Sweetly & Home Economically ✔

No School & A Squirrel

~ No School & A Squirrel ~

~¤°*°*°*°¤~

No matter how tempting the idea of skipping was, I insisted that we go to school anyway. I had to try to get through the day because I couldn't hide out and wait for the fire to become old news.

It was all part of the curse I inflicted upon myself when I decided to be consistently nice and helpful to everyone. Being popular meant when something bad happened, you would be showered with attention and pity. I wanted neither, but I had a feeling that I was going to drown in it today.

The entrance door barely closed behind Theo and me before people started coming over to us. By the time we were halfway to my locker, we were surrounded by our peers. The amount of questions and condolences coming from every direction made me dizzy. I shouldn't have been surprised that word spread so quickly, but it still overwhelmed me.

I spotted our three friends in the distance where they were unable to get to us, watching on with concern. This morning went by in such a blur that I didn't think to call and tell them about the fire. I would have rather they heard it from me than everyone else with a chance of the information not being accurate. I could venture a guess what the gossipers were saying.

Theo was mostly ignored, except for the occasional accusation or flirtation. It shocked me the nerve those people had to do either to him, and it was starting to irritate me. Combined with the never-ending questions and pity party being thrown in my honor, I felt like a bomb with it's counter racing down to all zeros.

It was unclear what I would do when the time was up. Scream at everyone, fall to my knees and cry, pass out...

Theo's brows rose as he looked around us. Then with one glance at me, he heaved a sigh and grabbed my hand.

"Screw this," he muttered. Spinning on his heel, he practically dragged me out of the building, shoving anyone in our way aside.

He must have read my mind, I quickened my pace to match his until we were down the steps and back to the motorcycle. Theo tossed a helmet to me and ordered me to get on, but I was way ahead of him and already settling in behind him.

So with my arms wound tightly around his waist and the side of my head resting on his back, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the ride to wherever he was taking us. The hum of the motorcycle and the rushing wind was as comforting as the warmth of Theo's body against me.

It was easy to forget my troubles and just focus on feeling in the moment. I didn't keep track of time because I had nowhere to be today. That wasn't something I wanted to think about and I didn't have any difficulty pushing it from my mind.

I opened my eyes when Theo began to slow down and looked around to see where we wound up. Open fields and patches of trees surrounded us. We were on a dirt backroad with no vehicles or civilization in sight. Clouds of dust swirled in our wake as we came to a stop in the middle of the road.

Theo took his helmet off. I did the same, ready to ask what we were doing just as he twisted to look at me.

"Want a turn?"

If he was trying to distract me...it was working.

"Yes."

I got off of the motorcycle, waiting for Theo to scooch back so I could sit in the front. When I was situated again, he explained the mechanics and showed me how to do it.

"It's simple enough," he said when he was done. "Kind of like riding a bicycle."

"With an engine and a gear shift..."