"Hey? Atlas?" The sound of my name flutters my eyes open. Vixxie and Carrie crouch down beside me.
"You okay? You bolted pretty quick out of there?" Carrie moves to sit down.
"Yeah, sorry I didn't mean to worry you, I just had a headache, needed to get some air." Lyings become a second language to me now, it just comes naturally.
"Well do you mind if we join you for lunch?" Vixxie sits on my other side and pulls out a foil-wrapped package. I shake my head with a small smile.
Carrie pulls out a salad pot and starts talking to Vixxie about the school and the extracurriculars. I join in here and there but Carries pretty much got it all covered, giving a low down on the cliques and what extracurriculars open what doors here.
As Carries subtly points out the different groups around the courtyard I spot Brady, clowning around with a larger group of boys including the ones from class earlier. They're all laughing at something stupid I even catch Blaze smirking a bit as he continues chewing on his gum. That stops when he pans over to see me watching him, he raises a brow as I swing around letting my hair fall in front of my eyes, busying myself with the grass at my feet.
There's no way to even hide the fact I was directly staring at him. He's just so intriguing. All cold and brooding, not like the other football players.
"So what's the deal with the jock-straps?" Vixxie takes the question out of my mouth as Carrie gets to their clique.
"Well, there's the usual pig-headed idiots, who are lead by Connor and his minions. They're good players though. Then there are the more secluded players- still just as popular, if not more so since Blaze is the team Captain but they follow a... nicer route, that's Brady, Ethan, Blaze and Rutherford, a few others too." Carrie shrugs popping a grape into her mouth, I refrain from looking back over at them, "There's a bit of a divide in the team purely because Connor thinks he deserves to be captain, not Blaze.
"They seem alright," Vixxie agrees.
"Talking about us pompoms?" Ethan asks Carrie, startling me slightly when I realise the boys have wandered over here. Carrie blushes a little but catches her composure.
"Yeah, I was just telling Vixxie about the football team." She smiles, flipping her hair absentmindedly over her shoulder. Ethan nods with a smile and holds his hand out to help her up.
"All good things I hope." He smirks watching her flatten her skirt out.
"Uh yeah..." She drawls looking a little dazed, "Any way we've uh... we've got to get to science!" She says triumphantly gesturing to me and Vixxie to get up. She strains her eyes and nods her head towards the school.
"That's good because we've got science too," Ethan says walking off with Carrie.
I look at Vixxie who's concealing a laugh, that's the most flustered I've ever seen Carrie... not like she was being obvious at all. Vixxie and I get to our feet following the boys out of the courtyard.
As we trundle down the halls I feel weird walking alongside the boys people move out the way for. I can practically hear people laughing- what is she doing with them?
Jesus, the thought makes me want to laugh.
Deep in thought, I don't realise the locker door in front of me, swinging open nearly into my face. I squeeze my eyes shut waiting for the impact but it never comes. Opening my eyes one by one I see a large tattooed hand holding the door inches away from my face.
"Careful clumsy." Blaze leans down to my level and murmurs in my ear. His minty breath hitting my neck with his deep voice pleasing my eardrum.
"Oh..uh...uh thanks." I stutter, my cheeks burn as I move around the locker, avoiding the gaze of the boy who'd helped me out twice today.
Snickers and gasps are heard from the locker owner but when Blaze's hand goes to rest on the bottom of my back to guide me into the classroom I flinch away and bolt into the class.
I didn't mean to flinch away but it was just a surprise... it sent a weird feeling through my spine.
"Big A!" Brady calls from a desk at the back, I presume I'm Big A, weaving through the desks I make it to Brady and take the desk next to his, Vixxie's in front of me and I don't realise Blaze is behind me until he drops his jacket into the chair next to mine.
Ignoring the butterflies I feel from the intimation radiating off Blaze, I turn to Brady.
"Big A?"
He snickers, "Yeah it's my nickname for you... you know because an Atlas is a world map and they're big, so Big A. It's that or my blonde bitch." He winks innocently but I hear Blaze scoff from beside me. Turning I see the small grin capturing his face and it's gorgeous.
After classes are done, Vixxie, Carrie and I are wandering down the front steps of the school when Vixxie turns to us,
"I don't suppose you girls would want to go grab milkshakes or something? I heard there's a good diner around here..." She trails off biting on her lip.
"Yeah, I'd love that!" Carrie shoves her hands through her rucksack straps with a grateful smile, "Atlas?" They both turn to me.
"Oh no, I can't." I move my eyes to the floor. I need to do the grocery shopping and my dad hates it when I get home late. I usually spend my evenings revising anyway, that scholarship isn't just going to appear.
"Oh come on!" Vixxie pleads.
I really can't, dad would be so mad if he knew I'd been out and I shouldn't be going ou having fun when I need to be focused on getting the best grades! But then I look at their pleading faces and realise that no ones actually ever even asked me to go out with them... is the idea of friends a bad one- Very possibly but do I like the idea of having some right now- yeah.
"Alright then." I smile as Vixxies arm falls around my shoulders and we start in a line of the diner.
Three milkshakes later, I'm laughing and know more about these girls than I know about anyone else. It feels... really nice to be apart of a friend group like this, we all kind of just fit- so different from each other but so alike.
"I'm so glad we got to do this," Vixxie nods from her banana milkshake, "I've never really had girl-friends... after I came out, girls didn't want to be my friend in case I tried to 'hit on them'" She smiles sadly glaring at the bottom of her glass.
"Well, I'm glad we got to do this too." I grin with the straw dangling from my mouth.
"Yeah me too, I thought I'd spend senior year as a recluse but I'm thankful we've done this." The bangles on Carrie's arms jingle as she leans on the table grinning.
It's getting late, the natural light outside the dinner is fading into dusk and the usual evening crowd is piling into the booths around us, I'm thankful I'm not working tonight, it looks packed.
"So what's the deal with you and Ethan?" Vixxie's brows furrow taking a large sip from her straw.
"What'd you mean?" She plays off innocently, fiddling with a charm that falls from her bracelet.
"Pompoms...?" I nudge her arm, watching a small smile fall upon her blush lips at the nickname.
"It's nothing its just a stupid nickname he's had for me since freshman year." She shrugs, not looking up at us. I look across at Vixxie who's smirking at me.
"But you like him right?" Vixxie pods.
Carrie huffs, looking between us then falls back against the tatted leather booth, "Yes, a lot. But come on you've seen all those boys, they're dreamy." She exclaims with a pout, "Tones of girls love him."
"They're not really my cup of tea." Vixxie jokes ironically making us giggle. I can see where Carries coming from anyway, those boys are gorgeous, especially Blaze. He's said a total of two words to me and all I've seen him do is sulk and brood but there's just something so enticing about him. He may be a star quarterback but he's also a star mystery.
"Why don't you just tell him." Vixxie shrugs as Carrie's mouth drops open.
"You don't just tell a guy like Ethan you like him. He's got the pick of practically every girl in school, I'm like a little flee next to them." Carrie chuckles.
"That fucking bullshit." Vixxie waves her off which makes me laugh. She really has this cut-throat, no crap attitude and I'm living for it.
As dusk finally moves aside to let the darkness move in, the girls say their goodbyes and climb into their parent's cars. I plug an earbud in and start my thirty-minute walk home. I don't mind walking home in the dark, I've become accustomed to it working the late shifts at the diner.
The moon's shine reflects on my shoes as I clamber down the street, walking past the more affluent built neighbourhoods. Brookhaven is a more affluent part of Atlanta as long as you live in the centre of it, unfortunately for me.
I always dream of what it's like to live in the big white, five-bedroom houses that sit amongst these streets. A life with two caring parents and... siblings.
The word makes my heart hurt.
My feet become shadows on the path as some headlights beam at the back of my legs, I take an earbud out to listen just in case.
The low hum of the car doesn't subside, it just rolls along behind me, it's headlights becoming warm on my calves.
Are they following me? Don't look behind just keep walking, just keep-
"Blondie." A low voice growls from the car making me jump, until it pulls up alongside me and I see Blaze with his taunt arm leaning on the car door, "You walking home?" He keeps his eyes trained on the road ahead even though the car's come to a stop at the curb. I nod, kicking the pavement.
"Jump in." He tilts his head over to the passenger's side of the matt black mustang. The choice of vehicle supprises me, the usual sports teams drive Audis, Jeeps or range rovers.
"Come on I haven't got all day." He sighs, resting his ringed fingers on the steering wheel.
"Oh no, it's fine. It's just down the road." I lie but there's no way I'm letting Blaze take me home. First of all, I don't know the guy, secondly, I'll be a laughing stock the moment he sees where I live and lastly it's bad enough I'm out late but if my father sees someone dropping me home... I'm done for.
"Then it shouldn't take long should it." I don't move, I still feel sceptical about this, he finally looks up and meets my eyes. His features soften slightly, his blue pools releasing a kind of calm in me and his chiselled cheekbones lift slightly with his small smile, "Look, I'm not going to kidnap you... it's late and I don't really like the idea of a girl walking back alone at night." His eyebrows raise, his fingers bounce about on the steering wheel.
That's probably what Ted Bundy said before he killed his victims, 'Don't worry I won't hurt you.' I can see Blaze getting impatient and Honestly, the quicker I get home the better. His eyes ring of sincerity though and what would be his motive to kill me? I walked into his friend? He could have just let the locker door hit me.
Hesitantly I step round to the passenger's door and slide into the slick interior giving him an address about ten minutes from mine- I can just walk the rest of the way. He starts to drive away from the curb and I admire how funny it makes me feel, watching his one arm on the wheel and the other leant on the centre console.
"I... uh... I like your car." I stutter in the silence, changing gear he says nothing just keeps his eyes on the road, narrowing slightly.
As we turn a corner I get a whiff of his minty gum bouncing about in his mouth and a pinewood scent that I could live in forever. He smells like one of those really nice air fresheners.
Air fresheners? Lord, I do not get out enough.
"Oh and... thanks for helping me earlier... you know falling on the... floor and nearly getting taken out by a... locker." I attempt a small chuckle to fill the silence and hide the crippling embarrassment. "I really didn't mean to bump into your friend," I add, the lack of comment telling me he doesn't find it funny.
"He's not my friend." He grunts, the comment taking me by surprise, "He's an ass." Blaze murmurs, swinging the souped-up vehicle around a sharp bend. His leather jacket strains on his arms, shredding the letterman jacket makes him so much hotter. Sure he looked cute in it but the leather suited him way more.
"So... are you up to anything tonight- I hope you're not going out of your way?" I attempt to fill the silence again, realising quickly small talk is definitely not my forte.
"No." He murmurs stopping at a stoplight. He turns his head to look at me, sucking on his bottom lip like he's trying to figure something out. I take the time to admire his profile, picking up on the scar detail. One long white scar sits on his kneck and the other on his cheek-which I took note of earlier.
The green light reflects around the roll cage of the car and Blaze immediately turns away again, starting the car with speed.
After a little longer of silence and grunts from Blaze we roll up at the address I gave him and I step out of the car, desperate to be rid of the awkward friction. I turn to say-
"Thank y-" But the matte black mustang with red trim is already speeding away from me.
Well, that wasn't the weirdest thing ever... Blaze Beckett... drove me home...?
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