” I couldn’t help but notice you didn’t exactly look happy stepping outside this morning, is something the matter.” Kevin asked while they drove along.
Mia gave him a silent stare all of a sudden.
” I mean, it’s not my place to pry but–”
” Just wanted to know if you’d like to talk about it.” He said, lowering his voice in an awkward way.
” Pfft” seeing this, the silent Mia couldn’t help but cover her mouth to stiffle a life.
” Gosh you’re so corny.” She laughed.
” I guess even you’ve got a nosey side to you.
Her expression caused him to feel a bit embarrassed.
He avoided her gaze, shifting his focus back onto the road.
” Let’s just say my parents weren’t exactly peachy last night, especially my dad.” She suddenly spoke up, glancing outside her window while supporting her chin with her hand.
” They were mad because you came home late and wet?”
” I guess you could say that.” She said, before letting out a sigh.
” Honestly, I feel like they’re always mad over one reason or the order.”
” You sure it has nothing to do with bad grades.”
” Dude!
Of course not.” She retorted, looking a bit offended, ” My grades aren’t the problem.”
” Then what is?
You and your dad aren’t on good terms?”
Mia turned silent.
” Something like that…” She said.
” My Dad…” She started before pausing.
” He’s not exactly like your normal Dad…”
” Let me guess, he’s caring, but sometimes cares too much, has high expectations for you but at times you feel you can’t exactly meet up to them.”
Hearing his words, Mia turned towards him, her eyes a bit wide.
” I’m not reading your mind if that’s what your thinking.” He chuckled.
” My Dad’s just like that.”
” Of course like you, I found it annoying at first.” He said, staring ahead as a hint of nostalgia clouded his mind.
” But the older I got, the more I loved him for it.” Sensing her confused gaze, he decided to elaborate.
“Growing up, I thought my dad was overbearing.
Every time I left the house he’d ask where I was going, who I was with, when I’d be back.
I hated it.”
“Now…
I’d honestly give anything to hear him ask me those questions again.”
” Umm you’re dad, if he?” Mia said in a low tone as if not sure how she should ask.
” No, he’s not.” Kevin reassured her.
” I see.” She said yet a hint of relief could be seen on her face.
” Don’t get me wrong, It is annoying and frustrating at times, but at a point, I agreed with the fact that I’d rather have him care so much than not at all.”
” My Dad can be a pain in the ass occasionally but to be honest, I wouldn’t bother trading him in no matter what.”
Hearing him, Mia turned silent as if pondering some things.
” I’m guessing you’re a Daddy’s boy then.” She joked after a bit, with a light smile.
” Naa, I’m actually a momma’s boy.” He replied., causing her to laugh again.
The both of them then continued talking to one another, And so, their drive to school, became a bit more enjoyable than one would expect.
*******
Some time later…
” You go to school here?” Kevin said as he drove into the school.
” Yeah?
Anything wrong?” She asked.
” Noo…
Nothing.” Kevin replied with an uncomfortable look, earning him a strange look from her.
Of course the reason he asked was because he knew Mark went to the exact same school.
But since Kevin had already decided to do things himself, he shook off the thought.
He drove the car along before eventually parking in front of the school building.
Meanwhile, someone who was just getting down from the school bus couldn’t help but paused on seeing her ahead.
” Hold up?
Isn’t that…” Todd stopped in his tracks.
” Doesn’t she always come to school on her bic?” He said.
” And who’s that guy anyway?” He saw someone step out of the car, someone he very much knew wasn’t William.
******
” Thanks for the ride.” Mia said as she got out.
” Don’t mention it.” Kevin said only to notice her gesturing towards the back.
” Oh, your bic.” He said before stepping out and opening the boot for her.
He handed her, her bic before heading back into the car.
Just as Kevin was about to leave, she suddenly came back leading her bicycle along.
” Umm by any chance are you free this afternoon.”
” Oh?
What for.”
” So you could come pick me up after school and drop me off at work.
I mean, it’s a pain getting a cab so I was hoping…”
” Sure, no problem.” He said.
‘ After heading back I am planning on training with the watch around town, picking her up could be a break tbh.’
” Really?” She said, surprised he agreed.
” I don’t see why not.” He said.
‘ I do have a lot of spare time on my hands.’
‘ Plus it’d be nice to mess with her a bit at work.’
The edge of her lips couldn’t help curling up just a bit.
” Alright, see you then.” She said.
” Bye.” Kevin nodded before starting up his car and driving off.
Mia watched Kevin’s car disappear down the road before looking down at the small smile on her own face, only to quickly wipe it away when she realised she was smiling in the first place.
Mia headed into class before taking a seat at her table.
” Huh?” She couldn’t help but notice two girls whispering to eachother while glancing at her from time to time.
” I’m sorry, do you need something.” She spoke up, sounding a bit annoyed.
Both girls quickly stiffened before facing forward.
Seeing this, Mia couldn’t help clicking her tongue with displeasure.
********
Time quickly flew by and before she knew it, the school day was over.
Mia this time around, didn’t wait, the moment the bell rang, she left the class, her abrupt departure causing most of her classmates to watch her go.
‘ What exactly is going on…’ Even while walking through the hallway, she would occasionally notice people glancing at her as she walked by while talking to themselves.
The more she noticed, the more annoyed she became yet she couldn’t tell why they were all acting like this.
” Hey!
Mia!
Mia!” She then heard someone calling for her from behind.
Mia stopped and turned around to see William running towards her.
Parts of his body covered in TP, his hair wet.
” William?
What happened to you.” She asked, staring at him strangely.
” And how come I didn’t see you during lunch.”
” Forget about me, something bad happened today, and I think it’s Todd.” William said.
” I think he’s trying to get back at you for last time.”
” What are you talking about.” Mia asked, confused.
” Someone’s been going around posting some weird things about you on the school’s social base, something about you coming to school with some guy.”
Hearing him say that, Mia froze for a moment, an ominous feeling growing within her.
” William…”
” Here…” William nervously showed her his phone.
On it were pictures of Mia getting out of Kevin’s car that morning along with chats below.
[Who’s the guy?]
[Didn’t she always ride a bike?]
[Looks older than her…]
[Isn’t that kind of weird?]
[Maybe it’s her cousin?]
[Or her boyfriend?]
[Yeah right 😂]
[Definitely her sugar daddy.]
[Gross.]
[Poor William lol.]
[Lol, isn’t William gay though?]
[Omg…
I never took her for that sort of person]
[Guess she felt like upping the ladder]
[Is this even legal?]
[Disgusting, so she’s just some dirty slut?]
[Oh I think I’m going to be sick]
[Gosh that guy looks handsome though]
[What are you saying?
So it’s good she found herself a suger Daddy?]
[What if it’s her boyfriend?]
[A boyfriend who only suddenly showed up today and just happened to give her a ride to school?]
….
The more she read, the more her shoulders began to tremble, her blood pumping.
Seeing the faint cracks emerging on the edge of his phone, William began feeling spooked.
” Umm Mia, lets try to calm down.
I’m sure there’s a solution for all of this.” William tried to control the situation.
” Well if it isn’t little miss slut.” But of course a certain someone just had to make things worse.
” Where are you off to?” Todd snickered as he approached them.
” Going to see you’re Daddy after school?
I must say, he must have some kind of weird kink if he gets turned on by–”
BAM!
” Urrk!” Before he could finish his sentence, she grabbed him by his collar with one hand while crushing Williams phone with the other.
” My Phone!” William cried out.
Todd on the other hand, looked bewildered at the moment.
He tried to pull her hand off, but while he struggled, she gradually lifted him off the floor against his will.
Todd gasped for air as her grip tightened, slowly suffocating him.
The other students within the hallway could only watch with fearful eyes as the life was slowly being chocked out of him.
” She’s going to kill him!”
” Someone get a teacher over here!” Some misguided brave souls spoke up.
” Urrk…
P-Please….
I’m s-sorry..” Todd who’s face had began turning purple, begged with teary eyes while staring into her livid eyes.
” M-Mia…
You’re going to kill him.”
” Then maybe he deserves to die…” She said through gritted teeth.
Clearly she was more than pissed right now, coupled with the viltrumite blood flowing through her veins, Todd really outdid himself with this one.
” That’s enough…” Someone suddenly grabbed her arm.
Mia still angry, shifted her glare to them.
“..?!”
But she froze when she saw who it was.
Her grip on Todd unconsciously loosened before he fell to the floor, gasping for breath.
” W-What are you doing here?” She managed to say while staring at Kevin.
” Isn’t that the guy from the photo?”
” So are the rumours true then?”
” I mean he doesn’t look like a pimp to me.” Not only her, even some of the other students were surprised to see him.
” Don’t tell me you forgot, you called me here remember?
I’m here to take you home like you asked.”
While he knew she asked for a ride to work, he thought it would be best to say home so no one here would misunderstand.
On his way here, he heard the students muttering so he kinda got the jist of what happened.
” Oh…” Mia said.
” So you coming or not?” He said, smiling a bit.
” Sure…” She said in a voice no greater than a whisper.
Kevin couldn’t help but notice William who held the lingering remains of his phone with moistened eyes.
He walked up to him, before gently patting him on the back.
” Huh?” William raised his head to look up at him.
” Sorry about that, I’ll be sure to get you a new one alright.”
” What?
Really?” William said, suprised.
” Of course.” Kevin said with a smile but he stiffened when William suddenly hugged him.
” Thank you thank you thank you thank you.”
” Y-Yeah, don’t mention it.” Kevin managed to say, his expression a bit uncomfortable.
Seeing his funny face, Mia couldn’t help but smile a bit, her anger calming down even more.
Once he managed to get out of William’s embrace, the three of them quietly walked off, leaving Todd and the rest of the students at a loss for words.
Amongst those students, One red haired girl couldn’t help focusing on Kevin and Mia a bit more, especially on Kevin and the strange yet familiar design on his watch.
I pulled a leg with this one, not sure if it’s good tbh, but I’d like to hear your thoughts on it.
oh and, please do read my other book and drop some advice, Still a Dukling so I’m not sure exactly if I’m going great.