The Bad Boy's Attraction

Predictable

"This is not happening." Natalie shuts her eyes for a bit. Her nerves are not easing up, not even a bit. If there was a way to turn back time she would have definitely reset her school year in a heart beat. It doesn't matter that it's only the second day. She just wants her normal days back. The days when the only thing she cared about were her grades and nothing else. Those days when she was almost invisible to everyone else she didn't know and could just go around enjoying her teen life quietly.

She opens her eyes and takes a deep breath.

It's still cold in the morning but Natalie can feel little tiny beads of sweat trickle one by one on her brow. She thought to blame the sweatshirt she has on, but that's like minimal clothing for a cold day like today. Which leaves the pure case of being worked up by today's events that seems to be doing a good job evidenced by the salty liquid that's tending to cover her skin.

She's kept herself from wiping them too, simply because she doesn't want him seeing that she is sweating. And knowing him, he would be too glad to know that his presence has got her this worked up.

She eyes the aircon longingly and wonders if it will help with her situation but in the end she decides against it. That would be like her giving her sweaty self away, not to mention probably appearing weird for needing cold air on a really cold morning like this. She instead opts for her window which she thinks will be less suspicious.

She drops it down a little but when that doesn't work as she expected she just rolls all of it down. Immediately the cold air sweeps in, she feels the beads of sweat cooling down and eventually disappearing. That helps relax her a bit and she wonders why she didn't think of it earlier.

They have been moving in total silence and she wouldn't have it any other way. More so because she is mad at Ava for ditching her like this and also mad at him for forcing her to ride with him for the second time.

She shifts in her seat again but does well to keep to her side as much as she can.

She wants to get mad at Ava anew but she knows its not exactly her fault that she can't get herself to relax right now. But how can she? When she feels completely trapped. This is no where near the bus ride. The space in the car feels smaller by the second and school seems too far away. To top it off it's only the two of them in here unlike the bus. For a moment she even misses the clueless bunch of girls that craved his attention. At least then she wouldn't feel this trapped as his attention would not be solely on her. Her dislike for small spaces seems to exaggerate her uneasiness too.

She gives her door handle another nudge but the damn thing is still locked.

"Would this be the right time to hate whoever invented child lock?"

She lets go of it defeated. And it's not like it would be of any use anyway, when the jerk drives like a maniac too. There is no way she would jump out of this moving car, unless she wants to lose her limbs or life. She shudders at the thought.

"Too young to end up in a casket."

She sits back in her seat defeated but tries to bring herself to relax anyway, which is still proving to be difficult.

"Just a few more minutes and I'll be free as a bird." She thinks to herself while her eyes focus on whatever is going on outside. Maybe that way she might just get her much needed break from the stressful atmosphere.

"You know I don't bite."

His deep smooth voice seems to rumble in his chest and her own heart hammers along with it.

"Why is he talking?"

She finds him looking at the space she is dying to maintain between them as much as she can. She regards him with caution as she pushes back into her door.

"Don't give me that look." He says, his eyes focussed on the road.

"I'm not gonna bite really."

"And you think I would trust you just because you say so?" She retorts.

"Of course not, but at least don't do that when I haven't given you a reason to."

"When you haven't given me a reason to?" She eyes him with contempt when he casually claims there is no reason for her to be cautious around him. She can feel her emotions boiling deep within when she remembers how he has turned her life upside down in a space of two days. How he has snatched her calm and peaceful school days. How he has made her the subject of every glare,whisper and sneer at Blackwood high. How he has messed up her carefully planned school year simply because of his games. He even got her best friend to turn on her. Okay... so that's on Ava but still, she wouldn't have if he wasn't offering.

"It's all a game to you right?" She narrows her eyes at him while her words drip with spite. The hold she had on her emotions suddenly breaks loose and she can feel her rage increasing by the minute. His silence also does little to ease her fury. She feels like giving him a few slaps that will wake him or maybe just have him say something.

She keeps her icy stare on him expecting an answer. But he just keeps his focus on the road, whether that is to avoid her she is not sure. His hands are just tightly holding on to the steering wheel with his jaw clearly displaying the clenching and unclenching of his teeth.

After a minute he comes to a stop and she looks at him frowning, half upset for his refusal to answer her.

"W...What are you stopping for? We are going to be late" she sounds exasperated. She doesn't want to add detention to her list of problems.

Instead of answering he just turns to her quietly and looks at her thoughtfully. His piercing gaze makes her shift in her seat while her heart hammers in her chest. For a moment she regrets saying anything when those eyes seem to be staring right into her soul. He seems to study her face silently before opening the car door and getting out. For a moment he looked like he wanted to say something but whatever it was, it stayed back in the crevices of his mind.

"Hey, I'm talking to you." This time she makes sure not to be ignored.

"Relax, I'm just getting us some coffee. Besides there is still plenty of time miss goody two shoes." He smirks before turning around and walking away from the car.

He looks so relaxed she feels ashamed for being so worked up herself. Even though she's justified she can't help but be a little embarassed for not having that much control on her emotions.

"I hate you!" She huffs out of frustration while her eyes land on his retreating back.

"How the hell does he remain so calm?"

She turns away from him and slumps in her seat. Hating herself some more for coming out as a frustrated hormonal teen. Between her and him she almost feels that he may really be a god to be able to keep cool like that.

Unconsciously she places her hand on the door handle and it opens. For a moment her mind races as this clicks as her opportunity to make a run for it. But the moment her feet touch the ground she realizes that this place is unfamiliar.

"Where the hell are we?" She tries to scan her immediate surroundings. She is definitely not familiar with the route he has taken and she panics a little when the most sinister of thoughts cross her mind.

"Relax Nat, no need to work yourself up." At that she takes a deep breath and leans back on her seat as she waits for Brendan to come back. She takes that time to reign in her emotions which are all over.

"Here...this should help you calm down a little."

"I am calm." She bites back as she feels her temper flairing yet again.

"Still." he hands her the coffee cup anyway and she hesitates getting it.

"Don't worry, I'm not trying to kill you." He says amused.

She narrows her eyes at him. That thought didn't even cross her mind but now that he mentions it she can't help but wonder too.

"Would me tasting it make any difference?" He licks his lips seductively.

"Oh no, that's ok." She quickly grabs it from him before his lips even touch the cup. She turns away from him to hide her flushed face too.

A sip of the hot liquid makes her feel like the kinks in her emotions are becoming lose and she feels herself calming a little. She hates it that he was right.

"Why are you being so nice all of the sudden?" She asks, thinking she might as well be civil if he is going to be even remotely nice to her.

"Why, because I got you coffee?" He lets out a chuckle before looking at her.

"You girls are sure easy. So predictable." He scoffs before putting on his seatbelt and starting the car.

"Ouch! That's gotta hurt." Her mind exclaims and Natalie grits her teeth in annoyance.

"How dare he bunch me up with those clueless minions of his?" This thought seems to sting more than anything.

"Jerk." She mutters under her breath before opening her window and pouring the contents of her cup out. She refuses to let him walk all over her.

"If only you could see me dad." She smiles inwardly when her father's words suddenly start making sense.

"I guess I don't need to calm down after all." She smiles smugly at Brendan's shocked face.

"What? Not predictable enough?"