(This is a little something to celebrate my 20,000 fans. I LOVE YOU GUYS! Thaaaanks for the support! :D)
Chapter 4
After Josh dropped me off at my house and drove away, I was kind of at a loss with what to do with myself.
The smart thing to do would have been to go to sleep, but I was just too keyed up to even go anywhere near my bed. The day had been way too entertaining and it was kind of hard to go down from all the highs.
And I could still clearly see Lexi in the red dress.
So, instead of just pacing in my room, I went in the basement where we had training equipment and ran a few miles on the treadmill. Well, I ran until mom came and snuck her head in the room, glaring slightly at me—my cue to go to sleep.
But I was still nowhere close to being tired, so I picked up Around the World in Eighty Days and started to read. When I was about half way through it, my phone started to flash.
I almost ignored it, figuring it was probably just a booty call, but if it was Josh and I was ignoring one of his texts I knew he would call the entire street to have them check up on me—his was like a damn mother hen.
I was completely surprised when I saw who the text actually came from though. Never in a million years would I have guessed Tyler Grayson, Lexi’s little brother would be the one texting me at two in the morning.
I read, “Try not to be too harsh with my sister please. She’s been having a really shitty time lately,” and frowned while I did.
I quickly replied with a “She told you?” not sure he would actually reply. Tyler Grayson rarely texted me. Okay, he never texted me. But somehow, during the little video game playing bounding moments during one of his sister Annabelle’s party, I had ended up giving him my number—mostly with the hope he’d give it to his sister. Like, a part of me had this crazy scenario, where she’d take her brother cellphone, see my number on there, text me to know why he had my number and that would somehow lead to me serenading her my love at her window.
My issues were so wrong, they didn’t even have a name.
A few seconds later though, I got my reply. “I heard her talk on the phone. She was kind of freaking out.”
I couldn’t really help the little chuckled that broke past my lips. And there was a part of me that was thrill about the fact she was talking about me on the phone with someone, even though it was probably to plan bodily harm.
But then I stop being stupid and really thought about what Tyler was texting me. His sister, Lexi, my Lexi, was having a hard time. And it was easy to guess why. Her mother leaving was really hard on her. And as much as part of me loved annoying her—because it meant spending time with her—and even if part of me wanted to make her suffer a little for thinking my name was actually freaking Drake—I still couldn’t believe that one—this was Lexi, and she was hurting and if she was hurting, I wasn’t going to make her more miserable. She didn’t care about me, but I cared about her that much. So I texted “If she’s really freaking out, just tell her I won’t do anything. I’m really not that big of an asshole,” to Tyler and threw my phone on the reclining chair opposite to me.
Well, this had been fun while it had lasted. Not.
This sucked.
I frowned when my phone started to flash again. The hell? Wasn’t it clear enough? Maybe he was just thanking me.
I got up and grabbed my phone and checked the screen. “Don’t. Do nothing I mean. Just don’t make her do anything seriously mean because she really needs some kind of distraction.”
This was the last thing, the last think I had expected him to send me. Was this really happening? This conversation was getting seriously weird.
Unable to help myself I replied, “Don’t you feel like you’re kind of selling your sister to the devil here?” And laughed humourlessly alone at the bad joke.
Tyler’s answer didn’t disappoint. “Naw, I’m killing the monsters for her.”
These Graysons were a really weird bunch… “You’re very confusing child Tyler.”
When I got his reply, “NAAAAAW YOOOOOU’RE THE CHILD!” I burst into laughter—loudly. That kid had issue. I liked him.
Still laughing I just sent him a “Wow,” and that was the end of our conversation.
I picked up Around the World in Eighty Days with the strange thought that Lexi’s brother had kind of just giving me his consent to me going after his sister—sort of.
The next morning, with three hours of sleep under my belt and still flying on yesterday’s high, I got in my car and drove to school.
I was trying to think of a way to best intercept Lexi at school and annoy her with that owning thing—which I still hadn’t decided about—when I saw her Jetta driving right in front of me.
Was the cosmos playing some kind of joke on me? For the last, what? Eight years I had barely been given any occasion to interact with the girl and now I kept bumping into her. I didn’t know if I should assume this was meant something bad or good.
Looking at the time, I realized though that cosmos or not, good or bad, we were going to be late to school if missy in front didn’t speed up.
I sped up, getting dangerously close to her bumper. There was a nasty joke in there.
I wondered how she’d react if I literally bumped into her—her car, I mean. Or maybe I didn’t.
I was grinning like a moron at my thoughts, and I could actually see Lexi’s eyes in her rear view mirror practically shooting daggers at me. Today was going to be fun, I could just feel it.
When we finally arrived in the school parking, I deliberately parked right beside her to make sure she couldn’t run away from me.
Tyler got out of the car first and walked away, telling her something, and I easily caught up with Lexi before she could do that too.
“What the hell did you do that for?” she asked me, and then just turned around, away from her car, obviously deliberately walking fats to get rid of me. She’d need to run a whole lot faster to get away from me. This was already so amusing.
“Well, well. No need to thank me, babe. I’ll just add this to your I-Owe-Blake tab,” I informed her, cheerfully. She slowed down at my answer.
I tried to keep from laughing. I was such in a good mood, it was actually surprising me.
Lexi wasn’t amused though—the look she was giving me was implying that. “And why was almost bumping in my car a reason to owe you?”
What were we talking about again? I was just trying not to look down that V neck of hers. It wasn’t doing any good things on my train of thought. Oh yes, right, cars, fast, bumping. Bumping. Mmh. “Cops can’t arrest two cars speeding at the same time.”
“Highly unlikely,” she replied, and started to walk faster again. “And I don’t owe you anything.”
That wasn’t going to keep me away from her though. I kept up with her pace, grinning, because really, I couldn’t help myself. “Oh, I think you do.”
“I never asked you for anything, you simply decided to act, therefore I do not owe you,” she informed me, as we walked through the school doors, sounding slightly offended.
I laughed. “Nice try Grayson! I give you an A plus for your efforts.” She wasn’t getting out of this easily. I had her brother consent. And apparently the girl needed to be distracted. And I was a master at distractions. Kind of like that shirt of hers. Couldn’t the neckline have been a little higher? All I wanted to do was run my fingers around its edges. I could actually see a part of her red bra peeking from under it. Red? Really? Did she want to completely screw with my brain capacities?
“I’m serious. I don’t owe you anything Eaton!”
Mmh. I liked the way my surname sounded when she said it, even though she was slightly pissed—okay, yeah, it was even hotter because she was slightly pissed, whatever, I had already admitted my issues where beyond recovery at this point. “Wow.” I pressed my palm against my chest, making a face. “You remember my surname! I’m touched!”
Lexi rolled her eyes, still walking in a fast past, to god knew where—well if I had to guess, I’d say her locker. That was were I should be going too—I meant mine, not hers. I’d need my books for my first class. “Get over yourself,” she said in her snappy tone.
Oh, she was digging her own grave. She had offered me this reply on a plate, I simply couldn’t pass over it. Smirking, I told her, “I’d rather get over you.” And I would. I really would.
I was rewarded with a snort though. “Your pick up lines are really getting old Blake!”
I snorted too, but it was more close to a laugh than hers had been closer to a sneer. “Are they? Or are you so attracted to me that those words leave you speechless and you can’t come up with anything better than my pick up lines are old?” Or is Blake so attracted to you that he’s pulling replies out of his ass and making a complete ass of himself?
“Try not to drown when you’ll see your reflection in the water Narcissus!” she said and snorted again—I was getting a lot of those.
“And don’t come whining to me when only your voice will be left Echo!” I easily answered.
And then for some reason Lexi stopped walking. For a second I was worried something was wrong with her, but the way she stared at me, her head slightly tilted, I figured this had something to do with what I said. I stopped walking too, a little confused. I hadn’t told her “I love you” or some shit like that, had I? No, I hadn’t, I’d remember it. Then again… NO! No, I hadn’t.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, but I ignored it, and asked, “What?” feeling like I had done something wrong. What had I said? Damn it!
“Mythology?” she said, like she was asking me.
“Yeah,” I replied, dragging it a little. What was wrong with mythology? Was it wrong to talk about mythology? She started it!
“Blake Eaton, school joke of this school knows mythology?” she finally said, and that’s when it clicked.
Ooooooh. Well, that was… I didn’t really know what to think of that.
Of course she didn’t know that. If she knew the class I was going to be late now, if I kept chatting with her was Advanced Art History she’d probably have a stroke. For a second, I was a little annoyed again. “You’re quick to judge Grayson, that’s your problem.”
She was about to reply, but then stopped, frowning, looking behind me. I turned, curious to see what caught her attention, and wanted to bash my head in when I did.
“Aw, shit!” I mumbled. Nooooot good. “I have to take care of something right now, but don’t think we are done here,” I added, never breaking eye contact with Stacey. I could only imagine what she was thinking now. Maybe something along the lines of “will you call her Stacey?” The last thing I wanted was for Stacey to even slightly imply about what had happened yesterday.
So, even if I really didn’t want to, I left Lexi there, and headed towards Blonde-zilla.
“Oh by the way, the Echo reference was way off base! As far as I know I’ve always been the one pushing you away!” Lexi yelled after me.¸
I wasn’t going to admit to this, because if we took the actual tale, I was totally the love sick Echo. But Lexi did seem like she liked to hear the sound of her own voice with all the arguing she was doing.
Turning around, with a smirk on my lips, I loudly replied, “Keep telling yourself that.”
And then I walked up to the blonde girl glaring at me.
“Stacey,” I said, in place of greeting.
She sneered at me. Obviously. “Oh, so you know my name now?”
I should have seen that one coming. I kept myself from groaning in annoyance and ran my hand over my hair. “Look, what happened yesterday was a mistake, one I think would be better if we never mentioned again.” I crossed my fingers who were still resting on top of my head, repeating “pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease,” in my head.
“Oh you mean you saying her name instead of mine?” Did she really have to be so condescending. It wasn’t like she actually believe her and I were high school sweethearts or some shit. Did she think that? Please, god, she can’t possibly think that.
I stretched my lips, showing teeth, into a weird, without any enthusiasm smile. “Everyone can have a little slip of the tongue now and then.”
She glared. “You said Lexi.”
Yes I did. I say Lexi a lot, I just make sure no one’s around to hear it. Usually. I didn’t want to say what I was about to say next, but there really was no other way I could get out of this without having Lexi know about my unrequited love for her. “Yes, because making a mistake is something very human. You know, like you losing your virginity to Pick-His-Nose Danny.” The face she made when I said that… I actually felt bad for a second. “Oh yes, I know.” I assured her, keeping my face straight. “And if you want to make sure I stay one of the only ones to know, I would really like if what happened between us, to stay between us.”
It took her a second too long to answer, but it didn’t matter. I already knew she wouldn’t object. She couldn’t possibly object. “Whatever. But I’ll say we fucked in the cubicles.”
I snorted in disbelief, shaking my head. Wow, just perfect. “Whatever makes you happy,” I huffed, annoyed. Dumb bimbo.
Narrowing her eyes, Stacey added a nice, “You know you seriously have issues Blake Eaton.”
Coming from Stacey, it really wasn’t a compliment. I didn’t grace her with an answer though, instead I hurried to my class—which I was going to be late to.
As I rushed to my class, I remembered my phone, and checked to see who had sent me a message and actually burst into laughter again when I read Tyler’s text. “YOUR SMILING FREAKS ME OUT!”
Yeah, I definitely liked that kid. Trust a Grayson to cheer me up. Even though it wasn’t the right one.