https://youtu.be/oMEVOQqhFrc

(Author's Note: If you would like to listen to Chapter 4 parts 1 and 2 on audio, please click the videos. I hope you enjoy it. PS. part 2 has what I think Camille looks like but you can imagine her as you wish it's your imagination)

 Driving back to campus is silent. Chris rolls the windows down, bringing in the cool breeze throughout the car- the breeze feels good on my hot skin. He turns up the radio and starts to tap his long fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the music. I recognize this song, it's one of my favorites. I believe it's called, Dancing with a Stranger, I start to softly hum along to the song. Chris becomes aware that I'm humming which makes him start to sing. Oh gosh. Not to be mean, but he sounds terrible. "Oh come on. Sing with me," he insists.

  I shake my head and mouth the word no. Is he serious? He has to be kidding.

  "Don't be shy, sing with me. Please," he begs, his lips trembling at the corners.

   I better just sing to shut him up. I start to sing the lyrics, really singing as my mom showed me how. I can't believe I'm singing in front of Chris. I never sang in front of anyone except for my mom, my dad, and sometimes a few of her students. Thank goodness my mom gave me lessons on how to sing properly.

  The car stops at a red light and once the song finished, I turn to Chris who is looking at me with a stunned expression and not paying attention to the streetlight. The light turns green and if he doesn't move soon, he's going to cause an accident.

  "The light turned green! Green means go," I cry out. He stays silent and in a daze. Someone in the back of us honks to move out of the way. "Vamonos! (Let's go!)" I yell, but he stays gawking at me. 

  "What? Look at the road please," I say, pointing to the street. I don't like it when people stare at me.

  "I'm s-sorry... But wow... How do you know how to sing like that?" He stutters.

  "Hmm... My mom taught me."

  "Well, you sounded beautiful, like a professional singer," he says as he starts to drive.

  I giggle. "Thanks, but I won't say that... I sound okay."

  "You do," he says like he's stating the obvious. "I should record you, so you know what you sound like," he teases.

  "No! Please don't," I say quickly.

   He chuckles. "Okay, one of these days, I'm going to record you singing when you're not looking."

  "Oh, you better not," I say playfully, and he laughs. That is the only time I will ever sing in front of him again. I know he'll just tease me.

  The rest of the drive is spent in silence, and eventually, we made it back to campus.

  "Where is your bike located?" He asks.

  "It's not too far from where your car was parked." I give him the instructions to where my bike is located, and he drives to commonwealth street. When I instantly spot my bike on the rack, I shout, "There it is!"

 "Do you have another class?" He asks.

  "No, I have to get to work." I'm glad that I don't have any more classes for today, but I have to spend the rest of the day at work with obnoxious customers, at least I get to see Camille.

  He parks his car on the sidewalk for me to get out. "Thanks for breakfast/ lunch," I giggle and grab my bag.

  Instead of him answering me he steps out of his car. I thought he was going to open the passenger door for me, alternatively, he goes for my bike. He tries to unchain it, only he does not know that I locked it that way no one will steal my bike.

  I laugh. "It's locked," I mutter, holding up my key to show him. "And why are you getting my bike?"

  "I'm going to take you to work."

    What?

   "Thanks, but you do not have to."

  This is very nice of him, however, he does not need to do that for me. How would my bike even fit in his car?

  "Yes, I do. Now give me your key," he says with authority as he holds his hand for me to place it in his palm.

  I get out of his car. "But, I do not want my bike to ruin your car," I anxiously say.

  He sighs. "It won't. I'll be careful... Now give me your key, please, or do I have to take it from you?"

  "You don't even know where I work," I frankly say.

  He rolls his eyes. "You could just tell me where you work."

  Before I can respond to his answer, he comes and snatches the key from my hand. I gasp and walked toward him to retrieve my key back, but he stops me and points to his vehicle. "Go back to the car," he demands.

  I don't listen and stay where I am. He puts the key in the lock, and I hear it click. When he unchains my bike, he picks it up and carries it to his car. Astonishingly, he places it in the back without any effort. Damn, he's strong to be carrying something like that, my bike is very heavy.

  "Get in the car or you will have no way to get to work," he demands with a smirk.

  Is he enjoying this? Actually, I know that he's enjoying this. Does he do this to all women or just me?

  He can be so annoying, and I only got to know him this morning, and he's been getting on my nerves ever since he talked to me. Feeling very frustrated, I decided to get in the car, after all, he's given me no choice.

  "So, where do you work?" He asks as he drives out of the parking lot.

  "I work at Super Movies-"

  He interrupts and glances at me. "Oh, I know where that is, they sell movies there, right?"

  Argh! I'm going to literally slap him if he keeps interrupting me.

  He takes I-93. This is going to be way faster. He's going to get there early which is a good thing that way I'm early enough to change into my work clothes. My boss likes it when I get there early, except occasionally I have arrived late before. Thankfully Camille's dad owns the store, so she saves my butt.

  "Yes, along with other things like books and music," I state.

   By the time I know it, I see a huge red-letter sign that spells out Super Movies and he pulls me up to the entrance.

   "Thank you for the ride," I snatch my bag and step out of the car. I'm going to grab my bike when I see him stretch his long arm out and grab hold of the door handle and close it. I hear a click-click, I try to pull the door open, and sure enough, it's locked.

  What the hell? What is he doing?

   "Unlock the door Chris, so I can get my bike... Please," I say, harshly through the passenger window.

  He rolls down the window slightly and says, "No, I'll be picking you up... What time do you get off of work?

  "Chris, you have done enough for me, just open-" I began to say, but he quickly cuts me off.

  "I have not done shit. All I did was take you to breakfast/lunch as you call it and took you to work," he bickers. "You're helping me not to fail this class, it's the least I can do."

  "I seem to recall that we shook on the agreement we already made... Remember?" I think back to when I made a deal with him to take me to Dylan's Diesel and Auto Repair as well as him taking me on his boat.

  "Yes, but I like to do more, and besides I am a nice guy," he sighs. "Can you stop fighting with me?"

  I let out a long breath and nodded. "Fine. Can you stop interrupting me?"

 "Okay."

  "Okay," I repeat his word. "I have to get to work now. Since you locked my bike in your car, pick me up at seven." I look back and forth between him and my bike.

  He chuckles. "Okey-doke, see you at seven."

  "Wait..." I grasp. "What are you going to do for six hours?" Why am I asking this? It's none of my business. He'll think I'm being nosy or even obsessive. Oh no. I'm an idiot.

   "I'm going to hang out with my friends for a while," he says as he gives me a puzzled look before he opens his mouth. "Why do you ask?"

   Shit! I knew that he was going to pester on about this. "I don't know," I shrug. It's the truth, I don't know why I asked him that question, I guess I was curious to know where he would be or being nosy, my subconscious tells me.

  "Oh," is all he can say for a short time, and then adds, "I'll pick you up at seven."

  "Okay, see you then, and thanks again."

   "No need to thank me. I like to be your taxi driver," he says and I frown. I don't want to take advantage of him. But it's not taking advantage if he asks to do this, right?

  "Fuck, I didn't mean it like that, it was a joke, not a very good joke, huh," he laughs, but it sounds fake.

  I ignore that comment.

  "So, see you at seven?" He asks, but it's more of him telling me.

  "Okay."

  When I say okay, he drives off fast and makes the tires squeal as he flees. Why is he running from me? Maybe because he was worried about what he said? I have no idea. If I overthink this, then I'll get lost in the thought.

  "Girl, who was that you were driving with?" Camille asks as I head inside.

  Of course, she was watching me. She's the type of person that is nosy and wants to know what is going on in your life. She's my best friend, but she always wants to know what I'm doing or who I'm with. I laugh to myself. Who am I kidding? I'm never with anyone. The only person that I'm with is Camille or sometimes I visit Ms. Nelson, but Camille knows her, and she adores her. I guess because they're both alike, except Ms. Nelson is a lot older than Camille and me, she's in her 60's.

  I know that Camille's looking out for me and very protective, ever since I lost my parents, but she doesn't need to know my business all the damn time.

  "Nice to see you too, Camille," I say, sarcastically.

  "Who was that person that drove you here? Because I know you and you don't let people drive you anywhere or basically let anyone do you any favors, even your best friend who constantly asks you if you need a ride and you always turn me down... Now, who was that person you were with? Anyone, I know?" She pesters.

  If I don't give her some information, she will keep nagging me. I know her and she will eventually find out, especially when he comes to pick me up. She will even go up to him and ask who he is. Geez! She is my friend, but she can be so irritating sometimes.

  "He just took me out for lunch and he brought me to work," I shrug.

  "What!" She pauses. "Who is this guy?"

  I shake my head. "He's no one, Camille."

  "He's no one?" She repeats with air quotes. "Yeah, sure. Just someone who took you out to lunch," she provokes and I can't help but laugh. Even when she's prying into my business, she can be amusing.

  "Chris is..." How do I answer her? I don't really know what Chris and I are. I don't even think we are friends. Just study buddies. That's what I could call him. "Well, I'm helping him with a class because he asked for help... We're like study buddies," I tell her.

  "What? Okay, wait... He asked you for your help with one of the classes you have with him, and then gave you a ride or something?" She looks at me, confused. I don't blame her because I'm just as confused as she is about Chris.

  "Yeah," I shrug.

  "Okay, tell me everything that happened between you guys... You're very early, so you have time to talk. Let's go outside," she rumbles.

  When we head outside, she sits on the curb and pats it to come to sit next to her. I oblige. "Now, tell me everything," she says.

  I tell her everything from the time I dropped my books all the way to when he dropped me off at work. I told her that it seemed like I was in a dumb-ass romantic movie where these girls fall or drop their things and some boy comes to help the poor girl out. I'm one of those girls- a stupid girl that drops her books and does ridiculous things.

  In alarm with all the information I just gave her, she stays silent, and then she laughs. "No, first of all, you're not stupid, you're a very smart young woman and second of all, you're nothing like those girls at all. I think you just watch too many movies," she says and I giggle. "It was an accident in what happened, and Chris just happened to be there when you dropped your books... But what gets me is what happened afterward..."

  She shakes her head. "This does not make sense that now he wants to talk to you and have you help him with this class you guys have. I don't even know him and he already sounds suspicious," she sighs. "I want you to be careful with this guy. It seems that he wants more from you, not just to study if you know what I mean?" She pauses. "I know you've never been with anyone before and I don't want you to get hurt."

  She is so sweet and I love the way she cares for me. But he does not want me or wants to get in my pants. Can he? I know she's looking out for my best interest, even so, I don't think he's like that, he just wants to study, right?

  I know he's been with other girls, actually a lot of women, but there is no way he wants me. He only needs help to study since he's failing the class that's why he invited me to breakfast/lunch and needed to talk to me. Besides, if he did want me, why would he want to be with someone like me when he could have any girl on campus or in the world? All the girls want him, he's attractive and I'm not. I don't even like him like that, he's just my study buddy. My subconscious keeps telling me, you do like him, but she does not know what she's talking about.

   I stare at my hands and I feel her eyes on me. "I knew him since freshman year and he's not like that." Okay, I didn't really know him that well, but I don't believe he's like that.

   I look up and gaze at her caramel eyes. Camille is totally attractive and I bet Chris would want to be with someone like her. I mean if you look at her, she has curly weaves of dark hair, caramel eyes, and beautiful caramel tan skin. Every man wants her, she can have any man she wants. I mean look at me. I don't picture him being with me, but I can imagine him with Camille if she didn't have a boyfriend already.