Chapter 10: Come to My party
1814 Words
CHAPTER 10: OMNIPRESENT MASON
The crude turbulent Monday finally dwindled to a beautiful sunset and it was time to go home. Audrey cleared with the librarian and slowly walked to the lift, headphones on, chewing on her snacks with rock and roll creating melodies in her ears. When it came to music she didn't have a specific genre, anything that evoked her emotions and had a beat that made her want to shake her bum...not that she even could...was a vibe. The lift was almost empty, a joyous solo ride downstairs was the best way to end her day. At heart she was happy, happiness is a choice most of the time unlike joy which is long-term. At the exit a surprise was waiting, I mean not really a surprise when he had been stuck in her hair the whole day. There was no escaping Mason.
"Hello my juicy jackfruit friend,"
"Hi Orange, you look good in that kit"
"You've just realized that now?" He asked looking at himself, still in the training kit, a black tee with his initials on the right breast area and an adidas logo underneath it, white shorts from which black compressor tights protruded up to his ankles and matching white with orange stripes Nike boots.
"Well, it's not my fault that I process my optical stimulus slowly"
"It is definitely your fault. Thank you though, can I drive you home. It'd make me happy and don't pull another 'am waiting for Tina’ prank on me because she is not in the vicinity"
"You've been stalking her too?"
"I've been playing soccer. Let's go"
It was more of an order than a request, her word didn't count besides she needed the help with the butler avoiding her like a plague and her i***t of a step-brother acting like they didn't live under the same roof whenever they ran into each other at school. Mason got the door for her, this time he was riding a blue mustang with black reams, a black stripe across the bonnet and on the rear wing. That car was more conspicuous than himself.
"Nice ride"
"Thank you, how much do you know about cars?" He reversed from the parking lot, the rubber tubeless tires screeching on the tarmack pavement and the engine wheezing with life, it attracted the attention it deserved.
"More than you can imagine"
"I got snacks for you in the dashboard, and you're free to control the playlist" he said speeding out of the school compound.
"Really?"
He nodded. That came as a surprise after she assumed he was offended by snack crumbs dropping on his leather seats. She looked at him with puppy eyes that made Mason shy away, could it have been the guilt? Audrey fished out potato chips and yoghurt from the glove compartment, she smiled and looked at him focused on the road both arms on the starring wheel.
"What?"
"Are you blushing?"
"What's that even supposed to mean...you're welcome"
"You want some?" She ripped open the potato chips picked two stuffed in her mouth, Mason ignored her but she wasn't giving up that easy she took two and stuffed in his mouth leaving him with two options to either chew them or stop on a busy road. Somehow, he found that one romantic.
"They taste this nice?"
"You bought me snacks you've never tested?"
"I'm not a fan. How was your day?"
"Great, yours?"
“Amazing"
Silence took charge, she had not taken up on that offer to control the playlist. It was an awkward silence and for a good reason because Mason wanted to ask something he thought he'd never have to ask a girl like Audrey. The rumors were just rumors, the next step was not going to be a rumor but rather cement some truth to those rumors and yet he was not convinced it was going to work. He needed it to work if he was to succeed.
"You have that look like you want to say something"
"I didn't know you're also a psychic"
"What is it?"
He looked at her and then back at the road, it was another make or break moment for him. If he went ahead and asked her and she agreed then there was no coming back, the entire Bridgetown fraternity was going to know he was into her. The only problem was, he didn't know if she was even feeling an inch of love for him. If his charms were working or doing the opposite by putting him in the friend zone.
"Ever been to a party before?"
"Is that a joke?" She chuckled a little, Mason kept a straight face, "oh you're serious?"
"Yes"
"No, where do I fit in?"
"Everywhere, don't beat yourself up too much. This weekend I'm hosting a party and I'd love for you to come. You are free to bring anyone, as much people as you can"
"Ha-ha that’s actually funny. Why are you embarrassing yourself by hanging out with me?"
"I'm not embarrassing myself I'm being human, being kind to a friend"
She smiled when he referred to her as a friend. It was both exciting and confusing really, Audrey believed she had nothing that could possibly excite Mason into being around her.
"What about your girlfriends?"
That was a trick question wasn't it? If he said he didn't have a girlfriend that would have been a lie because girls were literally lining up to be with him and they hated anybody he seemed interested in, part of the reason most of them hated her. If you asked her she was all innocent in that. She never went out looking for Mason, then who did?
"Am currently not seeing anyone, recovering from a life-ending heartbreak"
Audrey laughed so hard that her ribs ached. It was the first time Mason was being introduced to her awkward laugh. He didn't feel offended, that was the exact thing he expected. No one was going to believe that he could also heartbroken when that's what he was well known for apart from kicking the ball with unmatched finesse, breaking hearts. His relationships were always shorter than the weekend, others were mere one-night stands which left girls thinking they were actually in a relationship only to realize he wasn't in any with them.
"Sorry"
"You almost choked on your chips"
"There is no way you're recovering from a heartbreak"
"For real. There is this girl I wanted and she didn't want me"
"That's not a heartbreak, it's called rejection"
"Well, to me it feels like a heartbreak"
"It's not, anyway. I hope I make a good friend"
"So far so good. You'll be coming to the party?"
"No"
"Come on, even after I opened up to you!" He complained taking a quick glance at her.
Outside, the sky was still blue with shades of brown, white cirrus clouds floating on the surface all them surrounding the sun glowing faintly in yellow and golden, the air was fresh filling the car in abundance creating a serene environment, Mason was driving at a sluggish speed of 50 km/h.
"You opened up? I didn’t notice"
"I told you about my heartbreak or rejection as you put it. I've never told anyone"
To some extent Audrey dropped the jokes to think through it. Perhaps Mason was being serious and she was doing what everyone else was doing, judging him without trial. That assumption that he was impervious to rejection and pain, he didn't deserve real love and care because apparently, he was famous and most people liked him.
"Okay, now you're making me feel bad"
"Sorry"
"I'll come to your stupid party, but we should lay some ground rules"
One mistake she realized she had made was agreeing to attend the party without seeking permission from her parents first. Lucas went to parties all the time without asking for permission but she wasn't Lucas, wasn't she? Whether they were going to accept it was a long shot but what she didn't want to do was make Mason think that the world was short of good people when he was proving to her that she was not alone, he was breathing life into her fantasy of fitting in one day. Being normal, like most of her peers being accepted.
"I'm listening "
"First I have to ask my parents for permission"
"Who does that?" He asked mockingly before she realized who he was conversing with, "Oh"
"Unlike you my parents are so uptight"
"But your step-brother parties all over"
"My brother is a boy, somehow that’s what he is supposed to be doing, expanding his boundaries and socializing. And as a girl am supposed to be courteous"
"Sounds like antiquated parents to me"
"Not really, it's complicated. Thank you for getting me home, again" she said when he pulled over at the gate.
"My pleasure. See you tomorrow?"
"Likewise, Mason" she waved him goodbye and as usual watched over until he disappeared and took a sigh of relief. The guards opened the gate.
"How are you fellas?"
"We're fine Audrey"
She walked to the house putting back on her headphones. At the back of her mind she was trying to find the perfect words that she would use to approach her father and ask for permission to go out and party. First things first, she didn't even know what was done at such parties but it was a good thing she had Tina to ask for guidance on matters related to parties. It was all quiet in the house and she was feeling thirsty
"Hi everyone"
"Hello!" The cooks said in a chorus.
Silently she picked a water glass from the rack and filled it up from the water dispenser. The butler who was not around when she came in was surprised to see her there.
"Audrey?"
"Hi"
"How have you been?"
"You tell me" she smiled arms akimbo.
He looked around and realized the conversation that was coming next needed some privacy. Going at it in front of everyone was going to make it awkward.
"Can we talk from the living room please"
"Okay" she led the way up to the living room, "tell me, what do you want us to talk about"
"I'm sorry for bailing on our deal to drive you"
"It's okay, I figured if you stopped doing it there was a good reason behind it..."
"I.."
"You don't have to tell me. I'm fine"
"Okay. That helps, one question though. How do you get home?''
"Friends, apparently am not too fat and ugly to be alone...I mean I am fat and ugly but I still have friends" she paused and smiled, "weird, see you at dinner"
Relief seeped from the butlers sweat pores. He was a man at crossroads, battling the urge to do the right thing and his duty of following orders.
- Writer
