Broken Life CH3

As we all walked out to the cars April smiled back at me. “Hey Tori, I’m going to put all of our shopping bags in the back seat of my car. So there won’t be any room for you to sit back there, maybe you should ride with Jaden.” She said.

I just stared at her in shock for a moment. That… Evil little… Pixie. How could she just decide that I was going to ride with alone with some guy I didn’t even know, who happened to be her brother none the less. Well okay so it’s not completely her fault, she doesn’t know of my aversion to all things male as no one knows about that.

“April I don’t know, can’t I just ride with you and Clay ride with your brother?” I asked trying to find some way to not have to be alone with him or any other male anytime soon. “What you don’t want to ride with me Victoria?” Jaden asked feigning hurt.

I thought about it for a moment while April tried to give me puppy dog eyes. I looked back at Jaden who was still looking like I had hurt his feelings. I sighed as much as I didn’t want to, I gave April my bags and then walked over to stand next to Jaden and his red Dodge Charger.
“It’s Tori by the way.” I said to him as he opened the passenger door for me. I slid into the seat and watched as the others got into their cars and pulled away while Jaden walked around and climbed in to the driver’s seat.

He started the car and turned on his iPod before pulling out and following the others. The silence in the car was beginning to become slightly unpleasant as I stared out the window thinking of different scenarios in my mind of things I would have expected from the male race from my past with Cameron.

“So Tori, tell me something most people don’t know about you.” Jaden asked trying to fill the silence. My mind went immediately back to my past, but that was something I wasn’t going to talk about. “Um… I love to read classic novels.” I said not really having anything else to tell him. I had never had to talk much about myself before.

“Like Romeo & Juliet, Pride and Prejudice, and Wuthering Heights?” he asked cutting his eyes to me before looking back at the road. “Yes, like those.” I responded biting my lower lip. “So which one is your favorite then?” he continued to question me. “I like anything written by Jane Austin, but I’d have to say that my favorite is Wuthering Heights.” I answered.

“Really? Well I never understood it. The characters are all ghastly people who ruin each other’s lives. I don’t know how Heathcliff and Cathy ended up being ranked with couples like Romeo and Juliet, or Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. It isn’t a love story, it’s a hate story.” He said.
“You have some serious issues with the classics.” I snapped. “Well what is it that appeals to you so much about that book then?” He asked quiet curiously, cutting his gaze to my face again. “I’m not sure; I think it’s something about the inevitability. How nothing can keep them apart — not her selfishness or his evil or even death in the end…” I explained through my scattered thoughts.

His face was thoughtful as he considered my words. After a moment he smiled a teasing smile. “I still think it would be a better story if either one of them had on redeeming quality.” “I think that is the point,” I disagreed “Their love is their only redeeming quality.”

He just shook his head and smiled before pulling into a parking space and turning the car off. We both climbed out of the car and slowly made our way over to the others who were waiting by Alex’s Expedition. “Finally! Now we can eat!” Alex shouted turning with Pheobe under his arm and walking into the bar.

The inside of the bar was crowded with other college students eating, drinking, and dancing. I was immediately uncomfortable being surrounded by this many drunk men. And there wasn’t much room to move through the crowds either.

April noticed my discomfort and linked her arm with mine to help me stick with the others. “It’s something you’ll get used to.” She said over the deafening music coming from the speakers. I just nodded my head and closed my eyes as she led us through the packed bodies towards an empty table in the back.

Once we were all seated Alex ordered wings and onion rings for the table and everyone else ordered their different drinks, I just stuck with Coke. “So Alex, you and Jaden ready for the homecoming game coming up in a couple of weeks against UCLA?” Clay asked over the uproar of the other students.

“Yeah, I think our team has a great chance of beating UCLA this year.” Alex responded. “I wouldn't doubt it if we made it all the way to the championship game.” Jaden added. I looked at the two of them for a moment. April said Jaden was musical but she never mentioned that he played football as well.

“You play on the team with Alex?” I asked. “Yeah, have been for a year now. Our team made it to the playoffs last year. I know we’ll do even better this year especially with that new transfer student.” I nodded my head as Jaden spoke. “Jaden also plays the piano in the schools music program. He’s studying to be a composer.” April said with a proud smile on her face.

“You do?” I asked turning my attention back to Jaden. “What can I say? I’ve got to stay in shape somehow while sitting around writing music all day.” He responded with that crooked smile of his while running his left hand through his messy black hair.

The conversation flowed freely after that. I never really relaxed. Eventually we all returned to the dorm, the guys helped us carry our bags up and then left to their side of the dorm to head off to bed. We still had one more day before classes would begin.

Once in our room April and I put together my bed set, and then I grabbed my toiletries and new nightie that April insisted I wear to bed and headed to the bathroom. I turned on the hot water as I undressed from my jeans and long sleeve shirt. I stepped into the shower and let the hot water go to work on my tense muscles.

I washed my hair with my cherry shampoo and conditioner before shaving my legs and bikini area and washing my body with my cherry and coconut body wash. After the water began to run cold I stepped out of the shower and dried my body before pulling on a pair of short black shorts under my chemise so I didn’t feel too exposed.

I let my wavy wet hair fall down my back as I gathered my things and left the bathroom. April was already asleep when I got back to our room, but I wasn’t tired just yet. So I grabbed my copy of Wuthering Heights off the bookshelf and a small flannel blanket and made my way to the living room. I laid on the couch with the side lamp on and read until I fell asleep.

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An: I know the part about the books is from the Eclipse book by Stephenie Meyer. I was originally righting this as a twilight fanfiction before I decided to change it to my own novel. I just haven't exactly figured out what to change it to yet if you have any ideas let me know.