No Strings

In the Beginning

"Glad you could make it Tate." The man with the blonde hair speaks and I realize he's the one that had called to us earlier. "Aren't you gonna introduce your friend?"

He cocks his head to the side as his eyes meet mine, calculating me and measuring me up. Crystal blue clashes with hazel.

"I can introduce myself," I say. His eyebrows calk up at my words, and he lets out a snort while he nods his head.

Checkmate, I think with an imaginary pat on the shoulder.

"I'm Rin."

"Well Rin, its nice to meet you." His voice is amused and he seems to be laughing on the inside.

"Likewise." My voice is sarcastic and it seems to only please him more.

"I'm Ace, and this is my girlfriend Louise." He points to himself and the blonde in his lap. He extends his had the two beside him before continuing. "That's Sophia and Akira." I make eye contact with all of them before smiling tightly.

"Nice to meet you all." Tate smiles down at me, satisfied, before he brushes his hand against my back as he makes his way to sit beside Sophie while Ace hands him a beer. I freeze for a moment, suddenly feeling abandoned as Tate leaves me to fend for myself. This feels like the cliché moment every teen has experienced in the cafeteria on the first day of school. My mind goes into overdrive from the simple question of where to sit. In a split second decision I make my way to the right of Akira. Tate doesn't seem to notice my internal dilemma as he cracks open his beer and takes a long swig of it.

As I sit there for a few moments I find myself shifting uncomfortably in my seat. I feel awkward and out of place. Like I don't belong. Sitting there I turn my head slightly to the left and look at Akira. He's handsome, but his mannerisms are subdued, and laidback. He seems like a calm person. He catches my eye as I analyze him, making me feel embarrassed at being caught staring but he only smiles at me softly. I notice he has a dimple on his cheek, and it gives me a fuzzy feeling in my stomach. I've always been a sucker for dimples.

He breaks the moment by jerking his head in the direction of the beers and wine coolers. "Want one?" His voice isn't what I expected. It's not deep and gravely but instead warm and mellow. It puts me at ease. I can tell my assessment of him was right.

"No thank you."

He doesn't question my decision but instead nods and takes a swig from his own cup.

I glance towards Tate and see him talking to Sophia. She's leaning up against the couch, one foot tucked underneath her and the other hanging off the side of the seat as she sits facing him and laughs at something he says while taking the occasional drink of her wine cooler. She emanates class and ease while talking, as though flirting with boys is a casual and common thing. Which, it probably is.

As I begin to turn away I notice Akira looking at them too. He catches my eye as he shifts his gaze from them and something in the way he looks at me is so genuine I feel a lurch in my stomach. Talking to boys is definitely not an everyday thing for me.

"Your name is Rin, right?" 

"Yeah. Rin Marlow Hasting." He stares at me for a moment before using his eyes to point to my wrist.

"Is that why you have that tattoo?" I look down and we both take a long look at my tattoo.

R. M. H.

"You could say that," My voice is void of emotion as I turn my hand over, effectively hiding my tattoo, and suddenly the urge to grab a beer is suffocating.

It's quiet between us for a few moments before he smiles at me.

"Want to make a s'more with me outside?" His words are random but his eyes tell me something differently. I feel myself becoming just a little less tense as I toy with the idea.