Me and Ryder make eye contact and he jogs over to me; he looks stunning in his white V-neck, black leather jacket, blue jeans, and a cigarette between his lips. I turn and walk away from him and into American Apparel, I hear his voice echo through the store, "Aspen, baby!"
I go into the back room and set my purse on a hook when he comes in. "Get out," I shriek and start pushing him near the doorway, he doesn't budge, that fat ass.
"Seriously I could've been changing, you need to get out," I say and stop trying to push him, instead I point my newly black nails to the door.
"What's wrong? You were fine last night. I don't understand," he says and makes eye contact with me.
"Last night I didn't get any sleep hardly, my phone keeps buzzing with texts from Connor and Blair. I'm not in the mood for your... Your crap," I say and leans against the wall, I slide down onto the floor and I put my head in my hands. I hear the door close and Ryder is gone.
I pick myself up off the floor and head out to get started with work. The second I come out, the devil in teenage girl form shows up, Hailee. "Awww, look at you working and stuff, now go put these in a dressing room for me," her voice pierces my ears. I snatch the clothes from her hand and storm off into a dressing room for "Queen Bee" herself. I put the clothes on a rack, I sit down softly in the chair and bury my head in my hands until I hear her voice show up again, "Now listen to me, very carefully, it's either Ryder or Connor, you can't have both. I can have one and you can have one."
I shot my head up and snort, she can have Connor, that's exactly what I tell her, "You can have Connor, and last time I checked I'm not into Ryder like that."
"Wait but haven't you and Connor been going out for like almost a year." She says and raises a perfectly arched blonde eyebrow.
"Nope not anymore. I broke it off last night." I feel tears sting my eyes, I will not cry in front of my enemy.
"Oh well that's pretty depressing," there was a pause, "For you! Now get out of my dressing room." I get up and walk out to find Alison here at work, late as usual. She waves to me with her perfectly white smile, Alison's dad is a dentist and her mom died a couple years ago but her dad and Alison have perfect teeth.
"Hey bae," Alison says and hip bumps me with her perfect curve.
"Hello dork," I say and wink at her. She acts offended and flips her auburn hair that reached her butt off her shoulder. She stomps her black converse on the floor, I notice she's wearing her "Stressed, Depressed, but well Dressed" shirt and a high waisted black skirt.
"Aspen, do I look like a library book," Alison asks me and cocks her head to the side.
"No," I roll my eyes at her.
"Well then why are you checking me out?" I laugh as she sends me a wink when our boss, who has a major crush on Alison, tells us to get back to work. He was pretty good looking, blonde hair that was pushed up in the front, his jawline was well defined and his tan was to die for. Alison says he's too clingy though.
"Yes sir," we mumble and start on the clothing rack of clothes people didn't like in the dressing room. "So what's been going on with you. Haven't seen you since Detention 101," she asks and starts folding jeans.
"Well I met them and their really nice, I bet you that I could set you up with one. If you wanted," I say and fold a shirt.
"I always thought Camden was really cute, his hair is so cute, anyways what happened at the party? Didn't you go? I didn't see you," she folded a Creme sweater.
"No. I hung out with Camden, Jaydon, Ryder, and Trenton instead, no big deal," I shrug.
"Speaking of Ryder, I saw him today. At the mall. Hey after our shift ends do you wanna go see him?" The excitement was in her eyes as well with desperation. Ryder never came up to girls and she wants him to come up to us.
"Sure, but we walk by, laughing and giggling and talking about Connor and he'll come talk to us." I know my boys, I fold two other pairs of jeans.
"Okay fine, but what's going on with you and Connor?" Alison was the gossiper out of me, her, and Blair.
"We broke up last night," I shrug like it wasn't a big deal, but it was, I spent almost a year on him and he treated me like that.
"What why?" She shrieks but covers her mouth with her hand.
"Shut up and fold and I'll tell you," I say to her and toss a shirt at her.
"Excuse me, can I get a dressing room," some short blonde taps my shoulder and I take her clothes with a smile and lead her to the dressing room.
"I folded, now spill the beans," Alison says with her award winning smile, showcasing off the shirt.
"Fine," I lower my voice, "When I came home last night around one, he was drunk and he hit me. That's all. I just stayed there and Ryder beat him up and I ended it last night."
"He hit you," she whisper cries.
"Yup," I pop the P.
"Aspen, I'm sorry to tell you this but, Connor crashed his car last night." She looks at me as if I'm the most fragile thing in this store. My heart broke, he was going back to his house probably when he crashed. He never read my message. I need to see him and be there for him and hold him.
"I'll see him after work, we only have 3 hours left," I say, but honestly I wanted to rush out that door and into my car to go see him.
"We'll see him after work, I'll go with you," she says and pats my shoulder.
That three hours was the worst in my life. It consisted of folding, dressing room, greeting, then you do it all over again.
"Hey, Blair dropped me off here. Mind if I ride with you," Alison asks, she wants to be there for me but I'm about to go insane.
"Nah of course not. Come on," I say and shake my head. When we reach the exit, one particular person blocks us from getting out.
"What's your problem," I ask Ryder as he puffs smoke in my face.
"Nothing," he says cooly and winks at Alison who might've died inside.
"Get out of my way I have to be somewhere," I try to push him out of my way but he doesn't budge.
"I'll take you," he ignores the fact that Alison's with me.
"This is seriously important and if you don't move out of my way I will chop your balls off," I said sternly, I meant it. I'm about to go insane if I don't see Connor right this second.
"What about you baby? Wanna ride with me?" Alison nods and I'm speechless. No actually I know exactly what to say.
"Alison your riding with me, okay? Now Ryder, Connor is in the hospital because of a car crash, I assume he was going back to his house driving drunk and crashed, I have to see him," I plead Ryder to move as he studies my face then he frowns.
"Why so he can beat you again?" The hate was so pure in his voice.
"It was only a drunken mistake and if you don't understand that I'm not sorry for this." I bring my knee to knee him in the balls, he cries out in pain but I have to see Connor. I grab Alison's wrist and pull her to my car quickly.
"Shit Aspen," Alison says when we got in the car. I shrug and we buckle up, when we get on the road Alison pulls up directions.
I'm shaking its so bad, when we get there I hop out of the car and rush inside.
"Who are you here to see," the receptionist asks me.
"Connor Mullins," I say sternly.
"I'm sorry but only family is allowed in there."
"Listen, I'm his girlfriend. Give me his god damn room number," I mean it. I'm his girlfriend. But the receptionist, Tonya, shakes her head.
"His girlfriend came in about an hour ago, hasn't left since," Ms. Mullins came over and told her I was with her.
"Well me and mr. Mullins are waiting in the wait room, want to sit with us," she asks. But I shake my head. I start off in the rooms direction and when I get to room 294 I take a peek, Hailee was in there. Lying bitch, I grab a doctor and told him to tell Hailee visiting hour is over. He nods, he's afraid of me.
He goes into a room and then him and Hailee come out. I suck everything in and lean against the wall next to his room so she doesn't see me. She doesn't, I slip into his room and find him sitting up on his bed.
"Baby girl come here," Connor says and pats the empty space on the hospital bed. I slowly walk over. One of his arms is broken, bruised face, sprained ankle. I sit next to him and he starts running my left cheek with his left arm, the one that isn't broken. I flinch away in pain.
"Baby girl, what's wrong," he looks at me questionably.
"Nothing just got hit last night and have a bruise that's all," I say and shrug. I didn't lie to him.
"By who? I'll kick their ass!" He looks so defensive.
"It was you, you hit me, Ryder had to beat you up. Then you left."
Once I give Alison a ride to her house, I rush to my house to find another note tapped to the door. It basically told me to go over to the house next to us, not the one with the cute kids, no no. It's Ryder's house, I need to look presentable and work clothes won't cut it.
I scrambled through my closet to find my coral dress that reached mid thigh, I decided to throw on my black leather jacket and black heels, my outfit said I'm mature but I'm casual and not a child or not stuck up. I grabbed my phone and went over to Ryder's house, his motorcycle wasn't here so he was out, probably with some whore.
I ring the doorbell once and back up a little to give Daniela space when she opens the door, she invites me in with an inviting hug, she smelled like vanilla. I find a 14 year old sitting on the couch while I see my parents at the kitchen table with Daniela probably. I find a 8 year old playing Lego's by himself.
I walk over and sit on the couch next to the 13 year old. "Hi I'm Aspen," I say with my best smile on my face.
He smirks and asks, "Are you Ryder's girl of the week?"
I narrowed my eyes at him and went to a serious expression, "I'm nobody's girl of the week, I'm here because my parents forced me to be polite. Now I consider you do the same and tell me your name."
"I'm Carlos, that's Daniel." He points to the little boy on the floor playing by himself, he turns and smiles at me before waving. Being the polite person I am, I wave back and smile. Daniel joins us and sits between us, he whispers something I'm Carlos' ear. Carlos just smiles and leans back on the couch.
"What did he say," I ask and look at Carlos with pleading eyes.
"He said you're pretty and I agree, something all three brothers have in common," he replies cooly sending chills up my spine.
"Hey mama, I'm home, sorry I'm late," Ryder's voice boomed throughout the whole house.
"Speak of the devil," Carlos said and smiles at me showing off his dimples.
"I'm here too Ms. Daniela, I know you don't mind," I hear Jaydon's voice and I instantly smile. I hear Ryder kiss his mom on the cheek.
When Jaydon and Ryder enter the room I hear Jaydon say, "Its Aspen!" Before he runs over a hugs me tightly.
"Or did I get it wrong, are you Jaydon's girl of the week," Carlos says, I can hear the smirk in his voice. Ryder gives him a smack to the back of the head.
"Come up to Ryder's room with us and hang out," Jaydon said and smiles. I look at my parents and they give me a small nod, signaling I could go. I got up, smoothed my dress, when I was about to walk a small hand grabbed the hem of my dress.
"Daniel leave her alone, come on Aspen," Ryder says and tries to guide me upstairs, but I don't budge. The look of sadness in this boys eyes, he looked neglected, he was begging me to stay.
"Ryder, I'll be there in five minutes I promise," I say and sit down next to the boy but he moves and sits in my lap. I give Ryder a apologetic smile and turn my attention to Daniel.
"If Carlos bothers you slap him on the back of the head." I nod and stick my tongue out at Carlos.
"Ryder come here," Ms. Daniela yells at her son. Oh shit. He's about to meet my parents. Connor has hardly met my parents. Shitty shit shit.
"Yes mama," Ryder says and walks to the kitchen.
"This is my son Ryder. Ryder this is Mr. and Mrs. Smith," Daniela says, I can hear the smile in her voice.
"So is your daddy at work," I ask the little boy in my lap, my arms are secure around his waist.
"Don't talk about our dad to him," Carlos says, his voice had pure anger in it.
"I-I- I'm sorry I didn't mean to," I stutter, honestly Carlos scares me.
"It's fine. I never really liked daddy anyway. He would always come home in the morning, and he would always hit my mommy," the fragile little boy in front of me said while he tries to put two Lego pieces together.
"Hey if it makes you feel better my boyfriend did that to me the other night and your brother kicked his butt," I whisper so only Carlos and Daniel can hear me.
"Then leave him," Carlos pips up, when we make eye contact I see his chocolate brown eyes. They pity me, they look at me I'm disgust, like I'm some whore.
"It's not that easy when he gets in a car crash going back home from my house," I say and flip my hair to one side.
"I'm tired," Daniel says and rubs his eyes with the back of his hand.
"I'll take him to bed," Carlos says and reaches for Daniel but Daniel turns away and buries his face in my hair.
"She takes me," Daniel says to his brother and points to me.
"Fine. When you walk upstairs it's the first door on the right."
I lightly take Daniel off of my lap and get up smoothing my dress out when Daniel says, "I saw your panties!" I feel my face get hot and Carlos just smirks at me.
"Just come here," I say and hold my arms out to Daniel who jumps in them and attaches to me like a spider monkey.
"Goodnight Daniel," Carlos says and makes eye contact with me. I hurry walk up the stairs and try to find Daniel's room. I find it, I find two beds in there. I set him in the smaller one and tell him goodnight before kissing his forehead.
"You didn't have to do that," a familiar voice says.
RYDER POV
Daniel likes her and Carlos thinks she's hot. I see the way Carlos eyes her like a piece of candy.
"I wanted to. He's a nice kid," she whispers. I lean against the door frame and shove my hands in my jean pockets.
"Listen about earlier in the mall, I really needed to see Connor and you weren't helping me and I just," I cut her off by holding a hand up and motioning her to come out of the room, she follows my instructions. I turn off the lights and I lead her in my room.
"Hey Aspen," Jaydon says and hugs her tightly again. She flips her hair off her shoulder and smiles at him while she hugs him back.
"How was Carlos," I find myself asking her. I don't care though. Well I do care that he respects girls.
"Fine, except when I got up to take Daniel to bed Daniel saw my panties and Carlos might've too," she says and pulls her pink, full bottom lip in between her two perfectly straight rows of teeth.
"God damn it," I run my hands through my hair.
"It's no big deal," she shrugs. She's wrong, as usual.
"Jaydon it's time for you to go," my mama yells up the stairs.
"Bye, Aspen." He grabs her waist and tries to kiss her cheek but she pushes him away. "Bye dude."
Once Jaydon's gone she sits on my bed and pats the seat next to her. I sit next to her and she leans her head against my shoulder.
"Ryder," Aspens small voice says.
"Yes Aspen," I saw softly, looking down at her angelic face.
"I know you want to kiss me," she says and takes her head off my shoulder so were making eye contact. I find my eyes wandering down from her sapphire eyes, to her pink full lips. I wonder what it would be like to kiss her, are her lips as soft as they look? Would the kiss mean something? Would she like it rough or slow?
"Ryder," she says breaking me out of my daydreamof kissing her. I nod, my mouth is dry. I lick my lips once.
"Go for it Ryder," she says looking at me with desperation.
I smirk softly and she leans in close to me, she brushes her lips against mine and pulls away saying, "Game on Ryder, I'll have you in the palm of my hand by the end of senior year."