Our car went around in loops and so many turns that once I got knocked against the door of my seat and hurt my elbow.

        "WHERE'S YOUR SEATBELT?!"he asked.

        "I'm wearing it!JUST KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD!"I yelled, panicking as the speed of our car increased every second.

        "I AM!"he yelled back.

          I just didn't have too much confidence in his driving for the moment. I started praying,"I'll put everything in it's place, I'll never leave a door open, I'll turn off all the lights, I'll cook and I'll do my best to fall in love with a good guy!JUST SAVE ME JESUS!"I Jabbered.

        "Seriously?"he turned to me, doubting my last words. "Keep your eyes on the road!" I turned his face to front,"YOU'LL KILL US BOTH AT THIS RATE!"

        "I won't,"he laughed,"you don't trust me?"

        "I do! but it's not the right time to ask this question!" I grabbed the handle on the ceiling of the rover. My feet were lifted in air. I tried resting them but ended up in crouching on the seat and grabbing the pendant in my neck. I held on to it tightly as I closed my eyes.

         For almost an hour the chase went on but the moment we left the city behind, I didn't hear or see anyone behind us. I looked up, in the side mirror. Nope we were the only ones out on the road at this moment.  "They're gone,"he whispered leaning in closer to me. I turned to him,"You sure?"

        "Yeah it's been ten minutes since they stopped chasing us,"he assured. I frowned,"How do you know that?"

        "They're limited to the city, once you're out of it they won't chase you." I nodded in understanding. I straightened myself. "Uhm...but my grandma and dad?"

        "They left to somewhere else-"

        "BUT WHAT IF THEY'RE NOT SAFE!"

        "Don't worry...they're in safer hands than you are currently,"he smirled out of nowhere. "Me?"I blinked in confusion. It took me a whole second to understand what he was referring. "YOU PERVERT!"I yelled throwing fists at him. "Hey!You wanna kill us both?"he gripped the wheel.

        "I'm sorry,"I sighed,"how do you expect me to take things lightly when I'm left in your care..."

        "My care?"he narrowed his brows,"you think I'm not capable of protecting a nosy brat like you?"

        "I didn't mean it like tha-"

        "You can trust me,"his jaw clenched, he used to do that when he was uncertain or tensed,"I'm not interested in a teenager's body...specially the ones that look like skin and bones,"he rolled his eyes. I gasped, "Well sorry for being a perfect human!"

        "Whatever,princess."

        "A healthy one as well,"I mumbled looking out of the window. This was going to be a long summer vacation and I could feel it. Just the start was a whole ass novel in itself.

~

         For a while none of us spoke. It was a comfortable silence, although he and I never got along but we always had this comfortable zone we had created within ourselves.

         I was tired,  after four hours of staying in the same spot; there was an excruciating pain erupting in my back and neck. My spinal cord was going to give up any second. We were inside Kern County, almost reaching the city of Tehachapi.

         I had been here once with dad on a business trip but I was only six by then, I didn't remember much except for the reubens I had here at dad's friend's place.

         We were greeted by the blue sign board of "TEHACHAPI; HISTORIC DOWNTOWN."

        He parked the car at a gas station. He got down and went to fill the vehicle. I got down as well. He was checking his phone for service. He turned to me,"Where are you going?"

        "Uh...to the restroom...I have to uh-"

        He understood,"Be back in 10 mins..."he looked away in awkward silence. "Sure,"I ran to the restroom and hurriedly took a glance at my face in the mirror. Ugh they smelled so bad, the moment I entered it, I stopped in my tracks because of the stench of I don't even know what it was, but it was awful. I took a quick peek in the mirror.

        I didn't look dead. Good.

        I ran back to the car, he was still filling. "You're done already?"he raised an eyebrow at me in mock. He knew I never came back early in class when I'd leave for a the bathroom. I glared back at him and slammed the door as I bucked my seatbelt.

        "Not my dad's favorite car!"he called out.

        "I know!"

        "Just a reminder,"he shrugged.

        I checked my pockets for my phone, I couldn't find it. I rummaged through my stuff in the back seat. I found it in the bag I had thrown it in.

        "Thank God!"I sighed in relief. "I'll just let Grey know-"

        "Nora,"he interrupted as he got into his seat. "Yeah?"

        "Don't turn your phone on...they'll track your location."He told me. I grimaced,"But you said they're not going to follow us after we get out of the city."

        "Those people won't but the ones after us currently,"he took my phone from me,"there's a sub unit out there searching for you every second and that means we can't let them know our location neither can we stay in a place for too long."He threw it in the back seat.

        "Hey!"

        "I'm not making rules here,Nora." He added,"Keeping you safe is my only priority right now." My heart skipped a beat at his words.

        "Can you tell me why all of this is happening?"I asked.

        "You finally came up with the question any normal girl would've asked me a hundred times by now...if we were in a movie you know."He joked.

        "You just can't get more obvious,"I rolled my eyes. He started the engines as he let out a hearty laughter. "I'll let you know why we're under this situation but let's grab a bite first."

        I nodded in agreement cause I was starving.

        Mr.Eugene had a persuasion power, a habit of making anyone listen to him. I thought about how dad and grandma had escaped. Hopefully they were in safe hands as he had said. I didn't even know when I drifted off to sleep, all I saw was the bakeries passing by us when I closed my eyes.

~

        I had that dream again or should I call it a nightmare. The same one I used to have back at home. I was travelling miles and miles with someone with no specific destination.

        The moment we stopped at a tuck shop in the dream I woke up.

        We had stopped at a place in reality as well. The engine was coming to a rest. I blinked my eyes to see everything vividly.

        I turned to Mr.Eugene. He was on the phone.

        "Hinata's going to be on spot C and you'll be at the hawk base,"he continued, not noticing that I was listening to whatever he was discussing. "I'll take her there...hmm...just let me know if something comes up otherwise we're going north at the moment...sure...see you then." He hung up.

        "Who were you talking to?"I inquired since he had mentioned me. He turned to me,"It's the guy taking care of your dad, an old acquaintance of mine..."he unbuckled his seatbelt. "You hungry?"

        "I guess yeah,"I nodded. "Let's grab something here,"he got out of the car. I followed him. I stretched my back, I wasn't used to travelling like this. Especially in such dangerous situations.

        We got some breakfast for ourselves, there was only one shop open in the area.

        BREKY'S BREKY; a small breakfast shop. It was in the middle of zero population so far. We sat across.

        It was our first time eating like this. We often had him at our place, but grandma was always there and he and I never got along anyway, so grabbing a bite or anything was off limits.

        The waitress came in and dropped our orders. She gave Mr.Eugene a flirtatious look before she placed his cheese burger and fries at the table. He didn't pay her any attention at all.

        "You're not from around here...are you?"she leaned in. He turned his eyes to me. Glancing at me with a blank face. I shrugged as a gesture that 'she asked you...not me.'

        "I'm from Italy,"he kept looking at me.

         I tried repressing my smug smile by taking a mouthful of my pancakes. "Italy?"she raised an eyebrow in excitement, leaning in closer to him. Her cleavage almost flashing in his face. I winked unintentionally at him. He knew I meant 'how's the view?'.

        "Yes, do you have any issue with my nationality...ma'am."He got all sweet tounged. I motioned at him as if I'll puke. He smirked but didn't break his eye contact from my face.

        'Why you looking at me?'I gestured,'LOOK INTO THE BOOBS!'

        He smirked wider, moving her out of the way. "Excuse me,"he motioned for her to get out of his face. She turned to me,"Oh you have a girlfriend!"she gasped.

        "Ah no I'm n-"

        "Can you leave us now?"he asked. She snorted at his request and left giving me an incredulous look.

        WHAT A JOYKILL!

        "Not funny!"he rolled his eyes.

        I chuckled,"You go through these people everyday?"

        "Not every day...but this is pretty normal."

       "Don't tell me you've never been asked by magazines for a photoshoot or modelling?"I quizzed, pressing my fingers against my glass of juice.

         He shrugged,"Even if it is such a situation,I can't agree because of my work."

        "You work for my dad right?He won't mind it if you do agree tho,"I chewed my cheek, pressing it between my left molars. "I don't work for Mr.Bridges,"he sipped his coffee,"I'm merely helping him with a promise I once made."

         I frowned. What was that?a riddle?!

        "Promise?"

        He stopped eating all of a sudden, as if I had suddenly asked him to sell his precious hair to me. "Kindly refrain from being silly, Ms.Bridges." He turned back to that old math-teacher tone of his's. I rolled my eyes,"Your girlfriend dates you for pure bad luck,"I mumbled.

        He puzzled,"My what?"

        "Your girlfriend of course."I gave him the obvious reaction. He was shook for a sec. "How on earth did you find out about my girlfriend,Nora?"he grinned.

        "I uh...I-"

        "Aren't you being yourself,Nora,"his grin grew wider,"just like a stalker."

~

"I lie to them, saying we're frenemies...but we know it's just us. So us."

~