Love Aint Always Pretty

Chapter 9: 9 Gesten

Gesten

Translation: gestures

Origin: German

9

Alec arrived right after our foods were served. He sat down right next to me, so I was in between him and Nick. The boys randomly talked about cars, the initiation tomorrow but not the specific details cos we were around with them. They talked about the recruits and mostly Alec was blabbering about the party tonight. Another party on weekdays.

Can't they just spend a night quietly?

"Ugh! You guys have been talking about cars for the entire dinner." Tracy whines.

I just kept twirling my finger around the straw and noticed that the three men were both quiet after Tracy whined about it. Though it was true, I just didn't bother it cos I dont want to say anything wrong that will make this night worst than that night when Nick said those words to me. Dinner was delicious though and I just focused on my drink.

All through out dinner, I was just observing Nick and I dont know why I was doing that either. He doesnt smile a lot even when he's with his friends and his voice is really deep but not gruesomely deep, more of like sexy deep and he's so secretive and mysterious. He looks so cool and is really intimidating at the same time. It's like there's more to him than just what he shows to us. He's perilously handsome when he's on side view, yeah maybe in any angle. Damn, his beard makes me wonder how old he is but it suits him though.

I noticed a lot of stuff about him while he was eating too, he smells his food before eating it, he keeps playing with his fork in between his forefinger and middle finger while he's listening to someone talking, he ordered orange juice so Im guessing he likes orange juice, he doesn't dip his fries on ketchup so Im thinking he doesnt like ketchup too, and he pressed his burger down before he ate it so it became a little slimmer. No guy I have ever seen to do that.

"Savannah, were you even listening to me?" Tracy snapped me out from almost admiring what Nick was doing the entire time we were eating.

"Sorry, what?" I asked her and feel the three guys looking at me.

I gazed at them then looked straight to Tracy, "You've been zoning out." she says.

"Sorry. I was just... thinking about something. What were you saying again?" I asked nicely.

"I said there's this party tomorrow for the recruits who will pass the initiation, do you want to go? Please go?" she asked me.

I pout. "I cant. My siblings are coming over tomorrow to pick me up."

"Oh yeah, Savannah said he had a brother." Clyde blurted.

"Really? Is he going or did he go to WSU too?" Alec asked.

"Well he--"

"Guys, stop butting in our conversation. It's girl talk. Will you please mind your own?' Tracy arched an eyebrow and the three men looked away.

"Thank you." Tracy said sarcastically.

I smiled as I take a sip from my juice.

"So this brother of yours, what's he like?" she asks.

"He's pretty tall. A jerk too like any other brother." I said, forgetting that Nick was Tracy's brother.

"True. I totally agree to that. Im glad we share the same agony having older brothers." Tracy gazed at Nick who gave me the look while Alec and Clyde were laughing on their seats.

I bit my lower lip and just continued sipping on my juice.

"Is he old? How old is he?" Tracy asked with a smile.

"He's twenty-five." I answered.

"Oh! Just a year older than Nick." Tracy chimes.

My eyes flared for a moment, damn he's that old? I gazed at him and he looked unhappy when Tracy brought up the topic about his age. I noticed that Alec was gazing at Nick too then at Tracy, Clyde was just staring on his drink and she realized that she said something bad.

"Sorry." She says with her head down low and Im sure she was addressing Nick.

Goodness, it was just a god damn age why would they take it so seriously? The entire table was insanely quiet.

"Anyways, back to the frat party tomorrow, please come along with us. Please? It's going to be around eleven so Im hoping you'll have time to go with me." she quickly changed the topic.

"I told you Trace, parties aren't my thing and Im sure Im not invited to that." I said.

"Hell, you are. Any friends of Tracy is our friend. Right Nick?" Alec blurted out.

I gazed at Nick while he was busy finishing his juice. "Sure. I think."

"See? Now you dont have to feel like a gatecrasher anymore, the El Presidente himself invited you. So please go." Tracy begs, again.

"I'll try, okay? Im not sure my brother and little sister will allow me to go but I'll try."

"Awwe, you have a little sister? I've always wanted a little sister." Tracy cooed.

Nick quickly cleared his throat, "We gotta go."

Alec and Clyde synchronizingly turned their heads around where Nick was looking at who were also looking back at us with grins on their faces. It was a bunch of three guys who looked like they're kind, you know some frat men. Nick stands and they all followed right away, even Tracy, so I had to stand up too.We passed by the table of those guys they were looking at a while ago.

"Hey Nick." one guy called out from their table.

Nick stopped and stared at them, "Hey Baxter."

Then all of us halted and looked over their table.

"You got some new babe with you." Baxter rubs his chin while looking at me.

Shit, he meant me? Im a babe? God damn he winked at me. This blacked haired guy with an eyebrow piercing is eyeing on me and it was totally gruesome though he's kind of hot, a little bit, but not as goodlooking as Nick nor Alec.

"She's off limits too Baxter." I hear Alec say.

Baxter laughed, "Oh, with who now? Nick? He's--"

"By me."

All of us turned to the the door of the diner where the voice came from. I see Aries standing there and he starts to walk towards us with his friends right next to gim. The poeple around were starting to get tensed, even the waitresses around were looking at us. I think these guys with Baxter are from another fraternity cos I could feel the intense tension.

"Hey angel." Aries hooks his arm over my shoulder and winked at me.

I gaped but then I recovered and played along. Baxter and his friends went dead shut for a second and he just smiled, "Better hold her tight Aries. She's kind of..... innocently hot."

"Let's go guys." I hear Nick say who headed out of the diner first and I think every customer in here, aside from us, exhaled in relief that we were leaving. We headed out of the diner and walked towards the cars parked.

"Who were they?" I asked Aries whose arm already left my shoulder.

"They were from Lambda Chi Alpha." Tracy answers me since nobody seems to care about what I asked out.

"Stay away from them angel, those guys who beat me up the other night came from their frat." Aries says to me.

"If they touch you, tell me right away."

I turned to Nick who was looking at me, " You hear me?" he asks and sounded dead serious.

I nodded. He cares?

"How about we go to the frat party right now? We can't let the recruits and other kids enjoy all the fun." Clyde tries to lighten up the aura.

Everybody starts heading to the cars. "You're going with us angel?"

I turned my head to Aries, "I think not. I still have to do some research for this assignment due for tomorrow."

"Tracy, Clyde ride with Alec. I'll take Savannah to the dorm." Nick blurted out while he pulls out his car keys.

My eyes flared momentrarily and I think all of us were shocked by what he said but then since they're scared of him and he's on the higher position than everyone else, they did what he said.

"I really wanted you to come tonight but I'll be expecting you tomorrow?" Aries asks.

I smiled at him, "I'll think about it."

"Alright angel. Have fun on your way to the dorm with Nick." he whispers close to my ear.

I laughed softly and noticed that everyone were already getting inside the cars. I walked towards the passenger door of Nick's car and glanced at Tracy who was waving right at me. I smiled to her and finally go inside Nick's car. I don't know why he's doing this but when was he such a gentleman? He never ever ever offered me a ride and it's the least thing I could think of that he will do to me.

While we were both insanely quiet inside his car, and the only sound was his engine, "You like music?" He asked.

He's talking. He's actually talking to me.

"Yeah. Sure." I answer causally.

He turns on his radio and a very classic RnB song came to play while I was trying to hold back my laugh. I was covering my mouth and he was looking over at me.

"Classics are cool." He defends his music.

I recovered from laughing. Okay he caught me giggling on my seat. "I didn't say it wasn't."

"Ignition was a killer before and it's still a killer to me." He says.

I just looked away and smiled.

"You kids nowadays only appreciate songs about drugs and sex and women. What you're into? Justin Bieber? One Direction?" He asked.

Now, with the different taste and years of music, I can already feel our age gap. He is really old.

I turned back to him. "Kids?" I laughed softly. I felt like he is really older than me. He's six years older than me though.

"Well I'm more of a Maroon 5 and Kodaline fan."

"Kodaline got some sick songs too."

I watch him while he was driving with one hand on the stirring wheel and the other one was hanging right outside of his opened window. He gazed at me.

"Why are you being nice to me?" I asked him of the blue.

His eyebrows furrowed.

"At first you hated me to your bones and now... You're... Offering me a ride home. I think your screw is loosening up." I say.

"I don't hate you Savannah. I just thought you were what I thought you were. I guess I was wrong." He says.

Okay was that a riddle? I couldn't quite figure it out.

"I'm glad you realized that. But I was just curious, that Baxter guy from a while back, were you friends before?" I asked.

He grins. "I don't like questions. But stay away from him. He's a bad guy."

"Aren't you?" I asked.

He looked at me while he was waiting for the traffic light to turn green. "No. Me and Baxter are two different men."

I sigh. "Then answer this easy question."

"I just said I don't--"

"I said easy question. Don't be such a pain in the bum. Just one." I pulled one finger up. I tried to smile.

"Fine."

"You're already 24?"

He glanced at me. "Yup."

"What happ--"

"No more extra ones."

"But that wasn't what I was suppose to ask and--"

"No. More."

Both of us got quiet and we just listened to his classic RnB songs playing. After a while, we finally arrived right outside of the dorm. I thanked him before stepping out of the car and started marching my way inside the door.

"Hey Savannah."

I paused when he called out. I turned to face him and he just sits so cooly on the driver seat with his window rolled down.

"I wish you'd drop by the party this Saturday." He says.

It quickly made my heart melt but why in hell am I getting enlightened by it? Why does it feel like it's affecting me a little bit?

"I really want to see you there." He added.

He's personally asking me to come and it's so not Nick-like. I feel like my heart is having wings and it's flying. It's flying away from my chest but I need to get it back.

"I'll see what I can do." I answered.

"Goodnight."

"Night."

I watch him drive away until the lights from his car was turning little and little as he gets farther. Shit, what's wrong with me? Why is my heart beating so fast like this? I tried to tap my chest gently with my palm while I march my way inside the dormitory. I headed up to my room and shut the door close.

"This is nothing." I said.

I keep hitting my chest gently just above my heart as I keep on breathing heavily out my mouth.

"I'm just amused that he was nice to me. That's all. Don't fall for it Savannah. It might be a trap." I said to myself and shake my head.

But Nick Wilde personally invited me.

__________

SFTC:

Save You - Matthew Perryman Jones