Chapter Thirty-Five: Sleepover with Mr. Storm

“Dad?” I asked, knocking the door to his oval office. When I didn’t hear him reply after a few moments I pushed the door open finding no reason to knock in the first place.

“I understand, but that isn’t going to solve the growing problem in Ukraine.” I stood patiently at the door waiting for him to finish with the phone call.

I haven’t really talked to my dad since the whole Ben getting shot thing. I also haven’t talked to Ben since the whole I don’t like you like that sort of way, thing. Normally, I wouldn’t really come to my dad’s office unless it was serious, just like last time when I wanted to ask him how you know when a guy likes you. But, Ricky and the other guy threw me out, before my dad could properly chase me out.

“Yes the United Nations is doing their very best, and I will come in contact with their President to see what we could do with the growing concern of the attacks from Russia.” My dad nodded his head, his eyes coming to contact with mine. “Thank you, and goodbye.” With that my dad hung up the phone, looking back at me. “What do you want Alice?”

I narrowed my eyes at my father as his eyes were focused on the papers in front of him. “Nice to see you too,” I huffed, silently. “The reason I am here is because I have a favor to ask you.”

“I am the President, I do not do favors,” My father, replied.

“But, you are however my father, and as a father you should do things for your only daughter.”

My dad let out a sigh, “What do you want, Alice?”

“Do you have access to see what demolition projects take place?”

My dad raised his eyebrows at me, “Companies are in charge of their demolitions. Not necessary the government unless it involves us of course. Like if they want to set up a new shop or something, and an old building is standing in the way of their plans they could buy the land and whatever happens to be on the land and have access to demolish it, but with the city’s consent of course.” He explained, “Why may you ask?”

“Well a friend of mine, use to dance at the building it’s called Linda’s dance Academy, and he-“

“It’s a boy?” My dad asked, looking up from his papers and at me. “You have a boyfriend?”

“I didn’t say he was a boy, I said he was a friend.” I pointed out.

“But he is a boy, and is your friend.” My dad, replied. “Alice, I do not know how I feel about you dating someone your mom and I never met…”

I rolled my eyes, my dad was always jumping to conclusions. “Did I not just say he was just a friend?” I asked, bewildered. He was beginning to act like Thomas, only older and having a lot more grey hair than a ten year old boy should ever have.

He let out a chuckle, just staring at me silently. As if he was in deep thought, “I will find out who bought the land which had the dance academy, I will see what I could do. But, I don’t however make any promises,” I nodded my head at his rule. “Good, now have something I want to tell you…”

I tilted my head to examine him, my dad rarely asked for me to do favors and when he did. It kind of worried me, “What is it…?” I asked, slowly.

His light eyes stared at me silently, “It’s kind of an apology sort of thing.”

“What?” I asked, getting a little bit confused to what he was beginning to say.

He let out a sigh, running his hands through his almost bald head. “Look, Alice. I love you, I know you know that. But, sometimes I do realize I could be a little overprotected and harsh. But, you are my only daughter and I don’t want to lose you…”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“Because, I realized that you are growing older. And you are wise and mature enough to make your own decisions, besides even when you do make bad decisions, and they do happen regularly. I will just have to learn to accept that they are your decisions and I should stick by you, no matter what.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, “Mom made you apologize to me, didn’t she?”

“What? You don’t believe that I actually have a heart and can apologize? Alice I raised you!”

I rolled my eyes, “Mom gave you the lecture on how she was always right and you were wrong, didn’t she?”

He nodded solemnly, “She also said if I didn’t fix the problem with you I will be sleeping in the rose bushes.”

I let out a chuckle that was such a mom thing to say. “Okay, and I am sorry to you too.”

“Now, that we got all that out of the way, could you please leave? I have a country to run.” My dad said, sitting back down on his chair, beginning to go through the piles of work papers he had scattered on his desk.

I rolled my eyes walking out of the room, “And he’s back…” I muttered, under my breath walking towards the door and closing it softly behind me.

*

Can you meet me in twenty minutes?-A

I texted on my phone to Gavin. I wanted to tell him about the news about the demolition project my dad is looking at. Of course I won’t tell him who my father is but if he does ask, I won’t really tell him anything.

Why?-G

A few minutes later Gavin responded with that, I guess he was still kind of cold to me since the whole drama dance.

I want to tell you something.-A

A few minutes later Gavin’s reply lit up my phone.

Fine, where do you want to meet?-G

How about the Starbucks?-A

A few minutes later his response vibrated my phone.

I think you are forgetting that we are banned from there…-G

“Oh,” I muttered, realizing my stupidity. I didn’t know where to meet at, the park was way too overrated anyways we’ve met their way too many times to count and it was starting to get old.

How about I pick you up? I know a perfect place to go.-G

I narrowed my eyes at the screen, I was kind of wary about Gavin’s definition of a perfect place.

It’s not a somewhere illegal is it?-A

A few moments late his respond vibrated through my phone.

No… Why would you think that?-G

I quickly texted my response to Gavin.

Well… it’s you… so I am just trying to take precautions and not come home in pieces.-A

When Gavin didn’t respond his usual time which was less than a minute, is when he would usually respond back to me. I began to get worried, I hope what I had said wasn’t too mean…

Nerd, if you were in pieces you wouldn’t be able to even walk, let alone get home. I’ll meet you where I usually drop you off in twenty.-G

I rolled my eyes at his remark, “Whatever.” I muttered turning off my phone and shoving it into my back pocket. I looked down at the clothes I was wearing, a pair of skinny jeans and a loose white and blue striped jersey, I didn’t play any sports but I found this when Holly and I went shopping and thought it looked cute.

My dark brown hair was beginning to fade and it was starting to grow longer. I made a mental note to remind my mother to take me back to get a haircut. Once my hair is grown out, it usually goes back to its usual waviness and not its straightness when it is short.

Grabbing my handbag from the chair, walking out of my bedroom, I headed down the stairs. I ran my fingers through my hair a couple of times. I at least wanted to look presentable, and it wasn’t because I liked him, it’s because I’d rather not go outside looking like I don’t know how to brush my hair.

“Hey do you happen to know where my mother is?” I asked, one of the guards stopping him just as he was about to pass me.

He pointed to the direction of the red room, it was called that because of its color. I didn’t really understand to why we couldn’t have just called it a living or dining room, like my bedroom is painted white. Does that make it named the white room?

I walked into the red room, as I saw my mom sitting on the couch with a bunch of sketches of clothes scattered all over the table. My eyes then wandered over to Thomas who was on my mother’s laptop, just because we were the President’s kids doesn’t mean we were allowed to get all the fancy electronics. Thomas has a computer in his room, but it was so old, I don’t understand how he uses it.

“Hey mom?” I called out, to her.

She looked up briefly, looking me in the eyes before looking back down. “Hmm?”

“Can I go out with one of my friends?”

“In the middle of the week? On a school night?”

I sighed, I kind of knew this was going to happen. “Please? It will only be for a couple of hours.”

“Who are you going out with Ben? Holly?”

“Um,” I said, scratching my head. “It’s actually another friend, you don’t know him.”

“Him?” She asked, looking up from her sketches giving me her full attention. “Who’s this him?”

I groaned, taking a seat on the chair. “You’re beginning to act like dad, minus the part where you actually seem excited that I am hanging out with a boy.”

“Stop avoiding the subject, Alice!” She said, looking generally interested. “What is his name?”

“His name is Gavin Storm.” Piped Thomas, his eyes trained to the laptop.

“How do you know his name?” I asked, kind of shocked.

“I do my research, plus I already knew his first name so finding out his last name wasn’t that hard.” Thomas, replied looking up from the laptop.

“That’s not what I asked,” I told him, getting kind of peeved off.

“Well deal with it, because that’s all I am telling you.”

“Tell me where you got this research, or else I tell mom about your interesting hobbies.” I seethed, to him.

His light eyes narrowed at me, “You wouldn’t?”

“Try me.” Thomas, challenged.

We heard a throat clearing as Thomas and I broke of eye contact looking back at our mother who was looking at us confused. She had her hand raised, “Um excuse me? But I would like to know two things.” My mother stated, “First, I would like to know what Thomas’ interesting habits is, besides the usual eating like a pig and being gross.”

I let out a chuckle, trying to stifle my laughs. “Hey!” Thomas complained.

My mom, however ignored him moving on. “And second, who is this Gavin fellow?”

I looked back at Thomas, “Do you want to answer this?”

Thomas looked at my mother quickly than back at me, “Nah. I am good, I’ll take the next one.”

I looked at him confused, “There is no ‘next one!’ She is asking both of us.”

Thomas and I just stared at each other in return, I didn’t know what to tell my mother. How I met Gavin? Or who he was? Or what he was known for in my school? All that I really know is that no matter what I say about Gavin, my mom wouldn’t find him a good kid.

I noticed as Thomas opened up his mouth to speak, “Gavin is Alice’s-“

I quickly cut him off spewing random facts on Thomas the same time he was telling my mother who Gavin was. As we both began to talk at the same time, a few moments later we both stopped at the same time.

My mom just looked at us confused, “O-okay?”

I nodded my head, “Well I will best be going now, see you. Love you, don’t wait up!” I said, adding a remark I once heard on television as I ran out of the red room and towards the front door. I don’t think she gave me permission to go hang out with Gavin but she didn’t try to stop me so this was probably her way of saying yes.

As I was walking to the front door, I heard someone call out my name. “Alice?”

I turned my head and saw Ricky one of the bodyguards. “Ricky!” I called out, running towards him and giving him a hug. “Where have you been?”

“My wife just gave birth to our fourth child. So I was on leave to help around, until she gets back on her feet.”

I smiled, “I didn’t know your wife was expecting a baby? Is it a boy or girl?”

“It’s a girl, her name is Kayla Ginny Taylor. After my mother and my wife’s mother.”

I beamed, “That’s a nice name! Congratulations!”

“Thanks, kid. Where are you heading off to?”

I raised my eyebrows at him, “Now, I am kid?” I asked, and in return Ricky just chuckled. “Well I am off to meet a friend, and I am actually running late…” I said, pulling out my phone to check the time, there were three messages from Gavin repeating the same message of ‘where are you?’

“Do you want me to drop you off?” He asked.

I nodded my head in return “That would be awesome, thanks!” He nodded his head in return as we walked towards the front door together silently.

Once we got outside we got into his black SUV and took off towards the gates. The three minute drive to where Gavin usually drops me off was silent. When we were on Pennsylvania Avenue, a minute into out drive I noticed Gavin’s rusty truck parked on the curb.

“There he is!” I said pointing to the truck. Ricky nodded his head pulling over to the side, and stopping the car. “Thanks so much!” I said, unbuckling my seatbelt and opening the door.

“No problem, just do me one favor, Alice.”

“Yeah, sure what is it?”

“Get your drivers license. I am bodyguard not a taxi.” He said in a somewhat serious matter. Nevertheless, I nodded my head closing the door waving as Ricky did a U-turn driving back towards the house.

I quickly crossed the street, walking over to where Gavin was sitting patiently in his truck. Once I reached his truck, I quickly opened the passenger door getting inside.

“What took you so long?”

“Sorry, got a tad bit distracted.” I said, pulling on my seatbelt.

“You are ten minutes late.” Gavin replied, starting up the engine as he merged on with oncoming traffic. “You are ten minutes late, so you are definitely not a tad bit late.”

I rolled my eyes, “So where are we going? Or are you going to be one of those bad boys I read about in books and refuse to tell the girl where we are going?”

“You read?” Gavin asked, shocked.

“Yes…” I said slowly, “Don’t you?”

He nodded his head, “Yeah, I read to Garrett every night. He enjoys when I read to him.”

I looked at him kind of confused, I had no idea what he had just said had anything to do with what I asked but nevertheless I went along with it by nodding my head.

“So are you going to tell me where we are going or are you going to change the topic once more?”

“I want to say change the topic, but you will just get agitated.” Gavin responded.

I smirked, “You know me so well.”

“So, to answer your question Miss Clair. We are going to Garrett and I’s favorite café in the whole world. Well, all of DC. We usually go there for breakfast on special occasions, since the place is sort of expensive.”

My eyes widened in shock, “Then why the hell are you taking me there?”

“Because, I am craving some good chocolate and you are paying for yourself.”

I ran my fingers through my hair, looking out the window. “I should’ve known….” I muttered, to myself.

If Gavin heard me he didn’t choose to respond, which I was kind of grateful for. I didn’t have a comeback to when Gavin made his intelligent remark.

*

“Be honest, wasn’t that the best milkshake you have ever tasted?”

I nodded my head, as I licked my lips trying to taste the chocolate milkshake that Gavin had ordered for me. “I want to say no, but anyone with excellent taste would know I was lying. That was amazing.”

Gavin nodded in agreement as we walked towards his truck. “It really was, Garrett and I usually order that, or we order the vanilla fudge shake.”

I let out a quiet moan, when Gavin said the word vanilla, “Normally whenever I would go out with my brother. Which is rare, he would usually get this combination of weird things mostly chocolate. I am not really a big fan of chocolate but you my friend have introduced me to the light side.”

“I am glad, I could be of service.” Gavin replied, chuckling. We got back into his truck for the ride back home.

I got in, putting on my seatbelt, as Gavin started up the engine turning on the radio this time. Some country song blasted from the radio as I heard Gavin mumble the words as the singer sang.

“I never pegged you as guy to listen to country music.” I said voicing my thoughts aloud.

“I never pegged you as an annoying nerd, boy was I wrong.” Gavin replied.

“Why are you so sassy?”

“Don’t call me that,” He said wincing. “The word sassy is something that people use for girls with attitudes.”

“Well you are a rainbow with an attitude, so suck it up.” I responded, looking out the window.

Gavin just glanced at me from the corner of his eye. Ignoring me as he continued to sing softly with the music and occasionally drum his fingers on the steering wheel.

I closed my eyes for a few brief seconds but when I opened it I noticed an entire different scenery out my window. “Where are we going?” I asked, as I noticed there becoming more trees instead of city life.

“I want to show you something, I found.” He responded.

I just kept quiet as I continued to stare out the window. A few minutes later, the truck came to a halt as Gavin parked the car getting out of it.

I quickly did the same following his as he climbed up the trunk of his car, as he set up some blankets that were there. “What are you doing? Planning to have a sleepover?” I asked, kind of sarcastically.

He nodded his head, “That is exactly what I am doing. Thanks for using your brains for once, nerd.”

I watched as Gavin pulled down the blankets as he made a somewhat bed, then when he finally decided it looked comfortable and good enough to sleep on. He proceeded to lie down with his arms behind his head.

“What on earth are you doing?”

“What does it look like I am doing? I am watching the stars.”

I tilted my head up, noticing all the beautiful stars that were scattered across the dark sky like a bunch of really small seeds on a kitchen floor. “Wow,” I said, slightly out of breath.

“Wow is right, isn’t it beautiful?” Gavin, asked.

I nodded my head, “really is.”

“Come here, I made some room for you to lie down.” He said, moving over giving me some space.

“Why should I lie down, when you don’t trust me?” I blurted out, before I could process what I had just said.

I heard Gavin groan to himself. “Are we really going to start this? I just forgot about it and now you are bringing it up?”

“Sorry,” I said, muttering.

As I sat down on the trunk of the hood as my feet dangled of the side. “It’s fine. Now just come here and let’s watch the stars a little bit before the clocks strikes twelve and Cinderella has to get home.”

I rolled my eyes, crawling to lay beside him. However, I didn’t move too near him, there was about a few centimeters of space between us.

I felt Gavin shift over closer to me, I didn’t however feel the need to move over. “So want to tell me what was so important that I had to leave the comfort of my own bed to spend time with you?” Gavin asked, whispering in my ear.

“I just wanted to tell you that I talked to someone about the dance academy and how it is being taken down for demolition.”

“Who is this person that you talked to?”

“Well, let us just say he is very high up in the government-“

Gavin spoke cutting me off, “How high up?”

I shook my head, “That doesn’t matter. What matters is that, they will see what they could do about the demolition project and see if it could be stopped.”

Gavin sat up from his lying position as he turned to me a small smile on his face, “Please tell me you are kidding? Cause getting someone’s hopes up like this is cruel.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “No, I am not joking.”

Gavin opened his arms out to me, wrapping his arms around my small body. I felt him squeeze me, “Thank you.” He whispered in my ear.

I smiled, as I wrapped my arms around him. “You’re welcome.”

He pulled away, “No. I actually do mean it. Thanks, Ali.” He said, moving his head towards mine pressing his lips on my cheek.

He let his lips linger on my cheek for a few seconds before pulling away. “Thank you, Ali." He whispered once more, before lying down and looking back at the sky.

I touched my cheek as I felt my face flush, I nodded my head. Moving to go and lie back down next to Gavin, but this time instead of moving away from him. I laid my head on his chest. He didn’t seem to mind, because he wrapped an arm around my body as the sounds of crickets and other noises filled the quiet night.

*****

Hello Lovelies,

DON’T SHOOT! 10 days since my last update, but I have been so busy… Like I am liking volunteering so much, and the kids are such a blast to be around, I get tried and don’t feel like writing. Plus, I think I met my new best friend, he is five but still he is my favorite, he promised to get me a car… That is how he won me over…

What did you think of this chapter? GAVIN FINALLY KISSED HER! Well it was on the cheek so, it has to count? Right? I am talking to you Alvin shippers. Also for my Balice shippers Ben should be back with Holly next chapter, which will be updated on the 19, my birthday so do not ask when I am updating because… I told ya. And plus I am getting to be very busy.

Yesterday was the last day for one-shots, winners will be announced on the 19 of August as well, so stay tuned. I think I just had come to realize, how busy I am on that day…

This is dedicated to @mandy12100 she would like to go to Bora Bora, I think it is an island made out of water, like once you get out of your room it is all water, which I find so cool!

To win a dedication tell me why do you think whoever you ship should be together!

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Thanks,

xoxo_mysteriousgirl