No Status Quo

13. In This Together

"Wrong." I inform him, shoving the phone back in.

He arches an eyebrow as I take a deep breath. The idea just formed in my mind. My conscience screams at me not to do it, but I don't know...whenever Ren's around, logic seems to jump right out the window. Plus this can't hurt any of us, it's totally normal. And it's not like anyone from Yolherth is here right now. Bracing myself, I suggest the next words.

"What if...you drive?"

He looks at me in utter disbelief, "You want me," he repeats, "to drive?"

"That's what I said, yes." I say, then my eyes widen, "Wait, do you know how to drive?"

"I do; no worries there."

"That's settled then." I clap my hands and wince, "Ouch."

"Ten cuidado." He sighs, and then shakes his head. "And no, it's not settled."

"Do you have a problem with it?" I ask,

"I don't-"

"There you go." I grin, "You drop me home, take the car—"

"There's the flaw in the plan, Gina." Ren interjects, "I'd leave the car at your place obviously."

"No." I cross my arms, "you're taking it with you."

"I am not." He says, emphasizing each word. "End of discussion."

"I don't want you walking home." I go on; I know his apartments are too far from my place. Kate showed me the address when we were at the coffee shop. "Don't worry about me." Insist

"You don't worry about me." He scowls.

"Shh," I wave my hand, "In the morning, Kate'll pick me up. You come to school on your bike."

"And where's your car in all this, madam?" he asks, folding his arms over on his chest too. I try not to smile at 'madam' while answering, "That's up to you."

"De todas las cosas," He throws his hands up, "So that's up to me?"

I bite the inside of my cheek but it doesn't help. I burst out laughing. All traces of anger left his face as he looks at me.

"Yes," I say in between laughs while he stares at me. I'm certain my eyes are going to tear up. "I'm sorry; I can't—can't help myself—God."

Ren might've realized I'm going crazy because he shakes his head and says, "You're unbelievable."

"I'll take that as a compliment, good sir." I hand him the keys. As he opens the passenger door for me, one corner of his mouth turns up slightly. I could do this all day, just to see that smile of his.

"So," I say reluctantly, "The story?"

He sighs. Way to kill the mood, Gina.

"You won't let it go, huh?"

I shake my head, might as well be honest with him. There's silence as he pulls out of the parking lot smoothly. Man, he wasn't kidding when he said he knew driving.

"Fine." He says while I marvel silently at how good of a driver he is, "Anyway, I told you my parents thought it was a waste of time. You think the opposite, right?"

"If something makes you happy then it's not a waste of time." I say simply. He thinks that through and we stop at a signal.

"So, do you know I was in different schools before?"

I stare at him. This is news to me. "No."

"Oh well, Yolherth is my third school. I came here on a film-making scholarhship." He tells me, "First one was in Spain, second one here too. The one back home—the football team over there was what you may call, plain jerks. I refused to worship them like the majority, and then paid a heavy price for it."

"What did they do?" I ask, not sure if I want to know.

"Stirred up some trouble and got me expelled."

"No," I gasp. Why would someone do that?

"Yes," he smiles faintly, "I couldn't do anything because it was the whole school versus me. Then I came here in my sophomore year. The team here was better than the one in Spain. However I got a little injury that time so I couldn't play like I used to. I was told I wasn't good enough and three months later, got off the team. My friend there, Ivan, was made captain the same day. You should have seen him." he pauses as the light goes green; "He completely changed. He treated me like a stranger even though we were really good friends. So that school was a no as well. I got out of there because of Abby."

He revs the engine again and we were back on the road, zooming past hills and houses. "I heard my parents in both the cases, they told me no one would accept me and I believed them." He admits with a sigh, "My dream and passion went right out the window. I didn't want to be Jose but I also didn't want to become someone I was not. Either that would happen or I feared I would never be good enough."

He takes a deep breath, "Before you say anything, thanks for hearing me out, Gina. I've never told this to anyone before, not even my sister. Plus everyone here is really stuck up and all."

"You can share anything with me, anytime." I assure him, "And uh? I promise this is the last time I bring this up...but, you could prove everyone wrong if you led the football team as striker."

"My fear gets in my way," he pinches the bridge of his nose, looking straight ahead. "But maybe it doesn't have to be that way." He glances at me, "Why me?"

"I believe in you."

"Come on, you're Gina Rosen. You don't need me."

"I want you around." I point out, "And I trust you to help the team beat RavenVille."

Another sigh, "You shouldn't, I'm no good."

"I disagree. I told you I believe in you. You can do it, I know you can."

"I—" he swallows, facing the road again. He shakes his head, meets my eyes and smiles, "I'll do it."

I smile too, "Really?"

He nods, "Yeah, partly because you won't stop talking about it."

"Oh please," I laugh and he does the same, "I'll be your number one fan."

"I'll hold you to that." He says to me, leaning back as the car comes to a stop. With a pang of disappointment, I realize my home is here. I don't want to get out.

"See you tomorrow then?" I ask, wishing the moment didn't have to end.

"Yes. Take care of yourself." He reaches across to open my door for me, and his sudden proximity sent my heart into frenzied palpations. He flings the door open in one swift motion and slowly moves back away from me.

I hop out and make my way towards the path. I look back. Ren smiles at me and I smile back. Then he revs the engine and the tires squeal against the pavement. The Audi is out of sight in seconds. 

He drives fast like me. The thought makes me smile. 

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