Scarlet scars

CHAPTER 12: Home alone

Scarlet

I quietly tiptoed to the stairs without switching on the lights. I headed straight to my room looking left and right like a thief breaking into a house. When I got to my bedroom door I gasped in shock at what I found there.

The best news I've ever received in this house. A loud laugh escaped my lips which I quickly covered up With my hand. but then I remembered that nobody was home and I let out "yes!" On top of my voice. Stuck on my door was a note that read

"Don't prepare dinner, I'm sure you know Michael is graduating this weekend. We will be back on Sunday. Take care of the house and don't do anything stupid

Ciao"

I danced around the house singing ‘oh happy night’ as I counted how many days I’d be alone. I had four days, three minus today, Thursday. I squealed thinking about all sleep I would get. I was scared for no reason at all and someone up there decided to generous to me for once.

I do feel a little sad that I wouldn't be able to attend Micheal's graduation. He was the only person who treated me like a human being in this house. I would just have to get him a gift and congratulate him when he came back.

I entered my room and threw myself on the bed and I instantly regretted it as my back hit the hard surface of the bed. I groaned but didn't get up. I just wanted to sleep. Someone might wonder why Would rather sleep given all this freedom. I mean I could enjoy my time alone on things like eating the food I never get to eat, sleeping in their beds like Goldie locks, watching TV and so on, but no, all I needed then was sleep.

Besides I wouldn't want to sleep in a soft bed just for a day and come back to this rock hard bed the next day and as for food, I doubt they had left any.

They would rather give away the remaining food than leave it for me to eat. They've done that before so I wouldn’t waste my time checking. I didn't realize I had dozed off until a buzzing sound disturbed my peaceful sleep. I wondered what it could be, wishing it could just go away.

I groaned as the buzzing didn't stop but I didn’t want to let it ruin my sleep. I grabbed my pillow and turned the other way. The pillow must have worked as the buzzing stopped. Good riddance, I thought and was about to drift back to dream land when the buzzing continued.

Oh come on! I jerked up squinting my eyes. I got up and switched on the lights to look for whatever was making that buzzing sound. What could it be? I asked myself. My bag was on the bed and the buzzing seemed to have been coming from there. I opened it and checked and that's when I saw it. It had completely slipped off my mind that I had received a phone, the joy of my family not being home must have made me forget.

The screen lit up showing the name ‘ Handsome Jay’ with the same photo of us that was in the box as the display picture. I laughed as I looked at it. I had to answer and the lucky thing was that the phone itself instructed me on what to do. It had arrows pointing to the right which was written "answer" and to the left which was written "decline".

"Cally are you alright?" I heard immediately I picked the call,

"I've called you so many times but you weren't picking, did something happen?” he asked panic lacing his voice.

"I'm sorry, I slept immediately I entered my room.. I guess I was tired" I said meekly

"Oh... Sorry I woke you up" he said "anyway it's your fault since I asked you to call me immediately you reached your room, but you didn't I got worried. I thought if I had called first I might have gotten you in trouble. "I could feel his emotions over the phone. I've never had people care about me this much

"That what? I would have been mauled by an angry wolf? .. Handsome Jay?" I replied sarcastically rolling my eyes as though he could see me. He was so cocky.

"Oh I see you like how I saved my name on your phone right?" He chuckled and I rolled my eyes for the nth time that day.

"I mean you just have to be reminded of my good looks every time you see it"

"yeah .. And that picture does you justice" I said and we both laughed.

"It does. compared to you" he retorted and I laughed out loud. I cut my laughter short thinking that someone might have heard me but I remembered I was home alone.

"it's not like I know a million Jay's in this world, even if I knew a lot, you wouldn't be the handsomest "

"Ouch! You just scorched my ego" he said feigning sadness to which we burst out laughing. I found myself braiding my hair as we spoke, I didn’t get how I had done it.

We talked about everything, we laughed , reminsced about the past and he even asked if I wasn't disturbing the people who were asleep. I ended up telling him where they were and when they'd be back.

"Should I come and keep you company then? You can't spend the night alone in such a huge house" he said jokingly and he joked about how he'd come pick me up in the morning and we laughed over it. It was obviously a joke. Why would he? Those were the last things I remembered talking about.

The sun rays hit my face through the open curtain of my tiny window. I squinted as I got up, surprised that it was already morning, I didn't get much sleep but I felt more refreshed than I had ever felt in my life. I just felt good but then I checked the time and with it went my smile.

7:23 it read, I tried to run my hand through my hair only to find it braided. what the hell! I took out a shard of the broken mirror from the bedside table that I used and stared at myself. The braids looked horrible, I couldn’t go to class in them. I didn’t have time to unbraid and comb my hair and get to college early. I blamed handsome Jay.

I rushed to the bathroom took a quick shower, shampooed my hair, thinking I'd unbraid it afterwards. I slipped on my hoodie and jeans, grabbed the phone from the bed and headed down stairs with a comb in my hand trying to unbraid my hair. I walked to the gate and by then I had unbraided half of the hair when I noticed a familiar car. I decided to ignore and continue on my way when the door opened and a hot looking Jay stepped out of the car.

His hair was neatly styled back and he was wearing a cobalt blue suit. He looked godlike and he was walking up to me. This beautiful person was walking up to me. I thought. I just stood there not even hiding the fact that I was gawking until I dropped the comb from my hands but I didn’t stop drooling all over him. He reached where I was, bent down to pick up the comb and started pulling towards his car.

"What are you doing?" I asked him

"Dropping you off" he said it as though he was stating the obvious "I thought I told you I would" he stated. I scoffed, he couldn’t be serious.

"I didn't know you were being serious" I muttered under my breath.

"Oh I wasn't joking and me being here is all the proof you need" he turned around and smiled as he opened the door for me. It felt really weird but I got in. I had like 10 minutes to get to my first class so I could only agree.

"Hello Thomas" I said as I noticed him in the drivers seat looking all business-like nice. I remembered him from that first day I had met Jerald again.

"Good morning madam" he said which made me giggle. He called me madam. Jerald came in from the other side and sat down as his sweet minty and forest pine fragrance engulfed me.

"Lets go Thomas" he said. He turned to me "Why are you smilling" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing" I said shrugging my shoulders but then I giggled and he looked at me amused. "he just called me madam" I said giggling. He looked at Thomas and then back at me and just shook his head smiling.

"Is there anything wrong with that?" He asked lifting an eyebrow.

"Not really..I just find it funny that someone addressed me as madam" I said as I fidgeted with my comb. His car looks so sleek and clean that the mere thought of me leaving my hair all over the seat didn't sit well with me. I will just have to walk in college looking like this, I've never cared what people think about me anyway.

I snapped out of my head when he grabbed my comb and ordered me to turn around so my back would be facing him. What was he trying to do now? He started to unbraid my hair and I couldn’t help but ask "What are you doing?"

"Really? Of course I'm helping you since you didn't manage it yourself, you couldn't even blow dry your hair" he said sarcasm lacing his voice.

" I know you are unbraiding my hair.. Grumpy" I mumbled the last part. "but why? I was doing just fine. Besides I wouldn't have been late if we didn't talk the whole night" I snapped trying to grab the comb but he didn’t let me.

"Yes I know.. And I... Sorry" he said "you should have stayed home, can't you miss school for a day.. Let me tell you what, let me take you somewhere else. Then you'll go to college on monday" he said cheerfully like a rebellious little kid.

"I can't miss class today. I have to hand in my research project"

"Oh" was all he said and I could feel his disappointment as he run his fingers through my hair. He was done unbraiding it. He combed through it one last time and when I was about to tie it with a rubber band, he took it from me and whispered in my ear

"Leave your hair down today" I felt goosebumps all over my body as his warm breath tickled my skin. I gulped and moved away, turning to face the road.

"Did you even have breakfast?" He asked. I never have breakfast. But I couldn’t tell him that.

"Uhm.. Y-yeah.." I croaked "I did" I lied not looking at him as I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

"Sure you did. What did you have so that I can have an inspirition for my own breakfast this morning?" He asked smirking. Inspiration? Come on!

"I had... Toast and.. B-egg.. Yes eggs and juice" I said trying hard not to touch my hair as I lied.

"Okay.. Nice I will also have that, right Thomas?" He said looking directly at me and I smiled nervously.

"Drop me off at the next turn off please" I said to Thomas who didn't even glance in my direction as he looked straight at Jerald, probably for his permission. I looked out the window to see the car bypass the station I had told Thomas about and I turned to Jay, who had his eyes closed.

"Hey! Tell him to drop me off here" I said but he didn't even look at me. "I'll jump out" I bluffed and that's when he opened his eyes.

"you need to be in class in 2 minutes, if we drop you off here, you'll be late. So behave" he warned. I felt like a child as I crossed my arms and huffed, looking out the window. In no time we were at the university's parking lot. I turned to say goodbye but he was looking the other way. Cool!

"Grumpy!" I muttered "Thank you Thomas. Have a good day" I said putting my hoodie over my head and quickly got out of the car, rushing to class without looking back.