4
1790 Words
4“Let Me Love You” – DJ Snake and Justin Bieber
“The Fighter” – Gym Class Heroes
His head was clearer the next day. A shower hadn't hurt either. He glanced in the fridge, already knowing what he'd find: an almost empty carton of orange juice and jelly. Wholesome and nutritious.
Before heading to pick up Vanessa, he knocked on his mom's door.
“Mom, if you give me money, I'll go to the store today. We have zero food.” It took everything he had not to add on, “and if you have twenty three thousand dollars to pay me back, that would be great, too. Luke wasn't big on “life lessons,” but he'd learned his mom was a screw-up at the age of seven when their electricity was shut off for the first time. Or at least the first time he remembered. He heard what sounded like “cash in my purse,” so he went with that and grabbed fifty bucks on the way to his truck. He made a point to crank up some Khalifa before his girlfriend hi-jacked the stereo. It was still cool enough out in the mornings to make driving with the windows down enjoyable as he rolled through Gem City. It was rare that he'd even look around anymore. Luke had lived in Gem since the sixth grade, but only one town over before that. It wasn't all that different. There was a new tightness in his chest when he thought about never leaving. You will get out of here. Money or no money. He didn't quite believe himself, but he let it go when he pulled up curbside to Vanessa's house.
The door opened shortly after he rang the bell.
“Hey Mrs. Roberts, how's it goin'?”
“Good, good. Come in. The house has been quiet without Vanessa here the past week. We missed you, too,” she added.
“Well, next time V is gone, I'm still coming over for dinners. I'm wasting away currently.” He never quite knew how to handle Vanessa's mom acting mom-ish to him.
“Absolutely. Do you need breakfast?” Her eyes narrowed in concern like he might actually be wasting away.
“Nah, I think we're gonna go out. Thanks though.”
“Okay, if you say so. She's downstairs.” Luke nodded and loped down the familiar stairs to Vanessa's basement.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said when he leaned over the back of the couch to kiss her cheek.
“It's a start.” She leaned back to glance at him upside down. Thankfully, she was smiling, letting him know he was mostly off the hook. He leaned over and kissed her more seriously, tugging slightly at her long blond hair- he really had missed her while she was at camp. “That helps too,” she murmured. “Plus the fact that you wore something other than a Gem City shirt.” She eyed his tight black t-shirt appreciatively. She should have, seeing as how she bought it.
“I gotta please my woman.” He grinned as she rolled her eyes. “You ready to go? Wendy's is calling my name.”
“Yep! But actually, can we go to Big Boy and get pancakes instead? My treat. For being somewhat, ummmm, spirited, yesterday.”
“You sure? No Frosty?” He really hated it when she paid when they went out, but he also had to admit that eggs and hash browns sounded really freaking good.
“I can get a milkshake with my pancakes.”
“Of course you can.” He kissed her again, letting his hand find its way to the back of her neck. “I'm glad you're home.”
“I'm glad I'm home, too.” She stood up on the sofa and wrapped her arms around his neck, so he picked her up and set her on the ground.
* * *
Within thirty seconds of Vanessa being in his car, he was listening to boy bands. He'd rather complain than admit he had memorized most of the words to her favorite songs.
“So what's going on tonight, anything?”
“Not really. There should be some good stuff coming up after school starts and everybody's back in town, though.”
“Yeah… any idea who's gonna take over Vader's annual bonfire?”
“You know it's gonna be Roads, come on.”
“Yeah, I know. Think anyone would be bothered if we showed up? And his house accidentally caught fire?”
“I'm totally down to commit arson with you, V, but there might be another solution.”
“Is it as fun as burning down his house?”
“Maybe. Why don't we just throw a party at your house?”
Vanessa snorted at that.
“I'm serious! Your basement is chill, and you have the space for the bonfire.”
“And what would we drink, Luke? Maybe some smoothies or cold-pressed juice? And we could serve kale chips! My parents never leave, and no way they would just leave us alone and let anyone-”
“I get what you're saying. I do, but anybody who wants to drink can worry about that on their own. It's not like they allow alcohol at school dances or football games… and yet.” He raised his eyebrows at her.
“Whatever. I'll think about it. If not, I'll just make you watch Pretty in Pink with me that night.”
“Joy.”
“You know you love m- Molly Ringwald.” Luke broke out in a genuine smile at that. One day, she was gonna slip and say it.
“You know me, I can't get enough. The red hair and the bows. It really gets me-”
“That's enough!” She covered his mouth with her hand and he promptly licked it. “You did not just do that. Are you ten?”
“I thought you liked it when I-”
“Oh look! We're here!” she yelled, covering his mouth again, risking being licked. He just grinned and let it go, pulling into the parking lot.
“Okay, okay, I got it. Pancakes and a milkshake. I'll save the dirty talk for later.”
“You're making me regret forgiving you so easily.” Her eyebrows suggested he should stop, so he did just that.
Five minutes later, they were seated and he had coffee in his hand, so things were essentially good. Vanessa took her time perusing the menu, even though she knew damn well what she was going to order.
“Pull up your schedule for me,” she requested after they'd ordered.
“Why?”
“Why even ask? You know you'll have to end up doing it anyway.” He narrowed his eyes at her momentarily before handing over his phone, his schedule already screen shot in his photos.
“We only have two classes together.”
“Which ones?” He couldn't tell by her tone if two was too few or too many.
“Chem and English. And we have the same lunch, so I guess that's acceptable.”
“V. I have something very serious to ask you.”
“What?” She tilted her head to the side, the telltale sign she knew he was being dramatic.
“Just… we've grown really…close, over these past few months and I… I don't know… it feels stupid to say, but I…”
“You think you're so freaking hilarious. I swear to god.”
“I want us to be lab partners again. Please say yes.”
“I hate you. One day you really will want to ask me something important, and I'm not going to believe a word you say.”
“Who's to say I'm not asking you something important? I got the best grade in science I've had since fourth grade last year. You were a superb lab partner.” He speared his hash browns and shoved a large bite into his mouth, not realizing how hungry he'd been.
“Well, I'll need to check out my other options first, but most likely yes.” She shot him a quick smile he'd grown accustomed to- it meant he should play along with her pretend bitchiness.
“I would expect nothing less.” From there, Vanessa launched into a story about the new freshmen on the cheer squad and how inept they were at everything. He might have been the only one, but he kind of dug the fact that V pretended to be annoyed by things she secretly loved. There was nothing she was better at than intimidating people and soaking up the spotlight. Mentoring freshmen cheerleaders was like her calling.
“I'm sure you'll be able to whip them into shape.”
“Well. Obviously.”
“Do you want me to grab some beer tonight? We could invite Troy and Kim and whoever.”
“We could. Is your mom working?”
“That's debatable.”
“What happened?”
“That is a talk for later.”
“Luke…”
“It's fine. Really. I'll tell you the whole dramatic tale, just not
over pancakes.”
“Fine.” She looked like she might press it further, but he shot her a look to drop it. “We could skip the beer. And the people.” His eyes drifted up from his eggs to meet hers, and the look she gave back was more flirtatious than he expected.
“Please tell me you mean that in the way I want you to mean it, and not in the way that we're going to do yoga and watch stupid movies.”
“Only time will tell.” God she's hot. Sometimes he forgot, on account of her being sort of batshit crazy sometimes, but his girlfriend was ridiculously sexy. Even more so drinking a milkshake.
He took in a deep breath and appreciated the smile that reached Vanessa's blue eyes. He had missed her.
“I'll risk it. No beer and no people. Done.”
* * *
Luke swung by the store and attempted to stretch the fifty bucks as far as he could, trying to remember if they had any toilet paper. While he was scoping out the sale in frozen food, the voice of d**k-incarnate crept up behind him.
“I'm surprised you guys have refrigeration in your double wide. Good for you.” He didn't have to turn around to see Zack's face in his head. He did stand up to his full height, though, before responding.
“Is there something you wanna talk about, Roads?”
“Nah, just picking up some whipped cream.” The guy was decked out in a douche-y polo and khakis, and he looked like he'd be toting golf bags all day.
“Feel free to get on with it, then.”
“Will do. Tell your w***e of a girlfriend I said hey.” The prick started to walk away, but Luke reached out and caught the back of his shirt. He pulled. Hard. Zack was soon backed up against the glass door that enclosed the frozen waffles, Luke's forearm across his neck.
“I really don't give a s**t what you think or say about me. I actually find it really amusing that you think about me at all. But I promise you that if you talk about V again, there will be zero chance of you playing ball this year. Or really walking out of this store with your face intact.” He really, really wanted to hit him.
“Whatever.” Zack shoved back against him, and he let go of his hold. “Enjoy whatever luxuries your food stamps can buy. And stay the hell away from me.”
“Well, I was looking forward to making friendship bracelets at your bonfire next week. I guess I'll have to make other plans.”
“Get bent.”
“Same to you.” Zack slithered down the aisle, without his supposed needed whipped cream. Arson wasn't sounding all that outrageous at the moment.
- Writer
