Well, This Totally Sucks... (A Sequel- book two)

                I just stood there in his doorway, staring at Raine. I was frozen like a deer

in headlights. He chuckled,” you guys are caroling?” he laughed putting his hands

in the pockets of his gray jeans,” I didn’t know people still did,”

                I opened my mouth to answer, but no sound came from my throat it gave

me the feeling of have peanut butter jammed in my esophagus, so Dusti quickly

answered before me,” they usually don’t, this is just something special we do

every year,” she paused for a second turning something over in her head, then said

shyly,” You could come with us if you want…”

                Ashley was staring at Raine too but not in the same way Dusti and I were,

she was looking at him, almost…fearfully? I couldn’t understand why, he wasn’t

exactly scary looking. She hesitantly started to say,” Um that might not be the

best…”

                But before she could finish her sentence, Raine interrupted,” Yeah why

not?” he said, but he wasn’t looking at Dusti, he was staring at me, as intensely as

I had been at him. I suddenly I could no longer look up at him, it felt as though his

startlingly blue eyes were able to see right into my  thoughts, picking through my

mind’s eye. Even staring down at my own feet I could feel his gaze upon me.

                I saw Ashley shuffling nervously next me.

                “Well why not get going?” Raine asked cheerfully. We walked, slower than

a normal  stride to the next house,” So what’s your name? he asked, finally

speaking to me.

                “Oh, um,” I started stumbling over my words, like I always did when

nervous,” I, er, I’m Riley and ehm, this is Dusti,” she smiled brightly,” er, and this

is Ashley,” Ashley gave a small nod of acknowledgement but continued to stare at

her feet. Rain smiled sides at me.

                “Pretty name, I’m Raine.” He smiled at me, a half smile, it looked like a

guilty child’s smile, sweet, but rather ominous. I liked it.

                “That’s erm, a really cool name,

                “I’m a really cool guy,” He laughed awkwardly.

                Eventually, after all the nervousness subsided, we all started having a  

blast, except for Ashley who continued at her feet almost disapprovingly.  Raine

was hilarious, and completely wild. Every now and then we’d all stop in the

middle of the street and start singing a random, old, punk rock song (Ashley

standing on the side walk laughing seemingly try not to let herself enjoy it too

much but occasionally slipping up by singing along.) After about the third chorus

of Anarchy in the UK, we all sat together on the sidewalk curb.

                  I smiled blissfully. This was the happiest I’d been in weeks. I hadn’t

even tried to enjoy myself before now with my friends, but Raine made it so easy.

                “So,” he said in a (mostly) jokingly seductive tone,” are all of you girls

single?”