ADDICTED *completed*

It is being an hour now and Amanda has not prepared for school. She lays in bed listening to her music instead.

“Common sweetheart does not play naughty. You cannot miss class today. It is your first week.” Her dad yelled downstairs

Amanda increases her music volume the more, ignoring what her dad said.

After Mr. Roger waited to get a response and did not get one, he matched to her room.

“I tried speaking nicely but-” he shrugs after seeing how comfortable she is in bed.

“Common, don’t tell me I have to keep following you around just for you to become responsible and discipline.”

She still doesn’t respond as she presses her headset to feel the beat, completely ignoring her dad.

He walks close to her and removes the headset from her head and stands furiously. Without making a sound, she rolls her eyes and rises to sit upright.

“Can you tell me what is wrong with you? Because it is very clear you are not ok” he added

“It’s good you finally asked” … “Well, I can’t be ok if you keep following me around like I am some kindergarten school kid.” She let out.

He raises his brows at her in disbelief…

“I’m grown up dad! I’m not in preschool nor high school. I’m in college. And you need to respect my decisions. If I don’t want to go to school today, it’s not your loss. So, please stop being so controlling because it’s only making things worse.”

Mr. Roger stood there speechless for some time…

“Why don’t you want to go to school today?”

Amanda sigh and looked at him depressed.

“Here you go again with the interrogations…” she complains

“Please can we for once have a civilized conversation!? I’m your dad and I need to know why. You don’t pay the school fee here. I do. So, give me a response now!” he insisted

“Fine!” she sluggishly replied

“There is this guy that has been giving me trouble from the first day of school” she began

“He keeps threatening me with vulgar words. Very frightful to say…”

“…”

Mr. Roger is dumbfounded after listening to what his daughter said. That’s something she has never done before.

For a very long time after her mom passed away, this is the first time she opens up to him about such things.

He is so excited to hear more as he launches close to her, completely forgetting the main reason he came to her room.

*…..*

Rex car has a breakdown. He is forced to get down and check what’s wrong.

All of a sudden, his brother Jeremy packs opposite the street and quietly gets down.

Without Rex noticing, his brother stands opposite, watching at him. Rex turns his head to the side and realizes his brother's presence.

Jeremy slightly smiles still watching his brother diligently.

Rex stands straight facing his brother with a pale face, pretending to feel guilty.

“Well well well… who do we have here? Should I say, I can’t explain how overwhelming this is right now? Getting my kid brother right-handed.”

Jeremy who had everything planned to make his brother feel he is the course of his cars’ breakdown, starts matching towards Rex.

Rex faintly smiles playing along.

“I’m impressed, bro. I’ve never felt so much shame the way I feel now.” Rex replies

“We could get this straight. I didn’t only get you about to take my car to school but seeing my car in an unbearable state, I start wondering if you’ll be able to refund the money used to get such an expensive brand in the new market within a day…”

Rex blinks his eyes, but inwardly, he knows the game Jeremy is playing. So, he looks away acting embarrassed by this moment.

“You don’t have to hide it, little bro. I’ve been here before and I know what it is to gather ten million without a budget, to be spent just like that in one day.” Jeremy continues smiling confidently knowing he has won in his own game.

“Should I be scared of that look?” Rex wonders

“Very very” Jeremy replies

Rex sighs and passes his hand in his hair, making it messy. Minutes have passed and Rex doesn’t seem to have a responsibility.

“Tsi Tsi… Time is money bro. You better think fast and well to make the best decision because in this state you are, I don’t think there can be anything better than what I just proposed”

“What if we make a deal?” Rex finally response

Jeremy narrows his eyes at his bro.

“Deal? Alright… bring it on”

“Firstly, before we get into what I should pay you and how I will do that, we have to check this car and know exactly what happened before it stopped.” Rex suggests

Jeremy folds his arm lining against his car, given his complete attention to where Rex is heading.

“You and I agreed that, if you caught me using your car and it happens that it has an issue, I should be ready for the consequences. And you said, a huge amount of money will be involved. If I’m not mistaken, that was two days ago.” Rex explains

“It amazes me that, those same words came to pass so soon. Not only that but at the point of me heading to school few Km away from home, this happens.”

Pointing at the car, Rex raises his brows looking disappointed. Jeremy just follows his gaze and realizes that Rex is pointing at the exact place the issue is. Which is something that, Jeremy knew only him knows?

But Rex was wiser.

Jeremy ashamed of what of the situation he put himself into, looks away and twists his mouth left to right.

Rex chuckles trying to bring Jeremy's’ attention but his brother doesn’t look at him.

“Now, getting to the real deal, you have to pay me for wasting my time, hence being late for school. Again, you played your own game and got yourself trapped. So, you will have to find someone to fix this, or remove it from here, firstly, because you haven’t paid for this space occupied. Secondly, even if you paid, it won’t before long before this is taken away by the council since you’re in a wrong foot”

Jeremy finally brings his attention to Rex and is amazed at his brother’s smartness. Rex winks at him and calls for his friend Craig who instantly comes and picks him up to school.

*…..*

After Amanda had finished discussing with her dad, she got relieved and decided to head to school.

On her way, she comes across a guy she hates the most. The same guy she confounded her dad about.

These two met a week ago out of school yet, they are unbearable towards each other.

<< Why the heck do I always have to come across this guy!? >> she curses within her

She drives pass Rex who is about entering his friend’s car after she rolls her eyes irritated by his presence.

Due to the sudden traffic, Rex and his friend Craig catches up with her on their way and drives close to her horizontally on the same line.

She is so focused so much so that, she doesn’t notice their presence. While Rex is looking forwards, Craig taps him on his laps, gesturing him towards Amanda who isn’t looking their way.

As soon as his eyes meet her, she rolls her head unconsciously only to find Rex smirking while staring at her.

She doesn’t believe her eyes so she rolls down her window to see clearly. And it is exactly what she saw before rolling down the window.

“Hey, there beautiful…”

She clenches her jaws and looks away ignoring him. The cars ahead start giving way so she follows behind trying to get away from them as soon as possible.

But Craig keeps moving forward following her pace. When she notices it, she sighs then looks at them with piercing eyes.

“Stop following me a son of a-” she goes short of words then looks away embarrassed

“I could assist in completing your statement if you want…beautiful”

“Could you stop calling me that? I’m not your girlfriend!” she yelled

“Off course…not Beautiful” Rex decline

She gets impatient and raises her middle finger towards them rolls her window up then drives away with speed.

They laugh at her reaction following her at the same speed. It becomes a competition as they try driving past her to the campus. But she is faster.

After five minutes, they arrive at the campus. All parking lots are occupied except one. Amanda glances at Rex after realizing only one of them will possibly have that space.

Without thinking twice, she drives ahead about to occupy the space but it becomes too late as Craig pulls over right before she does almost hitting her car.

To be continued…