Read The light at the end of the tunnel :: Chapter 9

After the last period bell rings the teacher dismisses the class, as I'm packing my bag to leave I can feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around to see who it is, it's Joshua. I turn to look at him waiting for him to say whatever it is he wants to say.

"Hey Amelia, are you free today? There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

He says as he nervously scratches the back of his head. He was smiling but you could tell he was nervous.

"There's nothing to talk about."

I reply, after a moment of silence.

"But-"

Before he could finish his sentence I hear someone call my name from behind me.

I turn to see who could possibly be my savior.

I was wrong, it was the total opposite. I sigh.

"Hey, if your finished wasting time, I'd like to hurry and get started. I'll drive, no need to take the bus today."

Carter demands coldly.

He has that look on his face he had since first period, maybe he really needs a tutor badly. Should I really quit? He has a dying mother. I'd be heartless to say no.

"Fine."

I sigh, reluctantly agreeing out of good morals.

I almost forgot about Joshua until he speaks,

"Actually I thought I could talk to you for a minute in private, it's important."

I glare at him. The audacity he has to try and waltz back into my life like nothing happened is ridiculous.

"And I thought I told you there was nothing to talk about."

I hiss, walking out the door following Carter.

As me and Carter walk to his car in silence I break it trying to get my mind off of what just happened.

"How did you know where my last period class was? You're stalking me?"

I ask jokingly.

"I told you I know everything."

Carter smirks.

"That new guy, I haven't seen him around, you seem to know him."

Carter didn't ask a question but the way he phrased the sentence made it seem like he was looking for an answer.

"Uh.." I pause, "yea we dated for a while."

I admit looking down at my shuffling feet moving on the pavement.

Carter doesn't speak. We finally reached his car. I pull on the red door handle to his fancy convertible. Of course he has a convertible he's loaded. I swing my backpack to one of the back seats of his car as I sit myself down in the passenger seat. The inside looks just as nice as the outside. It smells like fall in his car. I hurriedly reach for my buckle, clicking it into the latch plate.

"Ready?"

He asks as he finishes fastening his seatbelt.

I nod.

We start driving off. Carter reaches for the radio switching through different channels. My mind replays the events of today. Why am I in his car? It's all his fault that I'm stuck with Joshua and I embarrassed myself in front of half the school. My mind goes to nessa.

nessa, nessa, nessa.

My mind repeats her name. finally I realize there's something that has been bothering me. As Carter finally reaches a channel he's satisfied with, he reaches for the volume button to turn it up. I quickly reached for Carter's hand, stopping him from messing with the stereo so I could ask him.

Carter glances at me with a shocked look on his face.

"Is this your way of flirting?"

He asks grinning smugly, averting his eyes back to the road.

I retrieve my hand surprised from that remark.

"I don't flirt with engaged men, let alone jerks like you."

I say critically as I cross my arms.

His grin quickly drops.

"It's not my business anyway."

I shrug.

All of a sudden Carter drives to the side, pulling up on the grass as he puts his car in park. Did that make him angry? It's not like it isn't true.

Carter doesn't say a word as he comes closer to me reaching over. My heart starts beating fast. It quickly slows as I realize he's reaching for my buckle. He unclicks it and opens my passenger door. He sits back in his seat glaring at me.

"Get out."

Carter demands calmly, his face not matching his tone at all.

"What?!"

I exclaim.

"You heard me, I said, get out."

He demands again this time his tone matching his expression.

"It's a ten minute walk, it's not that far, now, get out of my car."

He demands once again looking forward as he angrily clutches his steering wheel.

"Fine."

I scoff as I reach to the back for my bag.

I sling one of the straps over my shoulder, as I get out of the car, I slam the car door. I quickly scurry off in anger. I hear his engine roar as he speeds off in the other direction.

I can't believe this jerk. This is what I get for stating the truth? It's not like I told a lie. He really is unbelievable. Finally after what seemed like six minutes I made it to my front door. I guess I got here quicker because of how angry I was. I angrily reach for my door handle swinging my door open, I march to my room slamming my bedroom door as I fling my backpack to the floor.

First he humiliates me, asks me for a favor and then just drops me off like I'm garbage. All of a sudden my phone starts ringing. I scoot off my bed unzipping the front of my backpack to retrieve my phone. It's my mom. The phone vibrates in my head, I'm hesitant to pick up. Eventually I answer the phone.

"Hello?"

I ask holding the phone up to my ear, waiting for a response.

"Hey honey, we are still out volunteering for another week. They pushed our flight back and they need us to stay a little bit longer. Will you be okay?"

My moms voice echos out of my phone.

"Yea I'm fine."

I respond.

"That's great to hear honey, I left some money in your sock drawer around two hundred so you can pick up some groceries while we are gone."

She says.

"That's great, thanks mom."

I respond.

"Okay well your father wants to speak to you now, I'll hand him the phone. I love you sweetie."

My mom finally says before handing the phone over to my father.

"Hey Amelia, it's your father, how's school going?"

Of course the first thing he would ask about is school.

"It's fine dad."