Chapter 5

He would come over at my house pick me up and we would race around the neighbourhood together and of course I would always win.

"You just judged her without even getting to know her," I could hear Ocean's voice as I opened their gate. It was my turn to pick him up this week so l went there ten minutes earlier to surprise him.

"I hear you are friends now, is it?" The girl he is talking to asks in a sarcastic manner.

"Yes, she is my friend." He answers.

"Wait until she hears that you once called her a freak." The girl says.

"You are just jealous she speaks to me and no one else, or is it that I no longer come to play at your house?'' he asks laughing.

"She is actually a very friendly person once you get to know her, she is just a little socially awkward at first." He says and I slightly move forward to make out who he was talking to and in the process of doing so I step on a dry twig and we all know what happens next.

They both look at my direction but no one is there because I am already half way home. As soon as I stepped on the twig, I promptly took my bicycle and headed straight home. I was mad because Ocean had told me that the other kids were the ones who were calling me antisocial and a freak instead it was him. At the same time, I was happy because he was sticking up for me when I wasn't there to other kids saying that I am friendly.

When I got home, I found mom in the garden and I decided to help her out.

"I thought you had gone to pick Ocean up, what happened." My mom asks as she looks up to stare at me square in the face and I put on my poker face.

"He was not there." I say and my mom just nods and continues with her work.

I help her out and within a matter of minutes we are done.

"Let me wash up and prepare dinner, it's getting late already." Mom informs me as we both remove our boots and apron.

"I better get started on my homework," I tell my mom as we go inside.

I turn around to close the door and l met with warm brown eyes staring at me.

"Hey mom," Ocean says to my mom and she smiles at him and greets back.

My mom continues her journey to the bathing room to shower and I then get outside to talk to Ocean.

"I know it was you Hanna, why did you run away?" he asks.

"Aren't you too afraid to talk to a freak, apparently you followed the freak home." I say staring at him without batting an eye.

"I am sorry for saying that, you and l both know I did not mean it."

"I do not know that." I say as I shut the door in his cute face.

He knocks again as soon as I close the door and l open it. We both stare at each other for ten seconds straight before erupting into fits of giggles.

He knew too well that I could not stay angry for too long.