Chaotic
1502 Words
I stopped in my tracks and looked at him. Huh? Why are we going to his room?
Garett seemed to catch on to what I was thinking.
“It’s hard to review downstairs. You haven’t seen my teammates yet. They’re like barbarians—loud and chaotic. We’ll just get distracted.” He started climbing the stairs and looked back at me. “Come on.”
I’m not really good at socializing, especially with people I don’t know, so I just followed him. There’s four rooms upstair. Garett entered into the door at the end of the hallway. I went inside after him when he left the door open.
The same scent from his car—the cologne—welcomed me. I glanced around. Surprisingly, it wasn’t messy. The bed was neatly made. The trash bin wasn’t overflowing. There were no clothes scattered on the floor—except for one crumpled tissue on the bedside table.
The room was about the same size as mine. Spacious enough for a big bed, a study table by the window, a corner shelf full of trophies, and a full-length mirror mounted on the wall.
I turned to Garett just as he dropped his duffle bag beside the bed. My eyes widened when he suddenly pulled off his muscle tee.
“W-What are you doing?!” I asked, heart pounding, as I quickly turned away.
“Taking a shower. What did you think I was doing? I didn’t get the chance after our practice game. I left in a rush—only to find out you were running late.”
What? He’s blaming me now? He never said what time the review would start. All he said was “around 7PM”!
“Relax. I won’t take long. Make yourself at home.”
I turned just in time to catch the bathroom door in his room closing behind him.
Now what?
I remained standing in the middle of the room. Ever since I developed a fear of invisible germs, dirt, and bacteria, I’ve avoided entering anyone’s bedroom—even my best friend Elona’s.
I know she keeps her room clean. She always assures me every time I visit her house. But I still can’t handle it, especially when I remember the stories she tells about secretly sneaking her boyfriends in there.
So what more here, in Garett’s room? His reputation is all over campus. Who knows how many women he’s brought in here?
A chill ran through my entire body. I quickly looked away from the bed and sat on the chair by the study table instead. It felt safer there.
I didn’t move the whole time until Joaquin stepped out of the bathroom. I felt like there were invisible needles poking both of my arms!
“Hey? You okay?”
I jumped in surprise when I realized Garett was already standing in front of me. He was wearing black sweatpants and a white t-shirt that hugged his muscular arms and chest. That’s when I noticed the coiling dragon tattoo on his left arm.
“I—I’m fine!”
“You sure? Why do you look like you’ve stopped breathing and moving altogether?” He bent down a little, curiously staring at my face.
Well, he’s not wrong. I have been holding my breath this whole time! I just feel like if I inhale too much in here, I might breathe in some virus. But if I keep holding it in, I might pass out. I don’t want to die over something so pointless and have my mom and dad cry at my funeral!
Gosh, Isla. You’re being ridiculous! That guy might start thinking you’ve got something weird going on in your brain—just like he does!
“I was just thinking about where we should start reviewing for your exam…” I said, quickly changing the subject. “What parts are you struggling with?”
“Making an outline and writing a book review,” he answered, frowning.
Oh… that’s actually my favorite part of the exam. I love reading. Every time I finish a book, I always leave a review on Goodreads—just to give future readers a little insight. As for writing an outline, back in high school I used to write short stories, so the second part of the midterm was pretty easy for me.
“Let me see your test paper.”
Joaquin pulled out his test from his binder on the study table and handed it to me. I glanced through it, and my brows drew together.
“Why is the second part blank?” I asked, looking up at him.
He dropped onto the bed in front of me with a frustrated sigh. “I didn’t know what to write. I’m not into reading. I haven’t read a single fictional book.”
“For real?” I blurted out, surprised.
“For real.”
Even Elona and my older brother aren’t into reading, but they at least read a storybook or two back in high school—if only because they had to for class.
“I’ve never met anyone who’s never read a single book in their life,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief.
“And I’ve never met anyone this obsessed with cleanliness.”
“I am not obsessed with cleanliness,” I said defensively.
“Yes, you are,” he said flatly.
A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips. “I thought we were here to review?”
He pouted a little and shrugged. “Fine. Okay, Ma’am. Teach me how the fck I’m supposed to answer the fcking exam—”
“First of all,” I cut him off, “no swearing when I’m around. Second, I want you to clean your room.”
He interrupted me this time. “My room is clean! I just cleaned it!”
“And when exactly was that?” I asked skeptically.
“Last week.”
My eyes widened, and I hugged myself tightly while glancing around the room.
Oh my god! How many millions of bacteria and germs are floating around in here right now? I squeezed my eyes shut, completely creeped out. I didn’t even want to move anymore!
“Tsk.”
I opened my eyes and saw Garett shaking his head, staring at me like I was some kind of weirdo.
“What?” I said defensively. “Clean your room if you don’t want me walking out!”
“Huh? And who are you to boss me around? Even my mom doesn’t tell me what to do.”
“Who am I? I’m just the only person willing to help you fill out that blank test paper of yours!”
“Hey! You’re forgetting we have a deal? I’m the only one who can help you with your thirst over that lame Dustin!”
Did he seriously just say thirst? And who’s lame? Dustin?!
My eyes narrowed. “Oh, well… I can live even if Dustin never notices me. But you—can you handle failing and not being able to play in the basketball tournament next season?”
His eyes narrowed, too. We glared at each other, neither of us backing down. I smirked secretly when he looked away first, clearly annoyed.
“Damn! Looks really are deceiving! You look like a freaking princess doll but in reality, you’re a voodoo doll!”
“What did you just say?” I said with one eyebrow raised, trying hard not to laugh.
Did he just insult me and throw in a backhanded compliment at the same time?
“Nothing!” he snapped, walking over to the built-in cabinet in the corner. “I didn’t know there was going to be a cleaning session before the actual review. If I had known, I wouldn’t have bothered taking a shower, right?” he complained.
I shot him a glare. “That’s your fault. Why don’t you know how to clean your room properly? Do you even realize that bacteria and germs from doorknobs and light switches can transfer to your bedsheets and pillowcases? What if your bed already has bedbugs—”
I gasped and froze. Another spine-chilling fear crept into my gut. Bedbugs! Those horrible things could stick to clothes or any object and might get carried all the way home.
Oh nooooo! I can’t even imagine those pests living under my bed, sucking my blood while I sleep.
I quickly stood up and climbed onto the chair in panic. But in my haste, I lost my balance. The chair wobbled beneath me.
I let out a scream and shut my eyes, bracing for the impact of hitting the floor.
Huh?
I didn’t feel any pain from falling.
Instead, I felt strong arms wrapped tightly around my waist. Beneath my back was the soft feel of a mattress.
I slowly opened my eyes…
Only to realize—Garett was on top of me.
- Writer
