No Happily Ever After

'Thanks...' I muttered, sweeping the table clean of my books and pens. 'For today.'
'We didn't go on a date.' He grinned. 'You need a ride home?'
'I can walk.' It was dark outside, but I didn't want to bother him.
Wait, what? Since when did I care about bothering people? No, it couldn't be that. It had to be the fact that deep down, despite Jack Barakat being the nicest guy I'd ever met, I hated him. It had to be.
'Well, seeya.' He reached out for a hug, and for a second I would've given it to him.
Instead, I turned on my heel and marched out of the library, stalking down the street as the cold folded itself around me.
'Bye.' I muttered, turning a random left. I hadn't been here for years, where was I going?
It was almost half 9 when Mom rang me.
'Where are you?!' She snapped, her voice giving away how distressed and irritated she was.
'I'm not sure...' I trailed off. 'I can walk. Just give me a sec.'
'I'm outside the library. Retrace your steps and meet me there in 5.' She hung up.
One problem, Mom. I had no idea where I was and retracing my steps was not an option.
'Crap.' I mumbled. I walked backwards and headed to a right, then a left and continued down the street; the lamps glared at me formidably as if I was making a bad choice. 'Where am I?' I called out. It was dark. Too dark.
I sat down on the sidewalk, clutching my legs to my chest, hugging them there as if my life depended on it. I thought of Mary, of where she might be, of how she could be feeling. I thought of Dad, whose life was on the line. I thought about Mom who had nothing left. No family to turn to, they'd disowned her when she married dad. I was the only person she had left.
I thought of Cris and Rory. My two best friends who swanned around in their own world - they'd become more oblivious when Rory asked her out and she'd accepted.
I thought of Jack Barakat and the band he'd bragged about...
'You need a ride?'
'Who are you?' I muttered, too cold to speak.
'Do you need a ride or not?'
'I don't get in strange cars with strange men.'
'I'm not gonna hurt you.' He promised. 'I'm not like that.'
'It's fine, my mom's waiting.' I turned away.
'It's almost 11, so I'd just get it over and done with if I were you.'
'Can you give me directions?' I whirled around to face an exceptionally handsome man of about 17 with brown hair. It was too dark for me to see his eyes but I guessed they were also brown.
'To where?'
'The public library.'
'That's too far away.' He sighed in exasperation. 'Seriously, do you need a ride?'
Nothing could be worse than sitting here to die of frostbite.
'Fine.' I climbed into the seat next to him and clipped my seatbelt. 'I have my phone ready just in case you try anything funny.'
'Where do you live?'
I rattled off my address with precision, but he frowned. 'I have no idea where that is.' He shook his head.
'I guess there's no point then..'
'No, just stay at mine. My mom won't care. Nor will Rian's.' He shrugged.
Rian? Wasn't that the guy in Jack's band? They couldn't be friends. The possibility was too...
'Fine. Just tonight.'
He drove in silence and after a few minutes, pulled up in front of a rather small house, quite similar to mine.
'Let me text my mom.' My fingers flew across the keypad of my BlackBerry, and then I shoved it into my pocket.
'Hey, Jack! I have a friend. Rian's mom won't mind will she?'
'She's cleaning my room.' growled a familiar voice. 'Who's thi- Ella!' His face stretched into a gleeful smile. 'What're you doing here, with Alex?'
'I got lost.' I admitted. 'I don't go to the library... What's it to you?'
'How'd you two know each other?' Alex demanded, slyly slipping his arm around my shoulders.
'He tutors me.' I scowled.
'She's good at art.' He admitted, and then ran inside.
'You don't like Jack?'
I shrugged. 'Not really.'
'Oh, you've got to love Jack!' He sighed. 'He's the greatest.' He tore off after him, and I followed, going along at snail pace.
'Guys, meet Ella Dawson!' Jack flourished my name as if I were some sort of celebrity. The two boys I hadn't met nodded at me and turned their attention back to the TV where both of them were excelling at some sort of game resembling Call of Duty.
'That's Zack, and that's Rian.' He gestured wildly to each one and shrugged. 'Rian's mom stays with us in my house, and Alex lives next door. You can sleep in my room... It smells of girl anyway.'
'Thanks.' I turned away, until Alex reached out and grabbed my arm. He jerked his head in the direction of a supposedly empty room and I nodded, following him into it.
'Be nice to Jack. He can help you more than you know.'
I stared at him. 'Fine.' To be fair, it was getting harder to hate him. He was like a puppy, so earnest and sweet.
Dear God, he was getting into my head.
I marched stiffly out of the room and stood next to Jack. He was watching the screen with a sort of jealous look.
'They play it too much. I get jealous because they're too good.' He sighed. 'Anyway, no school tomorrow!' He danced around gleefully. 'I don't go to school, but you do so hooray!' He tried to get Rian to dance with him, but failed - he grabbed Alex and whirled him around.
I smiled. 'Where am I sleeping?'
'Rian's mom went home, so we're having a sleepover. Don't tell though?' He pleaded.
I stared at him. 'But I'm the only girl!' I protested.
'That makes it so much better!'
Tonight was certainly going to be interesting.