Just another Tumor

Jayden's View

Jayden Cadger

I take her to where I work. I was planning on showing her off but I see Tristen on his phone behind the counter. I think about turning around but to f*****g late. We make eye contact and he smiles. Worst f*****g time to run into him. Yeah Tristen's my best friend but it's more of a 'I don't want to work on another friendship' and 'he knows too much dirt on me' to end this. I walk over and reach out my fist. He bumps it and immediately looks to Samantha. I feel my blood run cold as his eyes glaze over her body, I can already tell what he's thinking. Her green shirt shapes her body, she tried covering her self with a jean jacket but it does nothing. His eyes widen at her legs, her shorts aren't the shortest I've seen but they are well above her knee. Tristen leans in and whispers "How're you not jumping her bones with her dressed like this?"

"This is my friend Tristen. Or you could call him asshole. Whichever you prefer." I tell her through clenched teeth. Tristen punches me in the arm and laughs. It takes me a minute to not punch him the gut. He always finds a way to get under my skin.

"I'm Samantha. Nice to meet you." Of course she put out her hand. Her smile is as innocent as it can get.

"So you're Jayden's new thing I guess. What happened to Lexi? You two seemed pretty enamored with each other last week." I stare at the ground, figuring out how to leave the situation before this gets worse. Tristen always know how to make it worse.

"We're actually just friends." f**k. I look up at her, she could've just laughed it off. Now Tristen is going to make this a competition. But she's not a competition. Not with Tristen at least, Ethan maybe but we're both in it for the right reasons. Tristen just wants another girl on his f**k list.

"WHOA!!! You're telling me, you have this gorgeous girl with you and you're only in the friend zone?" Tristen pushes me in the shoulder and I look at Samantha. Her head now low with wide eyes. I can tell Tristen is f*****g this up with her.

"I can respect a girls wishes, unlike some people I know." I laugh a bit and punch Tristen in the shoulder a bit harder than I should have. He's got a big smirk across his face. 

"I listen!....To her screams in bed!" He bursts out laughing, I can tell Samantha is getting more uncomfortable by the minute. I bring Tristen closer to me and whisper in his ear. "If you touch her, I'm gonna f*****g kill you." then pat his back as we back out of the store. This has been complete s**t. I can tell Samantha is a nice girl. She's a challenge though. I always liked a challenge for myself. Trying to see who I could get under my belt. I didn't force them but convinced might be a better word for it.

    I stare at the floor in my own world thinking of ways to make this better. I've never had a girl like Samantha. She's damaged for sure, but to what extent. We come up to the make up store and asks if I want to go in or wait outside. I chose to stand with the other guys to "manly' to go in. I'm not afraid of what people will think if I go in. I wait outside to give her space. I think that's what she needs.

    "Oh my god, you are not waiting outside with all these guys."  a higher pitched voice says in my direction and I give her a smirk. 

   "Maybe I am, but that's not for you to judge." She giggles and walks over to me. She flicks her long brown pony tail to the side and I can tell Emma is on a mission. 

"I wasn't judging, mostly observing the line up. I pick most of my dates outside of here you know. And well, here you are." She smiles and her eyes dance down to my chest, placing her manicured hand on it. I see Samantha walking out of the store and brush Emma off, I give Samantha a smile.

"Hey, find something you like?" I point and nod to her bag, she nods back.

"Oh are you his cousin?" Emma puts her hand on her hip and looks Samantha up and down. Although I have never once shown interest in Emma, she seems jealous over the girls I talk to. 

"No, just a friend." I smile at Samantha, repeating the words she said to Tristen. I guess that's what we are. How else would you explain 'We aren't dating but we might if Samantha gets her s**t figured out.'

"Samantha." She sticks out her hand to shake Emma's. Emma looks at her confused and turned back to me with puppy dog eyes.

"You should come over some time. I missed you hanging out last night." Emma was having a party because her parents are away. I was heading there and saw Samantha walking on the road. Last night was better than going to the party. I mean kissing Samantha was better than any chick I would've picked up. 

"I gotta go. See you around." I motion to Samantha and we head to the car. I drive out of the parking lot and realized I don't know where I'm going. I drive down a few random streets to go for a cruise.

"I should probably head home." She cuts the silence with her words. I beat myself up internally about how this day went. Of course she would want to go home. Your asshole of a friend was being his usual self and some slutty girl was rude to her. Good job Jayden.

"I'm sorry about all that." I clench my fists around the stirring wheel and start to head towards her house.

"It's nothing."