Good Luck Kiss

Nine {9}

Please vote and comment, ya'll!

 Roger to the right--->

/-/-/-/-/

Roger was the main topic of gossip in school. Again. Only this time it was for a good reason. Everyone loved him. The girls swooned over his bad boy looks, the guys admired his motorcycle and muscles. I hated him. And the worst part was, it seemed like I was the only one who'd seen his true colors. Even Nadia was leaning toward him a little. I was just relieved Seth wasn't here today. If he'd strayed to Roger too I didn't know what I'd do. 

He was a hit with the teachers. He demonstrated everything they asked him to perfectly and raised his hand to answer their questions correctly. Some of the guys on the team suggested he try out. I was completely opposed, but apparently Coach wanted to see what he's got.

 As soon as I walked through the front door, my mom sent me back out to pick up Payton.

I sighed as I drove to the arcade. Payton had been icy to me ever since the dinner with Roger and his folks. I'd offered to toss around a ball with him, but he'd claimed he had homework to do, even though he left his back pack on the table.

I found Payton at the basketball machine. I plastered on a brotherly smile, hoping to get one back.

"Hey, buddy," I greeted, clapping my hand on his shoulder.

He grunted in reply, shirking my hand off. He aimed the ball and tossed it, missing completely.

"I could show you how to shoot," I said.

He ignored my offer and picked up another orange sphere. "That's okay. Roger's going to teach me." He threw the ball.

I gritted my teeth, cursing colorfully under my breath. "Uh, are you hungry? I could get you something-"

"Roger's getting me a pretzel," he interrupted, feeding a couple more tickets into the mouth of the machine.

I sighed in annoyance. "He's here?" Payton only lifted a shoulder and let it drop.

Anger boiled inside my system as I yanked on his wrist. "Mom wants you home."

"No!" he protested, tugging at my arm uselessly. "Let me go! I don't want to leave!"

"You don't have a choice." I tried my hardest not to snap and yell at him, because that was what got us into this mess in the first place.

"Roger!" he shouted, directing his call toward the concession stand at the back of the game stop. I slapped my hand over his mouth, ignoring when he bit and licked me.

"What is with you?" I hissed. "Why are you being so difficult?"

"Leave me alone, Will," he cried, successfully pulling my hand off.

"I always knew you were many things, Will," Roger's griping voice resonated through the hushed arcade. I hadn't noticed the nosy eyes of the onlookers. "But I never thought a kidnapper was one of them." He smirked.

"I'm not kidnapping him," I snapped. People hesitantly took a step back. "What?!" I asked them loudly. "He's my brother." I grabbed Payton's arm again. "And we're going home."

Payton began to struggle, but Roger came up behind him and gripped the nape of his neck, easily wrenching him away from me.

"I don't think you get to decide what happens to him," Roger drawled.

"His mother wants him home," I countered nastily. I crossed my arms, suddenly uncomfortable with the large crowd gathering around us.

"And I'll make sure he gets there. You should leave now," Roger instructed. Instead of obeying like I would've when we were in middle school, I stood my ground.