It's Just Pretend, Right? (Cryle)

Chapter 9 ||| everybody's waiting

'Souvenir - The Flatliners.'

It was a pretty song. I was always into that kind of ska, rock thing. I guess Craig was too, because he asked me a very random question after hearing the genre of the song.

"Kyle, do you know how to play any instruments?" Craig randomly asked, looking over at me. I noticed we were at a red light.

"Oh uh- yeah. I can play the electric guitar, drums, cello, piano, and I'm trying to learn the violin. Why?" I responded, looking back over at him.

"Damn, you're multi-talented. That leads to another one of my questions. Do you like punk rock, or metal, or anything along those lines?" Craig asked, focusing back on the road once the light turned green. 

"Yeah. I love rock and ska. Matter of fact I can play a few songs on the guitar." I said honestly, tapping my finger to my chin as I looked down to my lap. I looked over at him and suddenly his face seemed really hopeful. I could typically read his eyes for emotions. He didn't usually show them in his voice or smile, it was always in his eyes. I always knew if he was sad, angry, happy, or in this case, hopeful.

"Wanna ditch school?" He asked suddenly. I froze. Was it a good idea? As much as I loved the idea, I don't know if I could miss any more classes without mom killing me. I thought for a moment, trying to think up an excuse before I even considered it.

"...Sure. If I get in trouble with my mom, it's your fault." I stated, looking over at him once again. He smiled slightly for a split second. Hell, it was so quick I could've imagined it.

"Okay, we're going to my house then." He said, before taking an aggressive U turn. I panicked and grabbed the little handle above me and the center console. Craig laughed at my reaction and continued speeding down the street.

"Dude, you're gonna get a ticket!" I exclaimed, sitting up normally but still holding onto the handle. His laughing died down but he still had a shit eating grin on his face. I scoffed and looked out the window, still listening to the song.

Soon enough, I felt two heavy bumps. I looked up and noticed we were pulling into his driveway. Once he had completely stopped and parked, he unbuckled and so did I. I quickly stepped out of the car, dragging my backpack with me. I followed Craig to his front door and he typed in a code on the front door, emitting a grinding sound. Then, he opened the door and I was immediately greeted with the smell of lavender and vanilla. I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent. 

"Smells that good huh?" Craig asked playfully, smirking. I rolled my eyes and nudged him with my elbow. "Let's go to my basement. I wanna show you something." Craig said, grabbing my wrist and dragging me inside of his house. He stopped at a door by the kitchen, and opened it. It revealed a well decorated staircase that went down. I followed him down, shutting the door behind me. The carpeted stairs seemed so soft and clean. 

Once we made it to the bottom of the stairs, I noticed a pool table and a small living room with large speakers. My jaw dropped. This was really cool. I looked around and saw album cases and cymbals hung up on the walls. I have always had a thing for music, and this was so fucking cool. I ran over to a green day album cover, noticing it was signed. I gasped.

"Dude! You're so lucky! It would be so cool to have something signed by green day!" I exclaimed, admiring the album cover. 

"No more fangirling, cmon. I have something to show you." Craig said, grabbing my wrist and dragging me away. I sighed and complied, reluctantly following him. I just wanted to admire his basement, it was so cool!

He grabbed a random key from his pocket and stopped at a heavy looking white door. He slid the key in and twisted it, unlocking the door. He opened it, revealing a pitch black room. He ushered me inside, slightly shoving me. I was standing in the dark, and turned around to notice Craig closing the door.