My Bad Boy Neighbor (Now on Radish)

Episode 5

Kai led me over to the car parked in his driveway. He pressed the button on his keys and the car lights blinked, signaling that he unlocked it. I was already nervous about being in his proximity but being stuck in a closed space with him such as a car was far more daunting.

"I promise I'll drive safe," Kai said, sensing my hesitation after he opened the passenger door for me and waited for me to get inside.

I still had several flashbacks from yesterday's accident but I realized that I had to get to school somehow and he was just the means of getting there.

Finally convincing my body to move, I got into the car. He closed the door behind me and walked around to the driver's side.

During those brief seconds, I pulled out my phone and checked several texts from my friends, checking up on me. I didn't dare tell them that I was catching a ride with Kai Asher, the infamous flirt and school's bad boy. Nope, I was far better off by letting them think I was taking the bus today.

They'd have far too many questions and I always hated the glazed look girls got whenever Kai was mentioned as if they were stuck in a dream somewhere. Sure, he was good looking but the boy wasn't exactly a saint. And he definitely wasn't my type. I preferred intellectuals who could challenge my brain and I'd written off athletes years ago.

If other people had the right to believe rumors and stereotypes about me, then I had the right to believe stereotypes about them. It's not like I didn't have any proof or personal experience thanks to my brother and his dumb group of friends.

"So, tell me about that book you're reading," Kai insisted. His interest was getting on my nerves. I didn't get why he was even trying to be friendly. The moment he dropped me off at school and we parted ways, he'd go to his friends and boast behind my back. Not that he banged me but that he had such a freak for a neighbor who, probably according to his yet unspoken words, just begged him to drive her to school.

Which would then start more rumors and people would say shit about me, how desperate I was to get laid by being in his presence. I hated it.

"How come your family moved?" I asked, still trying to figure things out.

Kai shrugged, trying to seem at ease which made me feel guilty for prying in the first place. "We got sick of the big, empty house and needed a change."

I didn't ask anything else because it was really none of my business. We both stayed silent for the rest of the drive. It was only when he pulled up to the school's parking lot that I noticed a group of girls waiting for him. I cringed, wanting to get out.

"Thanks for the ride," I said and hastily got out the moment he turned off the car, leaving him without another word.

I pushed through the groups of students that were either staring at me, Kai or going inside, minding their own business.

I pushed my bag up and kept my head down, trying to disappear in the crowd before the popular kids came up with a target to put on my back.

I hurried to my locker, avoiding people's gazes and hostile looks I got from some girls as they kept on whispering. I hated it. I hated the attention.

Diana and Addie caught me in the hallway, materializing by my side without a warning.

"Did you hear that Heather Platt got sent home for violating the dress code? She came to school wearing a top with spaghetti straps. Apparently the visible bra straps are going to distract the boys too much," Diana said.

Adelaide rolled her eyes. "Then you have guys like Matt who are allowed to stroll around school shirtless because they were hot from the football practice."

"As if he needs it," Diana drooled. "He's delicious all the time."

"Astrid begs to differ," Addie replied. "What did you call him the other day?"

"A stupid oaf," I said, without feeling the inclination to join their conversation.

"That's the thanks he gets for trying to get you laid with Oliver?" Diana asked incredulously.It should be mentioned that I didn't want anything to do with Oliver in the first place. Oliver wasn't even my type although I knew he had a crush on me. He was a nerd too but he was far more popular. I wasn't interested in him though and Matt telling Oliver in front of all his friends that he should just man up and ask me out only made things awkward.

"I'm not getting with someone just to fit in," I snapped, trying to keep my voice down. "And you know he didn't do it out of the goodness of his heart."

Matt loved stirring shit and causing drama. He liked to watch me squirm.

"I don't know, I would've taken the chance if I could," Diana shrugged, flipping her hair over her shoulder. The tone in her voice bothered me. It's as if she was trying to condescend me and insinuate I was a loser.

If that's how she felt, why did she even bother to talk to me right now?

"It's okay, Astrid," Addie intervened. "You're going to find someone you like and it's going to be on your terms."

Addie gave Diana one of her looks, to which Diana seemed to mouth 'what?' before shrugging again.

We finally reached my locker, where I stuffed in all the books I didn't need and took out what I did. Diana and Addie resumed their conversation which I didn't feel inclined to join.

A few minutes later, Addie said goodbye to us and headed to the opposite end of the school while Diana and I headed to Art class. By the time we got to the classroom, we were seconds away from the bell going off.

It was a really boring class but I loved it because Diana and I just had the opportunity to chat freely as did everybody else. And I often tended to zone out.

"Astrid, are you even listening to me?" Diana asked as I was sketching into my poor, wrecked art notebook.

"Kind of," I told her. "Something about a shopping mall and some cute red shoes." I repeated what I remembered from my best friend's story she's been telling for the past fifteen minutes. The only reason why I tuned out was because Diana had a tendency to drift away from the point and talk about other irrelevant stuff.

"Yes. I saw these really, really cute red shoes yesterday when Addie and I went shopping after school, but I didn't have enough money because my stupid Mom had problems with her bank and couldn't give me my monthly allowance. Anyway, not to get off topic; I was there with Addie and we saw these cute shoes, but me having no money is not the worst part. Do you know what the worst part is? No, of course you-"

"Just tell me what the worst part is," I said in annoyance because she always rambled on and on about herself. I was also annoyed with her because she and Addie went to the mall without even asking me (although I would say no, but it would feel nice to be invited anyway) and because she talked about her Mom that way. Her mom was the sweetest person ever and at least Diana's Mom was home every day, unlike my parents who worked all the freaking time.

"The worst part is that Matt's girlfriend, you know – Cindy, or whatever her name is – got the last pair of those shoes and I'll never see them again." Diana got really angry because she disliked Cindy. Not only was she as bad as Matt, but she was worse. Something didn't go her way and she would throw a tantrum like a kid. She was spoilt, ungrateful and mean.

"That's sad," I said to Diana with not much emotion. I liked clothes and shoes but I wasn't as obsessed with them as Diana. She had the constant need to be up to date with the latest trends and brands. I didn't have enough money to even consider spending it on a shirt that cost $150. My parents didn't give me a monthly allowance like hers did.

Diana wrapped her arms around my waist and pretended to grieve after that gorgeous pair of shoes. I patted her back and then let her go. "Think about it this way, they wouldn't go with your cheerleading outfit anyway," I said and I knew it was the only thing that would make her feel better.

Diana smiled sadly and we talked some more, laughed and did anything but mention about this morning.