Totally Inappropriate *UNDER EDITING*

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The rest of the week seemed to disappear from under my feet. It seemed like no time at all had passed between my first time paint-balling and the last day of the week. Well, apart from when I was in detention, which went as painfully slow as you'd expect it to for any teenager. It was especially uncomfortable because Krishan sat on the other side of the Calculus classroom. Dark, swollen bruising surrounded his eyes, and there was a small bit of medical tape on the bridge on his nose from where he'd needed stitches. I was just grateful he hadn't needed surgery or a brace or anything, otherwise my punishment could've been a lot worse than a few detentions and I really didn't want my new guardians to have to deal with something like that so soon after my arrival.

Something about Lilith and Richard seemed different, though. Maybe it was that they weren't just obligated to take me in because we were family, and that they had actually been good friends with my parents. They'd told me last night that Lilith had been best friends with my mother from high school until the day she died- they had even been pregnant buddies together- and Richard said he'd grown to become good friends with my father for the five years he knew him. These people truly cared about me- their friends' daughter.

Unlike the past two days, some other students were scattered around the classroom, too. A few of them were girls, who seemed to have taken a dislike to me. They all kept shooting me glares throughout the detention, and when it was finished and I got up to leave, they erupted into a buzz of whispers, clearly talking about me under their breath as their perfectly-lined eyes followed my every movement.

I just scoffed quietly and made my way out to the parking lot, where I found Benjamin waiting in the driver's seat of his car. He was slumped against his seat, eyes closed, and when I opened my door to get in I immediately heard the sounds of his soft breathing. His glasses were on, too, letting me know he'd put the spare time to good use with studying, and I honestly couldn't think of something more adorable.

Realising just how sappy my thoughts had turned, I quickly shook my head, as though to rid myself of them. I also forced myself to prod him in the arm.

He immediately awoke, though, as expected, didn't have a dramatic reaction to being roused. Simply, he opened his eyes, slowing take in the scene with me now in it and, after a moment or two, he murmured a low, "Hello," and started the car. He'd taken to actually greeting me now, something I didn't consider to be progress but something to worry about.

"Venya," I said with a nod. After paint-balling, he'd become slightly more civil though far less teasing. He didn't offer as many offensive and witty comments, and for some reason this polite behaviour inclined me to think that he was annoyed with me. I had tried to figure out why that would be so, continuously running my mind over and over what had happened that day, but it was to no avail. No matter how much I tried to think about what could have possibly made him upset with me, I couldn't come up with anything.

"How was your day?"

I let out a huge breath, turning to him with a surly look that got me a surprised one in return. "Will you stop being so fucking nice?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Stop it!" I half-yelled and threw my hands up in the air. Irritation sparked up within me, and I decided I'd had enough. "Ever since Tuesday, you've been really polite to me and I want to know why. I want to know what I did to upset you."

He tried to laugh, as though in disbelief and my suggestion of him being annoyed with me was beyond ridiculous, but the attempt was a pathetic one. I had him. I had caught him and I knew I was right.

"Just tell me," I stressed. "I don't want you to be mad at me. Damn it, Venya, you can't be mad at me!" I felt a panic surge up my throat, seizing me and making my chest rise a little higher than normal. The idea that Benjamin, the only one I had around here, might not want to be friends with me... I couldn't handle it.