The loud sobbing of my mother woke me up in a jerk. I gasped watching her bloodshot eyes. Next, my eyes fell on my father who was drinking water from the bottle while wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"Mama," I whispered.

She chuckled briefly through tears, caressing my cheek as she nodded towards the bandaged that was visible from under the sport tracks.

"What happened to you, baby? Who did this-"

I gulped, shuddering when the morning encounter with the mean glasses flashed in mind. I opened my mouth, raising up to sit slowly while wincing when my back stung again.

"Ah! It was a little accident. Some kid ran me over."

She gasped. "Did you note the car number or anything?" Her jaws clenched as her sobbing increased.

I shook my head. "God, mommy. No. It was a bike. Paddle bike."

She frowned, looking confused when her eyes fell back on my wrapped leg. "A bike did this to you."

I nodded. "Hit me from the back. I fell ahead and hurt my knees. The kid helped me, though. Dropped me to the school and then, I got myself treated by Miss Holland."

She sighed in relief, gulping while kissing my forehead. "My baby."

I wiped her eyes and cheeks, scrunching my nose. "God, I slept too much. Is it eight?" I looked at the wall clock and widened my eyes.

"My homework," I whimpered.

Dad say on the couch, now observing my leg and ankle. "No. Take a day off."

"But?"

Dad smiled warmly at me. "Do not worry, I will make a call to the school."

I was only smiling idiotically at his words when mom swallowed the whole environment.

"But did you know this kid? Is it from the society? How the parents have given the bike if they don't know how to ride?" She spoke angrily. "I don't know, Spence. Ask the watchman for the morning footage-"

"Mom. What?" I stared at her in disbelief.

She nodded in determination. "He must be some savage kid, trying to tease you around. I swear, I will get his bike ran over by bulldozer."

I wanted to laugh but it only came out nervously. "Really?"

Dad shook his head, sighing at her angry thoughts. "Annette, calm down." He looked at me, making me freak out inside. "Lori, tell us what happened. How did he managed to get you," he glanced at my wrapped knees. "To this."

Mom's nostrils flared while she sat on the table waiting for me to speak. I gulped slowly.

"It's fog all the time. He wore spectacles and was naive at bicycling. He must have been startled at seeing me emerging in the fog all of a sudden."

Mom crossed her arms across her chest. "Was he injured too?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Yes, obviously." I laughed nervously. "He had a deep cut on his leg too. The bike had fallen on us. Like he injure his one leg and I just fell into the trap. It's my fault, I was walking freely in the middle of the road-"

Mom frowned. "He didn't ring the bell?"

I grimaced. "God, mom. Stop. He didn't do it knowingly. Besides, he had apologized."

Dad stared at me. "He did?"

I nodded. "Truly."

He chuckled briefly. "Then, it's okay. It was a genuine mistake. But I must say, he broke you well, Lori." He gave me humorless smile. "If only I get to see the little savage."

Little? I chuckled nervously.

"I am hungry," I muttered, lowering my eyes.

Mom's gaze softened as she twitched her lips. Getting closer, she kissed my forehead again. "You scared me so much," she murmured.

"Scared and you?" I chuckled. "Ask me when I saw the blood. I had almost peed. It was freezing and on top of it, I started crying."

Her lips parted as she stared at me worriedly. "Do you want me to take a day off for you?"

I looked at her in shock. "Will you?"

She nodded, smiling. "I will make you a chocolate cake."

The idea was pleasing, but then again I knew mom was on a contract. One holiday would have her wage cut from the full salary. I smiled sadly.

"It's okay. I will manage." I whispered quietly.

She had understood why I was declining as she awed at me while hugging me tight. I winced hard.

"Mommy. My back stings."

Her eyes worriedly ran over my face. "God, at the back too?"

I pouted and suddenly held her cheeks. "Leave that. I am way too hungry now. Give me something, please."

She sighed tiredly and chuckled.

"Anything for my baby." She kissed my cheek and got up to walk towards the kitchen, while I sighed in relief. She would truly do anything for her baby.

Even if it meant, hitting the Brent's arrogant ass.

_____

Sleeping at night had became difficult when I had already slept too much. Mum's delicious dish had done wonders that I was so relieved and laying peacefully on my bed all satisfied with the tasty food, after so many days.

But something was again twitching my left eye as the words kept echoing in my mind.

"You are a stranger."

"Neighbor."

I breathed heavily, realizing that never had I truly given it a thought before. The meany but intelligent Marcus Brent was my neighbor. Mom's rumor story had scared me enough to always keep my window closed in winters which would remain for more than half of the year. Even if I had opened it sometimes at the sunny day, the window right at the front of mine, would always be covered with a checkered curtain.

There was no way I could quench my curiosity by peeking from my window, now.

This sudden stomach ache was forming because I wasn't content at how that mean glasses didn't even came to ask me at my home if I had reached home.

He had himself decided to drop and it was his responsibility to search me over if he couldn't find me at the medical room. He had to show the care for the person he hit so brutally that even on a freezing morning.

I could recall how my nose had started watering and it had stuck to my skin, freezing in the extreme cold.

But the encounter was not only memorable because of that. I also got the chance to finally observe how of a true jerk he was.

Normally, nerdy or introvert guys would be sweet and gentlemen. But this one had fired up my ass. I couldn't sit quiet with this truth on my chest that the infamous descendant of the Brent family hit me with his bike.

Mom would not just freak out.

She would explode.

I shook my head. This could turn into a disaster. Mom would yell things to his parents, not caring if he did it unknowingly and even helped me. The arrogant Clark Brent would show his power and could put Daddy's job in danger by doing his tricks like spoiled-rich men would usually do in movies.

Dad would leave his job and mom would be depressed from the lack d money. I would be thrown out from the school and we would have to return to my hometown.

I gasped. No, that couldn't happen. I couldn't live there back at my grandma's home with all the cousins, who were way too sincere and traditional.

I turned over with wide eyes. Nope.

I couldn't narrate this encounter with Marcus to my mother, by a single chance. This would ruin lives. Our lives. My life.

I nodded to myself and closed my eyes, still intimidated by those icy blue orbs.

But this time, I really couldn't shut up even if he was telling me to.

The bitch didn't even care to come and see me.

________

The next day passed like a slow rail.

It was freezing cold out there and I was refraining myself from bathing as it would need a lot of efforts to rip off the bandages and wrap new ones back.

But mom made me do so by yelling and partly begging.

"It would be a whole day. You are required to keep your wounds clean and wrapped freshly," she had taught me while preparing the bathtub for me.

Thankfully, the hot water didn't sting and I enjoyed the slow bath. I even got to wash hair and got them combed and oiled up by Mom.

"Lord. How they became so frizzy? You don't wash them on time, Lori?" She asked in a dead tone, while combing my hair. "Now, keep it oiled up for a day and wash tomorrow."

I pouted as I could already feel the coldness freezing the oil on my skull. Well, I was exaggerating but I still was worried, it would stain my pillows. So I wore the shower cap and went downstairs slowly for the breakfast.

"Thanks, mom." She would behave like an angel when it comes to pleasing me, when I am sick. On usual days, my ears would turn sore from her complaints and bickering over me using my phone.

She smiled sweetly. "Lock the door and watch some good movies or anything. I have made lunch for you already. Warm it up when you want to?"

Dad kissed my forehead while I hugged him back. "Take care, Lady Loretta."

I rolled my eyes, giggling when he curtsied and walked towards the door. Mom followed him with car keys in her hand. She tied her scarf and glanced at me sternly for the last to me.

"Wear your beanie. Its way too cold," she exclaimed. "Bye. Take care."

"Love you, mom." I groaned while slowly getting up from the dining table and walking towards the door.

Just as I heard the click, I know Mom had locked it from outside. So, peeking from the nearby window, I watched them wiping the vapors off the car. Mom was opening the gates as Dad slowly drove out of the little lawn of ours and stopped right in front of our gates.

She was about to get into the car when I saw her looking at the right all of a sudden. My heart dropped.

From the right, came out of the gates none other than the infamous Marcus Brent on his bike. I sniffled in extreme nervousness as he gave my mother a brief glance before he finally turned his head away and got on those murderous wheels.

I sighed in relief as mom got in the car right when he rode away towards the school. But wait, wasn't he late for the school today?

I twitched my lips when my parents drove out towards the left, leaving me alone in this big house, with an unsatisfied heart and wounded leg. But I could revive myself by watching my favorite series. Nodding to myself, I was only walking towards the couch and TV when a loud knock came upon the door.

Sweat beads slid down behind my ear as I thought extremely positive about this. It was only mom. She must have forgotten her diary or her purse. Yeah, maybe Dad forgot his mobile phone.

Another knock came, startling me.

I hurriedly turned around and walked towards the door, trying to peek from the side window which was only giving the view of the lawn and the gates but not of the porch at the main door. I huffed out in frustration, trying to peek from the lock hole, when the third knock came and this time more desperate.

I rolled my eyes. "Okay. Enough," I yelled, sliding in my personal key into the knob, rolling it over. A click came and the door opened, along with my mouth all wide when the tall figure stood at the entrance, intimidating me to the core.

Icy blue eyes narrowed under those specs, making me flare my nostrils. "What are you doing here?"

His one eyebrow raised while immediately furrowed at seeing the shower cap on my head. His eyes slowly lowered on to rake over my warm red t-shirt and lose grey pajamas. He himself had worn a dark blue sweater with a grey muffler and dark pants. He looked quite handsome.

"Catching your jaw dropping at the sight of me," he smirked.

I swallowed my cheeks, glaring at him. The realization came instantly as I remembered that he didn't bother to come and see me last day to just know if I had reached home. He was as mean as mom had told me.

I shut my mouth at his words, tilting my head. "Don't you have a school to go?"

He scoffed. "And you?"

I breathed to keep my patience which was running away. "Nope. I am not well enough to go," I said with a sweet smile. "You see, some dickhead ran me over, bothered his mean ass by dropping me at the school and didn't even came to check on me later. My injuries are not healed. So I am supposed to rest at home like a good girl."

"Good girl?" A grin came upon his lips that had stolen the breaths out of me. "You?"

He laughed, making butterflies screaming around in my stomach. He pushed the door gently, and looked inside the home, stepping ahead. His eyes raked over the drawing room and everything.

"Not bad, Ryder's." He muttered while slowly walking towards the couch when I finally realized what was happening.

"Hey! How dare you enter my home like that? You are supposed to ring the bell and wait for me to invite you which clearly I wouldn't since you are a mean, arrogant jerk-"

"I have learnt that bells don't work well with your stone head, yesterday. And you see, how you opened the door at me knocking. About inviting me inside, you have already commented on my fine ass for the third time which shows how obsessed you are with me and you wouldn't mind me entering your home because of the same."

I gasped, observing the time in the wall clock. It was five minutes to half past eight, which was the reporting time of the school but instead of giving a fuck about it, the scholar freak sat on the couch, putting his bag away.

"This is not happening," I spoke out in disbelief. My mom would kill me if she found out, this freak entered our home. "What do you want?"

His eyebrows narrowed as he crossed his arms across his chest, leaned back on the couch and observed me.

"You are my junior and you must respect me," he stated.

"Fuck off."

He stopped moving as he clenched his jaws, giving me the familiar dead look. "What did you say?" He muttered calmly, his jaw ticking.

I kept my confidence at peek and stared in his eyes, not backing off. "You need to fuck off."

He stood up immediately, startling me that I had almost stepped back aggressively and hurt my leg. He walked closer, making me crane my head up to look in his eyes. Barely a step away, he stopped and my confidence had loosened by then.

"I had told you to hold your sweet little tongue tight. Didn't I?" He murmured calmly. "I had even told you to wait for me at the medical room."

My face warmed up as immense anger filled my skin. I glared at him. "You hit me and made me injured. Instead of having a little regret or guilt in your eyes, all I could see how mean and pathetic you are. Who would really want to follow your words then? Senior or not. Neighbor or not."

Something flickered in his eyes that seemed similar to being guilty but it changed immediately, just as he bent to reach his face at my level.

"I didn't do it knowingly and I apologized. I helped and I further offered my help. This is my way, Loretta. If that wasn't enough for you, then go ahead tell your parents that I was the kid who had ran you over." He said in a cold tone, freezing me right there.

"I will tell them too how your bag stinks of not only rotten food but erotic novels too. I wonder if you have dildos in your room too? What age are you? Sixteen-"

I gulped shakily when he chuckled darkly. "Do not ever angry me, Loretta. I can be very bad if someone pushes me to be."

"Not a surprise," I whispered, breathing slowly. "I won't tell them. Okay? Now, please leave." My voice ended up sounding desperate.

He chuckled darkly.

"Good girl."

He straightened, walking back to the couch while pushing his glasses on his nose. He opened the zip of his bag and picked out a tube from it. Putting it on the table, he gave me a hard look.

"The ointment for your back," he spoke in a straight tone.

I kept quiet, thinking what was even happening while he hung his bag on his shoulders and walked towards the door.

"Again, I am sorry for the pretty wounds."

The door closed right after while I stood there all shocked by the weirdest behavior I had ever seen. Something was wrong with him, I concluded.

Something was truly wrong with him.

_______

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