''I'll get it.'' Mum says in finality and wipes her mouth with a napkin.

I wonder who it could be.

Mum walks to the door, my sister and I stretching our necks to see who it is. She uses the peephole, then opens the door.

''Hello, Mrs Jones,'' I hear a voice say and I almost choke on my rice.

What. The. Hell?!

Mum looks behind her and wags her finger, I stand up, still gobsmacked and make my way towards her. He sees me and I blink rapidly, I tend to to do that a lot when I'm shocked.

Minutes ago, he was at the dance.

''Melody,'' he says with a smile, a full blown one that shows his pearly whites.

''Jason,'' I answer cordially. Mum has still not let him in and she looks at him, her eyes full of questions.

''Jayden, right?'' she says. We both shake our heads. I literally corrected her a week ago.

He doesn't seem to mind the misspelling of his name and corrects her politely. "It's Jason, ma'am.'' He looks at my mum, then at me and sends a discreet wink. I'm too shocked to even express a reaction.

If you mix a black swan with a little bit of mystery and danger, then you have the recipe for how Jason Blunt looks like right now and that alone makes my heart skip five beats.

From the looks of things, he's either just coming from the dance or he's going to another formal event because his black shirt looks so pristine, tucked into his dark pants. His equally dark suit jacket clings to his shoulders and arms, snaking into them like a second skin and showing his lean but muscular figure.

His chestnut hair, which is usually tossled on most days, is swept back with gel, making it shine and glisten under the light bulb.

''Right, Jason.''

As for me, my hair is packed in a haphazard and disoriented bun on top of my head. My pink T-shirt is way too big for me so it envelopes my whole body and shows a decent amount of legs-that are clad in boy shorts.

Complete opposites.

''I remember you,'' mum continues. ''From last year.''

He looks a little nervous, but composes himself. Mum can be really intimidating when she wants to be, especially now that she's not smiling. It's 7:00pm and we didn't expect company. ''Right. I came over for tutoring.'' She nods. ''I actually came here because I wanted to take Melody to the dance, with your approval of course.''

My jaw slacks open but he's still smiling.

What part of I'm not going doesn't he understand?

''Me?'' I question in disbelief. ''To the dance?''

Of course he just said that, idiot! You're not deaf.

He nods.

That's not even the shocking thing.

The shocking thing is that mum's expression changes from not smiling to actually smiling and I'm all shades of confused. ''You should have started with that, Jason,'' she says and ushers him inside.

"Come in, come in.'' I look up at her but she ignores me and side steps out of the way so he'll enter the apartment fully.

''Melody, lock the door please.''

I nod wordlessly and do as she says.

''Jason!'' Sophie says and runs from the dining room to the living room, her feet bouncing with each step.

''Hey, Sophie.''

He gives her a high five and Sophie babbles on to mum about how he was here when my tyres were slashed and how they drove in his Veyron to the police station. I've heard this story so many times because Sophie bugs me about inviting him over just so she can ride in his car. While mum is occupied, I send a 'what the hell' look and he shrugs nonchalantly, giving me a lazy smirk.

Mum gives her an amused smile and turns to Jason. ''My two daughters seem to like you.'' I blush a little. ''I'm glad. Thank you for taking them to the police station.'' He raises a brow but I plead with my eyes for him to go along with it. Mum doesn't have a clue that Theo drove me to the police station. Sure, she knows that Sophie rode in Jason's Veyron, but she assumes that we were in it together.

''It's really no problem, ma'am. I'm always happy to help.''

''Are you here to give me a ride in your Veyron?'' Sophie asks eagerly.

In your dreams, Sophie.

''Unfortunately not.'' Her smile droops. ''I'm here to take your sister to the dance.'' Take that Sophie, I do have someone to go with.

''But I'll be back and we'd go for a ride.'' he reassures her. She seems satisfied with that.

''We were just talking about the dance,'' Mum says, settling down next to him on the couch. ''And I was quite surprised that she wasn't going. I didn't even know she already had a date.''

I didn't know either.

''To be honest, it was a surprise,'' he confesses. ''I wasn't sure if she was going so I just wanted to stop by to see if she'd be willing to go with me.'' Smooth, Jason, real smooth.

''Aww,'' Sophie says. ''Like in the movies.''

''That's so sweet,'' mum answers. ''Truth be told, I've never met any of her male friends before, well apart from you and your friend that came over.''

Yea, friends that like each other and have kissed each other.

''You have my approval.''

Thanks for having my back, mum.

With a tone of finality, she stands up and grabs my arm. ''She'd be right back.''

Leading me upstairs to my bedroom, she locks the door and I plop down on my chair. ''Mum, what was that?''

''That was someone willing to take you to your first high school dance.''

''I thought you told me to stay away from guys.'' She is definitely going off script here. Growing up black, you're not allowed to date till you're like thirty. Even when you're thirty, black parents would still ward men away from you, claiming you're ''too good'' for them.

''I told you to stay away from older guys,'' she corrects. What she doesn't know is Jason is older than me-by a year. He'd be nineteen this year while I'm turning eighteen in August. I asked him about it and he said he didn't start school early.

''I do not want to see you dating an adult male. You deserve to date someone your own age not some creeper who'd take advantage of you.'' I know that dig is directed at Bob but I let it slide. It's still dangerous territory and I'm in no mood to argue.

''If Jason came all the way here, it means he really likes you, honey.'' She's already rummaging through my closet looking for an outfit. ''And judging by the fact that you were blushing when he was speaking, I think it's safe to say you feel something for him too.'' She stops and stares at me with her brown eyes. ''Am I wrong?''

She's good at this perceptiveness thing. I thought I was discreet.

''No,'' I admit with a sigh. ''You're not wrong. I like him,'' I sigh. ''Mum, I like him and I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing?''

''Why would it be a bad thing?''

''Because he's-'' He's a gangleader, he's the black swan, he's a street racer, he's affiliated to Bob, who by the way, you hate.

''He's different,'' I say finally. ''We're different, mum. We used to hate each other,'' she raises a brow. ''It's a long story but he has basically been my nemesis since I arrived at Adelaide.''

She halts me. ''So when your principal would call me at work saying you had a verbal altercation with someone, he was the one you were quarrelling with.''

I laugh a little. ''Most likely.''

''Wow.''

''We used to hate each other and then the lines got blurred somewhere along the line.'' I know most teenagers never admit to their parents that they like someone but I think I'm a different specie of the word teenager. ''I don't know if I'm making a mistake by liking him, if that even makes any sense.'' I also don't know if he'd hurt me the way Bob did.

Jason has a reputation at Adelaide for being a bad boy and a player. He didn't deny it, so sometimes I wonder if I'm just another notch on his belt, a whim of his that'll fade with his mood. Would he replace me like he did Mariah and move on to the next girl?

''Why do you think you're making a mistake by liking him?''

''Because he's popular and I'm not." That's a half-truth. ''He's literally the king of the school and everyone knows him. He's a basketball player, star athlete and I'm just…well me.'' She nods as a sign for me to continue. ''Maybe I have trust issues but I'm afraid to commit. He asked me out on a date and I said no.''

Yet he still came, and is still willing to be patient with me.

''All these questions and doubts are normal, honey After what your father did, I don't blame you for having trust issues.'' she says with disgust. ''But have you thought that maybe he has changed and maybe wants to get to know you and date you?''

''I don't know.''

''I was a teenager once myself, you know. Teenage boys can be real pricks so it's normal to be weary and cautious. But, he did come all the way here to ask you to the dance even when I know that it's the Sadie Hawkins and should be the other way around.''

''Yea, well, I wasn't planning on going.''

''If you're really going to do this with him, why don't you voice out all of your concerns to see where his head is at?'' She folds her arms. ''It wouldn't hurt to do so.''

''I guess. I just have to agree on that date.''

''I'll leave that decision to you. If you really think he's worth it, go for it. If not, life goes on.'' she shrugs. ''I only beg that you please fall with your head and not your heart because the heart can be a treacherous thing.''

Fall with your head and not your heart.

''I like him,'' she says and brings out a sky blue dress. ''He seems to be cultured and well-mannered.''

''You've only known him for a hot minute, mum.''

''You can tell a lot about a person in a hot minute,'' she counters. ''He looks like he comes from good stock.''

''I still find it weird that you're encouraging me to go out with him.''

She wags her finger. ''I'm not encouraging you, all I'm saying is do what you think is the right thing. I trust you enough, a least most of the time to make the right decision.'' She grabs another clothing item from the closet. ''I've raise you to be a mature woman, Mel and your responsibility and growth marvels me sometimes.'' I giggle. ''I know for a fact that you wouldn't put yourself in unnecessary danger and that Jason boy seems harmless.''

Harmless? Far from the truth. I witnessed first hand how he shot someone on the foot to protect me.

''Right,'' I answer tightly. ''He's harmless.''

''Plus, he's a fine white boy. I can see why you like him.''

''Mum!''

She playfully rolls her eyes. ''I'm not even close to being fifty and my eyes are working quite well. He is cute as hell.''

''Let's just focus on looking for the dresses.'' I walk to her and open the lower chest drawer. ''I actually have two dresses for the dance.…''