Song: Santa Brought Me You by Laura Marano and Gregg Sulkin from the movie; A Cinderella Story: A Christmas Wish

Chapter Eleven: May I offer you some tea and biscuits?

"I....."

Zane, as promised, took me home. I didn't need to give directions because he already dropped me here before. The reason he wanted me at his house? I had no idea.

Wren told us he'd meet us at Zane's place after he stopped at his own. Now I understood why Zane always said place instead of house. This isn't a house. It's a mansion. Scratch that. It's a freaking palace. Whichever is bigger. It had large gates and a fountain in the middle of the circular driveway. And don't let me get started on the outline of the house.

"You what?" Zane turned back to me. He was already heading up the staircase that led to the front doors.

"No comment."

"Then stop standing. Or should I carry you up the stairs?"

"My feet work just fine thank you."

"Then more walking and less talking"

"You don't have to be so rude." I commented as I began walking up the steps.

He rang the doorbell once and waited. It didn't take long before a short, stout man opened it.

He bowed so deeply his nose could literally touch his shoes.

Stop exaggerating.

I wasn't.

Really?

Ok maybe a little.

"Good afternoon Mr. Rivers. Miss." He greeted us as we walked in.

"Good afternoon Stewart." Zane nodded his head.

"Your mother and father left for a business trip this morning sir."

"And when will they be back?"

"They didn't say sir. Will you be staying here or at your house? I want to know if I should to tell Rosita to prepare dinner."

His house? He has another one?

"I'll be here until mother and father return. Also, tell Rosita to prepare something for me and my lady. We'll be in my room."

"Your lady?"

"Of course sir." And he just rushed away.

"Okay, now where were we?"

"Where did your sophisticated accent and words go to, my dear sir? May I offer you some tea and biscuits?" I lowered my head and curtsied as best as I could.

You were wobbly.

Like I said, as best as I could.

He pushed my shoulder as I burst out laughing.

"Laugh all you want. You don't know how hard it is to keep that up."

"Then why bother?"

"Because my mum and dad expect me to."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Let's go to my room." We began ascending the grand staircase at the centre of the large foyer.

"I have a question."

"Ask away."

"What did your uh.." I struggled to find words.

"Butler." He offered.

"Yeah. What did he say about another house? You have a house? Isn't this it?"

"This is my parent's house not mine."

"So you have your own house?"

"It's more of a condo."

"Same difference."

"Not really."

"Whatever. What are we going to do in your room?"

"Anything we want."

"So you brought me here to spend time with me?" I teased.

"Maybe."

"So you enjoy my company?"

"Maybe." He replied again without a glance at me.

I smiled. "Maybe indeed."

We were silent the rest of the way to his room. After a lot more steps and turns, we finally made it. What did they have all this space for?

When he opened the door to his room, I was shocked at what I saw. As with the rest of the house.

"Your room has two floors." It wasn't a question. He had a large two story bedroom. There was a door not too far away from the big flat screen television which probably led to the bathroom. His king size bed was to the left of the door facing the right where the television was placed. At the end of his room, was a staircase beside the large glass windows that could be a door.

I walked towards the window. The view of the back garden was beautiful. I climbed the spiral stairs. There was a bean bag, a smaller TV, a foosball table, a couch, a shelf, and other things I wasn't focusing on.

"I love it." I said as I lay with my back on the couch.

"Thanks." He shrugged.

"Do you want to play 20 questions?"

He walked up the stairs and relaxed on the bean bag. "Is it that sappy game about getting to know each other? Cos if yes, I think I'll pass."

"It's not sappy. It's a fun game." I argued.

"Fine. Is it 20 for each person or 10?"

I turned so now I was laying on my tummy with my head propped up by my elbows. "I think 10. I'll start." I thought for a while. "Would you rather have your worst song stuck in your head for the rest of your life or your worst movie replaying over and over again?"

"What's the difference?"

"Visual and audio."

"Isn't the second one audio-visual?"

"Same difference. Just answer the question."

"But-"

"You just love to argue with me, don't you?"

He rolled his eyes. "Do not."

I gave him a pointed look.

"Fine." He grudgingly agreed. "Worst song. My turn. Would you rather have endless love or endless money?"

"Easy. Endless money."

"I thought you'd choose endless love. Aren't you the true love kind?"

"I am. But love won't pay my tuition or the bills, would it?"

"I guess not." He replied looking thoughtful.

"Would you rather know how you will die or when you will die?" I asked quickly to distract him from all the pity I could already see brewing in his head.

"What kind of question is that?" He asked, snapping out of his thoughts.

"An interrogatory and informative one."

"I rather know how."

"Why?"

"I wouldn't want to count my days."

"Fair point."

He shakes his head. "Enough of would you rather. Let me ask a yes/no question."

"Go ahead."

"Umm." He thought for a while. "Did you ever have an imaginary friend?"

"Kind of."

What are you doing?

"When?"

"That's more than one question."

"No, it's a subquestion."

I gasped. "There's no such thing."

"You never mentioned any rules. So when?"

I considered telling him, and then just decided. Why not? "Currently."

Stop this now.

"You have an imaginary friend in the 12th grade?"

"It's more like a voice inside my head."

Code red! Code red people!! We're been revealed!!

The ever dramatic Ivy screamed in my head.

"So you talk to yourself?"

"Hey everyone has their quirks, okay? Don't judge."

He raised his hands in mock surrender. "I'm not judging."

"Plus it's not talking to myself. Since I don't say it out loud, it's more like thinking than talking."

"Did you name it?"

I pretended not to hear him and decided the blank television screen had some pretty nice channels.

"You named it, didn't you? Come on tell me the name of the voice in your head."

"Ivy Instincts." I mumbled.

The jigs up, people. We've been exposed.

"You even gave it a surname." He chuckled.

"Don't laugh."

"I'm not. I'm not." He covered his snorts with coughs.

"You better not. I haven't told anyone that before so it's a secret."

He smiled. "I promise I won't tell. I guess this is our first secret as friends."

I smiled back at him. "Friends."

Charvi!

I snapped out of that weird phase. "My turn. If you could be a star in a movie, what would it be?"

"Emoji movie."

I gave him an incredulous look. "Why that?"

"Cos the actors basically get paid for talking. I mean, if that isn't easy money, then I don't know what is."

I rolled my eyes. "It's not about the movie, it's about the thrill of pretending to be a made up character."

"Sure." He drawled, disinterested.

"Who wouldn't want to be in teen beach movie? Not to talk of being a star."

"What?" He sat up at that. "Teen beach movie is so unrealistic."

"A lot of movies are unrealistic, it doesn't stop it from being interesting."

He just stared at me like I was speaking gobbledygook.

Just say gibberish.

It's not as fascinating.

"Well, Goosebumps is unrealistic and interesting. Don't you like it?"

"No."

"Wow. I never thought anyone lacked as much taste in movies as Xander, but you proved me wrong."

"I don't lack movie taste."

"Sure."

"I'm serious."

"That's the worst part." I retorted.

He groaned and rested back on the bean bag.

"What was your favourite dinosaur as a child?"

"Are you allowed to ask two consecutive questions?"

"You did it."

"I told you. They were subquestions. They're related."

"Those aren't allowed either. So if you don't follow the rules, neither would I."

He just grumbled.

"So what was your favourite dinosaur as a child?" I asked again.

He was taking too long to think. I gasped. "Don't tell me you don't have one."

"Even if I did, how am I supposed to remember? I stopped watching stuff like that when I was 6."

"Oh you poor, poor boy. So you didn't watch any 'The Land Before Time' film?"

"No. But I think I've watched an Ice Age one. I just don't remember anything about it."

I just stared at him.

You seem to be doing that a lot.

So?

"Stop with the pitiful glances. They're just movies."

I gasped dramatically.

"It's my turn."

And we continued the game a little longer before Wren walked in. We decided to watch a movie. I voted Feel the Beat, but they both groaned and voted against it. Since we were supposedly practicing democracy among three, we ended up watching Jumanji. I was okay with it anyways. Rosita had brought us some sandwiches and drinks to munch on. She was a nice, slim, old woman.

Zane and I didn't even get to reach the middle of the movie before he had to drop me at work as promised. I changed in the main restroom so Wren wouldn't see me since he was still in Zane's room. He snuck me out of the house and parked a fair enough distance from Tate's so no one would see me getting out of his car.

**************************

I opened his car to step out.

"You still have time. Should I wait with you?"

Why is he being nice? He's a player. He has slept with half the female population. He's arrogant. He's mean. He's rude. He's a jerk.

A nice jerk? Never heard of those before.

There's more to people than meets the eye.

"Of course not. Wren's home. He'll probably be waiting."

"Yeah that's true."

I stepped out and closed the door. I waved at him. He didn't wave back and drove off.

It's either he didn't see or he just doesn't care.

I vote the latter.

Back to being a jerk.

I was sitting at a table at the corner of Tate's waiting for Toni's shift to end, when Axel and Leyla walked in. I don't know if it's weird, but I've never been happier.

They sat about a table from mine and Corinne came to get their orders. Toni preferred to be just behind the cash register since it was mostly full around her time. Corinne is still here for the first two hours of mine.

They give her their order and she wanders off. Instead of them to engage in a conversation, Axel just stares at his phone and she stares at him staring at his phone. I had about 10 minutes before my shift would start.

Don't meddle.

What makes you think I'll do that?

I'm in your head remember.

True. Then you should know what I'm about to do.

I'd close my eyes, but I don't have any.

What a shame.

I stood up from my seat, with drink in hand.

If you pour it on him I swear I'm leaving your head.

You can't and you know it.

I walked past their table. It'd be better if I poured it on him from the back. The front won't just make sense.

None of it would make sense. What do you plan to achieve from this?

He'd be too angry to type.

Number 1; That's dumb. 2; Do you want to get fired?

In about 10 minutes, I could get fired. Right now, I'm just a customer.

Goodness!

I turned around ready to pour it on him, but what I saw on his phone made me pause.

He's texting me. And it looks like he's about to call me.

If your phone starts ringing, while you're Avery won't it be weird.

Coincidence, maybe.

But what about when you pick up?

That's why I'm not going to. He can't call me while he's on a date with her.

My phone that was in my jeans pocket rang.

Apparently he can.

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How was that?

This is shorter than my usual chapters, but it's not too short, right?

Anyways, please drop a vote and comment for me. Please also share. Thanks. :D