C h a p t e r 2 2

"What time have you finished your homework?" Aunt Crissa asked before taking her first gargle.

"Uhm... I can't remember." I answered, taking a spoonful of cereals while reading the back of the cereal box.

She stopped with her work and asked another question. "Well, what time did you sleep?"

I haven't. "Around three." I lied.

"And Chase?" Aunt Crissa suddenly questioned, where I felt the cereals I just gulped to bob out of my throat.

What's that about?

She took a cup of espresso from the machine, then emerged from the kitchenette before sitting down across the table, in front of me. I lowered the box, just enough to see her face. For, as I think felt like, a nanosecond had passed just by staring awkwardly with each other, she let out a frivolous laugh and took a sip from her hot brewed coffee.

"I'm joking!" She cackled, as I let out the fakest laugh I could make.

"That's not even funny." I shook my head, and covered my face back with the box.

Let's face it, we all have that attitude where we try to hide something from whoever is in front of us, on something they should not see. Dare to say, no. And believe it or not, I just got a zit on my left cheek.

"Nikki, is there something wrong?" Aunt Crissa cuts through my thoughts.

I gradually shook my head, and spontaneously voiced out a response, after gazing the box I was holding. "I'm only reading the back of the box. It has a maze.

"Reading a maze?" She questioned with her eyebrows quirked up in confusion.

"Yeah."

I was abstracted, and all that had been going on in my mind was nothing but putting myself back in bed. My eyelids were closing on their own, and I couldn't tell if I really was eating with the milk and cereal escaping the spoon, before it even reached my mouth.

God, I'm so overly tired...

"Well, what does it say?" She probed, extending her hand to get a slice of bread.

What does Chase say?

So my mind might be in for a sleep, however, I would be lying if I said there wasn't a part of it where I could find Chase. As a matter of fact, the thought of him already conquered half of my brain.

"It's complicated." I slurred.

"Never try to read a maze." Aunt Crissa shrugged, standing up with her cup and saucer.

She vanished on my sight when she entered the kitchen, immersing the two porcelain pairs on the sink.

"Where are you going?" I asked, raking my eyes over to her as she made her way to the staircase.

"Just gonna spend the whole day in my room. You know, it's what I always do." She announced, pulling up her long pj's to avoid them from being stepped in as she made her way up to the plight of stairs.

I envy you...

"Oh, okay." I shrugged, tilting my head back around as I took my surprisingly last spoon of cereal.

"Don't forget your car keys, I left them somewhere in the living room!" She reminded as her voice faded in every step she took to her room, which was my grandparents' room.

I stood up and drown the plate I used in the sink as I swallowed down a glass of water. Sauntering out of the kitchen, I placed the empty glassware on top of the uncleaned table with cream coloured place mats.

I should have left it on the counter but a minute elapsed before realizing it.

A minute of doing nothing, other than daydreaming about me heavily sleeping while drooling with Chase.

I mean, sleeping while drooling my face...

A voice seeped its way through my lips which followed a low grumble. "Wait, what am I thinking?!--"

"Breathe, Nikki." I took in fine amount of air, and then slowly released it through my nostrils.

No, Chase.

Just face.

Think about your face,

not Chase.

"Okay, one more time, breathe in..." I inhaled a large amount of air, and huffed it out.

Just Chase.

I groaned in incredulity, "...Oh, God. I pity myself."

With my face frowned, I groggily dragged my way through the living room.

"Keys..." I muttered, seeing them shimmered with the reflection of the fulgent light from the sun through the translucent silk of curtains.

Slightly sloping, I grabbed my bag on the sofa and slung it on my shoulder, before reaching for the key. The metal clangs when I lifted the circular hoop holding it, as it brushed over the round thick transparent glass of the coffee table.

Walking outside, I went straight into the garage seeing my new car smiling at me. No, it was not that pricey like how other kids has now, but the fact that my grandparents gave it to me, was enough to make this car dearly expensive than others.

My grandparents made me believe that my other car had engine failures, other than the lack of gasoline that day it was towed. This car in front of me showed up a few days after they died.

I blinked my eyes as the sun peeked through the clouds. In a piecemeal way, I pushed myself inside my car and gingerly drove off.

I just couldn't move faster than a snail right now. Bless me.

"You look bad." Hailey opined, who was almost an inch near my face.

"Thanks, Hailey. I mean, what are friends for..." I sarcastically said to her while I plopped my chin on my palm, resting my elbow on my table.

Gladly, I made it before the bell rang as I was lucky enough passing all traffic lights on green.

"Here, let me help you fix your face." She offered, and before I could say a word she pulled me with her as we took a strenuous journey through the crowds in the hallway through the powder room.

"Do I really look bad right now?" I asked, massaging my face as I walked through the mirror to see my reflection.

My face was, well... looked dead.

"Nah, just a groggy you with a bonus acne." Hailey giggled, taking a concealer from her bag and applying it on my face.

"What a bummer for a bonus." I just closed my eyes as I let Hailey do her powers.

For a moment, I thought Hailey just wanted to conceal my pimple, until, a smooth yet pressured tool had been pressed on my eyelids and a mushy thing hits my lips.

"Tada!" Hailey chirped, making me jerked my eyes open, which I frankly should had done earlier.

I stared blankly at the horrifying picture in front of me, and muttered a response to her. "I looked like someone whose face has been dipped on a birthday cake, Hailey."

"Why? It's a new look!" She acclaimed.

I contracted my brows, and folded my arms to my chest. "An icy blue color for an eyeshadow, and an orange matte lipstick?-- Just bury me twenty feet underneath the fine land of California, thank you."

"Okay, so they're not a match. Actually, I just bought these yesterday, and I couldn't wait to try them out... But, not applying both at the same time." She said, scanning the products on her hands.

"Well, I'm not a dummy." I rolled my eyes, while I began rummaging Hailey's bag for round cottons.

She simply nodded, while she was being mesmerized by the bright color of her newly purchased make-ups. "This icy blue is cool for summer use though."

After hooking the cotton pads, I took one of them and roughly brushing off the lipstick on my lips while smoothly dabbing the vivid shadows away on my eyelids.

Then Hailey faced me and asked, "Are you feeling the moisture of the matte? I personally didn't like the flat finish pigment gloss of L.A Girl so I took a different kind..."

"Yeah?" I leaned closer to the mirror as I wiped away excess blue pigment on my eyelid with my pinky finger.

I let a minute slipped by just removing the eyeshadow, when Hailey curtly pulled me with my arm, dragging me with her, "Hurry, let's get to class! Mr. Stone is expecting you there now!"

"Oh God, Hailey! Why didn't you remind me of the time!" I exclaimed as I ran fast forward, tugging her behind me.

"I just did!"

Oh, please let him be not there yet.

School hours had passed and I hadn't seen Chase, which was unusual.

While walking out of the corridors with Hailey, I had shared her about what happened last night. The whole picture actually seems too dreamy enough, from how Chase popped inside my room to the whole throwing stuffs. All I had been worrying about that night was nothing but how to finish my math homework. I mean, who in the world would even predict Chase to spontaneously jump inside my room?

"I can't remember the last time I saw Nash, really." Hailey mumbled while munching her potato chips as we walked down the parking lot.

"Well, he basically grew." I stated, running my fingers through my hair.

"When do you think will Nathan throw another party, though?" Hailey asked, peeking on her snack bag.

I shrugged, "I don't know."

Hailey and I turned left, spotting some jocks just near my car. As we got closer, blurred faces became clearer, and Chase's presence on the lot stopped me from my tracks.

"Look who showed up." Hailey intoned, folding the snack bag and throwing it in the bin we were passing by.

I focused my eyes to Chase who was sitted at the top of the hood of the car, laughing together with Nathan, Scott, and the other jocks. My heart skipped a beat as I gazed over his quintessential looks. Even from a far, I could still picture his face without missing a detail. I was about to throw a wave at him but a girl suddenly climbed on Chase's laps, and tangled her arms around his neck.

His debonair smile, and devil-may-care package was potent enough to throw caution to the wind. The thing I feel right now is very much foreign. I bowed my head down, staring blankly on the concrete road, with my clammy hands.

Am I hurting? No, it can't be.. I can't be affected to this. I did not fall in love with Chase. I knew how it felt to be in love and I'm sure I never felt such thing to him, but why is this one telling me it's different. Telling me that... I did?

I slapped myself inwardly as I quickly looked up after Hailey notices the changes of my action.

"Nikki, is there something wrong?" She asked with concern, putting her hands on my shoulder.

I eyed her and shook my head, trying to be insensible while putting up a stoned mask. "Nothing."

After the word escaped my lips, I knew I was lying to her, and to myself. Nonetheless, the truth must be avoided, and ignored. Chase must be avoided at all cost and ignored in any way possible.

I made my way to the parking lot with Hailey blathering about how good Nathan looks with his fitted tee, as how I heard. At least she shifted her attention into something.

"Nikki!" Hailey suddenly stopped me as she started scrutinizing my face for lost answers.

My fingers trembled on a gauzy reason and I lightly shook them, casting a quick glance to Chase.

"Are you okay?" Hailey asked once more, flashing another worried expression like she saw a lost alien.

"I'm... I'm just tired." I tried to formulate a word against my heart screeching into something.

Hailey gradually nodded, "Okay..."

As we got closer to my car, Chase looked at me. I pulled myself back on giving him a smile, but I wanted to show that I wasn't affected. So, I lifted the edges of my lips, for general sake.

When we made it to my car I grabbed my key in my bag, and attempted to unlock the car but failed as my hand shook.

"Open up." I muttered through my breath as I tried to unlock it once more.

After earning a pass, I quickly hopped in and threw my bag at the backseat, as I waited for Hailey to jump in. I gripped the driver's wheel firmly with my shaky hands now along with my knees.

What is happening to me? I asked to myself staring back on my reflection in the mirror, wiping my face with a wet wipe, revealing my pimple.

A/N: Hmm.. do you even think Nikki is over reacting? Or is Chase really just being an ass?

Maybe Nikki already fell for Chase but haven't noticed it. But how about Chase?

Tell me what you think of this chapter and if you like it don't forget to leave a vote/comment! X)