A Night's Mistake

Part 7: A Ride Home

It's already 9pm and the restaurant will be closing soon, but Keira's driver still hasn't picked up the phone. She's really not used to riding the cab, so she insisted on waiting for her driver. Her friends are leaving one by one as it's getting late. Keira was impatiently waiting at the school entrance when someone approached her.

"Didn't bring your car?"

As Keira looked at the person and realized it was Patrick.

"Didn't. Coding." She said.

"Waiting for your driver?" he asked.

"Yeah. But I don't think he's coming anytime soon."

"I could give you a ride." Offered Patrick, looking at her, smiling.

Keira looked back at him..

'Should I say yes or no?' Can I actually trust this womanizer?' 'Should I just call a cab?'

Keira continuously asked herself. And as she was thinking, Patrick's phone rang.

"Hey, babe. Uh, I'll be a little late tonight. Nope. I'm with my classmate.. will just send my classmate home and pick you up. Alright. See you later." Patrick said as he answered the phone.

Keira gave him a surprised look.

'He actually told his girlfriend he'll be sending me home when I didn't even agree?'

Patrick then looked at Keira. "Let's go" he said.

"I didn't even agree yet?"

"Sigh. Let's just go." Patrick sighed as he placed his arms around Keira's shoulders and pulled her to the Parking lot.

"It's getting late and I can't just let you wait here at school, alone. I can't stand seeing girls alone in the dark this late, so I have to get you home." Patrick explained as they walk to his car. He opened he door for Keira and asked her to enter.

"Come on."

Keira was standing stiffly. She was dumbfounded at what she heard from Patrick and what he was doing right now.

"Aren't you getting in?" Patrick asked as Keira wakes up from her absent-mindedness.

She slowly walked towards the car and got it. Patrick closed the door and went to the driver's seat, started the car and drove out the parking lot.

"Why don't you input your address in the navigation?" asked Patrick as he was busy driving out the parking lot.

Keira then typed in her address and the navigator started giving instructions. Seconds felt like minutes and Minutes felt like hours. It was such an awkward moment. She never expected that she would be giving this guy the chance to send her home.

Patrick was quietly driving and Keira was quietly observing, nervous that this guy might actually bring her somewhere else. Afterall, he's a womanizer. She just can't stop thinking about these things.

About 15 minutes and they arrived at the entrance of the subdivision where Keira lives. The security was too strict that only those who has stickers can straightly enter. Security will need to call in the households to confirm visitors. Upon stopping at the entrance, Keira asked Patrick to open his window.

"Sir, it's me." Keira greeted the guard.

"Oh, ma'am. It's you." Said the guard, guesturing for them to enter

"Thank you!" replied Keira.

"Turn left." Instructed Keira. "Left again... right.."

Finally they came to a stop.

"This your house?" asked Patrick, astonished at the view infront of him.

"Yeah." Answered Keira as she loosened the seatbelt and prepared to go out.

As she opened the door, the front door of her house also opened and came out her mom.

"Mommy.." Keira said, surprised.

Her mom smiled at her and took a glance at Patrick. Upon seeing this, Patrick went out of the car and greeted Keira's mom.

"Good evening, Ma'am." He greeted.

Keira looked at him with a surprised look.

'You didn't have to get out of the car.. you should've drove away'

"Good evening" replied Keira's mom.

"Uh.. mom, Kuya* Kiko isn't responding to my calls and it's already past 9. I didn't want to take the cab.."

"I'm sorry if she got home late, Ma'am. I saw her at the school entrance just before I was about to leave and I didn't want to leave her waiting this late for her driver, so I offered her a ride." Patrick interrupted and explained.

Keira's mom smiled, "That's no problem. Thanks for sending her home. Have you eaten dinner?" asked Keira's mom, looking at the guy.

"Uhm, yes ma'am. Im good. Thanks po*.. I'll go ahead po." Said Patrick as he prepared to leave.

"Oh, okay. Uh.. wait.. What's your name again, ijo*?"

"Patrick po."

"It's nice to meet you, Patrick. You can call me tita* nalang. Let's have dinner next time, okay?"

Keira's face turned pale.

"Mom~" Keira said in an annoyed tone.

Her mom smiled. "You drive slow, ijo. It's already late. You take care." Added her mom.

"Thanks po. Good night." Replied Patrick as he got in his car. He took a glance at Keira and smiled and took off.

Keira went inside the house with her mom and her mom excitedly started to ask her questions.

"Is he your classmate? Does he always send you home? Are you that close?"

"Mom.. it was just a coincidence that he was still at school and Kuya Kiko wasn't picking up the phone when I as calling him."

"Oh, really?" Her mom said with a teasing tone

"Kiko was with us the whole night, he probably wasn't able to answer Keira's calls. Sorry about that, anak.*" Keira's dad suddenly blurted as he went out the dining room, giving his wife a mad look.

"Hi Daddy!" greeted Keira as she ran towards her dad and hugged him.

"Hi, sweetheart. Why don't you go and change your clothes first? Have you eaten?" asked her dad.

"Already did." She replied and hurriedly went to her room.

"He's not a bad guy." Keira's mom whispered. "He said he can't let her go home late, alone, so he volunteered to send her home."

Keira's dad was silent the whole time.

"Come on, dad. Keira's no longer a kid. It's natural that guys would want to send her home sometimes and take care of her."

"I'm just worried that she'd go through it again." Keira's dad worriedly said.

"She won't. we'll be here with her." Comforted his wife.

The words Patrick told her earlier won't leave Keira's mind. Was she wrong with her judgment all along? Men with many girls were the people that disgusts her the most, and here goes a womanizer treating her good.

'Maybe that's one reason why he can pick up so many girls... gooodd did I just become one? Oh no, please. No.'

She covers her face with her pillow, wanting to scream, but she didn't want to scare her parents so she held it in. 

*KUYA- older brother/ man who is older than you a few years
* PO- Word added in Filipino language as a sign of respect
*IJO- a young man
*TITA- auntie
*ANAK- child