Senior Standoff

1.4

The seconds ticked down towards seven o'clock, and I was still perfecting my eyeliner. Tonight was the first event, Asher was going to be here in just minutes, and I wasn't ready. The stress was real.

My phone vibrated loudly against my vanity, and my adrenaline spiked. Asher wasn't here already, was he? I glanced out the window and found the street vacant, thank God.

Liv Statton requests a video chat with you

Breathing a sigh of relief, I answered the call and balanced my phone against my mirror so I could throw on my lipstick.

"What's up?" I asked her as I slicked the nude pink across my lower lip.

"Just checking in. You excited?"

"For the first event in the game? Definitely not. I'd much rather spend the evening watching old movies on my laptop."

Liv rolled her eyes. "Walked right into that one."

"Stupid questions warrant stupid answers."

Placing the finishing touches on my look, I sucked in a deep breath and checked over myself in the mirror.

"What do you think?" I asked her, picking up my phone so she could get a full view. I'd gone for glitz - a bit of a weakness of mine - with a gold sequin tank top and denim shorts. My makeup was natural, accentuating my hazel eyes and curvy lips. Topping off the whole ensemble was the golden chain my parents had gotten me for Christmas draped around my neck. It wasn't the nameplate necklace I'd always wanted, but I was grateful nonetheless.

"Let your hair down. The high pony is cute, but you have really pretty beachy waves," Liv suggested.

I shook out my long almond hair, the ends brushing along the bottom of my rib cage. It transformed my look from adorable to alluring.

"That's it. Add some ballet flats, and you've got my stamp of approval," Liv said.

As I was finishing up my call, I could hear the engine outside. Asher's car was parked along the curb. No longer than it took me to spot him was my phone buzzing with what I could only assume was a text message letting me know he was here.

I gathered my things and rushed out the door. Asher leaned against the passenger door of his car, looking me up and down as I walked across my front lawn.

"Looking hot tonight, Princess," he commented.

I easily could've said the same for him. He'd toned down his wardrobe to a graphic tee and cutoff shorts, a beanie corralling most of his deep espresso hair. With a pair of plastic sunglasses and an easygoing grin, he looked more approachable than I'd ever seen him.

"Thanks; that was the goal," I replied.

Small rust spots were beginning to eat into the wheel wells of his beater, paint chipping in a few choice locations. Besides that, the thing wasn't too hateful. At least, not until he opened the door for me and I climbed inside, getting violently smacked with the scent of cigarettes and something skunk-like. Enough so that it had probably become a permanent fixture of the upholstery a long, long time ago.

"For shit's sake, Asher, what did you do in here?" I snapped, exasperated.

"You're going to have to be more specific; there are a lot of answers to your question," he replied as he plopped into the driver's seat.

"The smell. I feel like I'm going to get a contact high."

"Oh, come on, that's not how it works." He turned to me, his smile gone playful. "Besides, I'd be more concerned by what you'd find with a black light."