Badboy, His Secrets and My Heart

5: Completely Out Of Line

••••••

Scarlett

••••••

"Come on, Scarlett," Al whined in my ear, in the middle of the maths class. I rolled my eyes turning to her, "Laters, Al."

She grimaced before turning to her worksheet. She has been pestering me to go shopping with her to the mall. It was in fact a shock to be invited shopping by the Althea Perez, considering the fact that she was the number one hater of shopping.

But then again, they say that love changes you. I strongly suspected there was truth in that statement. Especially in Al's case.

The basketball and swimming team was having their combined stall at the annual fundraiser fair in our school, which was to be held tomorrow. And Al wanted to be on her best. To impress a certain someone of course.

Certain someone going by the name Logan Evans.

Em had backed off at the last moment, cue that she would not be at the fundraiser too. She was off packing with her mom. Her father had got a transfer to New York. And they were moving. Her mom happily and her sulkily. They were not due till two more weeks but packing was hectic as hell.

Ciara promised that she would go shopping with Al but now this moron wanted me too to tag along. I had a wild guess on why that was. It was an input on Logan's taste after all.

The bell rang finally as all of us scrambled for our bags and left the class for the last period. "Why can't you come with us, again?" Ciara dropped herself beside me. "I promised I'd help Ethan out. He is swinging by my place."

"Aha! Now that is the reason you are ditching us. What the hell happened to chicks before d***s? Breasties before testes? And girls-bros before man-hoes?" Al popped in, out of nowhere.

"Firstly, he is not a man-hoe. Secondly, I am not ditching you guys. Just passing the opportunity," I defended myself.

Ciara rolled her eyes at me. "Well, firstly, you don't know whether he's a man-hoe or not. Secondly what are you gonna defend him again? Say that he ain't got testes or that you haven't got breasties? Girl, must I get my eyes checked? Coz those boobs aren't itty bitty-"

"Hey shut up!" I interjected crossing one arm to my other shoulder. "Come on Scar. She is just being jealous," Al pleaded.

"Okay, okay. I will come. But I got to get home before their ball practice ends. Okay?" I shrugged, glaring at a sheepish Ciara as Al hugged me yelling a "Yippee!" right in my ear.

Ugh.

"Aren't you all going to wear your jerseys for the fundraiser, anyways?" Ciara asked Al rummaging through some neatly hung plaid shirts. "Yeah, but we are getting dinner afterwards. Together," she grinned.

"Together as in you and Logan?"

"Yeah in my dreams," she rolled her eyes. "Together as in the whole team and their dates. Duh."

"So you just going to go single pringle? What if Logan brings a date?" I asked her. "That is what I want your help about," she told me, pulling out some wimpy brown slacks scrunching her nose and putting it back. "What do I need to help about?"

I wondered idly who Ethan would be taking as his date.

"Simple. Find out whether he is taking someone else."

"It's not that simple, Al."

"Come on, Scar. You are the only one he would tell, even if he is bringing someone," Al shrugged. "She's right. You are the only one he would tell," Ciara nodded.

"Okay, I will give it a try," I shrugged knowing that there was no point arguing back when both of them g**g up opposite me.

"Guys how does this look?" Ciara called out to us, holding up a black and white button up checkered miniskirt. "Wow. That's perfect. Go on Al try it on."

"Guys that looks like a f*****g school uniform," Al frowned. "Oii, just shut up and try this," I pushed her into the trial room as Ciara handed her the skirt.

Both me and Ciara were giggling over some guy's six pack in her phone when we heard Al groan. "What happened?" Ciara asked worried. "I need a f*****g top for this. What do you expect me to do? Saunter out in my f*****g b*a?"

Leave it to Al to include cuss words into every single sentence before she spoke.

"Just come out in the sweater you were wearing before. We will go look for a top right now," Ciara whisper yelled pulling my arm. I spotted a black spaghetti strapped cami, which was apt. Grinning at Ciara, I pulled it off the rack, and handed it to Al who was still fixing her damn skirt.

"Um guys..."

Her statement made us both eye at each other for half a second before we almost ripped off the trial room's blinds. Goddess, was she perfect!

The black camisole and tight miniskirt showed off her flawless skin and long legs. Some outfit I could not ever pull off but it did her justice. She looked really pretty.

"You are a damn fine hot b***h!" Ciara acclaimed, putting her hands around a fidgeting Al. "You could pair with sneakers or black strappy stilettos," I said eyeing her up and down.

"What do you think?"

"You would hot with the stilettos but the sneakers will give you a natural, cute edge. It's a simple dinner with your team, right?"

"Yeah. So sneakers, it is."

"Hey!! Keep your hands in your food. Don't you dare touch my fries. My babies are mine," Ciara scowled at Al. We were getting ourselves some food after getting the stuff. She pouted cutely, her sly eyes turning to me. "Don't you dare even think!"

She rolled her eyes, "And you guys call yourselves my friends." Both of us flip her off as if on accord in synchrony. Al narrowed her eyes at us as we high-five laughing.

"So how is it going with you and Eth-ylene?" Ci asked me munching on her fries. "And what?" Al snorted very unladylike slurping on her milkshake. "You named him after a fuvking chemical?"

Ciara just shrugged nonchalantly and nodded at me to tell. "Well, nothing. We just had a couple of moments and worked on..."

"Ugh, f**k my life," Al looked up at the sky yearning for divine intervention.

"Holy hell, you guys almost kissed?!" Ci exclaimed. "Well, not exactly..." I shrugged sheepishly. "If not for the pizza delivery guy, you guys would have definitely kissed, come on," Ci swooned.

"I don't know guys, but I have a bad feeling about all of this," Al muttered contemplating on something. "It's not that I'm happy for you. If you like him, it is not in my place to stop you but he just gives me some off vibes. I don't know."

"Come on, Al. He's hot, got the sass and attitude enough to put Barbie in her place and knows how to hold you when you are upset. What more do you need?" Ci rolled her eyes.

"I said I didn't know, didn't I? Well, don't start about that b***h Barbie. I don't want to badmouth in the middle of a mall and lose my cool," Al narrowed her eyes, settling her cup down. "What's up with you and her again?" I asked grinning as she turned to me furiously.

"She came for cheerleading practice during our practice, yesterday. Well, the guys were practicing too. The guys got a break just after the cheerleading practice needed and I swear this psychotic b***h went up to Logan and said something. The other cheerleading team were long gone to the changing rooms. Well, Logan just shrugged before he let her sit on his lap. I mean, what the f**k, seriously? She must've told some damn lie because when she began getting touchy and smoochy, he shrugged her off telling something and walked off. This b***h has gone to her team and bragged on about how 'euphoric' it was when Logan's so called lips 'descended' upon hers. That b***h!"

"Al, chill. Logan does not like her anyways. You don't need to worry," I assured her. "I'm not worried about that. I'm kind of worried about Barbie's beach blond hair that was going to ripped off by me someday soon," she shrugged. Ciara gave her a nervous look, "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

"I feel so single," Ci drawled.

Turning myself to her, I asked, "What do you exactly mean by that?"

"Well, you and Ethan almost kissed. So that is something and Al has Logan. So I am the only single person out of the group. Em broke up with Ben so she doesn't count in," she shrugged.

"Ci, what is something? Ethan and I are just friends. Maybe we have our moments but we are plain old friends," I affirmed seriously. Al rolled her eyes, "Shore, sis. Shore."

"Alright maybe I do have a teeny weeny crush on him. Even though I hate that word. It is something like that. He is pretty attractive. I'm not going to deny that though," I shrugged.

"Oh, Scar. You guys almost kissed," Al rolled her eyes again. I swear her eyes are going to get stuck in the back of her head someday soon.

"Well, the keyword is 'almost.'"

"Whatever suits you, Scarlett. And you Ms. Ciara Russell, shut up. I do not 'have' Logan. Maybe someday. But not anytime soon. So get it through your thick head that I am not going to get committed that easily. But Scar here, may have 'almost' doesn't mean that she wouldn't have kissed him if not the incredulous pizza guy. Idiota."

It is kind of true. Or is it?

**

"Come on, sweetheart. Just one minute," Daniel f*****g Hawthorn grabbed my wrist.

We were getting the stalls ready and I was part of the student council so I was help getting some stalls ready. Just as I walked into a deserted photo booth, Dan had entered.

"What do you want, Dan?" I halted turning around to him. "I heard that Ciara is going to be busy with the Science society stall today. And that Al would be working with the team," he shrugged. I stopped tapping my feet. "Your point?" I asked c*****g my head to the right.

"You going to be alone. You know that I do know how to please a woman. Go on. Don't be shy. Ask me out," he smirked smugly.

"Yeah, sure. Get out!"

The instant scowl on his pathetic face relieved quiet soon. "That was a pretty good joke. Now again, what about you try again?"

"Let me ask you something, Hawthorn. Does it ever tire you out?"

"What?" He asked smirking.

"The energy you spend to act like an a*s," I internally did cartwheels as his smile morphed into a scowl. "Oh right! You don't need to act. You are an a*s. How did I ever forget?" I splayed my palm on my heart dramatically before smirking at him.

I barged past him when he puts his hand on my wrist, pulling me to him. Glaring at him, I shrugged it off real hard and raised my right knee before giving him the middle finger. "You are the reason God invented middle fingers, Hawthorn. Hope that gives you the satisfaction of actually having accomplished something," I smirked before leaving him clutching the unmentionables in pain.

**

"Come on, Scar! Let's go get some blue cotton candy," Emmy yelled over all the music blasting on elsewhere. Her dimpled cheeks, pink as she beamed at me showing her pearly whites.

If you had told me last week that I would be walking through a school fair with a five year old in blue denim overalls dangling on my arm, I swear I would have laughed at you. Forget about last week, if someone had told me that exactly two hours ago, I would have shrugged, called them a shitty seer or a dunderhead and walked away.

But here I am. Dragging a very energetic and vivacious Emerald Torres to the cotton candy station.

The school fair had officially begun at around eleven o'clock. But the people started coming around at noon. It started bustling with people at three o'clock. An hour after that, I found myself at the entrance helping out with the raffle draw entries. Mrs. Torres dropped by with a set of brownies and as I said before, a very wild Emmy in a neon yellow t-shirt and blue denim coveralls with her blond hair in milkmaid braids.

Ethan was on duty with their stall, so me being my stupid self offered to guide Emmy to him as Mrs. Torres was running late. She had given Ethan a call to inform him that Emmy was with me.

It felt good that she was indeed trusting me with her five year old. But then again being an responsible older sibling sucked, I guess.

Don't ask me how I figured that out, considering the fact that I've never been in that position. But it was pretty basic that even though you do get to boss around your younger siblings and give them orders, it sucked that you should be the responsible one. Because everyone will blame you for things your younger siblings did too. Being a younger sibling, I certainly have no experienced that privilege up to a certain extent. All thanks to my sweet sister.

Both Ethan and I, have been ignoring each other like plague since the incident. Since that incident. Both of us did not know how to react. He had left instantly, resulting in me having frozen pizza for the next day and the next.

I handed some change to the girl at the cotton candy station for the two we bought. Grabbing my pink one from Emmy, we walked along as she pointed at completely normal things with serious interest.

The cotton candy I was eating probably made me look childish. But then again people who judge me are going to judge me no matter what. Either I am a b***h or a lunatic to them. So f**k them.

We played some dumb games like 'stop and throw' that she wanted to try and ended up right in front of the basketball and swim teams' stall. They were having a mixed stall of food, souvenirs and 'knock the cans.'

"Is Ethie here?" Emmy asked me, her energy had waned but she still was more enthusiastic than me. I nodded at her, pulling her closer to the stall.

"Hey! See who finally stopped by," Logan said to Althea, chuckling at me. His twinkling eyes landed on Emmy finally as they widened slightly. "And who might this be?" he asked before squatting down before us. Just as his face was in level with Emmy's, he c****d his head grinning and extended his hand to her, "Hi, I'm Logan- coming." He yelled over to some guy with his crates.

"Hello, Logan Coming. Pleased to meet you. I am Emmy. Emmy Torres," she accepted his hand in a mean handshake. I stifled my laugh as Al broke out laughing clutching her stomach. Christ, was she sassy?

Logan raised his eyebrows tentatively smirking, before breaking out into a Cheshire grin. "A Torres, huh? You've got the spark too."

"Thank you for the compliment," she nodded at him with a duh face, digging her hands into her pockets. "Ethan's sister," I motioned.

Logan chuckled, "Speaking of which, where is your brother?" looking around. "Let me go find him for you," Al offered clearly impressed that a five year old can indeed be savage to Logan.

"And you are?" Emerald trailed, looking at Al. Being a Potterhead, I was instantly reminded of Hermione's introduction with Ron. Then again, it was more about Emma Watson's facial reaction.

"Oh hi, I am Al."

"Al.." She pronounced, testing the word, "That's pretty. Is it your first name?" "Yeah, pretty much," Al shrugged in return to which Emmy nodded.

"When did you get here?" Ethan came out, asking Emmy, drying his hands on a what looked like a washcloth. "Ethan!" Emmy's face broke into a huge smile. Bigger than ever before. She must really love her brother.

He was donning a black t-shirt that made his slightly tanned complexion glow under the hot midday sun. He was this lean guy with muscles alright. Not the exactly muscular, veiny guy. But he was attractive. Not sure whether it was his hazel-green eyes or the way he scrunched his forehead in confusion at times or his signature smirk that put the models on the cover of 'Vogue' to shame. He was attractive and the guy-liking population of Birchont High knew it.

Usually the really cute or hot guys, turn out to be gay or bisexual at times. Currently the top three guys on the "Who's hot?" list were, Logan Evans, Daniel Hawthorn and some guy Anthony Wilkins from my art class. I was pretty sure that on next week's list the Anthony guy would be off and replaced by Ethan.

Well the talk of the school was that these three guys were single and available. I heard that Anthony was going out with a junior guy. And then again, jackass Daniel Hawthorn changed girls and guys so fast, before you could even say 'Asshole.'

Logan was a casual fling type of guy. He dated a girl back when we were juniors but then broke up because she was being a b***h and Logan did not take being trampled on very easily. Now, she still kept popping around him asking for a second chance as discreetly as one can. He was sure that they could not get back together and that they could remain friends. But we all know that Barbara Figgs will never take no for an answer.

Barbie was in our friends circle until the day she wasn't. After she broke up with Logan, she turned all Regina George on me. And on the whole school.

Regina was-. Oops sorry, Barbie was as usual on the top of the 'Who's hot?' female list. Next to her was a girl from my maths class and Ciara. Our school did not take a second doubted look at the dark skinned except for their beauty and brains maybe. Ciara here was an example for that.

During my zone out story time, Al and Lo had gone back to whatever work they were doing and I was left staring at Ethan and Em talking in hushed whispers. Awkward.

I pretended to look at my nails as I caught on some phrases. "Mom left", "Work", "Entrance", "Game", "Brownies", "Cotton candy".

Remembering the box of brownies in my hand, I went over to hand them for over to the girl at the stand, mentioning Ethan's name.

I thought of heading back to the entrance so that I could finish my duty there. "Scar!"

I turned to Ethan, who was looking from me to Em to Em to me. "You going somewhere?" He asked. I shook my head, "Just to the gate. Why?"

"I need to go give the keys to my brother. You coming?" If this was not the only chance I got, I am not going to let it go. I nodded my head as Emmy let go of Ethan and latched onto my arm.

Ethan bought her a paper windmill that she wanted so badly. She walked in front of us as Ethan fell in my pace thus us, walking together.

The back of our hands grazed each other softly. Cold shivers passed through me even though I was walking through crowded fair with the sun slightly diminishing behind me.

"About yesterday, I am sorry. It was completely out of line. I shouldn't have. Um," he searched for a word to describe himself. My heart sunk.

He was sorry?

Was he really sorry?

Come on, that is like the universal excuse of covering up. He's just trying to maintain he's place and stay in your good books.

Sometimes I really loved my inner b***h. But then sometimes it felt like she boosted me with too much confidence that really was not me.

"Was it?" I asked him wrapping my hands around me. He eyes looked elsewhere but me, c*****g his eyebrow.

"Was it 'completely' out of line? I meant, do you think it was?" I repeated elaborately.

His eyes at last reached mine and they looked right into me. For one moment I thought I was hallucinating but I knew it was the truth when I saw his subtle smile.

"No. I don't think it was completely out of line. I think that it was perfect. I think that unexpected happy moments are most cherished. And I think it was one of those moments. I think that the pizza delivery was so f****d up to ruin such a moment." His hand palmed my right cheek. It was warm and I closed my eyes, shuddering at the warmth, a contrast to my chilliness.

"I also think that it would be even more perfect if I kissed you right now," his voice was growing closer.

Emmy was right there somewhere.

My inner b***h rolled her eyes. Jeez, Scarlett! Concentrate on the matter at hand. Or at lips.

After what seemed like a very long eternity, his lips landed on mine.

It wasn't just a kiss.

It was what young teenage girls imagined as their first kiss. It was what a man would give to his better half. It was what I had dreamt to be my first kiss. I really wished at that moment that it had been my first kiss.

My first kiss was a very sloppy and wet kiss by some drunk senior when I was thirteen for a dare. If that was a kiss, then I did not know what this was.

Ethan’s lips caressed mine softly as if pacifying me to relax. My tense shoulders relaxed and his tongue slipped in, when his other hand slid around my waist pulling me even closer.

I idly wandered what I ate for lunch.

Oh! Just shut up and kiss!

Yes, ma'am.

My arms slid past his shoulders reaching and tugging his chestnut locks of hair. I was on my tiptoes reaching to him as his arm around my waist supported my weight.

This was a f*****g proper kiss. Soft, sensual, passionate. With fire in my blood and adrenaline rushing through my body leaving me in a fizz.

He was kissing me in the middle of a school fair. Thousands of students around us. Teachers. My best friends. His sister. And it felt perfect.

Both of us pulled back at the same time. He leaned his forehead on mine as both of us gasped for oxygen.

"Not out of line. Ever," I said, my voice slightly muffled. Although I was not looking, I sensed his smile. Or rather smirk.

"Aww, now that the smoochie smoochie is over can we get going. I am hungry," a very impatient but slightly contented voice interrupted our personal reverie.

Emmy was looking at us, her hand on her hips. Her lips pulled into a cute pout. She rolled her eyes and skipped her steps forward as Ethan pulled her back into him, tickling her sides as she giggled.

A few of the students, I knew were watching at me in awe. What for?

But a thing I realized was that his hand was entwined with mine and it never left.