Hidden Life (on hold)

Chapter 8:

The car ride wasn't too long but it seemed even shorter because, about 5 minutes after I got in and we sped off, Mack turned the radio up so that it was bearing and Jayden rolled down all the windows. We were all screaming out heads off to song after song and my thing that I even heard Lucas join in after a while. It was actually quite fun.

When we arrived at Jayden's house, I was almost speechless- key word, almost. It wasn't a house, not really. It was a mansion. It was also very modern, really my taste, but it isn't as good as my house- well the house that I own which I use when I don't have school. 

You see, when I have school, I own a house that I use during that time which is only a few blocks away from the bigger one that I also own. I do this inc case I have a project, like this one, where people from my school have to come over and work on it. I can't be seen to have a gigantic mansion, can I? that would be weird. 

I also pay someone to be a maid but they also act like my mother when I have anyone in the house because I am under legal age and I am meant to have a guardian but I don't and I would rather not go into foster care, thank you very much.

Anyway, the house, like I said before, was absolutely huge and as I got out of the car and walked to the front door, it almost seemed like it was growing right in front of my own eyes. it was amazing and I wonder how Jayden's parents can afford it. it looks so expensive and no two normally well-paying jobs would ever be able to pay for even half of it- normally anyway.

"Your house is um... nice." 

Jayden just looks at me weirdly. "Nice? I have been told that it is, and I quote, 'fricken amazing' by this one over here. He air quotes and then points to Mackenzie. I just shrug indifferently.

"Mmmm. I really have seen better before. Much, much better." By then, he has unlocked the door and steps aside to let me walk in first and I do so, not without pushing my shoulder against Lucas' on the way through first, though. He grunts and I smirk to myself.

*** AFTER A QUICK TOUR OF THE HOUSE ***

"And... this is my bedroom, where we will all be working on the project," Jayden informs me before walking in and flopping down on his bed and flipping his bag open beside him and starting to pull out the needed books.

"What about him." I jerk my head at Lucas. "He isn't part of our group."

Jayden laughs. "I know that. Even if he was in our group, he probably wouldn't do any of the work anyway. Ha! Nah, he is just going to play on my Xbox or something to keep himself busy. He is going to stay at mine tonight and so is Mackenzie." I notice then that on the other side of the room, almost hidden by the door, is a small couch with a tv set up in front of it. There is a red rug on the floor, contrasting with the off-white colored carpet that covers the floor in the rest of the third floor of the house.

Oh! And did I forget to mention that the house is three floors? Or that the whole third floor is Jayden's? He has his bedroom, a games room, a gym, a whole another tv room, a bathroom- not including the one connected to his bedroom- and a spare bedroom, only used for when his friends come over. Who has this much money? 

Oh, that's right! His parents and one other person- ME! I laugh to myself for a second before cutting it off, realizing how weird I probably just looked a second ago. I really need to stop doing things like talking, laughing and smiling to myself. it is just really weird and creepy.

"Can I sit on the bed?" i ask, and after getting a confirming hmph from Jayden, I sit down next to him, lean against the wall like Jayden, and gather my things out of my own school bag to work on the project, as Mackenzie does the same, also sitting on the bed, but positioned in front of me and diagonal from Jayden.

I rub my hands together and sigh. "Well? What are we waiting for? Let's get this project started!" My fake enthusiasm seemed to lighten up everyone's mood and in not long, the project was long forgotten and we were all laughing and having fun and playing games. 

Before it was interrupted, of course....