Dedicated to booksarelife148 because she is one of my best friends and reader. ❤

• • •

Chapter 5 | Devil's Lair

"Everyone sees who I appear to be,
but only a few know the real me.
You can only see what I choose to show.
There's so much more that you just don't know."

-Unknown

• • •

"WATCH OUT!" A voice yelled pulling her out of the trance. Although, she could still feel the remnants of the screams reverberating in her ears, but there was no time to pay attention to them. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight before her whilst she lost the control of the wheel.

Immediately another pair of hands joined her and turned the wheel to the other direction. The car collided with the nearby tree. Immediately, the airbags inflated to brace them from the impact of collision.

Within seconds, Andrew opened his side of door and rushed outside. For a moment, she froze, before bolting outside. She followed him as he picked up a little girl.

Mallory was horror struck when she realised what could have happened. While she had zoned out, a little girl had stepped on the road suddenly and Andrew had quickly pushed the steering wheel to other side.

"What the hell was she doing running outside?" he practically barked at the woman.

The woman took the girl from his hand, giving them an apologetic look before rushing inside.

"Who was she?" Mallory asked.

"Just a girl I babysit sometimes." He dismissed her and then continued. "What happened there?"

"What are you talking about?" Mallory shuffled nervously under his gaze.

He reprimanded her, saying, "Are you crazy? Zoning out like that while driving? That girl could have been killed. And what was that even about? You went all rigid and started groaning!"

"Just your imagination," she whispered, her lips pressed in a thin line.

Andrew glared at her and she could clearly see him restraining himself. She could see that he wanted to press the matter further but decided to mind his own business. She was grateful that he dropped without further inquisition.

"Your car -- it's wrecked," He reminded her.

"Yeah, I can see that. My mom wanted to buy a new one anyway," she remarked reassuring herself rather than him. Boy, was she in trouble.

Now she had to call her mother and tell her about the entire incident. Then she would have to beg her not to disown her! One thing her mother was possessive about was her car.

"I gotta call my mother and my cellphone is dead. Can I borrow yours?" she asked.

"Yeah, come on. Let's go to my house," he said rather reluctantly. He didn't want to take her home; it was written all over his face.

Nevertheless, she quietly trailed behind Andrew. And after just a couple of steps Mallory couldn't help but feel paranoid. She didn't know anything about the guy. For all she knew, he could be a psychopath! And if she were to disappear, no one would know about her whereabouts. Her senses were on alert mode while her fingers reached for the pepper spray can in her back pocket.

As Andrew put the key inside the keyhole and abruptly turned around, "What if no one is home?"

"What?"

He turned around, his keys jingling in the keyhole while he muttered to himself, "I don't want to be alone with you. And what if he is at home, how would I explain it to him."

Mallory looked at his back, her hand tightening around the spray can. Suddenly, a loud bout of thunder reverberated, making both shudder reflexively.

• • •

"Aren't your parents home?" They were the first words that left Mallory's mouth as soon as she entered the home.

"I live alone," came the subtle reply.

"Okay." She said, silently muttering to herself. "What kind of parents allow their teenage son to live alone in a suburban house?"

"Don't touch anything." Andrew warned, which earned him a dirty look. Ignoring it, he made his way upstairs to get some towels.

"Jerk!" Mallory called out as she strolled around, looking at the expensive looking furniture. Suddenly her eyes landed on the house phone and she immediately picked it up to punch in her mother's number.

"DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING! Which word didn't make sense?" He snarled through gritted teeth and snatched the phone away.

Mallory glared at the guy standing in front of her, who shoved a grey towel in her hand. She narrowed her eyes, then began wiping her face and hair, lightly dabbing her clothes.

As soon as she was done, Andrew took the towel back and gave her his cellphone instead.

She dialed her mother's number. After a few rings her mother picked up.

"Mom." Mallory sighed in relief.

"Melly? Thank god you called. Why is your phone switched off?" she inquired disapprovingly.

"Battery died," her daughter said sheepishly.

"You forgot to charge it. Didn't you?"

"Kinda."

"Anyway, I was calling to tell you I am at the hospital. There's an emergency surgery."

"But mom, I need you to pick me up."

"Honey, what happened? You took my car, right? Did it run out of gas..."

"It's wrecked."

"What do you mean 'it's wrecked'? Did you have an accident? Are you alright..."

"Yes, mom. I am alright..."

"Where are you?"

"At a friend's house."

"Who?"

"Andrew," Mallory replied remembering all the hate-stories she had been telling her mother about him.

"Isn't he the one..." her mother began smugly until interrupted by her.

"Yes, Mom. Yes." Mallory sounded annoyed. Sometimes her mother's behavior made  her forgot who was the mother and who was the daughter in between them. "So when can you pick me up?"

"Look, I am going inside the operation theatre in a couple of minutes. The surgery might take a few hours. So, I will pick you up by ten?"

"Seriously, Mum? You would leave me at a stranger's house for six hours?"

"First, he's not exactly a stranger. Besides, it's not like I can just leave in the middle of an operation!"

"Fine," Mallory said realizing how unreasonable and immature she sounded, "What about Jake?"

"Gone to camping trip with Harry."

"Of course, that idiot has to run off to some ridiculous trip everytime I need him."

"I gotta go, sweetie. Duty calls. Message me the address. I will come and get you as soon as I can."

"Yeah, whatever." She pouted and disconnected the phone.

"She will pick me up by ten." Mallory announced returning the cellphone to Andrew who was plopped on the couch in front of the television.

"Ten? That's like five hours!" He complained.

Mallory narrowed her eyes at that. "You think I don't know!"

"What have I gotten myself into?" He muttered to himself while he went back to flipping through channels until Mallory came to stand in front of the television flailing her arms in order to get his attention.

"What do you want now?" He demanded, exasperated.

"Something to eat, a warm drink; but, most of all, dry clothes," she replied.

"The kitchen's over there." He pointed towards it. "Go. Help yourself." Then he added, "And as for clothes, what makes you think I'd would have girl clothes."

"Don't you wear clothes?" she questioned, irritated.

"I am not giving them to you," he simply said.

"Ugh," she groaned, "Is annoying me your sole purpose on this Earth?"

He blatantly ignored her.

"You expect me to wear wet clothes for next five hours?" She demanded.

"Sure," he gave a noncommittal shrug.

Outraged, she began, "Look, Mister. I don't know what your problem is, but I won't sit around in wet clothes for hours and catch pneumonia. I need dry clothes. And if you don't give them to me, I would ransack the entire house until I find a pair!"
And with that she stormed off towards the stairs.

One thing, her brother had taught her was that boys are too concerned about their privacy. Sure enough, Andrew followed her. As soon as she was at the top of the stairs, she reached towards the first door she saw. Just when she began twisting the door knob, a hand stopped her.

Andrew tugged at her wrist forcefully and dragged her to his room where he opened his closet. Picking up an old pair of sweatpants and a button-down shirt, he wordlessly dropped them in her hand.

Beaming, she took them eagerly and ran into the bathroom to change. When she came out, the room was empty and she could hear the television downstairs.

"Do you have a hair dryer?" She shouted at the top of her lungs.

The sound of television decreased and the sound of the footsteps ascending the stairs followed.

"Cut it out! Quit yelling." He scolded. "And no I don't have it. Just wrap them up in a towel and come down!"

"I get a headache if I keep them wet for long."

He groaned and then began, "With each passing moment, I feel it would have been better if I had just been stuck on that road. Dealing with you is like dealing with a baby, only they are less annoying!"

"Oh, yeah? And do you think I am enjoying your glares and not-so-subtle eyerolls​? If it were up to me, I'd be out of here ages ago!"

"Let me see, if my house mate has it." He sighed while making his way to the adjacent room. Soon after, he was back with a hair dryer which he placed in her outstretched hand.

"Where are your parents?" She asked plugging in the device.

"None of you business!" he snapped and stormed off.

Mallory sighed, switching on the machine. After blow drying her hair, she finally went downstairs and sunk down at the other end of couch where she sat wordlessly watching some random action movie.

"I am hungry!" Some half an hour later, Mallory declared, getting up.

"I already told you where the kitchen is," Andrew said, his eyes still glued to the television.

She got up and went to the kitchen. She took out some bread slices and began buttering them. Then she scrambled some eggs. Once done she poured orange juice in two glasses and placed them in a tray next to two plates of bread and eggs. Finally she carried it to the living room and placed the tray on the table.

Andrew looked at her as she kept one plate and glass in front of him. "You didn't have to cook for me."

"Consider this me returning your hospitality," she winked, stressing at the last word while she sat on the couch and sipped from the glass.

"I'm not even hungry," he said, just when his stomach grumbled loudly.

She gave him a smug look which immediately shut him up.

"So, Andrew," she began biting the bread, "What's up with you?" She queried.

Impatience and curiosity were in her nature. It wasn't like she needed some new gossip or was interested in the mysterious guy. It was just curiosity. Plain, simple, innocent curiosity!

"What do you mean?" He asked for clarification, taken aback by her question.

"Why is it that you are always angry? Why don't you talk much? You don't know what people say..." She trailed off.

"What people think or say are least of my worries," he shrugged.

"They say that you don't talk to anyone because you think no one's good enough for you and that you do drugs and other nasty stuff..."

"So do you believe them?" He raised an eyebrow.

She shrugged, "I have better stuff to do, you know. I don't spend my daylight hours thinking about you."

"So if it doesn't matter, why do you ask?"

"Curiosity." She said plainly while trying to mimic his emotionless expression.

Andrew seemed satisfied by her reply. But rather than answering her question, he asked his own. "What's your secret?"

"I don't have one," she stated nervously, restless under his gaze.

He looked at her intently as if making sure that she knew he didn't believe her.

Mallory didn't say a word afterwards. She silently sat at her end of couch, nibbling at the food, her appetite gone. She slowly sipped her glass of juice while watching random shows.

Andrew lightly snored on the other end.

Somewhere in the middle of a 'Criminal Minds' episode, she dozed off.

• • •

"I hate parties," Mallory told her best friend's mother, as she zipped up her dress.

"I know sweetie, I hate them too." Emily's mother said while styling Mallory's hair.

"Mom, how much time do you still need?" Emily came in wearing a gorgeous green dress, which went really well with her green eyes.

"She is ready sweetie," her mother answered as Mallory rose from her chair. Looking at the boy who stood shyly in the hallway, she said, "You can come in too, Ben."

"Marry me you beautiful woman," Emily told Mallory, giggling.

"Why would I, the epitome of beauty, marry you, Shrek's twin?" Mallory asked in a dismissing tone and laughed.

"Emily? I can't believe you are cheating on me. You said the exact same thing to me a couple of minutes ago!" Ben said in mock-horror.

"No I didn't." Emily scoffed.

"Okay! Enough kids," her mother intervened, raising her arms to stop them. "Let me click some pictures." She took out her camera while the trip posed in front of her.

Click! Click! Click!

"Have fun and no fighting, you two." She told Emily and Ben while both of them pulled out their tongues.

"Happy Birthday once again," she turned towards Mallory. "I will see you after the party."

Only she didn't. That was the last time, they ever saw Mrs. Clout.

"Let's do this," Mallory declared and reached for the door knob.

No...No...No...

Suddenly, her ears were filled with screams.

No...No...No...

She shot up from her bed...no, wait! Couch? She looked around taking in her surroundings. Once she realized where she was, her eyes scanned the area again. Even though she had woken up, the screams didn't stop like they normally did.

Because this time it wasn't her screams that woke her up. They were Andrew's. He was writhing in agony and drenched in sweat.

Suddenly, he bobbed up, wide awake. Her shocked eyes met the latter's terror-filled ones. Andrew just stared, stared at the face, who had just witnessed something, no living soul ever did.

And the only thought Mallory had was, she wasn't the only one who had nightmares.

• • •

VOTE. VOTE. VOTE. Please ? ;)

Hii,

So here's your update like I promised.

What do you think? Did ya like knowing more about Andrew? Hate it? Love it? Leave a comment.

-Ridhima ☺