Chapter 44: SUGAR RUSH

"If I didn't know better I would say we were drunk," I said to Natasha once we were in the safety of the car. Safe from murderous stares and terrible gazes.

"I think we're sober as can be." Bumping her head on the dashboard, she groaned tiredly.

"Sugar rush?"

"Most definitely. It was your fault though." Promptly she shot one of Linda's glares at me. When Linda narrows her eyes, it can be somewhat scary but Natasha's is like a cute little fluffy bunny hoping to be taken seriously.

"My fault? What did I do?"

"You made me humiliate myself."

It seemed like the events of the day just sank in. It was anything but my fault. I wouldn't have cared much if she had put her foot down and said no.

"I didn't know you'll actually go ahead with it. Honestly, I wasn't expecting that you would."

"I overdid it, didn't I."

"Yes, and I encouraged you." As a good tour guide should.

"Never think of becoming a tour guide as an actual profession."

"I'm going to stick with modeling for now. It's safer."

We chuckled loudly, succumbing into fits of laughter. Yeah, I think I would do better in front of cameras and lights for now. We don't want to get more people banned from libraries now, do we?

"No kidding. So, what did you go back to take?"

"This"

Wiggling my brows, I waved the book in front of her face.

"I know it's a yearbook, but why?"

"It's the yearbook from when I graduated."

"Oh my..."

"I thought to glance at it for nostalgic purposes. Consider it a souvenir from our tour. A souvenir that would soon be returned if I want to live in peace." Amidst all Linda's complaints, the idea popped into my head to fetch a copy. I wasn't even sure if she would allow me to lend it.

"The library keeps track of all yearbooks for all high-schools?"

"Nope, just the reputable local high school."

"I see, so how did you find it so quickly among others?"

Caressing the book with my fingers, I joked"My face is on the very first page."

"Tsk Tsk, even back then you were already enticed by cameras and lights."

"I'll say, I am a magnetic force for the display of awesomeness.".

"Can I take a look?"

"Of course I brought it for your entertainment anyway."

"Here I was thinking you simply wanted to annoy poor Linda."

"Nah."

"You were the valedictorian. Awnn, look at you being all nerdy." Flipping through the first pages, my picture was displayed boldly again. It was a miracle I became the school's valedictorian. For someone who barely paid attention to school work, it was quite amusing. Hannah on the other hand worked her ass off to get good grades. Salutatorian was a worthy compensation for her.

"Jeremy was nerdy?" She asked, arching her brows. Jeremy Heath and nerd does not fit into the same sentence.

I was the jockiest nerd that school has ever seen, to date. I kid you not."

"Jockiest nerd?"

"Yes, like crossing a jock and a nerd to produce a jockish nerd."

"Humor me, Dear Jeremy."

"I was the captain of the baseball team, robotics team, and welcoming committee." I didn't choose activities, activities chose me. I couldn't help it that I was a man of unique abilities and I couldn't turn down their requests.

"You can easily pass off as a slacker, skipping classes and not caring about grades."

"And you think my mum will allow me I to her house? No, no, no. She would have signed me up for summer school herself. I didn't spend too much time at home because I was always at Mike's but regardless. I wouldn't have had a place to sleep."

"That bad?"

"Yes, she said no child of hers will be indifferent towards anything. Especially not school." And since the only child of hers happened to be me...

"I should try that with Lucy when she gets older."

"Lucy isn't one to give up. She puts in her best into anything she does, be it arguing with me and bruising my ego. It has to always be the best."

"Photogenic much?"Pointing to the picture showing the baseball team, she jokingly asked.

"I told you the camera loves me. I wouldn't be in this line of profession if it doesn't."

"Lies, you probably knew it was picture day."

"Yes, and I also knew as the valedictorian I earned a spot on the front page. If I'm the first thing a person will see while flipping through the book, then it definitely has to be worthwhile."

"How many hours did you spend in front of a mirror before achieving the perfection you were aiming for?"

"A MINIMUM of five hours."

"Five? Indeed you're obsessed with your face."

"You would be too if you had a face like mine."

"Is this the Hannah everyone speaks about?" She finally spotted the salutatorian page.

Immediately, the trigger words made my shoulders tense. I felt my body stiffening in a rigid posture.

"Yes."

"Wow, she was the salutatorian"

"Yeah."

"Nice."

"So know that you've taken a peek at my life in high school. It brings us to my final destination. Drumroll please."

" Gotcha" Being a good sport, she tapped all ten fingers on the dashboard, whooping and cheering.

"It will take a while to get there though."

"No problemo. Keep driving."

"My poor car is overworked. You owe me gas money."

"Your tour."

"An excuse."

"Do you have your own copy of this yearbook?"

"Yeah, it's somewhere in the attic back at home. I'll show it when we get back. Do well to remind me."

"I will."

"Here we are, I welcome you to where it all began."

Stopping outside the huge metal gates, I stepped on the brakes to pull over.

"The place they taught you to be super nice and humble. Basically the opposite of yourself.".

The school where it all happened.

"Nope, I came here just to learn about algebra and integrals."

"We are taking a tour here, seriously?"

"Yup."

"How are we even going to get in."

"There's a front door."

"There are security guards. It's 6 pm, the school is closed.

"It wasn't in session, to begin with, easter holidays remember?" Scratching the back of my neck, I realized I had forgotten an important detail. There's no way I'll go back now, there's always room for compromise.

"That's even worse, there's no way we're getting in. Except you want to give me a tour of the parking lot. Sure."

"I believe there's a fence."