I scuffed the sole of my converse against the gravel, kicking it whilst grumbling angrily to myself. Mom was late to pick me up from running practise and the school grounds were beginning to cover in a blanket of darkness. I shivered, looking around at the deserted car park, which was empty except for me and the cars of whoever had detention that afternoon.
I checked the time on my phone and let out a groan when I saw that it was after seven. Running practise had gone on for longer than usual and I was exhausted, aching to the bones after all the sprinting. Coach even had us doing push-ups, squats and various other cardio exercises to get into shape.
I yawned loudly. Twenty minutes had passed since running ended. I sat up on the wall and swung my legs whilst waiting for Mom. I had changed out of my running clothes and was wearing my shorts again with the top from the lost property office. Bored, I started fiddling with my dark hair, which was loose around my face. I put it into a fishtail braid carefully, and tied it with a ponytail. I checked my phone again. It was half seven.
I wondered if Mom had forgotten about me, and pondered the thought of walking home or seeing if there was a bus that could take me. I was on the verge of calling her for the fourth time when some guy stormed out of the school and was walking towards his car. As he passed by the wall I was sitting on, he stopped and stared at me. A million thoughts flew through my mind at once.
Firstly, who was this guy? He was extremely good-looking in a bad boy kind of way. He had dark, almost black hair and similar eyes. His irises were such a dark brown that they blended into his pupils, making it impossible to tell them apart. He had a cigarette poking out of his mouth, which made me want to literally yank it out, but I stopped myself. Instead, I focused on another thought that was buzzing around my head. Why was he staring at me?!
"Uh, can I help you?" I asked him, watching as he leaned against his black mustang, which coincidentally was parked right next to me.
A smirk tugged at his lips and he nodded. "Yes," he said. "Now, explain to me why an innocent young girl like you would be hanging around the school at night? Looking to sneak into the library are you?" He lowered his voice and spoke with a mocking tone. "Planning on stealing a book, is it?" He chuckled to himself.
I raised an eyebrow. Then I pretended to check things off an imaginary list and said, "let's see. I've gone to school, done my homework, been to training and had a shower. Nope, this list doesn't say that I'm required to talk to you." I averted my gaze back to my phone, smiling. A text from my Mom popped up on the screen and I scanned it quickly. It said: 'sorry, I forgot to collect you! I'm at the nail salon now- could you get a lift with a friend?'
I scowled. Just then the phone was taken from my grasp. I looked up, and saw the guy still standing there with an amused grin plastered on his face. "Sorry, I forgot to collect you," he mimicked in a girly voice. "Ha! So not even your Mom loves you! I mean, most losers have that to fall back on... but, I guess your just too much of a fail." Then louder, he snarled, "You. Are. A. FAIL."
"Yeah, like your Dad's condom." I shot back quickly. I jumped up from the wall, grabbed my phone from his grasp and started walking out of the school. I was getting the bus after all. Nikki had already left so I couldn't get a ride with her.
"Oh I get it," the guy called maliciously as I continued to walk off. "You're that girl who has no friends so you spend all your time coming up with lame insults. Get a life!"
Deep breaths, Bianca. Deep breaths. If this guy didn't shut up, we might have a cold blooded murder on our hands. I opted for remaining silent and kept walking. When I reached the gate, I turned around to see where he was. Still leaning against his car. "You don't know me," I yelled, my voice echoing through the grounds. "You just wish you did!" With that, I held my head up high and found my way to the bus stop.
***
Minutes went by like hours. Tick tock, tick tock. Every time I looked at my phone, it felt like ten or twenty minutes had passed yet in reality it was two minutes. I pressed my fingers hard against my temples, but regretted it when a sharp pain went through my skull. It didn't look like a bus was planning on coming any time soon.
I leaned my head against the wall, sleepy. I dozed off and images of the guy from school flashed in my mind. Within minutes, I had started to fall into a deeper sleep... Exhausted from the long training with Coach Anderson and the whole Amanda Miller incident. I still couldn't believe it that the principal was Ethan's Mom and Amanda was his stepsister.
Soon enough, I had fully fallen asleep. I dreamt of being in a race, I was preparing myself at the starting line, jogging on the spot and doing a few push-ups. Then we were told to take our places. Anticipation was in the air. I was ready and when the whistle was blown, I put all my concentration on the finishing line. I sprinted as quickly as I could, focused on the end. I kept my arms at a ninety degree angle and lifted my knees high, plunging into the distance. Then I was metres away from the finishing line, almost crossing it... I could almost taste the victory...
My dream was interrupted suddenly by loud music coming from a car's speakers...
"Echo, echo
When you call my heart
When you call my love
When you call my youth
Echo, echo
When you call my heart
When you call my love
When you call my youth
Up in the mountain
Down in a plain
This such a game is burning in the flame
Up in the mountain
Down in a plain
This such a game is burning in the flame"
My eyes shot open when the music started blaring so loudly, I feared my eardrums might burst. What the...?
It took a minute for my bleary eyes to focus, but when they did I saw a familiar black mustang parked directly by the bus stop. It was that boy again... WHY?!?
I sat up and walked over to the car, keeping my fingers pressed I into my ears. The passenger seat window was open, so I leaned my arm in and twisted the knob to turn it down. He chuckled and watched me with a warm smile. "I couldn't resist." He said.
I rolled my eyes and dragged my feet back to the bench at the bus stop. "Hey, do you want a lift?" He called. "Doesn't look like a bus is coming any time soon..."
Yes, I would love a lift.
That's what I wanted to say, but I had a feeling that he had ulterior motives, like to drive me to a dump and leave me there or something.
"Well, do you?"
"Ah what the hell." I said and pulled open the door, slipping onto the black leather seat.
"You're in for the ride of your life, Bianca."
"Ugh." I said, regretting my decision as he merged onto the highway. "Wait a second... How do you know my name?" I frowned in thought and looked at him for a response.
A blush spread across his cheeks suddenly. I found myself giggling as he 'discreetly' turned the air conditioning on to cool down his face. "Er I don't know," he mumbled, pretending to be completely focused on the road.
"Ha ha. I made the bad boy blush!" I said with a defiant smile.
"Ok, ok. I know you because of what happened at lunch today. I think everyone knows you after that!" He chuckled.
I shrugged. "Good to know..." I said sarcastically. "So since you know my name... what's yours?"
"Guess." He said.
I looked at him. "Hm... You look like a Gary. An I right?" I asked hopefully.
"Nope."
"How about Dave? Steve? Evan? Mark? Bryan? Josh? Oh, oh I know! Is it Reece?"
"Try again." He said shaking his head.
"Hm... Carter?"
When he said no, I sighed. "I don't know, what is it?"
"Cole. Cole Ryan." He answered.
"Well, Cole, Cole Ryan. Thanks for giving me a lift home..." I paused, gazing out the window. "Um... Where exactly are we?"
Cole had parked the mustang outside a row of large houses with neat fenced gardens. He jumped out, but I stayed where I was in his car. He walked up the path of a white washed house. There were teenagers scattered around the garden and even hanging out on a second floor balcony. Music was pumping through the house, and audible from my spot in the car. I hunched my knees up under my chin and sighed. I just wanted to go home.
"Here we go back, this is the moment
Tonight is the night, we'll fight till it's over
So we put our hands up, like the ceiling can't hold us
Like the ceiling can't hold us
Here we go back, this is the moment
Tonight is the night..."
I fumbled to find my phone and quickly answered it, seeing that the caller ID was Mom.
"Hello?"
"BIANCA EVANS!" She yelled down the phone. I almost dropped the phone she was so loud. "Where are you? I texted you over an hour ago and I haven't heard anything back!"
I bit my lip. Mom could be scary when she got angry. "Sorry, I-"
"Where are you?" She butted in, clearly annoyed with me.
Uh oh.
I glanced out the window and saw a road sign saying 'Bradford Avenue Lower'. It didn't ring a bell with me.
"Eh, Bradford Avenue..." I paused. "My...friend Cole gave me ride, but we, erm, we got a little lost. I'll be home as soon as I can, okay?"
"Bradford, did you say?"
"Yeah, Bradford Avenue Lower." I replied, praying that she wasn't going to offer to pick me up or anything.
"Okay," Mom sighed. "Dinner will be ready in half an hour."
I hung up and got out of the car to find Cole. The teenagers on the lawn were drunk and they laughed cheerily like they were on top of the world. As soon as I thought that, the song 'On Top Of The World' started playing in the house. I snickered. "I'm a fudging genius." I said to myself, strolling inside as the chorus played.
'Cause I'm on top of the world, 'ay
I'm on top of the world, 'ay
Waiting on this for a while now
Paying my dues to the dirt
I've been waiting to smile, 'ay
Been holding it in for a while, 'ay
Take you with me if I can
Been dreaming of this since a child
I'm on top of the world.'
I hummed along to the tune as I pushed the door open. The party didn't look great. There were just a load of wasted teenagers dancing around the place and singing out of tune. I squirmed in, wrinkling my nose in disgust as the place reeked of alcohol and tobacco.
"Cole?" I called out, searching the place.
I recognised a lot of people from school. I slipped into the kitchen. The party seemed to be in full swing, people dancing on the table and a few guys gulping down beer while others chanted "CHUG CHUG CHUG!!!!!" I rolled my eyes and wandered over to the fridge. It was open but the door was blocking my vision of who was standing at it. I walked around to the other side and peeked in.
"Hey Bianca!"
It was Ethan, stuffing his face with cake and rummaging through the contents of the fridge. "Oh, hey Ethan!" I looked in at the fridge as well. "Ooh is that a taco?" I grabbed the taco and started munching on it. Then I pulled drunk Ethan away from the fridge. "Have you seen a guy called Cole Ryan?" I shouted over the music. "He's got dark hair and about six foot four...?"
Ethan frowned. "What do you want him for??" He demanded, pulling me outside to the empty balcony. "You shouldn't be hanging around with him, B."
I rolled my eyes. "Thanks for the brotherly advice Ethan, but he's my ride home so it's all I got." I told him. "So have you seen Cole?"
He shook his head. "I'll give you a lift home." He slurred.
"Yeah... I don't think that's the best idea." I said. "You shouldn't be driving in that state. Why don't you come with me and Cole?"
Ethan shrugged. "Fine, whatever."
***
"No way." Cole folded his arms and stared at me coldly. "That guy is not coming into my car."
I sighed. "C'mon, please? He's drunk, he won't remember tomorrow." I begged him.
It had taken me fifteen minutes to find Cole- he was having a smoke outside, and a further five minutes to convince him to take Ethan too. "How about you just drop him off at my house?" I offered.
Cole glared at me. "Fine." He muttered.
I smiled and pushed Ethan into the back seat. I climbed into the front and we drove off.
When we got to my house I thanked Cole, dragged Ethan out of his car and half carried, half shoved him up my driveway as Cole drove away.
I pressed the doorbell. A minute later my Dad answered, and he didn't look happy. "Bianca- who's this?" He snapped. "Is he drunk?"
"Hey Papa Evans!" Ethan grinned, lifting his hand to do one of those man hug things.
Dad pushed Ethan away as I grimaced. "He was going to drive home drunk, so I had to bring him." I confessed. "You should really be congratulating me for bringing him here, I mean there could've been an accident." I put on my puppy dog eyes and my Dad sighed.
"Ok, but he has to sleep on the couch." Dad said.
I threw my arms around him and steadied Ethan before walking inside. I settled him down on the couch with cushions and blankets as he fell asleep. "Goodnight Ethan." I whispered. I leaned in and kissed his forehead goodnight.
He snored in reply.
***
A/N:
The songs I quoted in this chapter are:
~Rain of gold by Young Empires.
~Can't hold us by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. Ray Dalton.
~On top of the world by Imagine Dragons.
You should go check those songs out! They're amazing :D xo Please comment to give me any constructive criticism, vote and tell your friends! I hope you're enjoying the book so far :)
~Oreolover75