Chapter Three
1354 Words
Claire sat down in the car while Eric got into the driver's seat. He leans towards her side and she shrieked.
"What are you doing?" She shouted
"I'm just.." he helped her to strap the seatbelt "helping you with your seatbelt. I'm a rough driver".
"Ohh.."
"What did you think I wanted to do?"
"Nothing".
"Did you think I was going to kiss you?" He asked
"What?"
"Don't worry. I don't force girls".
"Whatever. Just focus on the road so you don't get me killed". She said to him.
"I'll gladly die with you" he says and smiles.
" What rubbish.."
" So what's your name?"
" What's your obsession with my name?" Said Claire
"Why are you so hotheaded?" Asked Eric.
" I'm not"
" Since you insist on not telling me you're name, I'll call you miss hot head" said Eric.
Claire rolls her eyes as she gets annoyed with him and asks herself why she agreed to ride with him in the first place. She kept giving him directions to where she lived. She told him to stop at a distance from her house because the roads aren't that good for a car to pass.
They both came down from the car. Eric looked around the place wondering that he never knew a place like this existed.
"You live here?" Eric asked
"Yes I do" she answered "I'm not as rich as you guys at school if that's what you're thinking".
He cleared his throat "I see"
"You can leave now. Thanks for dropping me off". She said
"Wait" he says "let me walk you home"
"No need, and we're not that close anyway".
"Isn't it dangerous for a girl to walk alone at night even if she's hot headed?"
"Don't worry. I know all the guys here and they won't do anything to me. You should go or I might not be able to stop them from robbing you".
"Okay. Bye" he said." You still haven't told me your name"
She looked at him and said "Claire. Happy now? "
"Yeah".
Claire started walking while Eric stood and watched her disappear out of his sight before entering his car and leaving.
Claire got home and truly her mother was worried. Her mother called her on the phone just when she arrived the doorstep. She entered inside and met her mother.
"Thank goodness you're back" said Issa "I was getting worried"
"I know"
"So how was the party?"
"Boring" Claire replied.
" Mmm.. "
"There were no buses or cabs and that's why I was delayed" said Claire
"Then how did you get home?"
"Someone dropped me off"
"Who? Your classmate?"
" No. He's a senior ".
" Then why didn't you invite him in? " Issa asked.
"Oh please. He's not even my friend and he's really arrogant, so no".
When Eric got back, the party was already over and the only people there were Jennifer, her friends, Sean and Alex.
" Dude where did you go? " Sean asked.
" I went to drop Claire home" replied Eric.
" Really? You're chasing her already? " Said Alex.
"Have I ever wasted time in going after what I like?" Said Eric.
"Just don't fall for her" Jennifer said.
"You should know better than anyone that I can't fall in love with anyone. I'm just going to have fun and when I'm bored, I look for a new flavor of the month" Eric said and started laughing.
"Why do you have to look for another one when I'm here?" said Jennifer
"How many times do I have to tell you that I don't date girls twice? Your turn has already passed" Eric said insensitively.
Jennifer bit her lips to hold back her tears from pouring in front of them. She swallowed the pain and left them there. She went home.
"Dude, don't you think you're being too insensitive?" Alex asked.
"She keeps pestering me. Doesn't she have anything better to do?" Said Eric.
Claire was coming from the cafeteria and was on her way to the girl's bathroom when Eric came behind her and held her hand. She immediately shook it off.
"What the?? What is wrong with you?" Claire asked angrily
"Calm down miss hot head. I just wanted to hold your hand" Eric replied.
"Why? I told you we're not friends" she told him.
"Really? Why not?"
"Just leave me alone".
She went into the girl's bathroom while Eric waited for her outside. Then Thalia came, Claire had left her in the cafeteria.
"Eric.." said Thalia
"Who are you?" Asked Eric.
"I'm Thalia. Claire's friend"
"Oh wow"
"Are you interested in Claire?" Asked Thalia
"Uhh yeah".
"But.. why her? You know she doesn't like you, right? "
"Then I'll make her like me" Said Eric confidently.
"But you know there are other girls who are ready to do anything for you" said Thalia "Like me. Claire isn't the only girl in this school. She isn't even that pretty, and she's way below your league"
"And you're in my league?" Eric asked.
"Yes" Thalia answered.
"Hmph... You wish"
Thalia holds both of his hands tightly.
"Eric, just forget about Claire"
"I thought you were her friend" said Eric
"But.. I'm the one who likes you not her. She's just a poor church rat who got lucky to study amongst us. I'm ready to be your girlfriend and she's not".
Eric looked at her and said firmly "Let go of me"
"Eric.. "
Eric wasn't particularly a patient person so he got angry and pushed Thalia so that she lost grip of his hands and even fell down. Claire came out of the bathroom and saw what happened.
She went to help Thalia, after standing up Thalia didn't say anything and just ran away. Claire faced Eric.
"What happened? Why did you hurt my friend?" Claire asked
"Do you think she's your friend? Do you even know what she said.. " replied Eric
"So is it because I told you that I don't want to be friends with you, you're hurting my friend?" Said Claire
"Excuse me?"
"Don't ever disturb me again"
After Claire said that, she walked away. Thalia avoided her for the rest of the day.
Eric was amazed at what happened, he didn't do anything wrong but Claire was mad at him. He kept telling himself that she and her friend were at fault but he still felt the need to apologize.
After school, he tried to talk to her but she gave him a cold shoulder and ran off. Before he could get to her, she got into a bus and left.
Eric ruffled his hair, frustratingly. He then thought of going to her house. He didn't know exactly where her house was but he remembered the area.
This time, it was his driver who came to take him home so he told the driver where to go.
Eric stopped at the place where he dropped Claire the previous day. It was afternoon so there were many people outside and some children were playing.
Some of the people there looked at him because they didn't know him and he looked wealthy. Eric wanted to ask someone about the directions to Claire's house. He looked to his right and saw Issa coming with some shopping bags.
He went to meet her but he didn't know she was Claire's mother. Before he could talk to her, he noticed that she looked exhausted and dizzy. Then before he knew it, she fainted and fell to the ground.
All the people around quickly ran towards her, some of them thought that Eric did something to her but he explained that he didn't do anything. Immediately, Claire appeared, she came down from the bus she boarded. When she saw her mother in the ground, she ran there.
"What happened to my mother?" Asked Claire
Eric answered "I don't know. She just fainted when I tried talking to her. Let's take her to the hospital".
"Okay"
With the help of his driver, they put Issa into the car and went to the hospital.
- Writer
