smiling to himself.

"Told you it would turn out okay," Sierra chimes.

"Oh, sure you knew that was going to happen."

"I did. I'm telepathic," Sierra says.

"Whatever you say, Sierra," I answer slowly.

Then I proceed to color Cinderella's glass slippers blue.

***********************************

6:00 a.m. Is what my alarm clock reads when I am rudely awaken by it this morning.

Monday. School. Hooray.

I throw on a gray sweatshirt and jeans then tie my black converse. I decide to just pull my hair up into a messy bun because I really don't want to deal with the nest right now. I don't even try with any makeup.

I groggily walk down the stairs and into the kitchen where I find my mom sitting at the table eating eggs. She looks up when she hears me come in.

"Well someone sure seems joyful today," Mom says, before shoving another bite into her mouth.

I don't even answer. I go for the food. I scoop myself some eggs and take my toast out of the toaster. Then I sit at the table and eat it. Because I would do anything else with my food. Yeah, right.

"Jordan, you better get walking or you're going to be late," my mom says.

"Why can't you drive me?" I ask.

"Because you could use the exercise."

I almost choke on my food. "I could use the exercise?" Was she suggesting I need to lose weight?

"Studies show that exercise makes you happier. It looks as though today you could really, really use that."

"Gee, thanks, Mom."

"Ah, get going you sack of potatoes," my mom waves me away.

"I will just disregard your comment," I mutter to myself before walking to get my backpack.

"Have a good day, don't do anything-" My mom shouts to me, but I shut the door and begin walking.

I am blasted with cold air the moment I step out of the doorway. Oh, joy.

I plunge through the icy winds and towards the road I turn on to get to the school. I wrap my arms around myself to keep warm. I feel my ears begin to feel numb as well as the rest of my face.

Yep, this exercise is sure making me happy. Thanks, mom.

Suddenly a car stops beside me. I stop and watch as the window rolls down to reveal Ray, sitting in the drivers seat.

"Get in, it's freezing," Ray says.

"No, I'm fine, really."

"Do I need to drag you in here?" Ray asks.

"You wouldn't. I'm good walking. Besides, my mom thinks this will put me in a good mood."

"Really? Doesn't look like it to me."

"Yeah me either. You better get going, school starts soon."

Ray raises his eyebrows and opens the door to get out.

"You're going to get all wet if you get out of that car," I warn him.

"Then it'll be on your conscience," Ray says.

"You're unbelievable."

So I get into the beautifully warm car. I buckle myself in, and set my back pack on the floor of the car.

"You look freezing, Jor," Ray says, still looking at me. "Your cheeks are all red, that can't be healthy." He proceeds to take my hands in his and warms them almost instantly.

"That happens when I'm cold, Ray. I'm fine," I assure him.

"Alright, Jor." And we begin to drive to school. I watch as all the other cars pass by. Not a single other kid had walking. Not a single kid whose mother is clueless enough to make them walk a mile in this weather.

"Thanks, Ray. For the ride," I say, as we pull into the parking lot. I hop out of the car and walk alongside Ray as we head into the school.

************************************

"Hey Liz, can you do me a favor?" I ask, placing the next stack of books back into the counter top.

She tilts her head at me. "Yeah, uh, sure. What is it?"

"Ray's just outside the door, in plain sight. Can you go out there with a message from me?" I ask, not looking away from the books I'm putting sales prices on.

Lizzie laughs, "Oh, I see him. What should I tell him?"

"Tell him that if he's going to prank call me, he should at least be less obvious about it," and right as I say this, my phone buzzes once more.

I pick it up, press the answer button, and put it to my ear. "Hello?"

"Hello, I think you know my brother. I don't like the way you've been treating him, he tells me you're a bully. And I want to teach you a lesson," the deep voice says. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Ray in the window, glancing at me with a phone pressed to his ear.

I give Lizzie one single nod and she heads outside.

"Oh really?" I ask, playing along.

"Yes, and I..." There is a voice in the back ground that I assume is Lizzie's. "Whaaaat? No, I'm not talking to Jordan. No, this is my... Boss." I can see Liz out the window pointing a finger at him. I actually laugh. "Alright, alright."

And the door opens, the bell jingling.

"Hello, Ray," I smile in amusement. "Didn't expect to see you here."

He frowns. "Yeah, yeah." And he sulks over to the corner and plops into the chair.

"So, I hear I'm a bully," I laugh and press a tag on another book.

Ray nods. "Mhm, I've heard that too. Seen it with my own eyes, in fact. Gosh, sometimes you even call me a weirdo. It really gets to me."

I laugh. "I hope so."

************************************

'I hate you.' -Ray

I stare at the text in awe for a moment. What on earth...? This came out of nowhere.

'What...?'

'I hate you.'

I frown. Was he being serious? He couldn't be. That's crazy. Ray wouldn't hate me, right?

'Just so suddenly, you hate me?'

'Yes. Get out of my face, okay?'

'Ray, what did you put in your Cheerios this morning?'

'Why do you want to know, stalker? I told you, I hate you. I don't ever want to talk to you again.'

Wow. Is this a serious conversation I'm having right now? I am going to say 'no' because I don't need to flip out over this right now.

I whip my head around when I hear a sudden knock on my window. I turn and see the dark night sky, but I also find Ray standing there, laughing his head off. I frown. Then I open the window. Ray climbs in, falling onto the floor in the process.

"You should have seen your face!" Ray hollers.

"What the crud was that for, Ray?" I demand, putting a hand on my hip.

"Jor, you really don't intimidate me whilst wearing footsie pajamas," Ray says with an amused grin.

I look down, and sure enough I forgot that I'm wearing footsie PJs with smiling watermelons all over them. I feel my face burn red, but I glare at Ray still.

"Once again, what the crud was that for?" I demand again.

"I was playing truth or dare with Cole, Luke, and Shannon. They dared me to do that, and I found it amusing as well," Ray says, falling into my bed.

"You have other friends?" I bring a hand to cover my mouth in mock-shock.

"Yes, thank you. Didn't I tell you that I'm not a loner?" Ray asks.

"I don't recall that conversation."

Ray's phone starts ringing and he picks it up. I just sit and stare at him as he laughs.

"Yes, I'm in her room, Shan," Ray pauses and glances at me. "I know, yeah sure."

My face heats up. Who's he talking to? It's a good thing my parents aren't here tonight.

Ray looks at me again and says, "Yes, she doesn't mind. Okay, great. Bye."

"Wait, what-"

"They're all coming in here," Ray says, placing his phone onto my nightstand.

"What?" I ask, stomping over to him. "What?"

"They're all coming in here," Ray says cooly, shifting so that his back is turned to me.

"Ray, I am not even dressed! My hair is a rats nest. I am wearing not a speck of makeup. I haven't even showered today, and you want me to meet your friends for the first time?" I ask, walking to the other side of the bed so he is facing me again.

"You're talking to me right now, aren't you? What's the difference?" Ray asks.

"You're Ray. Come on, I don't know these people."

"I don't know whether or not to take offense to that..."

"But it's a special occasion, Ray!" I tell him.

"Special occasion?"

"You actually have other friends whom I am going to meet!" I shriek.

"Oh my gosh. Stop wasting your time and go change if that's what you want to do," Ray says. "But I think you look beautiful either way."

************************************

Standing before me is a seemingly real trio of people. They smile at me from the doorway. No, Ray wasn't kidding when he said he has friends.

"Oh, please come in!" I say quickly, moving out of the way for them to step inside.

They follow me as we enter my living room. Ray is sitting on my couch and the three friends of his sit on it with him. I awkwardly sit across from them on the table.

"I suppose I should introduce myself since nobody else wants to," a boy with light brown hair says, giving meaningful looks at the others. "I'm Cole."

"And I'm Luke," the red headed guy interjects, waving happily. I smile in return.

"I'm Shannon," a sweet voice says. My gaze falls on straight black hair and pale skin, along with stunning blue eyes. Shannon is a girl.

"Oh..."

"Oh?" Cole laughs.

I said that out loud? Well this is awkward.

"Oh... How I love thee America..." I say slowly, placing my right hand over my heart. Then I slap my left hand to my forehead. I'm an idiot.

It's now Luke's turn to laugh. "Ray, you're right."

Ray turns his gaze to Luke and frowns. "Huh?"

"You said she's funny," Luke explains. I feel my face heating up. "You also said she's super smart, and pretty, and she's-"

"I think we all get the point," Cole interrupts giving a thumbs up to Ray. Ray smiles gratefully at Cole.

"Shall we do something?" Shannon asks, disturbing the silence. Ray smiles at her widely and nods. I frown at them. Is something going on-

Stop it, you're getting to conclusions too fast. It was a smile. They're friends. He has every right to speak to another female.

"As in...?" Luke asks.

"As in, we could hang out like old times!" Cole exclaims, grinning like a five year old getting a candy bar at the grocery store.

"What exactly did you do in 'old times'?" I ask, my gaze falling on Ray, who already is staring at me. I quickly avert my gaze, feeling heat fill my face.

"We used to do these awesome games out in Luke's backyard," Cole says.

"Games?" I ask.

"Ever played Midnight Tag?" Cole asks, smirking.

"No," I answer with my eyebrows raised.

"Okay, well it's an awesome game to play. One person is it. The rest of us go hide anywhere in the neighborhood. One catch, you stay in that exact place until you get a call. It'll be from the person who's it, saying that they're coming for you. And then you know you've been spotted and you're free to run for your life," Luke says, grinning.

"Sounds fun," I say, nodding.

"Alright. I'll be it first," Luke says. "Uh, Jordan, can I have your number?"

My focus flips to him in surprise and I let out a quick, "Why?"

Luke chuckles along with Cole. "I kind of have to have it for the game."

Oh, right. The game. I feel my face heating up and turn away, embarrassed. I find Ray smirking at me in the corner of my eye.

"Alright, here." Luke hands me his phone and I put my number in it. "Alright, now you guys have five minutes to get anywhere in the neighborhood, so go!"

Shannon, Cole, Ray and I all hurry out the doorway. A cold gust of wind hits me and I fold my arms around me. I turn left and start sprinting down the road. I walk onto a trail that I go down sometimes, following it to the edge of the opposite road. My breath gets quick and I force myself to continue. I need stamina, seriously. Then I begin sprinting again, to a house I know is unoccupied right now.

I walk around the back and hide behind a tree, collapsing to the ground. I hear leaves crinkle behind me and nervously turn my head to look at who or what made the noise.

I see a figure coming slowly towards me and I decide that my best bet is to hold my breath. I tend to breathe deeply when I'm nervous.

"I knew you'd come here. You're a fast runner, you know," I hear a familiar voice say quietly.

Ray. Wait, Ray?

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be hiding?" I ask, frowning at him.

"I wanted to follow you," he says with a shrug, sitting next to me. His shoulder is touching mine and I can't help myself from blushing at the sudden contact. "We can be a team."

"I feel like that's illegal," I tell him. He raises his eyebrows at me.

"Illegal, huh?"

"In the game, Ray." I smile at him.

"I know, I know, Jor. I'm not that stupid," Ray says with a chuckle.

"Wait, really?"

"Ha, ha. Very funny," Ray says, running a hand through his hair. That's something I've never seen him do before. I'd think if notice if he had done that before, I mean I do see him a lot.

What am I, a stalker?

Suddenly Ray's phone flashes with a text message. He laughs a little before replying. I lean in closer, reading the text.

'Luke already passed me, that dumb wad.' -Shannon

I feel something inside me deflate.

"Why didn't you tell me Shannon's a girl?" I ask suddenly. Then I wince, realizing what I just blurted out.

Ray laughs. "I didn't think it mattered."

I see him look at me but I keep my gaze on the very intriguing rose bush a few feet away.

"Unless you're jealous," Ray says, smirking.

"What, I... No... I-I, I'm not-" My face is burning with an uncontrollable blush.

"Jor, I'm just messin' with you," Ray says, laughing lightly.

"Oh... Yeah, uh..."

I jump at the sound of my phone ringing, then I anxiously look down at the screen. It's an unknown number.

"Hello?" I ask cautiously.

"I'm coming for you." The line goes dead. I'm about to get really, really creeped out. Then I remember that we're playing a game.

"Run!" I tell Ray, and we hurry away from the tree. We dart through the yard and hear laughter behind us. That would be Luke.

The sound comes closer and I force my legs to run faster. Then, of course, I just so happen to trip on my own foot and fall, taking Ray down with me. I hopelessly grab for something to steady me before I actually land, but it's too late. I've already fallen. And then I release the insane grip I have on my hand. I realize that it's clothes. Not mine. I open my eyes and look up to see that Ray fell on top of me.

His dark eyes are staring intently into my own. I realize how close we are. Maybe three inches apart. I draw in a quick breath and feel a blush make its way onto my cheeks without permission. I feel his warm breath on my face.

"Hey, what... Oh, uh.... Oh....." Luke is standing above us awkwardly.

Ray stands up quickly, brushing off his jeans. Then he helps me up. I feel myself blushing furiously. Then, unexpectedly, Ray pulls me along at a sprint with him, still holding into my hand. I look down at our intertwined fingers and smile.

"Hey! That's cheating!" Luke yells to us.

Ray chuckles and we run faster, making a quick turn down another street. Then we hide behind an old shed in some random yard. We hear Luke's footsteps and I hold my breath again.

As soon as the footsteps die down, heading away from us, I let out the breath I've been holding.

"Were you holding your breath?" Ray asks, giving me an amused smile.

"Maybe..." I smile slightly, facing him.

Ray laughs a little and I hit his arm. His very strong arm that I am really paying attention to now-

"It's not my fault that I breathe loud when I'm nervous," I tell him, exasperated.

"You were nervous?" Ray asks, smirking.

"It's like we're in a horror movie! Running for our lives from a murderer," I defend. Then I feel Ray's hand squeeze my own lightly. Only then do I realize that I've been holding his hand this whole time, making my face heat up. But I don't let go. I don't want to.

"Don't worry. If we're ever in a horror movie situation, I'll protect you," Ray says, smiling brightly.

"Really?" I ask.

"Yes, until he threatens me and I throw you towards the guy and run for my life."

"Gee, thanks. I'm touched," I tell him, placing a hand over my heart.

"Anything for you."