Beneath the Bickering

CHAPTER ONE: Bella

As long as I can remember, I've been a romantic. My whole life, I've just loved love. When I was younger, I counted the days based on how far away they were from Valentine's day, and I still spend my days at home curled up with a cheesy rom-com on the TV or a romance novel in my hand.

Love was certainly not what I felt when I walked into my kitchen and saw my childhood enemy, Lincoln Montgomery, talking to my dad with a cup of coffee in his hands. Lincoln is my neighbor, who I have hated since the first grade when he dumped the contents of a giant squirt gun down my back. By that action when we were seven years old, a war of insults, smirks, and snarky comments was started.

I feel my eyes dart between Dad and Lincoln before giving my dad a look like "what the fuck?". he shoots me a glance that's half panic, half sympathy, but before he can open his mouth to explain what's going on, Lincoln just has to say something. 

"Morning, Bedhead," he says. I glare at him. 

"It's Bella, actually. And what exactly do you think you're doing in my kitchen?"

I see his signature smirk start to form as he says "Your dad saw me struggling to get my car started this morning and offered to help me fix it, and we took a break for some coffee." Of course this was Dad's fault. I glare at him too before saying "Well, that mug looks empty, so I think it's time for you to go now."

"Oh, c'mon, Bells, don't pretend like you aren't overjoyed to be in the presence of a charming fellow such as myself," Lincoln says, grinning at me as he pushes his dark, curly hair out of his eyes, and I roll my own and point towards the front door. "Bye, Lincoln."

"But my car isn't fully fixed yet! If you want me to get out now, you're going to have to give me a ride." His smirk reaches his dark eyes, showing off the dimple he's had since we were kids.

"Yeah, no."

And now is the time Dad chooses to jump in. "Bella, giving him a ride is the polite thing to do." he says. Dad's always been a stickler for manners and politeness, and although it taught me how to be a decent human being, it still annoys the hell out of me. I groan. "Fine! But I still have twenty minutes until I'm leaving!" And I would have had more time had I not stayed up late reading because I wouldn't have woken up late, but I choose to leave that part out. 

I head up the stairs, still mumbling a string of insults and curses directed towards both my dad and Lincoln.