The Bucket List [ON HOLD]

The Bucket List - Part 7

          “What, no scowl?” he asked me in mock surprise. I scowled at him then.

          He chuckled at me, patting the bench beside him. I sat down and he immediately grabbed my hand, his thumb stroking my fingers. He seemed unaware of what he was doing.

          “Allie, you and Chance have got to decide what you’re going to do after school,” Ian said from his place beside Carmen – they seemed to be tolerating each other a bit better, so long as they didn’t actually have to speak to one another.

          “Does this have to be an everyday occurrence?” I whined, and Chance laughed.

          “We can drag it out, if you like it this much,” he grinned cockily at me and I scowled, detaching my hand.

          “Fine,” I muttered, “but why can’t Lacy and Greg go first?”

          Lacy sighed on Chance’s other side. Chance had taken her hand when I broke away from him, and it gave me a burning feeling, looking at Chance touching her. I knew that to both of them it meant absolutely nothing; they were just good friends. But still.

          “Greg is at football practice,” Lacy told me. “So we can’t decide on anything right now.” I realized he wasn’t here for the first time.

          “And I’m off to meet with the rest of Stuco to start organizing the Autumn Dance,” Ian said, getting up.

          Stuco was our school’s abbreviation for Student Council, and since Ian was President, he was gone really often.

          “Okay,” I sighed, defeated. “Meet here after school?”

          Ian nodded before leaving.

          The moment we were alone, Chance turned around, beaming. He held our miniature list in his hand which included all the ones that we were responsible for completing.

          He smiled at me, shifting closer. For Chance, no such thing as personal space existed.

          “Since you stressed out a lot yesterday,” he began, “I was thinking we’ll do one today that’s fully on me.”

          I blinked at him, not understanding. For answer, he pointed at number 32.

          Get a tattoo like a barcode and scan myself at stores. Price: Priceless.

          I laughed. “Fine, but Chance, it doesn’t have to be permanent.”

          He looked at me seriously. “Yes it does. And I don’t mind. We can head over to the piercing and tattoo place on Yonge Street after school.”

          I stared. “You mean that sketchy one, called Pain Is Pleasure?”

          Chance nodded and I pretended to gag. “Chance, you’ll get infected and die in that place, its awful!”

          “No it’s not,” Chance said stubbornly, his defined jaw becoming more pronounced. “Lots of people from this school went there, it’s sterile. But I’m glad you’re worried about me dying,” he smiled, taking my hand.

          I sniffed. “I just don’t want to be stuck doing our list alone, that’s all.”

          “Uh huh,” Chance said knowingly, safe in the knowledge that he was well-liked. That boy is infuriating at times.