Thorns

30 - Rai

"Done. Number three: you tell me everything. I mean it, Whitney. Even if you think it will make me sad or angry, I need to know everythin'."

"Rai-"

"No buts, Whit." I interrupted her "I'm serious. It'll make me angrier to know you didn't tell me."

"Fine... So... My number three is you gotta tell me every time you feel like you're having too much. Whether it's about your family, school or... the Cuervos... you have to tell me, ok?"

"I can do that." I assured her, smilin' softly "You don't believe me, but I do want you to know everything. I feel... better when I talk to you... Lighter. So don't worry, I'll talk to you. So much you're gonna double kiss me just to shut me up."

"I'd like to see that. Ok, anything else?"

"Nope. I think that's it. Oh, wait! You got poms practice tomorrow?"

"You know I do" She moaned.

"Crap. Ok, so Wednesday night, dinner. I'll pick you up at seven. Deal?"

"Sure." She giggled, and then I heard a male voice calling her "Gotta go, Rai. Dinner. Meet you tomorrow in the parking lot?"

"In the parking lot?"

"Yeah... I don't think I can walk inside school walls without you. I'm kinda... stressing out, you know? I mean, the whispers and the mouth trashing remarks..."

"I'll protect you." I teased, and she laughed "Sure. Meet you there. Good night."

After she hung up, I found myself starin' at the floor with a frown. Dates?! Shit... I didn't have that much time to woo Whitney – nor money, for that matter. With the car wash job and the Cuervos, I was lucky I could go to school most days. I should just drop off, but my dad would kill me. And now, so would Whitney.

I smiled. She cared... About me, about my life... she cared. She wanted to be part of it. Well, not the gang part, that I knew. Still, couldn't drop for her, not for anyone, in fact. Once you were inside, the only way out was in a coffin.

***

I met her in the parkin' lot, waited for her for a full fifteen minutes. My friends were trash talkin' and wanted to stick around to meet my girl, but I kicked them away. Literally. When she parked her car, I went to her and opened the door. She smiled and sighed when I held her in my arms and kissed her long enough to make my lungs sting.

I loved the way her sweet soft lips met mine, the way she looked so fragile in my hands. Loved the little sighs she made and loved more the fact that she grabbed my hair and pulled me closer to her body.

This time, I had to taste more. I wanted to taste her mouth, I wanted to swallow her gasps. Forcing her mouth open, my tongue twirled the tip of hers, in a challengin' way. I heard her gasp and took her. She moaned in my mouth and I didn't hold back. I pushed her to the side of the car and my hands grabbed her head. I knew I was going way overboard with that kiss, but I couldn't help it. I wanted. Her. All the time.

I only came back to my own senses when I heard a horn. People were gettin' in, and I was makin' a scene. I coughed and shoved my hands in my pockets. Whitney was blushed all over, and her eyes were huge. God, I love those eyes...

"What's up with you?" She whispered, her voice too acute, which made me smile.

"Sorry. Got overexcited." I mumbled and grabbed one of her warm hands "You ok?"

"I'm fine. Just trying to think of a way to focus in class, now" She smiled, and I chuckled.

"Come here" I whispered, and my mouth went to her again, but this time I kept it light and sweet, takin' my time to hold her in my arms and savor her hands in my shoulders and chest.

We went up the front steps with our hands held tight. We knew how hard this was going to be, not because of the stares, we couldn't care less about that. We cared, though, about how this could backfire. 'Cause of her dads, 'cause of my own friends and chicos. This could all go very wrong, so we had to stick together at all times.

"They're looking," She said, as we got to her locker.

"Yeap."

"How bad is it?" She whispered, and I saw a smile on her lips; she was enjoyin' the fact that we were the news, and surprisingly, so was I.

"It depends on what you consider good or bad," I told her, and she looked from over her shoulder.

People walked by us and whispered to each other. I knew what they were thinkin': are they a thing, now?! Is she bad news, or is it him that's good? Who cares? We were a thing, yes, so fuck off!

"Wanna make a scene?" I heard Whitney chuckle next to me.

"Aren't we doin' it, already?" I smiled, and then she shut her locker and grabbed my head.

She kissed me the way I did in the parkin' lot, and my own gasp surprised me. God, she was great! She was amazin'! She was mine!