Four.

I opened my eyes and everything was disoriented at first. A stale smell filled my nostrils and it made me feel nauseated. It felt like an hospital because I remember vividly the horrible odour that always seemed to be there after "John's incident." But I didn't want to think about that now,I just wanted to know,where the hell I was.

My surroundings got clearer bit I could still hear distant voices and I could feel a pressure on my hand. I tried to remove it but it clamped down harder. I tried to calm my jittering brain down and at last everything came to focus. I got scared when I finally saw Troy's face impossibly close to mine. I sat up right in shock.

"W-what are you doing?"I asked warily,trying to keep myself from stammering and failing pathetically.

"Calm down babe"Troy said chuckling lowly,doing unbearable things to the pit of my stomach"I am not going to kiss you..at least not yet"

Goosebumps spread across my hands and a shiver ran through me when he touched my bare stomach where my cloth had ridden up. I pulled my cloth down in a hurry,trying to calm my beating heart.

Whoa!whoa!What is happening to me?Why is my body reacting this way?

I ignored the questions swarming in my head and asked him politely"Do you mind telling me how I got to the nurse's office aka the clinic?"

"You fainted."Troy answered simply,amusement clear in his eyes before he said"One minute,we were both talking and the other minute you're fainting. I mean,who does that?"

"I fainted"I repeated his first statement,ignoring his rhetorical question completely. I looked around for a wall clock but when I couldn't find any I was forced to ask him"What time is it?"

Troy looked at his watch"Almost closing time"

"Oh my gosh." I exclaimed in shock. So I had been out of consciousness for more than two hours?

"What's going through that head of yours?"Troy interrupted my thoughts but I just shrugged and said:

"I guess I had better be going home."I made to get up from the bed but Troy stopped me.

"Do you have to go home? We could have a lot of fun on this bed if you know what I'm saying."He winked and my insides turned into mush but I still replied him.

"Of course I know what you are implying. It is not like I have a syndrome. And I do have to go home."

His face fell in disappointment but I wanted to go home so that my mom won't get worried. I made to stand up again even if my bones felt like jelly.

"Hey beautiful. Let me help"Troy carried me from the bed,bridal style.

The room started spinning again,making me dizzy with surprise,but I quickly got a hold of myself.

"Thank you."I managed to say,sweat covering my body and my heart going thump thump thump inside my chest.

Troy seemed to notice because he laughed and said"You are so cute."

**

The remaining students who had not gone home stared at us warily and I tried to ignore their prying eyes and judgemental words.

"Who's that chick with Troy."

"I think her name is Inkitt or something."

"Troy will just fuck her,she won't last."

Troy's hold on my hand got more firmer when the accusations got louder. Very soon,we were near a fairly old Volkswagen.

"Is this your car?"I asked"Where is your motorcycle?"

He looked at me in shock for a while before he smirked and asked"How do you know that I have a motorcycle?"

I shrugged and quickly got into the car to avoid further questions and I heard him chuckle lowly.

He entered and started the ignition. He drove out of the school in silence and silence prevailed for a few minutes.  Until...

"How come you try to hide how beautiful you are?"Troy asked out of the blues.

The question came out of nowhere and it took me a while before I could reply.

"Don't know. I..."I answered shifting uncomfortably in my seat.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No"Why was he asking me this.

"Have you ever been kissed?"Troy asked,trying to hide his amusement.

"No. Except by my mother."

Troy laughed loudly and said"I could get used to you."

Since he's asking you some questions,my inner goddess said,ask him some questions girl.

"Are you and May dating?"I asked,my curiosity getting the best of me.

Troy looked at me,clearly uncomfortable"No. I don't date."

The words registered in my brain as I tried to process his words.

"So those other girls I see you with,they aren't your girlfriends?"

He shook his head and focused intently on the road but I still pressed on,getting a little bit confident.

"So those girls are one night stands?"

He turned to look at me in an exaggerated manner"Babe,I fuck them. To me,it's all a joke."

Everything is a joke to him and fuck me if it didn't make me angry 

"STOP THE CAR!"I screamed.

Troy looked scared as he slammed on the breaks.

"What the hell?"He said as I opened the door,jumped outside and started walking away very fast.

He came out of the car and started walking behind me mirroring my movements.

"Beautiful"He called out.

No reply.

"Sweetheart"

No reply.

"Babe"

No reply.

"Ingrid"

"Yes"I turned back gingerly trying to keep a smug look when I took in his disheveled state.

"Please don't go"He begged"At least let me take you home."

At that moment,he looked so vulnerable that my little baby heart melted but I was still angry a little bit"Why do you want me to stay?"

He seemed confused himself but he still said"Because you seem different.."

"Fine"I said grumpily after a while.

The ten minutes drive home was very silent. Troy didn't attempt to say anything and neither did I. The only thing that I did was telling him my address and him nodding grimly at me.

When he pulled over in front of my home I stared at him willing myself to say something but  before I could say anything ,he said"See you in school on Monday,Ingrid"

Then he leaned over and kissed my cheek,leaving me to walk to my door unsteadily.

"Who owns that car?I don't remember Sapphire and Victoria getting a driver license"My mom asked me immediately I entered the house not even giving me a chance to settle down.

I couldn't lie to my mom. She's psychic. All moms are.

"A friend from school. A boy"I said,trying to sound casual but inside I was reeling with anticipation to see what my mom would say.

The whole family was silent until my step dad asked"you have a boyfriend?"

My step dad is not the abusive kind.

He was actually a good man though .

Sometimes he was ashamed to be seen with me (who wouldn't)but he tries to hide that fact.

He tries very hard to be nice to me,but I sometimes make it hard for him.

"No"I answered calmly"He is just my friend"

But my mom wouldn't hear anything"Oh....your first boyfriend. I knew it was those darn glasses. You take them off for a day and bam! All the boys are at your feet."She said as she hugged me.

"One boy is enough."Gerald piped in.

"Ingrid has a boyfriend,Ingrid has a boyfriend"My brothers chanted repeatedly with their high pitched voice.

I tried to explain that Troy was just my friend but my mom wouldn't give me a chance to speak.

"I'm gonna tell your grandma about this.."said my mom"We must celebrate this monumental day! Thank goodness tomorrow is a Saturday. We will tour the entire neighborhood."

Oh no!

"Mom please..he isn't my boyfriend. He's just..."

"Poppycock!"My mom shrugged me off loudly and went into the kitchen to bring my lunch.

"Ingrid has a boyfriend,Ingrid has a boyfriend"David and Maxwell chanted through out dinner that for a moment I let myself believe that I had a boyfriend.