Painful Smiles

He took more bites from the snack and kept his mouth full before stating his allegations.

‘I think you’ve found someone you like. Or at least you’re comfortable with the person. Also, it seems the person understands your temperament and is willing to be patient with you’ he hurriedly ate what was in his mouth before continuing.

‘You have respect for him. And since it seems he does for you too. I hope you finally find a guy you can be happy with, in the future’ he ended with a slight cough.

Claudia patted his head. She respected Wright and he should respect her too, for his own sake.

But where her little Frenchie was going, was totally ‘unreachable’. She was friends with Wright for a reason, a reason she didn’t even bother tell him.

A blue sports car drove past them while they ate their ham silently at the sidewalk. ‘Wow. My dream car’ Claudia screamed. They talked about it for a while before changing to something.

Minutes later, the same car drove in front of them and stopped. They turned to each other then turned back to the car, trying to peek in to see the owner. It was tinted so their efforts were useless.

‘Hello, do you know of one Clara living around?’ a voice had asked from inside the car. Claudia felt insulted. Couldn’t the driver at least put down his window to speak?

‘Clara? I have a sister named Clara. Clara, grade twelve student’ Paul replied. Claudia shut him up with a slight hit.

‘Couldn’t you raise your glass down before speaking to strangers?’ she stood from her chair.

The window glass came down to reveal a man in his mid thirties. With heavy tattoo. He raised his brow and flexed his muscles slightly.

‘Is that supposed to intimidate me, sir?’ she scolded. The man narrowed his eyes at her and she kept her gaze at him without shaking.

‘Well, just tell me where the girl lives… ‘ he sounded angry.

‘Magic word?’ she interrupted. Paul felt tensions growing in his veins.

‘I don’t do magic girl’ the man switched off his car.

‘Neither I. I don’t talk to strangers’ Claudia dragged Paul’s hands and began leaving. Paul wanted to protest but stayed calm. Luckily for him, the man didn’t chase after them or something.

‘What about your friend?’ Paul remembered and asked his sister. ‘We’ll meet tomorrow in school. He could tell me whatever then’ she said coldly.

Paul sighed, that was it. Her mood was sour again.

Mrs. Larabee jerked when the door was slammed loudly.

‘Claudia?’ she was surprised to see her daughter storming up the stairs. ‘What happened?’ she continued to Paul.

‘Well, we went strolling then she got a call from her friend to wait for her at the park to speak on something important. As we waited, some big bully with tattoos everywhere, stopped in an expensive car and asked about Clara. He didn’t wind down and spoke gruffly. Claudia called him out for bring rude but he kept on being rude. She left him without answering his question but as we left she said she heard him calling her ‘spoilt brat’ and regrets not kicking his ass’.

Paul placed his hands on his chest after rapping through his speech.

His mother blinked and exhaled. Big tattooed guy in expensive car looking for Clara. That was the only part she got right.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

She remembered the gifts that were delivered and ordered Paul to go bring them from Clara whether he had to bite her to get it.

She should burn them. What was such men doing with her teenager? Paul hurriedly ran to take on the mission.

After all, Clara wouldn’t give them to him or play with him.

‘Claudia dear, you should also be careful with the people you talk or yell at for anything. Control that ego or confidence you have’ Mrs. Larabee screamed to her oldest daughter and went back to the kitchen shaking her head.

Wright was highly disappointed to walk all the way to a place he had never been to before to not find Claudia waiting.

He called and she didn’t even answer, it frustrated him. She called back later and plainly told him that she left.

He hung up angrily and eaten by frustration. He was glad he didn’t ask his older brothers to drive him, they’d have been so annoyed.

While he was still contemplating on how to go back home, she called again and asked exactly where he was.

‘Where do you think? I’m in front of some amusement park stranded!’ he yelled OK the phone.

‘Look, don’t yell at me or you’ll pass the night there’ Claudia answered softly. She hung on before Wright could apologize.

Paul caught his sister leaving the house and ran to her.

‘Nope, you’re not coming with me. I could have kicked that man in the groin only if you weren’t there. So stay back, don’t restrict me’ she closed the door on his face.

‘I’m very sorry…’ Wright started before Claudia’s punch landed on his face. She held her hand midair, ‘Yell at me again and your brothers won’t recognize you’. He nodded quickly.

‘What ‘big news’ made me get insulted today and got you almost sleeping on this street?’ she went to the Hamburger store to get him a snack.

Wright was just confused by her. Someone who nearly created a hole in his face was treating him now?

‘Um… its about the new student again. A new rumor popped out. Courtesy to his return to the U. S’ Wright informed. Claudia glared at him. She came all the way from her house to hear news about that jerk.

‘I know you don’t really like Michael but this is big. I think he’s an heir of two wealthy generations. From his both parents’ Wright continued.

‘And how’s that my business. You’re the one who likes digging into people’s past not me. Or so I look like some good digger?’ Claudia sighed.

‘Wait. His mother was assassinated because of her wealth but now as his mother’s son, he’s also in danger but doesn’t know. I’m thinking of a secret mission to protect him. You know, like in movies’ Wright grinned.

Angry wasn’t the right word to describe Claudia’s face. Disgusted was.