With You┃Dylan O'Brien ⓵

Chapter Four : Getting Acquainted

I bring my water bottle to school with me, just because with the heat that's constantly beating down here, I worry that I'll get too dehydrated if I don't drink enough. I take my seat in History and Cassie waves to me. She asks me if I feel confident about tryouts later today and I assure her that I feel great about them.

Mister Lofton starts his lesson off telling us about when the different states were founded but twenty minutes later he's answering someone's question about what a domestic partnership is.

"I told you," Cassie says to me, and I grin.

The two of us chill the whole period and sometimes listen to the random things that Lofton is informing us on (currently the difference between ponies and horses) and sometimes have our own conversations.

I learn that Cassie has an obsession with One Direction and when I tell her that this doesn't necessarily bother me, she begins to rant on and on about how amazing each of the members are. I listen and nod, though I truthfully don't know much about them at all.

She's showing me pictures she took from when she went to their concert in July when the bell rings and I leave the class where the only work I had to do was listen to Cassie fangirl over a boy band.

I head to Calculus and Adrian sits at the desk next to me. I help him out every once in a while with our math problems but sometimes I think he just asks me for help so we have something to talk about. I eventually decide to ask him what his tattoo means.

"Hey, Adrian," I say.

He looks over at me, "What's up?"

"Can I ask you a question that might be a little personal?"

He pauses, "You can ask, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'll answer it."

I nod, "I wanted to ask you what your tattoo is supposed to mean?" I tap my own wrist for whatever reason.

He nods at me and rolls up the right sleeve of his sweater and puts his arm on my desk so I can get a better look at the artwork permanently etched on his skin, "See, it's like a word search."

I nod as I look over it. The letters are written so neatly.

"I used to get myself in trouble a lot for saying the wrong things. Got in trouble with my parents, with my friends, females, even the law once. And I realized it was my big mouth always getting me into trouble; I never thought about the things I was saying...

"So a few months ago I got this tattoo to always remind myself to look for the right words to say; to think before I speak. I'm still afraid that I'll say the wrong things at the wrong times, but.. I don't get into so much trouble now."

I stare at him in awe. He shrugs and rolls his sleeve back down. I feel a little bad because now I'm not sure what to say.

I decide to tell him this, "After hearing that, I'm afraid I'll say the wrong thing now."

He chuckles, "Don't be, just say what you really think."

"I think it's an amazing story," I tell him honestly. "It has a very deep meaning behind it and I appreciate it."

"Thanks," he grins at me.

"So many people nowadays get tattoos for no reason whatsoever. I mean I don't have any problems with tattoos but... I just think if you're going to get something permanently etched onto you, it ought to mean something."

Adrian nods in agreement, "Very true. That being said, do you have any tattoos?"

I shake my head, "No, my parents would flip. Besides, I'm too afraid and I don't have anything that I think I want on me forever. Maybe one day though."