Chapter 10 - Kade's Irresistable Convincing

Chapter 10

Kade’s Irresistible Convincing

 

Whinny shut her locker door and turned to see Kade standing right in front of her.  He was so close she took a step back and backed into her locker. 

“Didn’t mean to scare you.” He smiled, again, showing off his blindingly white teeth.  It was a charming, playful smile that made her heart skip a beat.

“Then why am I thinking you did?”  She was still backed against the locker, and wouldn’t dream of giving him the satisfaction of being amused by his teasing, even though she was more than just amused.

He chuckled, another thing to add to his list of charming habits. “Look, I’m sorry about yesterday.”  He was serious as he said it.

“Yeah, I wanted to thank you for sticking up for me.”  She was being sarcastic.  Whinny tried to push past him, but he grabbed her arm.

“Let me go!”

“Oh have you heard the lyrics to that song?”

…You love me but you don’t know who I am.  I’m torn between this life I lead and where I stand.  She ran over the lyrics to part of the chorus in her head. The words were ironically significant, or if not now, definitely would be.  He smiled again, probably just thinking the same thing, but she wasn’t in the mood to look him in the eyes and find out.

“C’mon!”

“No, just hear me out!”

People were watching as they walked by.  Whinny looked around at the turning heads. “Fine.”  She whispered.  “But, in the stairwell.”

“Okay I’m sorry,” He let go of her arm when they reached the stairwell. “I wasn’t sure what to say.  I ran out to catch up with you but you got too far.”  She didn’t say anything, so he continued pleading his case.  “I would’ve called you but… I ran over my cell phone.”

She rolled her eyes.  Now this was a dumb excuse, but she found some truth to it. “And how did you do that?”

“I accidently backed over it with the Stang.”  He called his cobalt blue 1966 mustang, “The Stang”.

“So it was lying in the middle of the driveway…”

He nodded.

“And what was it doing there?”  Kade shrugged. Now she believed it.

“Look, he took a step closer, backing her up into the wall this time.  He was invading her personal bubble, and so he was too close for comfort, but what was she going to do about it?  Their faces were six inches apart.  “I’m sorry, I’m gunna-“

Then, it just happened to be at that moment; another student walked in and saw them.  “Um… I’m going now.”  And he left.

Kade hadn’t moved or changed his expression, just like the other kid had never appeared.  “Look, I’m gunna break up with Spencer, she’s just an attention-starving freak.”

“Good for you, but I don’t see how that’s gunna make my life any better; therefore, I don’t care.” 

Kade chuckled and just moved aside, letting her pass. Suddenly, she was swarmed by students asking questions like, are you seriously psychic? Do you have to eat? Where are you from?  What am I thinking right now?

And many other questions.  Then Kade came out.  “Whoa!  How’d you get popular so fast?”

“I think they saw me with you.”

“Why thank you.”  He beamed.

“I was being sarcastic.”

“There’s a step up.”  He grinned.  She rolled her eyes and turned back to the crowd. 

“What are you talking about?”

The mob silenced, and one short kid with spiked orange hair spoke up. “Can you seriously see the future and read minds?”

“What?”  She faked a laugh. “Who told you that?”

Majority of the mob turned around and pointed to Spencer who was unlocking her locker.  Noticing the sudden quiet, she turned to look at them.

“Alright,” Kade pushed into the middle of the circle that had formed around Whinny.  “We’re done here; it’s just some stupid rumor, none of that is even possible.” All the middle school kids and some freshman dispersed, murmuring to the person next to them.  This would make Spencer very unpopular.  Kade then approached Spencer as she turned to him with a smirk on her face.

“What was that all about?!”

Spencer shrugged.  “She was obviously getting between us, so, I tried to make her infamous.  That way, you wouldn’t hang out with her and we’d spend more time together.”  She seemed very pleased with herself.

“And that was the most brilliant idea you could come up with?!  You just tried to make Whinny known as a freak to the whole school, just so you could spend more time with me!”  His voice was rising with every word.  Now he was one half a step below yelling.  “That is the most stupid idea I have ever heard and yet, you’re so, disgustingly happy about it!”

By now, Spencer’s proud smile had disappeared and her eyes were welling up with tears.

Kade’s voice softened. “Look,” He put both his hands on her shoulders.  “We’re done.  You obviously don’t want to be with anyone else and you know I can’t take that.”

Then a tear fell from her hurt eyes.  She quickly turned away so he wouldn’t see; she turned back to him, gave him a hug, and ran down the hallway to her next class.

Kade turned and saw Whinny, standing right where she had been outside the stairwell.  The two had some distance between them.  Through Kade’s view, she looked small, innocent, and even helpless.  A protective feeling covered him, and somehow, he knew she was in danger.  Somehow.