Reputation: Book One

Qrow

Just Dance- Lady Gaga

Lipstick- Runaway June

Someone That I Used To Know- Zac Brown Band

Following that rendezvous with Tripp last night, I was exhausted. I hadn't got much sleep, and Tripp had to take a run early this morning for a meeting with this guy. He didnt say who specifically, which made me a  little jealous, but he has talked about joining the Police Academy. I just assumed it was with them.

After a long, boring day of staying home, I came downstairs to a new puppy Autumn had picked up from the shelter. And god forbid, that thing was ugly. I didn't want to be home when Adrien walked through the door that evening, so I planned on heading to the dance studio to let out some... uncertain feelings. I tried my best to avoid everyone at home and attempt to just sneak out, but Jerzei caught me just as I was slipping out the door.

"Qrow!"

I squeeze my eyes shut and tuck my chin to my chest. I slowly turn around, pressing my lips together tightly and digging my fingernails into the soft, worn, brown oak door.

"Where are you going?" She asks curiously.

"Away," I say in a low voice, trying to force my anxiety back down my throat. She furrowed her sharp brown eyebrows and put a hand on her left hip, swinging a loose piece of long blonde hair behind her shoulder.

"Where?" She presses, more sternly this time. I glanced up at the wall clock pinned up above the furnace. Adrien would be here any time now.

"Why does it matter?" I ask, overturning my hand that carried my shiny car keys. Her eyes followed my dangling Eiffel Tower keychain that fell down from my palm, lightly brushing against my wristbone every time it swung back to me.

"Adrien is going to be here any minute, and I'm not planning on getting tossed around," I snort.

Jerzei tucked her faded red-stained lips against her gums, making a tsk sound before looking away to the shiny white tile floor beneath us.

"Whatever. Tripp was coming over tonight and we were going to go out, but..." A lethargic shrug punctuated her sentence and she let her hand that had been set against her hip fall back down to her thigh, spinning around on her heel and walking away. "I guess that doesn't interest you," She calls over her shoulder. A low grumble choked me as I snapped my head back around to the door, pushing it open. Jerzei had a way of making everything just so tempting! But no. I wanted to go dance and stay away from the crew, and home wasn't the place to do it.I whipped out my phone from my back pocket of my skinny jeans and shot the team groupchat a quick text message:

GOING TO THE STUDIO. NOT FEELING THE STUFF TONIGHT.

Just as I pushed it back into my pocket, it vibrated with a call. I pulled it back up, glancing at my screen.

I arched a surprised eyebrow; Tripp's contact picture covered my lock screen as it vibrated again. I felt my cheeks warm and a smile tugs at the corner of my chapped lips. His bright, sexy smile stuck out to me like a stain on a white shirt.

I gnawed on my bottom lip as I studied his perfect face. I just hated that smirk he gave every camera before the moment was captured. It just felt so real in every single photograph he was in.

My contact picture for him was the one Autumn took of him leaned up against the front fence post at her family's ranch about 60 miles from Alpha Barracks, earbuds wrapped around his ear and cell phone in hand, his cute, woman-killing, character-reflecting smolder plastered on his face as he gave her camera a flirtatious look.

A part of me wanted to hear his low, seductive voice just one more time tonight. I stared at the green cell phone hovering above the ANSWER button written in bold black words. But why was he calling me? I should be the last person he actually wanted to call.I moved my thumb over DECLINE but hesitated. I lifted my chin to gaze out at the bright pink, orange, and purple sunset nearly hidden behind the horizon.

"God Tripp," I sigh to myself, jabbing the ACCEPT button with my opposite pointer finger and lifting my phone to my ear.

"Yes?" I ask lazily into the phone.

"Hey, uh, you're going to the studio?"

"Don't follow me," I snap, rolling my eyes. A large, fluffy, white cat caught my attention as it dashed across the opposing side of the street and disappeared behind the neighbour's bush. He chuckles. "I'm already here."

I choked on absolutely nothing. "Why?"

"I have classes here every other day. This week I had today," He explains.

I blankly stared down at the dark green grass beside me, blinking.

"Okay. I guess I'm staying here then. Getting beat by Adrien might be better than seeing you right now," I snort.

"What did I do for you to be like that?" He asks, offence creeping into his tone. "I have literally been nice to you all week. Hell, we even-"

I wasn't letting him finish that sentence. I know what we did. And it was great, but I didn't want to hear it. It was embarrassing.

"I don't want to talk to you, Tripp!" I interrupt, stifling a laugh. "You're so difficult to agree with, you never listen to me, you confuse me with this stupid game you're playing, and you're just... so..." I clench my fists, letting out a frustrated growl. "I'm just so sick and tired of you!" I exclaim, stomping my foot against the gravel driveway beneath my brown, scuffed shoes.

"So we just nearly fucked last night and now you have the audacity to do me like this?" He asks loudly into the phone. "Wow thanks. Real mature, Qrow."

There was a sudden silence from the other line.

"I am trying to avoid you if you haven't noticed. I'm not gay, okay?" I whimper. "And last night... well, it was fun and amazing, but that's just not for me," I tell him. I shudder, biting my lip at the memory, at the remembered feeling of his lips, his touch and how good he made me feel, his hot, sticky breath...

"So I'm wasting your time, you are saying?" He asks, snapping me back I to reality.

"I just can't be with you," I whisper, and I hear him end the call. I rip my phone away from my ear, glaring at it. What the hell? I was so done with today, I could care less. I marched back into the house, slamming the door behind me. Autumn and Jerzei both flinched from the couch, looking up with dark, mean furrowed brows.

"What the heck is your problem? You wanna pay for that?" Autumn snaps, tossing a hand in my direction.

"Why don't you use my rent money?" I snap back, guilt suddenly washing over me in a heavy wave as I climb up the stairs to my room. Her face softened. "Hey, are you okay?" She asks quietly, standing up.

"I just need a minute by myself," I mumble, slamming my door behind me.