Chapter 20
Red Adamson ~
A DECADE AND SIX YEARS LATER
"Buzz!!! Buzz!!! Buzz!!!" The alarm clock kept on buzzing until I decided to quit being lazy and just get up from bed.
I got up from my bed running my hands about my eyes and headed for the bathroom after slipping in a pair of flip flops down on my feet. Quickly, I had a warm bath and came out looking ready for another day. Like every teenager, I decided to take my dressing code more serious than necessary.
"Oh well, time to go to the most annoying place on the planet - HIGH SCHOOL." I said taking a good look at myself at the mirror stand.
My hair was in good shape. As black as the night itself flowing down my shoulder in a ponytail. My eyes following suite in shade. I was perfect for school.
"Red!!! Breakfast is ready!!!" yelled my mom from the lower part of the house.
"Coming mom!!!" I yelled back.
Placing a warm smile on my face, with my phone glued to the palm of my hands and a backpack on my shoulder, I got out of my room, raced down the stairs and made for the kitchen where I expected my mom to be.
"Morning mom!" I said seeing her fix a bunch of pancakes on a flat plate.
"Morning dear. By your looks I take it that you had a wonderful night rest." she alleged with a smile.
"If you count three hours of studying and six hours of peace and quiet sleep as wonderful then yeah." I replied helping her set the breakfast table.
Rather than saying anything, my mom just let out a broad smile as she joined me at the table with her eyes glued on me.
"Hurry up! Gar would be here anytime now. I've got some serious work to do down at the cafe today so Mrs. Grace would have to take you both to school." I heard her say as she reached out for my hand and pulled it in hers.
"That's fine by me mom. Gar and I going to school together in his mom's car isn't new. To be honest, I have really adapted towards having her drive me to school when you're so occupied at work." I said before taking down the last pancake. "Don't feel guilty. I totally understand." I added with a positive smile at one end of my mouth.
"I just want you to be safe and careful." my mom said before lifting the dishes from the table and off to the kitchen.
"You've been telling me that more than usual ever since I turned sixteen, four months ago. Is something wrong? New York is as safe as it can get and with Gar around, there's no way anyone is going to do anything stupid at school or at least try."
"Soon you'll understand, Red. Soon. But for now, just try your best to stay out of trouble." "They are already here so get your things. You don't want to be late for the test you've read so hard for." my mom said as the car of Gar's mom pulled by the front porch with a horn.
"Good luck!" she added giving me one of her good charm hugs. "See you when I get back." She added placing a kiss on my cheek.
Holding firmly to my backpack, I went out to meet Gar and his mom in her car with him bearing the longest face ever.
"Morning' Mrs. West." I said walking down the short series of stairs leading to the front porch.
"Morning' Red. Get in!" she replied with a friendly smile.
I got down the stairs, opened the door of the car and stepped in. Gar's mom made her way out of the front porch and into the road. I assumed that she was heading for the school that I and Gar attended - LODGEWOOD HIGH.
"Why the long face?" I asked Gar giving him a nudge by the side.
Gar was a tall and muscular young man with black hair and the dreamiest captivating blue eyes that always found a way of sparking, that is, if you look close enough to notice it. His figure made him worthy of becoming a male model. Gar was suitable for the job.
Too bad he is taking up the position of a CEO in his father's construction company after college. I would have loved to see him on the front cover of a men's fashion magazine. He was just too perfect. It was almost like he was made without a single physical flaw.
"Even if I tell you, you can't do anything about it so why try?" That was all he said before gluing his eyes back to the screen of his phone.
"You can just say 'NO', you know'. You don't have to be so mean about it. Besides, what makes you so sure about that?" I asked again giving him a nudge that had a lot more force than the first.
Gar's phone got out of the grip of his hand and feel to the foot mat of the car as a result of the nudge that I gave him. From Gar, all eyes were on me.
"... Is everything okay back there?" asked Mrs. West.
"Yes mom!" Gar said in a hypocritical and somewhat realistic voice that made his mom get her attention back to driving. "Silvia and I kind of had a big fight last night and now, she doesn't want to talk to me." Gar finally let the cat out of the basket after he had picked up his phone.
Gar and Silvia have been boyfriend and girlfriend for over six months now. Besides me, I believe she is the only female friend of Gar's whom he actually felt something for. After Gar spilled the beans, I couldn't help but burst out in a round of laughter.
When Gar's dad found out that Red and his son were getting too close as friends, he warned Gar against it and as fate had it destroyed any chances of them being in for an actual relationship right before it even happened. Her mom made her not to fight for what she feels for him.
Her mom said she was too young to understand 'love'.
She always treated Red like an egg even though her friendship with Gar never went beyond hugs. Mr. West made sure Gar buried any affections for Red.
I wonder how he did that though but it must've worked because ever since then, Gar's changed and has kept himself around me. In addition, his dad made him get a girlfriend.
A girl in his class called Silvia.
Daughter of the mayor.
Then Red understood that him cancelling their relationship before it even had a chance to sprout was far beyond been a ruthless father. He wanted to establish a strong business tie with Silvia's father and what better way to do it than have both their kids dating? At his father's retirement, Gar was going to head his father's company as the CEO. Silvia had a lot to offer in a relationship with Gar by virtue of bring daughter of a very influential man unlike someone such as Red.
Red got over it.
At first, it was irritating and jealous, really jealous for Red having to see both of them together but with time, she got used to it and like Gar had done, she buried my inner feelings for him and what remained on the surface was great friendship, and just that.
Mom never allowed me to hang out with a lot of friends as often as Gar gets to so I don't have a boyfriend nor have the desire to have one now nor know how it feels to have one. So, getting that to be the reason behind Gar's long face and grumpy attitude to me was really amusing and in a way glad that their relationship was breaking fast.
The closest pal Red has to a boyfriend other than Gar is her best friend, Charlie.
"I stand correct!" I heard Gar say in the midst of my laughter. "What is so funny?" he added.
"Don't mind me laughing because I can't help it. I don't need to fall in love or have a boyfriend or yadda yadda yadda to know exactly what's up. It's crystal clear." "Silvia just wants to break up with you and deep down if you let go of your fake –in a whisper-, ridiculous and amusing feelings for her, you will see that I'm right." I said after recovering from laughing and took out my MP3 Player from my backpack.
"I'm pretty sure that the circumstances behind whatever fight you two had were totally dumb." I added as I placed one of the ear buds on my left ear.
"It's hard to admit it but I was afraid someone was going to tell me this same thing sooner or later." Gar said. "I don't expect you to understand but I just can't let her go..."
"Because of your dad? Well don't deny the truth." "But you also can't force her to stay!" I said interrupting Gar. "For crying out loud, you're a senior. Besides me of course, I'm pretty sure they're a lot of 'hot' girls out there who would love to go out with 'Garfield West'." I added laying some emphasis on a couple of words with my fingers.
"Just let go."