Oh well, I’d take being a few minutes late a million times over if it meant a few hours of extra sleep.
I make my way out to the truck and jam the key in the side to unlock it because well, asking for an automatic lock on this old girl is like seeing a caveman walking around with an iPhone. It’s just never going to happen, not on this old truck.
I throw Aria’s school bag in the back seat before noticing my neighbor, Rocko, staring at me. A shudder runs through me and we find ourselves in some kind of staring competition. Surely, he must notice the set of balls I’ve been growing over the past few weeks because there’s no way in hell I’m about to back down.
Rocko quirks a brow, presses his lips into a thin line as though he’s deep in thought, and nods his head before dropping down into his car and peeling out of his drive.
Well, that was fucking weird. Usually, I have to shoo him away and say some kind of awful thing to get rid of him, but today…I don’t know, it was almost like he just pulled a bit of respect out of his ass and thrust it upon me. I don’t really know how I feel about that, but it’s better than having his scowl hitting me every time I walk out of the house.
He’s such a freaking weirdo. There’re plenty of rumors going around about him. Some girls say he likes to get a little handsy and forceful at parties while other rumors say that he’s the guy responsible for burning down the bleachers at the old football field at school. I don’t know if any of it is true as I’ve never bothered to get to know the guy, not even when Jackson was friends with him, but from the ever-present scowl on his face, I’d dare say that most of it is true.
He’s not a good guy and I don’t have the need within me to figure out why. He’s a book that I’ll happily keep closed, now and forever.
I try to forget about it and climb up into the truck. I leave the door wide open in case Aria needs me inside and turn the key with a deep twinge in my gut. There’s usually about a fifty/fifty chance that the truck won’t start. It never bothered me too much before as it’s only a short ten minute walk to school, but with Aria at the elementary school, it turns into a massive forty minute hike that I’m simply not in the mood for today. I can’t count how many lunchtime detentions I’ve been getting for being late, but one call from dad to the principal and we got that shit straightened right out.
Noah always tells me to call him when shit like that happens and as much as I love him for the offer, it’s too much effort. We’d have to wait around for him to get here and then switch the carseat over to his car which isn’t exactly easy, and then get Ari to school. We almost always end up late anyway.
But today, the truck is as happy as a pig in mud.
I leave the truck running and go back to the door.
Aria is only a few more moments and I lock the door behind her before we trudge up to the truck and climb in. She gets buckled and before I know it, I’m dropping her off at the door and beaming back at her as she gives me a huge smile.
She absolutely adores going to big girl school. She wasn’t enrolled before and it’s been a bit of work catching her up to the other kids her age. In fact, there’s still a bit of work to go. She never went to daycare and hasn’t had someone sitting by her side teaching her how to count or doing the alphabet. After all, mom was too busy getting high or stoned. Everything Aria knows, she’s learned from watching TV. It’s heartbreaking, but me and dad are convinced that with the help from the school and community activities, we can get her the education that she deserves.
I climb back up into the truck and haul ass to Haven Falls Private with just moments to spare before the bell sounds. I pull up next to Noah’s Camaro and grin as I realize he’s waited for me with Rivers, though naturally, where Rivers is, Tully isn’t.
Noah walks around to my side as I cut the engine and opens the door for me. As I jump down, he steadies me with his hands on my waist before pressing a kiss to my lips. “You look stressed out,” he murmurs, pushing a golden lock of hair back behind my ear.