Unexpected Connection

CHAPTER 8

    "Hey, you ready?" Asher asks coming out my closet.

I look up the time on my phone.

11pm

    "Give me a minute". I get off my bed and walk to my closet to pick an outfit. I put on a black leather pants and black crop top, I pair it with one of my favorite boots and leave my hair down. I used moisturizer earlier so I just put on mascara and lip balm.

I follow Ash down the slide and we quietly go to the garage, the door opens noiselessly and we push our motorcycles out the garage without switching on the ignition. 

    "Go along, I would meet you there" I tell Ash as I walk into the room. 

    "Alright, do not be late. Everyone is expecting your return" he says and pushes his motorbike out the gate. I on the other hand have the hard job of pushing my motorbike all the way to the side of the house and unto the path that leads of Ian's house. Ian hasn't said anything to me about we maybe being soulmates. Not gonna lie, when he said it my stomach had a dance party and all the butterflies were invited. I thought he was going to kiss me but he didn't instead he pecks my cheeks. His he trying to mess with me? We haven't spoken about why he was at the party with Heather and I do not bother to ask as long as he doesn't get unnecessarily mad when I'm with Eli. It's been a week since Sunday Barbecue and things have been as weird and awkward as is. Heather keeps looking at me at school and smiling weirdly and I know something is coming but I don't know what. 

I finally come out in Ian's house. That was hectic.

Never push a bit through the woods, trust me.

I park my motorbike on his driveway and walk to his door. The whole house is dark inside. I open the door quietly and walk in. Okay, fine, I broke in. Are you happy now?  I take the elevator up to the second floor and walk into Ian's room. I can't see his room clearly, the only lights on are the small led lights on his floor. I see Ian on the bed sleeping on the left side of the bed, I sleep on the right side. I am just putting out there, we are perfect sleeping buddies. I walk to the left side of the bed and squat, he is facing me but sleeping. I am seem like a creep and I am not denying it. It is hard not to notice that he is shirtless, I can see the scar on the side of his body clearly. I trace my thumb on it and Ian opens his eyes. 

    "Oh shoot, you scared me" I say sitting on my butt with a thud.

    "Lily?" he asks sitting up.

    "Hi" I reply waving at him.

    "What are you doing here?" he asks.

    "My turn to take you out" I say and walk to his closet. I pick a black denim trousers for him and a simple black t-shirt with black boots. I throw the clothes at him.

    "Where are we going?" he asks.

    "You'd see" 

He gets off his bed and starts dressing up, he catches me staring at him and laughs. His laugh resonates in the room and the knot in my tommy tightens.

    "Like what you see?" he asks putting on his shirt. I walk up to him while the shirt is over his head. I help him pull it down and whisper in his ears; "You have no idea". I smile and brush my hand through his hair. He smiles at me as I adjust his hair.

    "Still wouldn't tell me where we are going?" Ian asks as we walk to his front door. 

    "Nope"

    "Nice motorcycle" Ian says when he sees my ride. 

    "Thanks, she's my baby" I tell him and put on my helmet. "Follow me" I tell Ian and we drive out his gate. We have been on the road a while now and we finally get to our destination. It's not really a destination seeing as we are just on the express, it's been closed off for maintenance and all which is perfect for us. I park my bike beside Asher's and Ian comes to a stop beside me.

    "Hey, you made it" Ash says when I remove my helmet.

    "Yeah and I brought someone" I tell him pointing at Ian.

    "Cool" Ash says with a smile. I guess he is cool with Ian again. 

    "Hey guys, it's Lils, she's back" My cousin, Conner says and everyone claps, I take a bow. 

    "Feels good to be back" I tell Conner. The rest of my cousins join us, Nate is here too, his ankle is feeling much better. 

    "Well well well, look who is back" I hear from behind me. I know who it is and my fist my hands.

    "Would you look at that, it's Brad the Jerk" I say turning back and fake smiling. Hailey is standing with him. 

    "When I heard you were back, I just knew I had to see it for myself" he says. Brad is such a two faced guy. When you see him now, or in your case hear him, you wouldn't believe it's the same guy at school pretending to care about me. 

    "Well, you've seen it" I say to him folding my arm.

    "We've seen it but are you really back" Hailey says her hand on Brad's shoulders. Would it be wrong if I say I want them to break up? I want them to feel the pain I felt. the pain of betrayal.

    "You are right, babe. How about a race with the king here" Brad says 

    "Where is the king" I ask looking around with excitement. Ian laughs putting his arm on my shoulder. Asher and my cousins all laugh.

    "You think you can beat me?" Brad asks getting angry.

    "Chill. I know I can beat you like I always have" I say and walk away.

    "I didn't know Brad races" Ian says his hand still on my shoulder.

    "Like we said before, Lily taught everyone even that jerk" Asher says.

    "You know he is going t challenge you right?" Noah says.

    "Yes" my cousins all say.

    "I know and I have got this" I tell them. "Do not worry about me".

We meet up with our other friends and are all talking and laughing. I am happy how Ian blends in with our group. His arm still on me like he is claiming me to the group or something. We are still talking when we all see Brad walk to the front. Here we go.

    "I challenge Lily to a race" he shouts and everyone and when I say everyone, I mean everyone, everyone laughed. 

    "You are serious" one guy says. 

    "Yes, what do you say Lily" Brad says looking at me.

    "What's the worse that could happen in beating you" I say with a shrug and everyone cheers. I walk to my bike pushing it to the beside Brad's bike.

    "You've got this, right" Ian asks looking worried.

    "Just like you got that fight" I tell him and put on my helmet. I sit on my motorbike and accelerate still on the spot. 

    "Ready?" the flag girl says looking at Brad and he nods. "Ready?" she asks me and I accelerate. "Go" she says. I salute Brad and push forward. I drive down the empty highway and turn into a empty street, I did not see the parked car in time and I had to stop, Brad uses the opportunity to speed past me, there is no way he his going to win me. I accelerate and when I see I might not be able to catch up to him, I take a short cut and cut in front of him. I look back and salute, accelerating and leaving him behind. I see the group ahead of me and they all cheer when they see me, I see Asher waving at me and pointing to my back and I get the message, Brad is going to do something. I look back in time to see him raise the front tire of his bike, he wouldn't. He would, he accelerates towards me planning on hitting me with his motorbike. I accelerate and win the race. I park my bike and get down from it removing my helmet, I walk towards Brad who already had his helmet off.

    "What the heck was that? You could have taken my head off" I shout at him.

    "Tried to" he says looking condescending. I want to punch him but someone beats me to it. Ian holds Brad's collar and lands a blow square on his jaw. 

    "What the heck dude. What was that for?" Brad askes nursing his jaw. My cousins hold Ian back.

    "For being a a**hole" Ian answers.

    "My turn" I say and turn around to punch him, this time, he nurses his eye.

    "What's your problem?" Hailey shouts at me. I throw a punch at her but stop just in front of her face, she already winced.

    "I am coming for you" I whisper to her.

We all hear the police siren from afar off. 

    "Who called the police?" Ash shouts. Ian grabs my hands and tells me to get on my bike, he gets on his and we ride off together. I look back and see Ash and my cousins behind me. I am happy he made it out, everyone dispersed. I follow Ian while my cousins went with Ash. Ian and I ride back to his home slowing down so we blend in with the traffic. 

    "That was so cool" Ian says when we walk into his home.

    'Well, that's my thank you for taking me to that fight club" I tell him as we enter his room. He removes his shirt when we get to his room and once again my eyes is drawn to the scar on him. 

    "I'd tell you in due time" he says when he sees where I am looking at. 

    "Alright" I say and walk to his balcony and sit down. He walks out and sits with me still shirtless.

    "Tell me what happened with you and Heather" I tell him. 

He looks at me, sighs, "Not now". 

    "Fine" I say.

    "Lily" he says softly.

    "Do you think I can meet any of your friends?" I ask.

    "I don't have friends, you know that" he says. I know he knows that I mean friends from before here.

    "I am talking about your fiends from before you moved here, i's like to meet them" I tell him.

    "Why?" he asks. 

    "So I'd get to know you more" I tell him smiling.

    "No, Lily" he says with such finality.  

    "You wouldn't tell me anything about yourself" I say to him looking away.

    "Lily" he says.

    "It's fine" I lie. " You don't have to tell me anything about yourself, I guess I thought we were close enough, I tell you everything you want about me, I introduce you to family and friends but when it's your turn, it's different, right?".

    "That's not it, Lily. I just don't think I am ready to be that -" 

    "Vulnerable?" I interrupt. He looks away, so I guess I am right. I get up and walk towards the balcony door, "It's not being vulnerable when you are telling a friend, I guess you don't trust me like I seem to do with you" I add. 

    "I guess we are not friends" Ian says. I feel the tinge of tear in my eyes.

    "I guess not" I say and walk out the room.

I leave my bike behind and walk towards the woods to my house. Is it wrong to be curious about someone you like? Like. Do I like Ian? No. No, I do not like Ian. I am just hurt because we are friends and I do not know anything about him. That is all. I walk into my room, change and go to bed.

***

Why do I always stay up on school night. 

I have a pounding headache and I do not feel good at all. The memories of yesterday, the race, the fight with Brad and the talk with Ian all comes rushing to me. I do not need this right now.

I lay in bed turning and tossing. Why does Ian affect me so much? Do not think about in Liliana, he is not your friend, he said so himself. I drag myself off my bed and like usual, I walk to the balcony but I stop myself and walk to the bathroom instead. I have a shower standing in the water so my headache gets soothed. After my bathe, I wear a tight cropped tank top and an acid washed jean that hung low and loose on my waist. I let my hair fall, do my makeup and carry my backpack.

    "Hi" I greet when I see my family.

    "Hey" Ash greets looking as bad as I feel.

    "What's wrong with you guys" Dad asks. I peck his cheeks.

    "Headache" Ash and I say at the same time. We look at each other and smile,

Just then the gate bell or alert rings in the house and Ash goes to answer it.

    "We expecting anyone?" I ask taking a bite of my toast.

    "Yeah, Eli" mum says.

    "And Ian" dad adds. 

    "What? Ian is coming?" I ask. 

    "Yes" Mum answers.

    "It's Eli and Ian, they came together" Ash says walking in.

    "Hey" Eli greets pecking my mum. He pecks my cheeks too.

    "Still mad at you for throwing that ball at Ian" I tell him.

    "And I said I was sorry, I even apologized to Ian" he says pouting.

    "Fine, I forgive you" I tell him. 

    "Why are you here?" I ask Ian when he sits beside me.

    "Your mum said I could eat here whenever I wanted and I felt like it today so here I am" he answers.

    "Did you forget to tell them we are not friends anymore? You did say we aren't friends, did you forget?" I ask almost shouting.

    "I didn't and just because we aren't friends anymore doesn't change the fact that I work with your parents" he says. I cannot believe he's still saying we are not friends. I get up from beside him and sit on the empty seat beside Eli. Ian sits beside my mum, opposite me. He keeps staring at me and I look at him with a raised brow. He just shrugs and I look away.

    "Delicious breakfast" Ian says complimenting my mum.

    "Thanks dear. I keep telling you to come over everyday for breakfast" mum tells him and I groan internally.

    "Thank you, I'd be sure to do that everyday" Ian says looking at my mum. "I would be here every single morning for breakfast" Ian says looking at me. 

    "I have work to do at school" I announce waving at them and leaving the room. I drab my keys and drive out the compound. 

When I drive into school, I park between Ian and Ash's cars. Yes, they got to school before I did and that is because...., no, its not because I am a slow driver, it is because I stopped at a diner for breakfasts.

I exit my car and see Ian with.... you guessed it, Heather and Hailey. He had his arms on her shoulder while she talks to her friends. That was fast. But why do I care right, we are not friends. 

    "Lily" Eli calls running towards me. Ian looks at me when Eli called. I look away from him and face Eli, he puts his arm around my shoulder and kisses my head. "What took you so long?" he asks.

    "Breakfast" I confess and he laughs.

    "Stop laughing" I tell him and that just made him laugh harder. 

    "Why didn't you eat at home?" he asks.

    "Beats me" I tell him and we laugh. 

We walk past Ian and into the school. Eli is with me at my locker when Ian, Heather and the rest of her posse walk towards me. Ian and I look at each other.

    "Looks like Ian lost his shadow" Heather says stopping to talk to me.

    "You got it wrong, Heather. It's more like Ian lost his coolness but coming down to your level" I tell her looking between Ian and Heather.

    "Ugh!" she mutters and walks away. She takes her anger on an innocent passerby by throwing the person's book on the floor. "What are you looking at" she tells the guy. The guy bends down to pick it up.

    "Don't" I shout walking to the guy. "Don't pick it up". I walk to Heather and her friends that are walking away and pull Heather by her hair dragging her away from Ian and to the books on the floor.

    "Pick it up" I tell her.

    "You can't be serious, why should I pick up the nerds books?" she says huffing.

    "Nerd? Where do you think you are? Highschool? There are no nerds here, just people who like studying and school  more than others. Now Pick. It. Up" I tell her.

    "No" she says and folds her arm. I pull on her hair.

    "I won't tell you again. The next time I pull, your extensions are going to come off" I tell her. Students are already gathering.

    "I am not wearing extensions" she screams.

    "Want to risk it" I say pulling a bit more.

    "Fine" she says and picks up the book handing it to the guy.

    "Now was that hard" I say arranging her hair and tucking it behind her ears.

    "This isn't over" she says and walks away. Ian still stands there looking at me. 

Eli walks up to me and carries me by the waist, "That was awesome" he says sinning me. I laugh. I see Ian walk away.

    "Put me down" I say still laughing. He does and walks me to class.

***

I am walking to lunch when I see Eli with Ash ahead of me. I run towards them and jump on Eli's back.

    "Woah" Eli says staggering a bit before getting his footing. 

    "What are we getting?" Ash asks.

    "Pizza?" Eli suggests. 

    "I'm down" Ash says.

    "Yes" I shout letting go of Eli's neck.

    "You'd fall over" Eli says and tips me to the back.

    "Hey" I say and hit his back. I feel like I am being watched and I look round and see Ian. I avoided him in class and I am going to now. I look away from him and hold unto Eli. We walk past them and Eli sits me on a bench. Ash and Eli go get lunch and I look towards Ian, he is sitting with my nemesis, I am going to call Heather, Hailey and their friends my nemesis. Ian and I make eye contact. I miss him. we just keep looking at each other until Eli sits beside me blocking my view of him.

I eat lunch with my guys laughing about unnecessary things, Eli told Ash what I did t Heather and he pouts asking why he misses the best of things. When we are done eating, we walk past their table and I send a kiss and wink at Heather. I am just looking for a little trouble.

***

Done

I shut my desktop computer down after sending my done assignment to my hard drive. I have to print that out and submit. I leave the my home office and walk to my room. 

Yes, Asher and I have home offices just like our parents but Asher's office is more of a gaming section than an office. You walk in and you think it's a gamer's space.

I change into my tank top and short shorts and lay in bed. I switch on Netflix on my tv and play Gilmore Girls.

Brrrr

My phone vibrates beside me, I pick it and see a text from an unknown number.

Come to the balcony - Unknown

I know it's Ian. He's never texted or called me before when we were friends so why now. I walk to the balcony with my binoculars. I look through them and barely see Ian standing on his balcony, It's raining heavily so it's hard to see anything. He takes his notepad and writes. I strain through the binoculars and read the note.

'Why was Eli carrying you today' I read. He can't be serious.

'Not your business stranger' I write back, show it to him and then walk inside. I don't think he is able to read my reply.

I go back to Gilmore Girls and twenty minutes later, I hear movement in my balcony. I walk outside and see Ian standing there soaked.

    "What the heck, Ian" I shout.

    "First Eli, now I am a stranger?" he shouts back. Okay, he read my note.

    "Why did you come to my house, you are basically a stranger" I shout at him. We are not shouting because we cannot hear each other over the rain. I am just mad at him.

    "I am not" he says shouting.

    "Yes you are, we are not friends. You said so yourself" I shout pointing at him.

    "Is that why Eli was carrying you today?"

    "What is your problem with Eli, we are just friends" I shout. "Like we used to be" I add.

    "Stop saying we aren't friends" Ian shouts. Thunder striking at that moment. 

    "Why? You said we are not friends anymore" I say calmly. "Do you remember, I asked you to tell me more about you, you said-" 

    "I remember" he cuts me off. I fold my arm "I am sorry I said that" he says.

    "So you would tell me about yourself?" I ask and he looks away. "Fine, do whatever you want stranger" I say and move to go inside. He holds me back.

    "Fine, I'd tell you" he says.

    A wind blows and Ian shivers, "Get inside" I tell him and we walk into my room. I get him one of Asher's joggers to wear, he was surprised when I opened the panel between our rooms. I toss the cloth at him and put his cloth in my personal washing machine in my bathroom to wash. I then take my hair dryer and seat him on my vanity table and dry his hair. He sits on my bed while I go check on his clothes, I put them in the dryer now. When I walk into my room, I walk to him on my bed and put my fingers through his hair, they are a bit damp but it's better. He draws me close to him, his hands behind my legs, he smiles up at me. I place my hand in his jaw, my thumb brushing his cheeks, he closes his eyes and leans into the touch.

You can't like him, Liliana. He wouldn't tell you anything about himself and we are barely friends. You shouldn't be like this with him.

I remove my hands and try to walk away. He doesn't let me go instead he places my hand back on his face, I look at him and we just look at each other. I can see my reflection in his eyes. 

    "What's wrong?" he asks still not letting me go.

    "We shouldn't be doing whatever this is. Besides, you are with Heather now or whatever that is" I tell him.

    "I'm not with Heather" he says. I finally get free and start pacing,

    "Even though, we are just friends. That's all"

He gets off my bed and walk towards me. I look up at him, he towers over me.

    "We are just friends?" he asks.

    "Yes" I answer looking away. He puts his finger on my chin and turns my face to him.

    "Do you really think that?" he asks. I just look at him not knowing what to say.

Ian stands up still holding me, "I think I like you" he says taking me by surprise.

    "What is happening?" 

He raises me up and I wrap my legs around his waist, "I think I like you" he repeats.  just look at him not knowing what to say. What do you say to something like this?

    "You think?" I find myself saying and he nods. 

    "Let me find out if I am sure" he says and before I can ask what he means, his lips are on mine.

Ian is kissing me.