The Spare Girl

High on Hayes

LUNA

The minute I get Naomi's text saying she's waiting in the car park, my heart does this weird little bounce of excitement.

It's like a jolt of electricity, a reminder that this is real-that Naomi actually wants to take me out. I'm about to grab my bag when Mia catches sight of my expression and pounces on me.

"What's got you grinning like that?" she asks, eyebrows waggling.

"Nothing," I say, trying to play it cool, but she's not buying it.

"Luna," she says, stretching out my name in a way that makes me laugh. "Spill."

"Fine, fine," I say, dropping my bag back down. "Naomi's waiting for me outside. She... invited me out."

Mia's eyes widen, and she practically squeals.

"Are you serious? That's adorable. You have to take pictures! And videos. And maybe audio clips so I can hear everything later."

I laugh, shaking my head. "I'm not going to record everything like some spy, Mia."

"Oh, please, just a few pics, then? This is monumental." She gives me this look that's way too thrilled, and honestly, her excitement is contagious.

"Alright, alright," I give in, but I'm already feeling nervous as I make my way outside.

When I reach the parking lot, I'm scanning for Naomi, expecting her to be leaning against a car or something.

But no.

She's standing next to a motorcycle, one sleek and black enough to belong in some action movie.

And she looks ridiculously good with her leather jacket and helmet in hand, braids slightly windswept.

She offers me this easy grin, and for a second, I forget to breathe.

"You ready?" she asks, holding out a helmet for me.

I stare at the motorcycle, trying to mask my surprise, but inside, I'm panicking.

"Is... is that yours?"

She shrugs casually, like it's no big deal.

"My car's in the shop. So it's either this or we walk. Impressed?"

I swallow, glancing at the bike and then back at her.

"I... I'm not getting on that thing."

Naomi just laughs for a long moment before she realizes that I'm not joking.

I can tell she is fighting the urge to roll her eyes but instead she steps closer until she's right in front of me.

"Come on, it's safe," she says, her tone softening as her eyes gaze into mine. "I promise, I'll go slow."

Go slow? Why is my head doing tricks to me. Is it just me or that sounds super sexy?

I shake my head, forcing myself to get back to that knot of worry in my stomach. But Naomi doesn't move away.

She holds the helmet out again, like she's waiting for me to just take it and trust her.

"Look," she says, her voice low. "If you hold on tight, you'll be fine. Just give it a chance, yeah?"

There's something reassuring about the way she says it, and before I know it, she's gently strapping the helmet over my head.

Her fingers brush my chin as she secures it, and I feel my heart start to race again.

When she pulls back, and I nod-half out of bravery, half because I don't want to let her down.

"Okay," I say quietly, my voice barely audible.

Her smile widens, and she swings a leg over the bike, holding out a hand to help me on.

I take it, trying to focus on anything other than how ridiculously cool she looks.

As soon as I'm on, I realize how close we're going to be, and my nerves spike again.

Naomi glances over her shoulder, giving me an encouraging nod.

"Wrap your arms around me," she says like it's nothing. "And hold on tight."

I'm hesitant, but I do as she says, sliding my arms around her waist.

Her jacket is smooth under my hands, and I feel the slight firmness of her stomach as I press against her. I can feel my cheeks heating up, but Naomi doesn't seem phased-she just revs the engine, and the bike springs to life.

I tighten my grip instinctively, and she lets out a soft laugh.

"See? You're safe with me," she says over her shoulder.

The ride starts off slow, just like she promised, but even so, I feel a rush of adrenaline as we pick up speed.

The world blurs around us, a mix of colors and lights as we zoom down the street. I'm dying to take a shot of this but I'm not brave enough to let go of her waist and get my camera.

The wind rushes past, carrying the faint scent of Naomi's shampoo and the cool bite of the air. Despite my initial fear, there's a thrill to it all.

By the time we reach the pier, I'm buzzing with excitement. Naomi parks the bike and takes my hand to help me off, her gaze lingering a little longer than usual.

"Not so bad, right?"

I laugh, taking the helmet off and shaking my hair free.

"I guess it wasn't as terrifying as I thought."

She grins, pocketing the helmet as she leads me toward the entrance of the pier.

The place is lit up with a kaleidoscope of neon lights, a mix of arcade sounds, laughter, and the distant crash of ocean waves. It feels like stepping into another world, one that's just for me and her.

Naomi glances down at me, her smile soft. "Alright, where do you want to start?"

We end up riding the Ferris wheel first: she practically drags me to it because contrary to what I said, I'm f*****g afraid of heights.

We share a cart at the very top where the view stretches out over the entire pier and beyond. I want to puke and cry but Naomi pins me in place.

After the Ferris wheel, we wander through the food stalls, where she buys us cotton candy, and we play a few arcade games, laughing at how terrible we both are at skee-ball.

It's all so easy, so natural, and I catch myself smiling more than I have in a long time.

Naomi surprises me, too, with how attentive she is. She notices the little things-when I get chilly, she offers me her jacket without hesitation, and when I struggle to reach for a prize, she grabs it for me with this proud smirk. She's somehow soft, a side of her I didn't know existed.

By the end of the evening, I feel like I've seen a whole different side of Naomi.

She's not just the confident, intimidating girl who had a different partner each week. She's warm, and thoughtful, and it makes me realize that maybe there's a lot more to her than I'd assumed.

As we walk back to the bike, Naomi glances at me, her eyes reflecting the lights from the pier.

"Did you have fun?"

I nod, giddiness creeping back in.

"Yeah, wasn't bad."

She smiles, and for a second, I think she might say something, but instead, she just hands me the helmet again, her gaze lingering. "Hold on tight, alright?"

I do, and as we speed back into the night, my arms wrapped around her, I can't stop the smile that spreads across my face.

I realize a second too late when she drops me home that I didn't get the critique but somehow that doesn't matter.

What matters is I'm high on Hayes and I don't know what to do about it.