Prank Me Love

Why Does A Jerk Have To Be Devilishly Handsome?

"As soon as I saw you, 

I knew an adventure was going to happen."

-lines from "Winnie, the Pooh", A.A. Milne

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER TWO:

"You don't have to drive me to school, you know?"

This morning had been the strangest morning I've ever had so far. I got out from the bed, expecting a pretty normal day only to find a lying creep on our driveway, and gave him a total wake with a blast of cold water. Then after that, I soon found myself sitting at our dining table for breakfast, sharing pancakes with the same creep that I had annoyed with my impulsive act... And then, what could be worse?

I never expected it could ever be really worse than having to deal with a stranger like him but somehow, it went terribly wrong as soon as I found myself standing beside my red truck, with an angry scowl on my face, feeling the urge to strangle someone to death. Cause I can't believe I was really going to take a drive with this annoying creep to school, and guess what? He was even driving my car for me.

"Relax, princess," James gave me a look from the other side of my truck, smiling sweetly but I felt anything but grateful. He had offered to drive as payment for the breakfast and my older brother's shirt that my father lent him. So nice of him but it seemed like there was something more than that. I narrowed my eyes at him while he circled my car keys around his finger with a smirk. Turned out, he seemed to never really mind the way everything felt weird between us. My dad acted like James was nothing less of a good friend. And I tried not to think too much of this now. I just watched James stood comfortably with his arm resting above my car across me while he stared back. And even though he looked quite appealing from the distance, I still wanted to wrangle his neck with my both hands. 

"I'm gonna take care of this baby," he then said with a slight tap over the roof of my red truck as if that would even make me feel any bit better. "Don't worry."

"Get lost," I grumbled, opening the passenger's side as I ignored his chuckle and closed the door with too much force out of spite. I still can't figure out how in the hell we had ended up here now. For some reason, James had actually managed to get my dad to agree on letting him drive me to school today. I just met this total stranger not even an hour-long ago and he was suddenly invading my life as if he had been doing it for quite some time now. It was insanely ridiculous that he was even touching my car as if he had already driven it a hundred times before. 

Who the hell is this guy really? What's he up to? I still can't believe I was even letting this all happen.

"I think your car here needs some tender love and a little paint, princess. She's a little rusty," James remarked with a frown as soon as he settled himself on the driver seat before starting the car. And just who gave him the right to say whatever he thinks about my baby? 

"I don't think that's any of your business now, Jamey boy," I bit back, glaring at him from the passenger seat, "And I love her just the way she is."

James suddenly laughed out loud, exclaiming, "Jamey boy?!" 

He continued to laugh at the petty nickname I had used to mock him until he could finally put the car in gear and I just looked away and rolled my eyes. I had to admit he honestly had an infectious kind of laugh and I tried to keep my lips tightened, forcing it not to join him. The deep throaty sound coming out of his mouth made me want to shut him up... And damn it, this can't be happening... What am I--What am I feeling? What the hell?! He's not going to affect me! And I had to control myself. 

Damn, Shane. Get a grip, girl!

"Ugh. Why don't you just drive quietly and stop laughing?" I complained out loud with a heavy puff as I turned and glowered in his direction but instead of ceasing his noises, James just laughed louder, but more in a mocking manner this time. Perhaps, just to annoy me.

I groaned and chose not to say anything again. I kept my temper under control as I slumped on my seat with a scowl, biting back another batch of complaints. Fortunately, for me, after quite a while, the rest of the drive had been relievingly silent. James did not try to make small talks. I didn't really think I could take another twenty minutes bickering at him or listening to him laugh, or worst, admire his gorgeous look at the same time. And damn, Shane, that's just the last thing you'd ever wanted to do now. You have to be careful around this guy.

As soon as we reached the front of my school, I quickly removed the seatbelt around me.

"So..." I heard James sighed as he broke the silence, putting the car in park as he shifted on his seat and looked at me with both of his brows raised, "Here we are."

"Yeah. Just on time," I said back half-heartedly, holding my hand out to him with an expectant look as I met his eyes and added, "I appreciate you driving me here but I need my keys back now."

James paused and raised a brow at my hand, not even trying to acknowledge my request. He just shook his head. 

"Sorry, I don't think so, princess. How do you think I'd get back home from here if I give it back to you?" he said casually, chuckling through his words while I scowled.

"I don't know," I shrugged back, sounding impatient as I wriggled my hand that was still raised between us, "Go figure it out yourself. Besides, you looked like you needed a little exercise. Go walk the distance. I don't care just give me my keys." I demanded.

"Oh, aren't we getting a little s******c now?" James grinned mischievously, giving me a smirk before he took a deep breath, turning to face the steering wheel again before he added, "Don't sweat it, princess. I could wait at the parking lot."

What? No, he won't! Now, it's my time to shift to my side to look at him.

"I'm going to be late, Jamey. Give. Me. My. Keys. Now." I growled each word with a little edge on my voice.

"Then go to your class. I'll wait no matter how long. I could get some good sleep while doing it. It's the least I could do."

The least he could do? What does that even mean?  I wanted to come up with another reason to get him away and make him leave but I was so lost with words, I didn't even have a chance to get a comeback reply. The sound of the school bell ringing from afar stopped me as I felt the need to leave the car, not really into the idea of getting late for the first period.

"This is not yet over," I angrily said in a haste, huffing as I opened my side of the car forcefully. I turned to grab the bag that I had dropped on the car floor under the dashboard and looked at James again with a glare, "You better be waiting at the parking lot until my classes are over or I'm going to kill you, you hear me?"

I certainly doubted he was going to wait, but then again, I never even thought he would be driving me to school this morning. And since my dad knew him, I could just test this guy out and see if he really was trustworthy enough. Yet this entire situation still made me feel utterly suspicious of his intentions.

"Don't worry, princess," the jerk said with a triumphant grin from the driver seat as he regarded me, "I'll be just right there waiting for you all day if I have to. Have fun."

"Whatever!" I said with squinting eyes, closing the door in a loud bang. Startled looks came my way and I tried to ignore them as I started walking around the hood of my car to get to the school's entrance. I felt the jerk's eyes following me through the windshield until I finally reached the sidewalk.

"See you later, Princess," the sound of his voice jolted me and I stopped in my tracks, resisting the urge to look over my shoulder. Instead, I just walked faster towards the school entrance, trying to be composed.

But when I heard him repeating his words again in a louder voice this time, I finally gave up and confidently gave him the finger above my head before rushing off. James's laughter echoed behind me while I tried to bite back the smile that was tickling the corners of my mouth when I heard that incredibly annoying sound of his laughter again. Well, what can I do?

He really was a jerk.

-----------------------oOo-----------------------

"Ooh... Someone just woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Evan, one of my closest friends in Parker High, sat in front of me during lunch, smiling naturally as he stole a fry from my tray. He frowned when I did not say anything and tried to reach out again for another fry before finally asking, "Why so grumpy, Shai?"

"It's a guy," Beth took the chance to answer him, sighing with her eyes still glued on a new book she was indulging herself into. I could very well say that Beth is the book geek among the three of us. While Evan was the sporty hunk who seemed to get attention without much of an effort, I was, however, just the quiet girl no one ever really noticed. I could just literally blend myself in the background and no one will ever know I was even existing at all. 

I know that it's quite strange to see a jock, a geek, and the goody-goody together at a table where the high school food chain collides altogether. Well, apparently, there's a story behind this friendship between the three of us but I think that would seem to be another story to tell. And anyway, not that it was anything special. We all just grew up together since we were kids and that became the foundation of our strong bond.

"A guy?" Evan's voice snapped me back to reality when he leaned forward and frowned in my direction. His eyes bore a hole on my head while I tried my best not to meet his stare, "Who's the guy? Someone here?"

That was Evan acting too protective again. He was always like this whenever Beth and I would find ourselves engaging in a sudden conversation or interaction with any random guy. Well, I can't really blame Evan for that since my brother had literally tried to ask him to look out for us before he got married and left the house. Evan felt the need to be responsible for protecting both Beth and me, and perhaps, that was also him being the natural older brother who also has a younger sister.

"It's nothing," I nonchalantly shrugged, giving Evan a reassuring smile because I did not want to make this an issue, "He's just a neighbor."

"A neighbor?" Evan echoed back.

"Yeah," Beth interjected as she finally tore her eyes away from the pages she was reading on and stared across the table towards Evan, "There's this hot guy in their neighborhood and she just met him this morning at their driveway."

I now regretted not telling Beth to keep it all to just the both of us because Evan was now looking at me with that strange expression. I remembered the last time I had seen him like this. It wasn't even a pretty memory... Let's just say it's not really going to be a good thing to even joke about boys with him.

"Really," Evan prolonged the word, staring past me and beth as he silently mused, "I guess, I have to give you a visit any time soon now, Shai."

Oh, damn. This was not good.

"Oops... Sorry, Evie," Beth had butted in before I could even say anything and I tried to give her a warning look but she just ignored me as she went on, " It might quite too late now... Because this same guy is going to drive her back after class."

"What?!" Evan's face scrunched up as soon as he heard what Beth just said. And as he met my eyes, I panicked.

"It's absolutely nothing, Evan," I blabbered after a shy pause as I tried to explain the situation to him carefully, "Dad had insisted the guy in driving me to school today, so I really have no other choice. And--"

"I see, " Evan sighed loudly, cutting me off, and he gave me a pointed look. "Then, I should definitely meet this guy after class."

Evan stood up and picked up his bag. He used to go to class, five minutes earlier than the bell. "See you two around. And Shai," he paused as he looked at me for a little bit longer just before he could leave, "I'm gonna wait for you outside the gym and you better show that guy to me. I'm heading to class now, have a nice lunch." 

And with that, he finally left.

"Crap," I muttered to myself, cringing. "Why do you have to say that?" I asked Beth with accusing eyes.

"Cause I like him feisty," Beth simply said, shrugging. And I just scowled at her. I never really understood the way those two deal with each other. It's like s****l tension in a slow-burn drama. I really just wished sometimes they could just go and work it out and not include me anymore in their mad episodes. I'm the one who's suffering the most here and it's not even worth it.

"Great," I just said in surrender in the end. Leaning back to my seat after letting out a long weary sigh. "This day's really something."

"Lucky you," I heard Beth said in the background, making me groan back. Isn't my life just so great?