Different Sides (On Hold)

No Wonder He's a Criminal

Thankfully, the buses were working today so I took it home and like usual, no one was home. I do my homework and get a snack. Soon my parents come home and we eat dinner in silence again. I go to my room without any words to my parents. It's their way of caring but it's still unfair.

I stay up until about 11:00 doing a group chat with Michelle and Tris when I sign off to change into my pajamas. Nobody is up right now. I leave for the bathroom and when I come back, I lay on my bed and close my eyes. Just when I'm on the verge of falling asleep. I hear a vigorous knocking on my window.

Two things surprised me at that moment: One, my bedroom was on the second floor so how is something knocking on my window? Two, who the heck is here at 11:00?!

I take a look through the window and let out an embarrassing scream when I see a shadow of a person on the roof. Lights come on in my parent's room as they rush to the scene.

"Honey! Are you okay?!" Dad says.

I swallow, "Yeah, sorry. I thought I saw a bug."

Dad mumbles something about having that checked while they both walk back to bed. The light finally goes out around 12:00.

I open the window and look out, "I know you're there," I whisper.

Someone creeps out from the shadow and who it is takes my breath away.

"Cooper Russ!" I exclaim.

"Shh," he whispers, "Keep it down or you'll wake up the whole town and you don't need to call me by my last name every time you see me."

"Why are you here? You can't get in, our doors have alarms and the windows have screens. You're going to get me in trouble too," I whisper.

Cooper pulls out a pocket knife and cuts a large square opening from the screen and crawls through. I stare opened mouthed as he sits on my bed, putting the pocket knife away.

"How are you going to replace that?" I say, staring at him.

Cooper just smirks, "Just another crime to add to my list."

"Get out of my room!" I say forcefully.

"Why?" he asks, "Are you scared of me?"

"A little," I admit.

Cooper smirks, "I'll get out when I do and I've never been sent to jail for murdering annoying girls."

"I'm grounded!" I say, almost too loudly, "If my parents come-"

Cooper sneaks behind me and muffles me with his hand, "Just shut up and everything with be okay."

I kick my foot at random places and it makes contact with something. I hear Cooper grunt and he lets me go. When I look at him, he's bending down, rubbing his knee.

"Really?" he says, "That's cheap, Crystal."

"Get out!" I whisper forcefully.

"No," Cooper smirks.

"Forget it," I say, defeated, "I'm done."

He walks around my room as I sit on the floor.

"Nice place," Cooper notes.

"I guess. Don't you have one?" I ask.

He looks at me, his blue and brown eyes bright in the dim light, "No. My parents died for some reason when I was younger and my uncle is my legal guardian but he kicked me out. I stay at a friend's place usually."

"Then why are you here?" I say, my eyebrows raised.

Cooper shrugs, "I don't know. I'm bored, I guess."

"Then why me? I'm not popular or pretty or anything like that," I say.

He sits cross legged next to me, "You know it's so cliché for the good girl to fall for a bad boy."

I look him straight in the eyes, "I'm not a good or bad girl. I'm nothing."

He grins, "I'm the bad boy. So you're going to fall in love with me. It always happens."

"Never on your life," I hiss.

Cooper smirks, "Say that in a week, then I'll believe you. You know how many girls that would die for me? My criminal records don't stop these looks."

I roll my eyes, "You have too big of an ego for me."

"You want me, you just won't admit it," he grins.

We hang out until the clock hits 2:00. We end up just sitting on the floor talking, mostly about myself which is hard because I don't like to.

He squeezes through the space and places the screen back as best as possible. He lowers himself down from the roof with a small rope he brought. I watch him leave, driving away in a dark colored car.

I collapse in my bed and quickly fall asleep.

Mom throws off my covers as I wake up, shivering.

"Crystal! You're so late, young lady. Only thirty minutes to school!" Mom shouts to wake me up.

"I'm up, I'm up," I mumble.

I hurry around the house but still ten minutes late. I run in front of my house and see the same dark car and different colored eyes.

"Cooper Russ!" I cover my mouth but the words slip.

He looks around quickly but then smiles and beckons me toward his car. I take a step in front of his car.

"What are you doing here?!" I hiss. "You should be at school and if my parents come out, I'll be dead meat!"

Cooper laughs so loud I thought everyone would run out of their houses in fear of an earthquake, "You really are a good girl. Why don't you skip school today? You're late already."

"Are you crazy?!" I shout.

Cooper shrugs and picks me up and dumps me in the passenger's seat. I thrash and punch randomly at air as he just chuckles and sits in the driver's seat.

"What are you doing?!" I shriek.

Cooper just starts the car and rap music explodes from the speakers. I cover my ears as Cooper just keeps driving.

"Can this count as kidnapping?" I shout above the music.

"Just another crime to add on my list," he smirks.

I roll my eyes and when I look out of the window, we past a speed limit sign of 55 m/h. I glance at the dashboard and the meter reads 70 m/h.

"Slow down!" I shout at Cooper.

"No way, Crystal! This is how you live!" he shouts as he rolls down all the windows.

"Where we going?" I shout.

"You'll see," he grins.

I slump back and face palm myself. Why is he doing this? Okay, I admit this is more fun than sitting in a classroom but why is he taking me? Doesn't he have some hot, sexy, girl to go somewhere to?

We drive for about an hour and a half until we finally stop. My eyes widen, I stare at Cooper who opens the car's door and looks out. He looks at me and grins, "Don't you love the beach?"

I stare at him, speechless. I can't believe this day has become a beach day with Cooper Russ.