"Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart... Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer."

- Rainer Maria Rilke

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"Mia, how can we be together when you don't even understand why you're even here?"

For the next several days his words echoed in my head. The more I thought about it the more restless I got. I thought it was just Clayton just trying to get under my skin when he asked me why I was here but now, I wasn't so sure.

"Why am I here?" I muttered to myself, staring up at my ceiling as if it was going answer all my questions.

I gave the ceiling a dirty look before throwing the blankets off my body and heading towards the bathroom. I quickly put on my slippers and opened the door to only be stopped by someone on the other side.

"Jesus Christ, Axel! Why are you standing there?" I yelled out in fear, putting my hand over my heart.

He just smirked and stood up straight from the wall he was leaning against.

"I can stand anywhere I want." He replied cockily.

I rolled my eyes at him and carried on with my journey to the bathroom. I wasn't quite sure if my heart was pounding so hard because of being frightened or if it was just because it was just seeing Axel. I scoffed at myself, for God's sakes Mia, when did you become such a lovesick puppy.

"Where are you going?" Axel called out following after me.

"Bathroom," I answered, not sparing him a look.

"Well, what are you doing after?" He asked.

"School," I replied dryly.

"Hey!" Axel huffed out, grabbing my arm and spinning me around to face him.

"Are you trying to drive me crazy?" He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Not necess-" I started.

"For the last three days, you haven't said more than 10 words to me, let alone spare me a glance." He huffed out at me.

"Do you want to die, huh? You know I'm a gang leader right?" He shook his head at me wanting an answer.

"When I'm talking to you, answer. When I call you, pick up. When I look at you, look at me too." Axel's eyes were so intense I had to quickly look away.

"So, I'll ask you again, what are you doing after you go to the bathroom?" He let go of my arm and waited patiently for my answer.

"School," I told him again.

"Did you not hear a single thing I said?" He said annoyed throwing his hands in the air.

"What? It's the truth!" I defended myself.

Axel gave me a quick glare but it quickly turned into a smirk of amusement.

"Fine, hurry up." He said, shooing me away.

"Why?" I gave him a dirty look for shooing me away.

"Don't give me that look unless you want to die." He pointed his finger at me, almost the same way a parent would discipline their child.

"And because I'm taking you to school." A smile quickly spread across his face.

"No, you're not." I gave him another look.

"Yes I am and hey! What did I say! Are you deaf?" He scolded me again.

"No, you're not," I repeated myself.

"Why not?" Axel gave me a confused look.

"Because I'm riding with Rylan," I stated.

I always rode with Rylan in the morning to school and I don't see why I couldn't ride with him today too.

"Now you're just testing my patience, Mia." He glared at me.

"No, I'm not." I would be lying if I said I wasn't amused seeing Axel all worked up over my less than satisfactory answers.

"Why are you being so difficult?" I could see his jaw tighten, I knew I was pushing all the right buttons.

"Why won't you tell me why I'm here? Since obviously you know something I don't." I tilted my head slightly and looked at him amused.

"Not this again." He sighed loudly.

I just nodded my head at him. One way or another I'm going to find out what he's hiding from me. I was hoping he would just tell me so I wouldn't have to go to my plan B but of course, he's Axel and he will never tell me.

"Just meet me downstairs in 20 minutes." He exhaled loudly.

"What if I say no?" I pressed.

"Mia." He grunted.

"Axel." I copied.

"Shut up." He smirked, walking away.

I felt bad for being so short ended with Axel but another part of me didn't feel bad at all. He told me we couldn't be together but here he is acting as the King of China and ordering me around.

"Meet me downstairs in 20 minutes." I mocked him.

"I heard that." He called out.

My eyes widened slightly, I thought he was already gone. That's when saw Axel pop his head out from behind the staircase with a smile spread across his face.

I narrowed my eyes at him and childishly stuck my tongue out at him before walking into the bathroom. Before I got the door closed I heard him shout.

"Hey! You really have a death wish don't you?"

****

Explaining to Rylan that I wasn't going to ride with him this morning was a lot more of a hassle then I thought it was going to be.

The string of threats and profanities that left his mouth would have probably impressed the devil himself.

"Ry, it's okay, it's just one ride." I tried explaining.

"No, it's not okay, Mia! He's trying to take you away from me! I know I kissed you in a dramatic way but you are still my friend!" He heaved.

I awkwardly looked down at my feet at the mention of the kiss. I was still uncomfortable about that whole situation.

"Listen Rylan, I'm not going anywhere okay? Please don't get into a fight with him, it's not worth it, I'm not worth it." I told him honestly.

Rylan's head snapped towards me and he was about to say something when Axel's voice erupted through the living room.

"Angel, you ready?" He blurted, not caring about our conversation.

"Don't," I whispered low enough for only Rylan to hear me.

"Yeah, I'm ready." I signed and started walking towards the front door.

Axel and I were about to walk out when Rylan called after me. I quickly looked over my shoulder towards him.

"You are worth it." He said.

I looked at him surprised and still hadn't fully registered what he said when Axel spoke up.

"Worth what?" His eyes sent daggers at Rylan and his jaw clenched I could already feel a fight brewing.

"A million dollars lets go," I said quickly dragging Axel out of the house and to his car.

"You're not worth a million dollars," Axel spoke.

It was the first thing he had said the whole trip to school. I looked over at him and hit his arm.

"Gee, thanks." I huffed.

"You're priceless." He said, looking over at me with a breathtaking smile on his face. Axel and I held eyes for what felt like an hour until I couldn't bear it anymore and looked out the window instead.

When we finally arrived at school I took off my seatbelt and turned in my seat to face Axel. He gave me a questionable look raising his left eyebrow.

"So, just so we are a hundred percent clear here, you're definitely not in any shape or form going to tell me what you meant when you said I don't know why I am here?" I asked him.

"Correct." He nodded.

"Okay," I confirmed.

And with that, I quickly jumped out of the car and raced off into the crowd of people so Axel would have no chance of finding me and ruining my plan.

I even made a conscious decision to walk to the school and out another set of doors so that way if he was somehow following me he would have definitely lost me now.

I sped walked as fast as I could to the back of the school where I knew Clayton and his friends hung out. I almost got worried when I didn't see them back there. I thought maybe they didn't come to school today, but thankfully when I heard the degrading whistle from one of Clayton's less than intelligent friends I realized they were, in fact, here.

"So we met again," Clayton said.

"I'm starting to think you really are stalking me." He smirked.

"Let's cut the small talk and get to the point," I told him

"As you wish." He smiled cockily at me.

"Get lost," Clayton told his black haired friend and he obeyed.

"What can I help you with on this beautiful day?" he smiled.

"Can you tell me why I'm here or am I wasting my time?" I asked him.

"Well, that depends." He said

"On what?" I asked.

"On how much you know about your father."