chapter 9

Nate's POV. 

Everyone knew that I was not excited about being paired especially when it came to his school project so I never understood why Mr Simpson would go that way to get me involved in any of these things. 

But because I wanted to also push Jessica to the wall since I could see how angry she was I believed it was going to go fine. 

"Why don't you wait until you are going to be partners?" Jessica called behind me, huffing when I refused to stop. 

She couldn't control me. I never gave any woman that ability over my life so she needed to understand her place and not overplay her role. 

"I didn't think that you had become my guardian angel all of a sudden." I responded scathingly. 

"Yeah, I have a lot to deal with and I'm going to be very thorough because unlike you I actually need these grades." She replied in the meanest way she could muster. 

"Good, it's good to know that school means a lot to you but sadly it doesn't do the same for me so what are you going to do about that?" 

She folded her fingers together in annoyance. "Is it that you do not care about how people perceive you or you're trying to just give off that mean vibe because this is highly unnecessary and I do not recommend it at all." 

I glanced at my watch. It was time for practice and I didn't have the energy to argue with her when she was probably just PMSing. 

"I know that women have a lot of hormones that make them hostile but you can take that energy somewhere else to people who would appreciate it and leave me the hell alone." I sneered and walked away. 

*

I headed towards the rink.

The only place that gave me solace when everyone had turned their back against me. It was the only place I felt fulfilled and felt like a complete human instead of being a puppet like everyone wanted me to. 

My father, Seth, was the most annoying human that I had the misfortune of coming across and the fact that he refused to acknowledge that he was a pest and an antagonist was the worst of all. 

He expected me to come back with my arm spread wide open accepting that I had a monster for a father. 

He was nothing but a joker and I wasn't even in the mood to play small or start acting like a good child. 

"What's up man! You were absent the past few days yet you have pretended like the whole world doesn't even exist and I wonder why!" Mark called breezily.

These were the shallow friends that I had managed to make simply because of my association with the rink. Most of them were not even concerned about how I was feeling or coping instead it was all about how I could bring victory to them. 

"I've been busy." I said in a nonchalant manner just the way I had been the past few weeks expecting that nobody noticed it. 

Mark laughed, skipping towards me with gusto, heading towards my direction, expecting that he would find me in a good mood.

"We are having a party at the Bar tonight. I would love for you to come." He said, a little bit hesitant about my response but I was not even in the mood for any of this because I had concluded on what I wanted to do and that would remain that way. 

"I would not be present. It's nothing personal, I want you to respect my decision and keep to it. Can you do that?" I demanded from him. 

He looked at me, squinting carefully as nerated to see if I was only joking about this but that was not even in my dictionary at all. 

I was ready for whatever consequences were going to be birthed. As long as I was concerned, I needed to have more attention, more intuition and deal with that murderer. 

"You are the life of the party. The place is going to be dead if you are not present. Why do you suddenly backtrack when you have given your word?" 

It was a pity that he thought that I was answerable to him and then everything he said needed to be followed to the t. I wasn't going to sit over here and waste my time discussing things that we're not profitable to me."

"I don't remember asking your permission to attend any party in the first place so why now? Have you lost your mind?" I inquired from him 

Mark lowered his eyes, hoping not to get further on my nerves. I gave him the opportunity but was not expecting him to take it for levity. I had my reasons for whatever I did so I expected him to be quiet while I spoke. 

"I wasn't trying to say anything that you have not already thought about, but I was trying to caution and ensure that everything works out fine." He whispered.

"I said I'm fine." I snapped at him.

Mark raised his hands in surrender, refusing to allow himself the talk of town because I had made my stance pretty clear yet didn't understand why he was trying to act like he understood nothing out of everything that I had said. 

It was a pity that he was making me angry. 

"Tell Wilson that I will not be attending anything soon. I think he should have gotten used to that." I answered dismissively. 

I wasn't going to allow myself to be pulled into the disaster being a puppet anymore.

I wanted to focus on my studies on other things besides girls, and booze. 

I headed towards the next place that gave me the security that I had always wanted. It wasn't going to be easy to get it but I was determined to make it my point of duty. 

"What the hell?" I hissed.