All Under the Place

chapter 3

...

Continuous knocking and muffled voices wake me up in the morning. I stir in my seat and focus my gaze on the source of the sound.

Dia is outside my window, looking beyond frustrated and annoyed as her tiny fist pounds against the glass. Outside the passenger side is Dove, switching between taking pictures of me and recording his girlfriend, his laugh equally as loud as Dia's endless knocking.

I rub my eyes and push back my unruly hair from my face. I lower Dia's window first.

At an incredibly impressive speed, she reaches into the car, unlocks the doors herself, and swings my driver's door open. The morning breeze instinctively prompts me to curl further into the warmth of the car. "Where have you been?" She screeches. "What's the point of driving to school, making yourself comfortable in a parking space, and somehow still being late?"

I groggily face her. Per usual, she looks amazing. She has on an off-the-shoulder olive green dress that reaches her ankles. It's tight on her, and the jewelry she pairs it with makes her dark skin appear as if she's glimmering. I squint to protect my eyes. "You look pretty. Your hair looks so nice with those curls."

"Don't bother with flattery. You're late and now you're making me late. Get out and move that pretty booty of yours!"

Why is she always so loud? It's early and I'm irritated, but I hold back any remark. Dia is probably the least patient person I know. Testing her is not the best idea. I take my phone out of the cupholder and check the time. It's ten-fifteen in the morning. Almost the end of third period. I throw my head back against the seat. Of course I slept through my alarm. Honestly, I'm not sure how Dia and Dove were able to wake me up after the night I had.

I try to stretch my arms and legs out, but Dia is not having it.

She yanks me out of my car, hoisting me to my feet. Dove comes behind her and grabs my key to properly shut off the car, rolling up the windows and locking the doors. He steps in line on my right and ruffles my hair as we walk to the school entrance. "Good morning, sunshine."

I push him away. "You've been awfully traitorous lately."

He bounces back quickly, a wide smile on his face. "I know where my loyalties lie." His eyes are on Dia as he speaks to me.

When he looks at Dia like that, I can't find it in myself to be annoyed with either of them. I'm not sure when things became official between the two, but I will proudly mark myself as the president of their fan club. Even if the sexual tension was obvious to everyone except them.

I tamper down the urge to 'aww' out loud and turn to Dia. I pull my arm out of her grasp. "And you're just always a pain in the ass? No reason for loyalties when you swear you're royalty, huh?"

"That rhymed," notes Dove.

I excitedly turn to him. "I know! You noticed that, right? I'm really proud of it. I came up with it last night when she insisted on house slippers to walk on our 'cheap linoleum flooring.'"

"How come you didn't say it then?" he asks.

"I didn't think you'd appreciate it."

He nods along. "You're right," I feel a large hand forcefully smack the back of my head. Dove's no longer smiling. "I don't appreciate it. Be nice to my girl."

"You guys are seriously abusive," I rub the back of my head. Subconsciously, I'm aware my curls must look horrible from constantly touching them the past few hours. I can't dwell on the thought long before I notice Dia saying something to me.