Bending The Rules

Nate

Mel taught me how to make her burgers. Mine were nowhere near as good as hers though. No idea what that girl does to them, but they are perfect.

"Shift's over," Mel looks at me as she takes her hair out of the pony tail it was in and smiles a bit. It's a genuine smile. Something I know Sean couldn't even get out of her.

"You still up for our-" fuck. Fuck what do I call it? "Our plans?"

"You were going to call it a date weren't you? And yes, I am ready." She smirks and I roll my eyes, giving her my jacket.

"Enjoy that. You'll probably be doing a lot of sitting."

"Excuse you. You said-"

"I said I might let you. Now, let's get in my car and give your cobra a look, shall we?"

"Fine." She walks out of the diner and slips into my car, and I follow her, getting into the driver's seat.

"Does your brother know I'm coming?"

"Does it matter?"

"Nah, I guess not. I just don't want you to get in trouble."

She starts laughing at me. "Oh Nate, trouble is my middle name. You should know that."

I keep my eyes on the road and start driving. It's raining a bit, and I just want to get her cobra checked out. By the time we get to the track it should be done raining.

***

The cobra looked like it hadn't been driven in two or three years. It probably hadn't. "Well, it definitely needs new oil, new tires, gas, and it has to get some parts replaced."

Mel had been watching me, drinking her own weight in beer. She was obviously drunk. "Will it cost much?"

"A little." A lot. But I will tell her that when she isn't drunk out of her mind.

"Yay! Thank you!" I'm a bit taken off gaurd when she hugs me and kisses my cheek. Then she stands there a moment looking shocked, and I kiss her. On the lips.

I feel her kiss me back, but it was short and sweet. But then, to my surprise, we kiss again. Longer.

Then we pull apart and Mel smiles and bites her lip. "I like you," she murmurs before getting into my car.

Am I really going to fall for her? I shouldn't. I can't. But I do like things I shouldn't have.

***

Mel sat and watched as I raced, taking out most of my competition. No one thinks a seventeen year old can race. And damn I love proving them wrong.

Mel comes over to me after about an hour and leans inside the window, but I can tell she isn't nearly as drunk as before. "Hop out and let me drive one. I have someone betting seven hundred dollars that I can't beat him."

"Seven hundred?" No one has ever bet that high with me. "Must be because you're a young girl. But can you race?"

"Out pretty boy," she says with a small smirk. "And hurry."

I hop out and she settles in my car and points a black fingernail behind me. "That guy is the one racing me. Pretty cute if I do say so myself. And I know I can beat his ass." Before I can say anything, she's rolling down the window and pulling up to the line.

She called him cute. But why do I care? She doesn't like me. She is a guy user. She's not good.

I watch the lights. It hits green and damn Mel is off. She takes off and beats him by a whole two seconds. When she pulls back up beside me, she has a huge grin on her face. "Since when can you race like that?"

"A while," Melanie admits with a grin and she slips out of the car to collect her money. When she comes back, she's shoving the money in her pocket. "This ought to buy me something nice for once."

I lean in and kiss her on the lips, but she barely kisses back and when I pull away, her face is super pale. "You okay Mel?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just-" ring ring ring! "I uh...I need to answer this."

"Go ahead." I slip into my car and Melanie slinks off, murmuring into her phone. I don't know who it is, but I hope it isn't Sean. Or Noah. They shouldn't talk to her anymore.

Mel comes back around three minutes later and announces that she has to leave; she's expecting someone at the Steak And Shake. I nod and she gets in, and I turn on the radio so it's quiet. "I had fun tonight you know."

"I'm glad," I say as I grin at her. Then I gather my guts and glacr over at her as I drive. I don't have long, we'll be at Steak And Shake in about two minutes. "Mel, do you like me?"

"Does it matter Nate? Does it really matter?" She doesn't really say it, but it's more like she snaps it.

"No, I guess not."

As soon as I pull up to Steak And Shake, Mel jumps out and waves to me, rushing inside.

I think I just screwed up my chances with her.