Chasing Sin

5

"Oh. Great! I'm so glad. You seem really cool. Plus, I'm really glad to have you on the volleyball team. I've never really had a girl friend to have sleepovers and late night boy talks with, you know?"

As she pushes a fallen strand of brown curls back from her face, I realize how excited she seems. Her eyes are sparkling as she awaits my answers. "What about Skylar?"

"Oh, we're friends, but she's really not interested in any of the same stuff as me. We just don't really have anything in common. Don't get me wrong! She's really sweet, just a bit of a hippie and stuff, you know?" Taylor tells me.

I nod. "I did get that kind of 'world peace' vibe from her. And she is really sweet. But I'm glad to have you as friend, too."

She smiles widely. "So we'll pick you up from your work at nine tomorrow night? Then we can stay at my house, if you want."

"Yeah, sure. My house has lots of screaming little kids, which might not be the best place to chill out together," I say honestly. I told her this morning about my crazy family and just how many people are in it.

"Alright," Taylor chuckles. "My place it is."

In my next class, Sin and I sit together in the back once again. Mr. Reynolds does nothing but sit at his desk on his iPad, swiping occasionally, but never looking up.

Sin himself holds a paperback copy of The Fault in Our Stars. I smile as I sit down and take the opportunity to look him over.

"So Mister Bad Boy enjoys John Green, huh?"

Sin looks up with a glare, but my amused smile remains. He says, "It's a class assignment."

"Mhm, very believable story, Sin," I tease him, tilting myself in my desk towards him.

"Have you read it? You could give me a summary and I can toss this shit out the window," he suggests.

"Nope, sorry. Too girly for me, actually." I shrug and he makes a face. "Maybe watch the movie."

Sin doesn't say anything, so I decide to ask him the question that's been on my mind since lunch.

"So why can't you go the party Friday?"

"I am going." He avoids my eyes but keeps a hard, impassive mask on his.

"Late. Why can't you go with the rest of the boys?" I press, leaning forward.

"I have to work," he tells me. It sounds like a pretty lame excuse. If it's not true, he's an awful liar.

"Really?" He nods. "Okay." I decide to let it go.

It seems as if Sin might say something further, but my phone rings loudly in my book bag. I reach down to grab it and read that Ethan is calling me.

"Hello?"

"I cannot believe you fucking left me at home."

"You told me to! And you know how much I hate being late." Sin looks over at me whenever I say this, seemingly curious.

"You know I don't mean the shit I say when I'm half asleep, Bee. Anyways, you need to find a ride home from school. I had to come and get the car."