I glanced at her out of the corner of my eyes. She was staring out the window, her arms crossed, and her eyes glazed over. I knew then I shouldn’t push her any further.
Thankfully, we were close to her place, and she stopped me a couple of blocks over.
“Here is fine.”
“But we’re still two blocks away.”
“It’s cool, I can walk home.”
“Stells.” I laughed in disbelief. “Don’t tell me you’re still doing the same thing as five years ago? The old routine every time you came home?”
“So what if I am?” She was defensive already, so I knew I’d struck gold. “It’s none of your business, anyway.”
I didn't argue, pulling to the side of the fancy neighborhood, a little nicer than the one I lived in, though my home wasn’t half bad either, with a glass guest house and a hot tub I got to share with my brother. I guess it paid off having a celebrity Dad like Estella did, even if he was strict as all fuck.
She got out of the car and I waited before glancing at her out the window. "You gonna be okay?"
"Yeah. She glanced in the direction of her house, and something passed her face, a brief look of fear that made me worried.
"Want me to walk you home?"
"No. Yeah. No." She sighed, digging her heels into the concrete sidewalk. "Ugh. Fine. If you have to. God, I hate these.” She reached down, unbuckling the little straps on her sandals and taking them off. She held them in her hand and walked ahead of me.
I stopped the car and got out. The night wasn’t over yet, and I was still just as desperate for inspiration as I’d been when she first got in the car.
She raced ahead of me, so fast without those heels I could barely keep up. I kept up a leisurely pace behind her, and after the first block, even that pissed her off, and she ran back to me, glaring again.
"Please, hurry up.”
"Why? It's five a.m. Don't tell me someone's waiting up for you."
She pursed her lips. "I'm tired and I’m scared of walking alone.”
“I thought you didn’t even want me to come with you.”
“Well, I’m glad you did,” she mumbled, the closest thing to a compliment I was going to get that night. “You got anything better to do tonight?”
I thought of the empty doc on my computer and shrugged. "Not really." I gave her a look, remembering she wanted to get into Eastvale as well. "Hey, you turned in your essay for Eastvale, right?"
"Yeah?" She gave me a suspicious look. "Why? Did Miss James say something?"
"Nah," I shook my head. "I... I haven't turned mine in yet."
"What? But tomorrow's the deadline. I mean, today, I guess."
"I know," I muttered. "I just don't know what the hell I should write about."
"Bit late for that."
"Don't need a reminder, but thanks."
"You know everyone lies on those essays, right?"
"Not me." I looked into her dark brown eyes. "And I'm guessing not you, either."
"I know," she laughed. "That’s why you’re my only rival. Cause we actually have some integrity."
"So, what'd you write about?"