Friday
Pizza tonight? (Sebastien)
I literally can't stop the grin that stretches across my face from reading that text. It has been way too long since the last time Sebastien and I had our Friday night. I could use a good night after these past several days.
Currently, I am huddled up at the library with Becky. We have been cramming for our remaining finals. She got the call yesterday morning that Rayna was being released from the hospital. Becky raced there to see her home to her parents. None of us have left Becky or Ray alone since that night at the hospital, but I know they are both working their way to better.
"This ten-page paper is the worst Emma!" Becky mutters as she runs her fingers through her pin-straight hair.
"Aw sorry, Becky. I am honestly a better test-taker than a writer," I admit.
"Same here. Rayna has always been the writer," she professes and smiles. "She told me the online finals she now has to take are worse than the real thing. I promised her I would come to visit as soon as I am done."
"I am sure she would really love that. Tell her we will visit as soon as we can too!"
"I will," she tells me. "Ugh, I am literally going to have a pull an all-nighter for this paper. I have five pages to go and only 24 more hours to do it."
"That's plenty of time. I believe in you," I chirp.
She groans before reluctantly retreating back to her laptop and I giggle returning to my notebook.
I text back Sebastien.
Absolutely. I'll meet you at your place.
***
I make my way to Sebastien's house enjoying the oddly warm weather on the walk. Once I stroll through his door, Bash swivels to me. "Hey, so I have an idea."
"That sounds terrifying. What is it?" I ask putting down my bag on his bed.
His face is filled with mischief. "I thought to get our mind off everything we could do something different...Like, go for a ride on my bike."
My insides still and I narrow my eyes at him. "No." I deadpan.
"Emma, come on," he remarks. "You have never ridden on it."
"Yeah, there's a reason why," I say pointedly. "That thing is a death trap."
"It'll be fun Emma. You have to give it a shot before you hate it." He dangles the keys out to me.
"It will be the opposite of fun."
He bites his lip quite sexily and crookedly grins at me. "Pretty please Emma?"
I avert my eyes. That is so not fair. I literally can't say no to him when he smiles like that. I chew the inside of my cheek.
"Ugh, fine! Once and then I never want to hear it again," I mutter, immediately regretting the words as they fly from my mouth.
"Deal," he says excitedly and ushers me out the door probably knowing how quickly I'll change my mind. He directs me to the house's garage and I lay eyes on the death trap.
Shit. Shit. This is what happens when I am weak. He pulls out a black helmet passing it to me and I slowly grab it like an old tissue I found on the floor. He draws out his own helmet, but he must notice the stricken look across my face because he tilts his head.
"You sure? Because you are kind of looking green. I rather you do not puke all over my baby."
"I am not going to puke," I snap at him and strap the damn thing onto my head.
He looks me over in the helmet and his lips curl into a sly grin. "Ready?"
Not at all, but I nod taking a deep breath. He sits down and roars it up. He casts a brief look over his shoulder and I push forward throwing my leg over to sit behind him. I scoot closer, increasingly aware of how close we are. My heart thumps faster than it already was. This is so not helping my mind stick to platonic thoughts. I timidly wrap my arms around the middle of his leather jacket as the ignition pulsates underneath us.
When he presses on the gas I gasp and crush my arms tighter around him losing all care. I can feel his chest vibrating from his laugh and I tuck my head into his hard back squeezing my eyes shut. Why do I let him pull me into these crazy ideas of his?
He whips a turn and bloody hell I cannot even lookup. The wind rips my hair back into ferocious knots and the air races past us in a blur. This is nothing like a bicycle, maybe closer to a rollercoaster to our doom. I know he is going slower than he typically would without me, but at every single bend or stop I grasp him harder. I am definitely going to fly off and when I do I am going to strangle him. Not even his intoxicating sandalwood scent can soothe me at this moment. Going 50 miles per hour without anything in between you and the open road is a truly petrifying sensation. I notice us finally ceasing to move, but I am afraid to open my eyes.
"Emma, we're here," he informs me casually while shedding off his helmet.
I peel open my eyes and slowly unwind my arms around him. I glimpse around at the parking lot and the blinking neon pizza light. Okay, we actually made it. I am not dead. I stand up wobbly trying to gain my bearings and I follow him inside. I roll my shoulders collecting myself and turn to glower at him.
"I am one-hundred percent taking an uber home," I say and start to rake my fingers through my wind-blown hair attempting to smooth it down.
"Oh come on, that was awesome!" he responds. He grabs a knotty curl that I missed and twirls it through his fingers and I pluck it back from him my cheeks reddening.
"That was terrible. I am still trying to calm my heart rate down."
"There's not even 1% a chance you liked it?" He says probing.
"Alright, maybe and I mean maybe 1%," I admit and he grins ear to ear. Amidst the feeling like I was about to die, it was kind of thrilling in a way. Oh goodness, his craziness is totally infecting me.
The hostess spots us and guides us over to a table and we immediately order to start us off. We settle down and it really has been so long since we had our pizza night. It feels good, normal, like things sliding back to place. I didn't realize how much I craved it.
He plays with his straw before talking. "So I actually overheard this mindfulness practice thing and I thought it would be really good for us to do."
My brows thread together. "Mindfulness practice?...Like meditation?" I ask in confusion.
"Yep"
I stare at him in bewilderment. That's interesting, entirely random for sure. Wait one whole second...
"Is this about the mini anxiety attack I told you about? Because I am fine," I express to him.
"No." He replies with a shake of his head. "I am just trying to get some extra credit. It was offered by my professor as a research study and I know if no one makes sure I do it then I won't follow through. I need a partner, so you."
I gaze at him in disbelief for a moment, but obviously, I know my answer.
"Of course I'll help you," I answer.
He beams at me and a flutter goes in my chest. I bite my lip. The waitress emerges placing the pizzas down in front of us and I watch him as he grabs the plates. He didn't ask Serena, he asked me to help him. Continuing to observe him, I muster up the courage to finally say something that has been bothering me.
"Hey, Bash?"
"Yeah?" He says pushing over a vegetarian slice to me.
"Um, can I say something slightly obtrusive?"
"Always, shoot," he responds instantly.
"I hate to say this because I am totally overstepping but." I squeeze my eyes shut. "I don't like Serena," I blurt and hold my breath in trepidation.
"Yeah, me either," he retorts simply.
I blink my eyes open. "Wait what?" I say mystified.
"Yeah, I dumped her. She was very clingy." He makes a disgusted face.
"Sebastien," I say scolding him.
"She was! She kept talking about the future, when I literally told her from the beginning I didn't want anything serious. I didn't ask her to be my girlfriend, but she acted as if I did. I had to end things."
"Oh," I mutter softly. "She actually seemed sweet in the beginning."
"A lot of people seem nice. Doesn't mean they are," he admits drily.
I don't even know why I am defending her. "You're right. Okay, well good. I mean bad for Serena, but you can do better."
He gazes at me briefly.
"Well you were kinda right the other night when you said I have to start investing in my relationships at one point," he states. "I don't even realize at times the shit I am doing. I honestly never tell the girls I date anything because I have never been committed."
I stare at him stunned. Where did this come from?
"I think I am going to try and stay single for a while. I shouldn't be stringing them along like that. It's a douche move," he retorts with a subtle shrug.
I blink. "Wow," I say and fall back in my chair. "Really?"
Sebastien, single? The last time he was single for longer than a month was like ninth grade. I don't know if this is a really good thing or a really bad one.
"Yeah. I got some stuff I have been trying to figure out." He pauses. "Especially regarding school. I could use the extra time for that."
I grin. "That's really good Bash. You should put yourself first. Good thing finals are right around the corner and we have a winter break," I respond and thieve a margarita piece off his plate.
He smirks. "Oh you know that reminds me. The night before break starts there's a thing my frat is doing to mark the end of finals."
"Thing? What kind of thing?" My eyes twist at the corners studying him.
"A foam rave," he responds casually. "Wanna come?"
"A foam rave?" I repeat like a parrot.
"Yeah, foam." His eyes are full of amusement. "Picture a giant bubble bath."
"A bubble bath? No way," I utter incredulously.
"If you don't believe me you'll just have to show up to see if I am lying," he counters.
I stare at him once again scrutinizing him.
"We'll see," I declare clearing my throat and nibbling on my pizza.
His lips spread into a wicked grin knowing he got me.
***
*author's note*
Thanks for the support!! Send a vote if you would want to go to a foam party with Bash or even better, ride on the back of his bike ;)