To Love A Criminal

TEN

"Do you know that girl with the tacky purple weave?"  Sarah asks Gianna and Beth as the three of them are seated gossiping about people in Purple's Ville.  Gianna nods with a smile. She can't hide that she is happy that she is getting along with the girls, especially Sarah.

"Her name is Vivian and I swear she has been attaching that weave in her hair since high school," Beth says as looking down at nails which Sarah just painted for her.

"She bitch slapped Gossip Andrea today," Sarah says.

Gianna and Beth gasps. They all know that Gossip Andrea has it coming, she spreads information both true or untrue to everyone in town. When Gianna started staying with the Bailey's, she spread a rumor that Gianna is Jacob's one-night stand that got pregnant and now have to stay with the Bailey's since her parents kicked her out.

"What did Gossip Andrea do this time?" Gianna asks in-between her laughs.

"She told Vivian that her boyfriend is smashing her best friend. I mean it's true, I saw them but Andrea got slapped either way."

"I wish I was there," Beth says.

Nico walks into the sitting room, sits beside Gianna, and leans to whisper, "Want to eat out?"

Gianna lets out a nervous chuckle, "W-what?"

Beth and Sarah stare at the pair and then at each other, before Beth speaks, "What are you guys whispering about?"

Nico stands up and claps his hands, "Gianna and I are eating out." He announces.

"Since when?" Sarah asks as she scrunches up her face in disgust.  

"Since now," Nico says leaning to pick up the keys of the pick-up truck on the coffee table.

Gianna looks at the girls with mirrored confusion but she stands up still and follows Nico out of the sitting room.

"What's up with them?" Sarah asks.

"They are fucking," Beth mutters.

Gianna stops on the porch while Nico is about to enter the pick-up truck. "Coming or what?" Nico says.

"I have to go change my clothes." She points at her hoodie and jean shorts.

"You look perfect." He says with a smile, opening the truck and getting in.

Gianna bits her lips trying to suppress the smile as heat explodes in her cheeks. She walks towards the car and gets in.

~~~
The atmosphere in the car is tense, no one is speaking. Gianna is having a mental argument with herself, whether this is a date or not, while Nico is also having a mental argument if at all he should go through with his plans. Her stomach churns with nerves as they drive in silence.

After some minutes Nico breaks the silence when one of his hands reaches for the radio and turns it off, "Ugh, this music makes my ears bleed."      

She lets out a nervous chuckle which makes Nico glance at her direction then back on the road. "No, way," Nico shakes his head in disapproval. "You like the song."

Flustered, "I do actually." She nods.

"I can't believe my ears, it's a girl version of Jacob." He says in disbelief.  "Always thought she will be less hot,"

"You think I am hot?" She says with a smile playing on her lips.

Nico glances at her, "Bet this isn't the first time you are hearing that."

This is the first time that the words get her all giddy.

"So where are we having dinner?" Gianna asks as they drive past the signboard that says Purple's Ville.