Problem with Wanting You

chapter two

...at least that's how Lex tells the story whenever she gets the chance to, which happens to be a lot by the way.

"Hmm, what do I want...what do I want?" He repeats to himself, tapping his chin satirically pretending to think. "I want you, for one. But if that can't happen right now, then I'll just take a banana milkshake."

"No."

"No?"

My best friend shrugs nonchalantly. "You heard me..."

I watch, as Aaron's face falls into one of disbelief. "So you're just not gonna serve me?"

Lex laughs mechanically. "You should be glad I don't ban you."

"Ban me for what?"

Lex folds her arms protectively, followed by an eye rolls as she ignores his question by asking her own. "Why are you even here?" She scoffs. "I thought you had soccer practice on Wednesday's."

"Awe, is someone keeping tabs on my schedule?" He cooes, holding a hand over his heart.

Alexia scoffs. "The only way I'd ever keep tabs on your whereabouts is to make sure I could be as far away from you as possible."

Aaron leans forward, speaking in a hushed tone. "Your mouth is saying one thing but your eyes are saying another, Lexi.."

"Hey Aaron, get over here man! You've gotta listen to this."

"To be continued, gorgeous..." He says in a sultry voice, winking at a fuming Lex before sauntering back over to his friends.

Once he's out of earshot, I turn to Alexia, a grin on my face as I open my mouth to speak. But before I could utter a single word, she holds an abrupt hand up to me in objection.

"Say anything Penny Westbrook and I will kill you."

Yup. She's pissed.

An hour had passed and I found myself parked outside my house accompanied by Hoover, who was sat behind the steering wheel. Hoover had agreed to take me home from the diner after school so long as though the time I wanted to leave coincided with the time his shift ended.

"Thanks for the ride." I tell him, unbuckling my seatbelt. "Are you coming in?"

Hoov shakes his head. "Can't. My gramps' retirement party is tonight and I've gotta go help set up."

"Alright, I'll see you later."

I big goodbye to Hoover as I get out of the car and walk up my driveway. "Hello?" I call out hesitantly once I open my front door, my voice echoing off the high ceilings in our foyer as I waited for a reply but I don't receive one.

I silently thanked God and closed the front door behind me as came to the realisation that no one else was here. And by no one else, I meant my mother. I quickly ran up in the stairs and locked my door behind me, throwing my backpack down onto my desk chair.

I had made it a mission of mine to avoid my mother whenever I was at home. My mother in simple terms, was an overbearing control freak. The less you interacted with her, the better. I guess it was the lawyer in her; she needed an enigma to solve. Things always had to go her way and if they weren't, she would try her darn hardest to make sure they were, no matter the cost.

I quickly change out of my school uniform and swap them for my pyjamas, grabbing a novel from my bookshelf. Although I loved spending time with my friends, I also didn't mind curling up in bed with a good book. I was a homebody and proud.

I spent the rest of the evening and night reading. It was currently just after midnight and I was sat on my bed re-reading Wuthering Heights, my bedroom was in darkness, except for my bedside table lamp which lit up a big enough portion of my room so that I could still read.

Suddenly, there's a knock on my window, and I jolt in surprise at the sound. I quickly turn to it, the person on the other side of it someone I never would've expected.

There Will Ashford sat perched against a tree branch outside of my window, a worried look on his face.

I cautiously open the window, the faint sound of police sirens in the background as the wind blew on my penny coloured hair, sending it into all different directions. I open my mouth to speak but Will beats me to it.

"I need your help."