Chapter Fourteen

Amaryllis Lexington

****

"I honestly can't believe it's Friday already! The week flew by so fast." Kayla said the exact opposite of what I was thinking and all I could do was roll my eyes. The week CRAWLED, fam. I've been anticipating Friday for so long. Feels like we did two weeks in one!

"All I'm just bothered about is the fact that we have to turn in Mr. Young's assignment by Monday. I don't even know how to get started." Olive said and my eyes widened. Oh my God!

"Oh my! I have totally forgotten about it. My partner isn't even helping my case or talking about it." I sighed. I doubt this cooking project would go well, seeing as we are at logger heads every single time, and I have more thoughts of cooking him than cooking with him.

"Jayden and I divided the work amongst ourselves. He's going grocery shopping while I set up the kitchen and the cameras, then he'll come over and do his bit, while I do mine." Maya gave her input and I nodded. That sounds like a really good plan.

"Are we supposed to bring the food to class? I mean, if we have to submit my Monday,  that would mean doing the assignment like a day or more before that." I voiced out my concern.

"No. We can do whatever we want with the food. All he wants is the video. He can tell how good it would be judging from your recipe and how well you are making it. He's just that good." Kayla responded and my mouth formed an O. She had the cooking project last year, while Maya had the painting project.

"What's he going to do with the video?"

"Last year, he picked about three random videos he could find and played it. The rest, he watched privately and gave out grades a week later." Wow! I could only hope he wouldn't pick out my video.

I made a decision to talk to Hawthorne, unfortunately, before the day runs out, so we could get started on the cooking thing. Just as I was making the mental resolution, a small silence fell over our group and I looked up properly to find that the object of my thoughts had materialised in front of me.

"Lexington." I rolled my eyes at his rudeness. How could he just walk over here and act like I was sitting alone, ignoring the living, breathing human beings sitting around me.

"Are you blind, Hawthorne? Or you just lack courtesy?" His brow raised in surprise at my question, and I could see Maya's eyes widen at my question.

"What would be your reason for asking?" He asked calmly, taking a seat beside me uninvited!

"I want to believe I'm not the only one who can see my friends sitting here. You can see them too,  am I right? So, why would you just walk over to me and ignore those sitting with me? Courtesy demands that you at least say hi." He stared at me for a second and then started to chuckle.

"Are you kidding me? Come on, Lexington. Save your motherly lectures till when you get knocked up. Your friends don't like me, you know. So what's the point of being civil with each other when they don't even wish I existed?" He spoke the plain truth and I was amazed at the fact that he was very much aware of how much these people despised him.

"Oh, so you know there are actually people who don't want you to exist? With the way you carry yourself like you are the most loved person in the world, I must say I'm quite surprised. Things like this humble people, you know." I shrugged and he smiled. Damn that beautiful smile!

"If everyone loves me, Lexington, I'll be worried. I'm quite happy I've got an anti-fan base. I find it really cute that I always have evil glares burning the back of my head when I walk. The heat only increases my hotness." He winked and I facepalmed. What a lost cause.

"You are irredeemable, Hawthorne. Absolutely irredeemable."

"Did you mean to say irresistible? Cause I believe that's what you see me as. I bet your heart is about to jump right out of your mouth from this very close proximity between us, huh?" I would honestly not have been angry if he was wrong, but the fact that he was right made me embarrassed, and whatever makes me embarrassed, makes me very mad.

"Get the heck away from me, Hawthorne. Why on earth are you even here anyway?"

"Hey, slow down. Don't get all defensive. Your secret is safe with me. Anyway, I came here to borrow you for a few minutes. We need to discuss the project. Why else would I want to talk to you?" Ouch!

"Idiot." I muttered as I pushed my chair back and stood up, walking out of the cafeteria, while he trailed behind me.

"Would have been a very interesting view from here, but you kinda have the features of a man. Girl, do you even eat at all?" My eyes widened immediately the realization of what he said struck me, but I didn't look back. I didn't want him to know that actually burnt me deep.

"Stop frowning, Cielita. You're gonna look sixty before you even turn nineteen." He said from behind and my frown deepened. How come he has to be right every single time?!

When we finally got outside of school, I move towards a tree very close to the entrance to the school to avoid getting sunburnt. Not like I would mind the tan anyway.

"So?" I said with a raised brow and he just shook his head, coming to stand beside me under the shade. I knew he was scared of the sunlight! My prediction of him being some kind of demonic vampire was right after all.

Seriously? Amaryllis, seriously?

"So I asked Jayden what he did and he told me they divided the work between themselves. So that's what we are going to do since we are under the same circumstances."

"What do you mean by under the same circumstances?"

"Well, Maya wants to kill Jayden, and I want to believe the thought of killing me has crossed your mind more times than one, am I right?" Well,  there he goes again with being right. A question popped into my head and before I could decided whether to ask or not, my mouth blurted it out.

"Do you even remember what you guys did to her?" He looked confused and I almost hit my head against the tree. For someone who could cause any girl's heart to run a million miles in one second, he could be quite slow.

"Her who?"

"Maya, duh. You have this kind of attitude towards her and it makes me wonder if you guys were ever friends. You don't even talk about her like.... I don't know how to put it." I kept gesticulating, flailing my hands like some kind of retarded whale, all in the aim to find the right words or expression.

"You mean to say, why do I not talk about her with some kind of restrictions or remorse?" Well, guess he can be smart sometimes too. I nodded in affirmative and he shrugged, looking like he had never even given a thought for once.

"She's getting what she asked for. I believe she told you what happened, so you must have known she was the one who informed us to never ever talk to her or act like we ever met." He shrugged and my mouth fell wide open.

"So when your friend asks that you stop talking to her because she's mad, you just stop talking to her?"

"Uhh... we're supposed to walk on eggshells when she's around? We are not five, Cielita. We are grown people who have too much on their plates to start running around a friend who was too selfish to stick around and find out why her circle were falling apart." He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and exhaled, his expression turning blank immediately. Obviously, he had said more than he intended to.

"Can we just talk about the project? I don't have all day to stand here and chat with you like I'm actually enjoying your company." There he goes again, being the royal pain in the behind.

"What's your decision? We could go grocery shopping and then use your house to cook." I gave my input and he shrugged, most likely not even giving my decision a second thought.

"Yeah, alright. When do we go?" He asked, raising his arm so he could look at his wristwatch. Do people still use wristwatches? I just use my phone and move on.

"Tomorrow. We'll, maybe, meet up at the grocery store by 10am?" He nodded again and started to walk away. What? This dude must have like some tiny humans making wrong decisions in his head. How could he just walk out on me like that!

I wanted to run after him and demand to know why he would do that but I decided against it. I felt like I was doing too much already, and I was starting to really enjoy our bants a little more than necessary. That's a big cause of concern because Carlson Hawthorne was the very last person I wanted to have a crush on.

-

-

I was very close to losing my mind! People walking in and out of the grocery store for the past twenty minutes had been looking at me with some sort of concern and weariness, but I couldn't blame them. I definitely didn't look alright or friendly! I had a huge murderous urge.

Carlson Bloody Hawthorne miraculously got my number by some strange means and texted me yesterday, confirming the location of the grocery store we would be going and the time. One would think he would be very early seeing as he was meticulously preparing for the project.

I tried his number for the fourty-seventh time and it went to voicemail yet again. Sighing, I pulled out the ingredient list we made over text yesterday and entered the store. I had one eye on my purchases and on eye on the door, hoping dearest Carlson would grace us with his presence, but no. I finished all the shopping and he still wasn't here!

Luckily he gave me his house address, so I hailed a cab and headed to his house. I kept biting my fist out of pent up anger and frustration. Even if he had stuff to do and he couldn't make it, the least the jerk could do was inform me. What would I do if he wasn't home? Even with the damned recipe staring at me in the face, I might not know what to do.

The driver dropped me at his house and my jaw dropped. The house was magnificent! I never believed there could be any house in the world better than ours, but this- this blew my mind.

"Who do you seek, ma'am?" One of the guards at the entrance asked me.

"Carlson Hawthorne. We have a school project to work on." He nodded and I thought he was going to let me in, instead he took a phone and called someone. He asked for my name and ratted off the information I just gave him to the person on the line, after a few yes ma'am's, he hung up.

"You can go in, ma'am." Thank Goodness. I almost thought Carlson had directed them not to let me in. Not like I'd be surprised if he should anyway.

I walked a short distance to the front door and rang the bell. I kept tapping my foot on the porch impatiently as I waited for someone to open up. I was dying to know where on earth Carlson was.

The door was opened to reveal a young lady in a maid attire. I gave her a polite smile but her face didn't even change. She kept staring at me like I was an unwanted entity in the house. Luckily, another older lady came into the sitting and she looked very friendly.

"Miss Lexington?" She asked and I nodded. The maid beside me gasped and she bent her head immediately, avoiding my gaze. For a moment, I felt like shouting 'In your face!', but I refrained myself.

"This way, ma'am. Young sir has requested that the kitchen be arranged and set up for your video. Where is he by the way?" She ended her statement the very question that was at the tip of my tongue and I saw red. The jerk wasn't home!

"He's not here? The jerk really bailed on me?!" The look she gave me told me she was very displeased with referring to her dearest young sir as a jerk, but there was nothing anyone could do to make me stop. I swear I would beat the crap of Carlson when I set my eyes on him.

"He said he was going to the grocery store to meet with you, ma'am." She said as she guided me into the kitchen. Even my anger couldn't stop me from looking around the house and staring in amazment at the wonderful interior. The word elegant would be an understatement in describing this house.

"That was the same thing he told me. He kept me waiting at the grocery store and he couldn't even pick his calls. What am I supposed to do? Do this by myself? Hawthorne!" I asked no one in particular, gritting my teeth in annoyance.

"Here's the kitchen. I'll take your leave now." She said and walked away before I could even thank her. I walked into the kitchen, running my hand over the marble top of the counter. This place screamed money. The kitchen seemed very similar to ours and it made me smirk in a very weird way.

I called Hawthorne about five more times and it went to voicemail. By now, my patience had worn out and I had become very irritated. I brought out the handwritten recipe and placed the grocery bag on the counter. I pressed record on the camera and set to work.

"Good day, ladies and gentlemen.. I guess? Today, we'll be making chicken nuggets and fries. My partner is an id..." I chuckled awkwardly and swallowed, hoping I'll be able to swallow some of my anger.

"My partner is not here at the moment. Hopefully, he'll join us soon." I said and started listing the ingredients I got from the store, while staring at my phone at the same time, waiting for some sort of text from Hawthorne.

After about thirty minutes of doing whatever I think was right, I finally finished making the chicken nugget and I moved to the fries. My gaze went to the chicken nuggets on the table and the way it looked made me very sad. I was so mad at Hawthorne for leaving this to me, that I got distracted and cut my finger with the knife when I was cutting the fries.

"Damn!" I shouted as I watched blood gush out of my finger and stain the fries. Frustration got the better of me and I angrily dumped the fires in the bin, forgetting that I was on live.

My finger was under the running water when I heard the kitchen door open and the sight that greeted me made me feel a barrage of emotions. I thought anger would be the most prominent one, but instead it was concern.

Carlson looked wrecked. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair looked disheveled, like he had run his hands through it countless times. I wanted to ask what was wrong, but I didn't even have the words. I just stood there, staring at him with no words at the tip of my tongue.

"Carlson..." I muttered and he shut his eyes, running his hand into his hair for what I presumed would be the hundred and third time today. He walked towards me, a look I couldn't decipher in his eyes but it screamed brokenness.

"I'm sorry, Amaryllis. I'm so sorry." He whispered and before I could even say anything, he pulled me into a hug. Without even thinking about it, I raised my arms and wrapped it around him. I knew we might both regret this in the next ten minutes, but right now, he looked like he needed this and I didn't have it in me to push him away.

"The project..." I started, remembering that we were still on live and we couldn't crop out any part of the video, but his hold on me tightened. My heart was about to run out of my chest.

"Forget the project, Cielita. I'm about to lose my mind and this... this is giving me some sort of sanity. So, just stay. Please?" He didn't even have to ask. I let him stay like that, with his head on my shoulder and his breath fanning my neck as he pressed me against the counter. I'm about to lose my mind too. Goodness!

"What's Cielita? You've been calling me that a lot." I asked and for the first time today, I heard him chuckle. He finally broke out of the hug and I almost pulled him back because of the gross lack of warmth that hit me.

"I'll tell you one day, Lexington. I promise."