Chapter 3: Chapter Three
"I figured as much," he said. "You look like a nice girl, but kids like you nowadays think you can do everything and get away with anything. It's not like that in my household, so if you're coming under my roof, I'd like for you to obey my rules."
Fear inched into Alice's mind as she heard his words carefully. Why was she taking the fall for something that wasn't her fault? She wasn't the one who broke into that alcohol cabinet. Leonard was the one who did that. But somehow, she decided to protect him. She felt as if she had turned into a fool, but the more she thought about it, the more she realised that it wasn't as if she had been against Leonard's idea in the first place. Guilt touched her emotions, forming a lump in her throat.
"I'm sorry, I won't do it again," she said.
He nodded and a little time passed before he spoke again. "It's late," he said to her. "How are you planning on getting home?"
"I think I'll book a ride home now," Alice said, getting up.
He glanced at his watch. "It's too dangerous. Let me drive you home."
Alice's eyes widened. "Oh, it's not a big deal, I'll be okay."
"I insist," he said. "My son would never forgive me if something happened to you." Then he retraced his steps and opened the front door.
"Okay, then," she said, stepping towards him. He glanced at her feet as she walked towards him and he opened a cupboard in the corner. Stopping in front of her, he placed a pair of slippers on the ground before her feet.
"Those shoes look like they hurt. Wear these instead. You can pick them up again the next time you're over."
"Thank you." Alice removed her shoes and slid her feet into the slippers. They were significantly bigger than the size of her feet, but they felt so much better to walk in.
The front door unlocked and they walked to the garage. He flipped a switch and the doors opened, letting them in. He led her to his car, and when they were inside, he turned the heat up after she rubbed her shoulders.
"Warm enough for you?"
"It is, thank you," she said as he pulled out of the driveway. She gave him her address and soon, they were on the road. As he drove, she looked around the inside of his car. It was unnaturally neat and free of any sign of dust. The dashboard was dark, most of the controls touchscreen and the leather of the seats a dark blue. The heat that emanated from the car covered her skin adequately, and took the chill on her skin away.
"I'm Keanu, by the way," he said, breaking the silence.
"I'm Alice."
"I'm curious, how did you meet Leonard?"
She shot up in her seat, excited all of a sudden. "You won't believe it. I was at a party with my friends when we decided to head to a room to watch some horror films. I was having fun when Leonard suddenly barged in and asked me out. I was uninterested at first but when the internet connection broke, he got me to promise him that I would give him a chance if he could get the movie back up. I agreed, thinking he wouldn't succeed. He broke into the neighbour's and stole their Wi-Fi password, then came back to ask me out again with a dislocated arm! Nobody has ever been that driven to date me, ever. I was impressed."
Keanu paused and the silence hung in the air thickly between them. As it grew, it struck her that she had just told him that Leonard injured himself because of her, and after what had just transpired, she realised it might not have been the best follow-up she could have come up with. She swallowed hard as she glued her eyes to him. His jaw clenched as he took a right turn before the car was heading straight again.
She looked ahead and criticised herself inwardly for making such a stupid mistake. God, it was her first chance to impress Leonard's parents, and it was turning out so horribly. What was she thinking? She shot another glance at Keanu, and that was she caught him glancing at her.
"Relax," he said. "You look so tense right now." A short laugh left him.
She gave a deep exhale of tension out. "Oh, thank god."
"I'm not mad, alright? I was worried when he broke his arm, of course. But it's not like you made him do what he did or anything. There are better ways to impress a girl, but his decisions are his. I don't blame you."
"Thank you!" Alice said a little too eagerly.
"Did I scare you?"
"Well, I guess. A little, I suppose?"
"I apologise for how I set the tone of our relationship earlier. I was just being a parent. I'm usually the fun one," he said, smiling. "Don't be afraid of me."
The muscles on her shoulders relaxed and her breathing eased. Her lips spread into a smile uncontrollably and she slumped down in the car seat. This was going well now. She wanted to be good friends with Leonard's dad, and if it wasn't asking for too much, perhaps she could improve their relationship somewhat.
As they approached her home, Alice began to chat freely with him. She felt light, as if her mind was free and she asked him questions about the pictures fastened to the visor extender. He told her that he was a fan of professional tennis, and often watched the matches on his spare time. He was an avid player himself, but was never personally interested in going pro even though his friends occasionally asked him to consider it. He had chosen to give that up to become a parent, and now he had no regrets.
Impressed, Alice was about to tell him that her father was also a big fan of tennis when something unexpected happened. The car was rolling forward leisurely, when blinding headlights suddenly flashed from Keanu's side of the window, drowning the entire interior with light. Horns blared loudly as a loud screech pierced the night air in the next split second and her entire body froze.
"Fuck!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone