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"Hey mom,"
"Austin! Did your date show up?"
A sharp weight plummeted down his chest. He was already beyond done with everyone- and his mother just had to remind him that he wasn't good enough for Laurie Freeman. He idiotically convinced his group of friends that he was going to "bang" her, which is why he had been avoiding contact with them as well.
"Someone crashed cars with mine- a girl. Uhhh, Rhiannon?" He leaned over to her, cupping the speaker of his phone with his hand.
"That's your name? Right?" He whispered.
She nodded, equally annoyed that she just told him her name and he acted like it wasn't important information.
He went back to the phone, holding it back up to his ear.
"What do you need me to do about it? Pay for it? I don't have the money- you know that. Go ask your father."
Practically growling through the phone- she hung up before he could get the chance to "fight back". The phone locked, their eyes met, and an angry feeling of hate began to grow inside of him.
"Well, guess who's going to have to get a ride from a random person? Me. Guess who's going to have to face his friends now to tell them that he didn't 'bang' Laurie? Me. Guess who's going to have to find an extra job paying for the amount of damage on their car-"
She stepped up to him, heels crunching on the gravel. He was drowning in his words, letting hatred take over a core part of his brain- his common sense.
"This isn't ideal for me either,"
Her sharp tone drove him out of his trance, pulling him out of the words he drowned in. His lungs began to grasp the air. It seemed that there was too much oxygen in the air for him to take in, and he needed to take it one step at a time.
"And what the hell do you mean? 'Bang' Laurie? Did your pathetic-ass really use that to brag to your buddies about?"
Nimble, glitter-polished fingers unclasped a chainlike bracelet dangling from her frail wrist. She dangled it in front of him, letting it glisten in the now moonlight.
"This is an object."
The bracelet found itself soaring through the air and burying under a pile of gravel. She had thrown it, her fingers now pointing to herself.
"I am not an object- women are not objects. Nobody is an object. Laurie may be a bit of an asshole, but she doesn't deserve to be talked about with such disrespect. No one does. Yeah, I'm going to have to find a ride too. I'm going to have to find some way to pay off my car- too. It's not just you in this situation. So quit acting like it is."
Rhiannon's eyes began to wet themselves. She always was one to let it get to her when someone was angry with her. He noticed a tear slip down her tan cheek, falling to her collar bone. Instantly, all of the anger in his body was replaced with guilt. He hated to admit to being wrong- but her words made his eyes open. He felt like an idiot. There was nothing he hated more than someone crying.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so harsh." His voice softened, leaning down to her height, thumb sticking out to wipe another tear that hit her face. She shoved his hand away violently, walking back into the gym, letting her hips sway in the sassiest way possible.
He watched her move so stealthily-so aware of what she was doing. His first impression on her was that she was a complete dumbass. That changed...
She flipped her hair behind her neck, opening the door for herself and letting it shut behind her.
He stood frozen. His position hadn't changed since she had spoken up. No sound, only birds chirping. Hand snaking into the pocket of his classic black suit, his fingers grasped the keys, rubbing the cold material.
This was prom. Better luck next year.
Now, about that ride...
