Chapter 6 - Something in common

It took Kelly and Jameson about half an hour to pack up their stuff and leave the restaurant. I tried to leave without them but Kelly wouldn’t let me. She gave me the; if we came together, we leave together speech. It took all my will power not to remind her that she actually arrived late. I didn’t want to be that girl who reminds everyone of their mistakes.

Kelly’s mom came to pick her up a while ago. They offered to take me home but I declined. I thought the buses here were constant. I didn’t think the schedule was all weird. I’ve never taken a bus home from here.  

 I’m so annoyed that it took them so long to finish. They made me miss my bus. I stand outside Jodie’s looking at the bus stop. I could go and wait for the bus there but it’s so cold out now.  I look back into the restaurant and sigh. I guess I’ll buy a tea and sip on that while I wait.

I might as well do the rest of my school work while I’m at it. The next bus is going to take about forty five minutes. I have to text my mom and tell her I’ll be a little late. I don’t want her to freak out on me.

I open the restaurant door and walk straight into Oliver. His body slams into mine with so much force I stumble backwards. His scent rushes up my nose making me shiver, but I don’t have the time to think about that because I’m falling.

“Oh shit!” I say as I feel my body start to fall backwards. I laugh on my way down, I’m so calm. I should be freaking out, I’m about to fall in public. What’s even worse is I’m falling in front of the one person I like the most. It’s like I gave up on trying preventing the fall as soon as he slammed into me.

“I got you.” Oliver says catching me halfway down to the ground. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t looking where I was going.” He says easily scooping me up and placing me on my feet. I feel light headed as he balances me with his arm. “Are you okay?” He asks inspecting me closely.

“I’m good, thank you.”  I say my giggles gone he’s so close to me. It feels weird to have him so close. I take a step away from him. I did say I wanted less of him tonight right? This is too much. “I’m good.” I say stumbling a little but I catch myself and straighten up.

“Good. You made me worried there for a minute.” He says smiling at me. I feel my face get warm, he’s making me feel hot standing so close to me.

“No need to worry I’m fine.” I say smiling at him to put him at ease.

“Did you forget something?” he asks suddenly and I look at him confused. What is he talking about?

“Huh?” I ask my brain too fogged up to work. I’m being intoxicated by the Oliver drug. His scent, eyes, smile, perfectly straight teeth and his strength.  I didn’t know he was that strong, he doesn’t play sports like his friends so I just assumed he’s not that strong. I thought he was a lazy slob, that’s what I wanted to believe about him. But I’m learning I was wrong.

“You were on your way back in, did you forget something?” He asks pointing to the Jodie’s to remind of where I was headed before he knocked the wind out of me.

“Oh, yes I was...” I say trying to remember why I was headed back into the restaurant. And the only word that comes to mind is the word bus. “I have to wait for the next bus and it’s too cold to stand next to that small sign.” I explain and he looks at the bus stop and then back at me.

“I’ll take you home.” He says pointing to his…… in the parking lot. I shake my head reaching for restaurant door.

 “No there’s no need I’ll wait.” I say walking toward the door.

“Come on it’ll be a short and quick trip. You can’t wait for the bus; those things take a long time to show up.” He says stopping me mid step. “How long do you have to wait?” He asks and I shrug.

“I have to wait for forty five minutes, well forty minutes.” I say and he looks at me sideways.

“Let me take you home. I don’t think your parents will appreciate you getting home that late.” He says and my mother’s words pop into my head.

“I don’t want to inconvenience you.” I say and he laughs shaking his head.

“I wouldn’t have offered if that was the case.” He says looking at me like I lost my mind.

Are you sure?” I say making sure he’s not doing this because he has because he doesn’t have to.

“I’m sure.” He says looking at me closely.

“Okay, let’s go.” I say giving him a very awkward thumb up. He looks at me confused for a moment. I raise my brows at her in question. He shakes his head and then smiles.

“Let me get that for you.”  He says opening the passenger door for me

“Thank you very much.” I say moving aside so he can open the door. I must admit this feels off. I went from staring at him in a cafeteria dreaming about how it would be to talk to him. To him opening the door to his car for me.  What’s happening? I must be stuck in a permanent fantasy because this can’t be real.

“Okay, where am I going?” he asks getting into the driver’s seat. I look at him my brain that thing where it lags. I got overwhelmed by being so close to him that I forgot what we were doing.

“Oh! We are going to Nightly Hills.” I say after a very long and awkward silence. I hate that I keep making a fool of myself in front of him. He must think I'm so weird.  I can’t seem to get my brain to work right when he’s more than a foot away from me.

“I know where that is. It’s only ten minutes away.” He says staring the car. “Don’t you find it weird how it takes years to get anywhere when you’re using public transport?”  He says smiling, he glances at me quickly and then he looks back at the road.

“That’s the story of y life. I spend more time in a bus than I spend doing anything else.” I say and he shakes his head.

“Can you drive?” He asks after a long pause.

“Yes.” I say looking ahead at the road. I hope he doesn’t ask me why I don’t drive around town instead of using the bus. Not all of us are born into money, my mother does okay but not enough to buy me a car. He was born into money though; his father owns 95% of the city’s apartments. His mother is a doctor and his eldest brother is a bug shot lawyer. There’s no way he wouldn’t have a car.

He was born with the biggest silver spoon in his mouth.

“I hated using public transport. My dad made use the bus for a long as he can. He said it would make me appreciate the family car. He didn’t want me to think I was entitled to anything.” He says taking the conversation to a place I didn’t think he would. “I begged him to buy me a car when I got my driver’s license but he refused. It didn’t matter if I cried or threw a fit, he wouldn’t budge.” He says laughing a little.

“I would never try that with my mother. She doesn’t take kindly to people that cry for shit.” I say and he nods in agreement.

“I had to learn the hard way with my father. He believes in working hard for everything you have.” He says making me look at him differently. When I tell you I thought Oliver was a spoilt entitled little boy. What he’s telling me doesn’t match at all to the image I had in my head. “I had to buy my own care, it took a lot of hard work and sweat but I did it.” He says smiling proudly.

I can’t help but smile too. He looks so happy that he did this; I know I would be happy to. I hate waiting for the bus.

“You bought your own car? Wow that’s incredible.” I say and he looks at me smiling. “How did you do it? You must have worked a lot of hours to do that.” I say looking at him thoughtful.

“I did. I’ve been working part time from the 8th grade. So I’ve been saving from then.” He says and I smile. I’ve been doing part time work since the 7^th grade. That’s something.

“Yeah but cars are expensive. What types of part time work where you doing to save that kind of money?” I ask the math not making sense in my head. I have a little bit in my savings but not enough to buy a car.

“Oh! I should say I didn’t buy this car brand new, it had a few kilometers on it.” He says and I look around the car.

“But it looks so good. It doesn’t look like the second hand cars I’ve seen.”  I say and he looks at me his face brightening. I look at him confused; I don’t know what I said to make him brighten up like that.

“You’re no looking in the right places. There are a lot of good second hand cars. They just need a little tlc, like this one did but all in all they are good cars.” H says and my interest is peaked. This is not how I thought my ride with him would go. I thought it would be awkward and silent. But I’m learning something here.  I didn’t think it was possible to buy a car now. I thought I needed a grown up people job before I can even think about a car.

“So you’re telling me I can find a car that’s in good condition, runs well, looks good but doesn’t cost an arm and a leg?” I ask still not sure he’s telling me the truth.

“It depends on how much you have saved up. But yes.” He says and I nod. “How much do you have?” He asks and I look at him sideways.

“You can’t ask me that.”I say and he laughs. I look at him unimpressed. You can’t go around asking people how much they have saved up.

“Oh! I’m sorry; I forget you and I are strangers right?” He says referring to the conversation the four of us had earlier.

“No, because you just don’t ask people about money.” I say and he laughs turning the car into my neighborhood. I live at the start of Nightly Hill. “My house is that one.”  I say pointing at it ahead of us. He brings the car t a stop in front of my house.  I look at it surprised we got here so fast. If it wasn’t for him I would still be at the restaurant waiting for the bus.

“Why can’t we talk about money?  Who knows? I might learn something from you and you might learn something from me.” he says turning his body to look at me.

“It’s just inappropriate. Money is a very personal and private thing.”I say and he shakes his head disagreeing with me. “And I did learn something today.” I say opening the door. He opens his and we get out of the car.

“You know what I will never force you to talk money with me. But I do believe people should be more open to teaching each other about making, spending and saving money. The world would be a better place.”He says turning to look at my house; he’s looking at the house like he’s never seen a hose before. I’m sure his house is bigger than mine. Why is he staring at it like that?

“Thank you for the ride.” I say and he nods. I walk to the gate and open it.

“See you tomorrow.” He says when I get in. I nod and walk away.