CHAPTER SIXTEEN!
MANHATTAN KINGS of LEON
BERTRAM'S NEW PICKUP truck pulled into the gas station. He killed the engine, and as he made his way inside, he twirled the keys around his finger, a permanent little smile on his lips. Pride rolled from his skin like steam.
There were no backseats, so while Ivy claimed the passenger's seat, I, along with Benny, Kenny and Leah, sat in the bed of the truck. Coming to a stop was an immense relief, because Kenny had his back against the tailgate—and after all of the panicked remarks I had made, begging him to move, I suspected that he stayed there for his own amusement.
"I'm going to use the bathroom," Benny said, who'd sat at my side, directly across Kenny, his arm always wrapped around my shoulders. He turned his warm hazel eyes on me. "Do you need to use it?"
"No, but can you get me a drink?"
"Sure." Benny, whose soft gaze had never left mine, smiled lightly. There was something so infinitely pleasant and warm injected into his every word, his every look, and it filled me to the brim with love.
With a slow-growing smile, I pecked his lips. Then he hopped to the ground with Kenny, just as the passenger's door slammed shut. Now it was just me, Leah and Ivy—the latter climbed into the back, pink sneakers glinting in the sun.
"So," Ivy grinned, hastily moving to sit at my feet. Her curls were pulled tightly into two buns, a couple of twisting strands of hair framing her face. Under the sunlight and with her smile, she glowed like gold. "Tell me everything!"
Without clarification, I knew that Ivy was referring to my trip with Benny. Our phones had not been of use in the mountain, with no service, so we had been unreachable. Apparently, most had learned of Benny and Brandy's breakup around the same time as I did; Ivy claimed that she had tried texting me with the information, only to learn, by Luke, that I had left with him.
The trip had lasted for two days, each of which were filled with adventure and...love. In truth, I didn't feel too different—just sore in low places and lacking the innocence I had once possessed. Still, there was something infinitely comforting, knowing that I had become intimate with Benny. That I had explored foreign territory with someone that I trusted and loved. Someone that I had always and would always love.
Admitting that I had lost my virginity was a bit of a scary topic. At the same time, I wanted to talk about it to someone. A shy smile turned on my lips, and I said, "Well, if it isn't obvious, we're together again."
"Duh!" Ivy's grin brightened, and Leah, who sat against the tire bump to my left, smiled as well, more to herself than anything. "That's clearer than Paradise. Girl, you are glowing."
"Really?"
Leah fixed me with her emerald eyes then, the smile on her mouth growing. "Yeah, you are. You look happier than I've seen you since...well...freshman year."
Truly, it was no surprise. No surprise that, in spite of all that I'd gone through with Jordan, the infatuation and the heartbreak, something vital just clicked into place now that Benny was mine again. Now that I was his. And I recalled always feeling like his lips had been shaped specially for mine, but it was more than that. It was his whole being, his soul that seemed a perfect match for mine.
"I'm happier than even then," I admitted, a smile pushing its way through. A giddy yet familiar sense of joy wrapped me in warm, steady arms. "Everything just feels so right with him. Now that I know what it's like to lose him, I see it more than ever, just how lucky I am."
Bertram's keys jingled nearby. He had exited the store, that same little smile tugging at his lips. I noticed that he was growing into his body, slowly but surely. He was tall as ever, but he had a bit of muscle now to balance it.
"I love to hear that, boo, I really do," Ivy said, clasping one of my hands between both of hers, which were decorated with silver rings and pale gold paint, "but I need details. Every second of each day."
I released a giggle, trying to fight back the faint flame beneath my cheeks. "Well, he came and picked me up early in the morning. We got some food, then went to this cabin on the mountain. It was fun."
"You know what I'm talking about," Ivy groaned. "The good stuff! How'd it happen? How and when did you two decide you wanted to be together?"
Well, I could have said, if I'd been willing to give up the blunt truth, we had an argument that turned into a hot make-out session that turned into sex. The sun beat softly and could not quite be blamed for the rouge of my cheeks. Ivy noticed, because a smirk grew slowly on her glossed lips.
"Was it already planned?" Ivy guessed. "Or did he catch you off guard? Did you catch him off guard?"
"It was..." I struggled to form a satisfactory explanation. The question was a hard one to answer, for I did not quite possess the answer. "Well, it's honestly hard to say. It started out as a fight, kind of, and just...I don't know, turned into something else."
"Ooh." Ivy's eyes twinkled, just as Bertram inserted the gas pump into his truck. "Makeup sex—I love it."
Clearly, by the tone of her voice, it was clear that Ivy was joking. Still, it sent a live jolt of electricity up my spine. My lips tightened, and Ivy's smile slowly subsided. She studied me a bit more closely, noted the wild roses in my cheeks, the guilty expression in my eyes that I so desperately tried to hide.
The disappearance of her smile reversed. Ivy's hazel eyes brightened intensely, colored with shock. "No way."
Bertram was not even looking our way, but he asked, "Kayla get some dick?"
"Bertram!" I shrieked. "Watch your mouth!"
Ivy's expression slowly rose into excitement. She grabbed both of my hands and squeezed. "No fucking way!"
"Leave her alone, guys," Leah said, but no one seemed to hear her but me. Even she was smiling, though she hid it behind her fingers.
Bertram wheeled to face me, mouth falling wide. "Wait—you did?"
"No— What? No," I insisted, but my unconvincing tone erased any chance of persuasion.
"Oh, my God!" Ivy squealed. "Yes! Yes! Tell me everything, tell me...everything."
I heaved a great sigh, shook my head, and buried my smile in my arms. There was nothing I could say. Bertram and Ivy were totally convinced. Leah was quiet, but I was sure she felt the same way. It was just slightly disappointing that they could read me so well.
In the near distance, a bell tinkled. Kenny's laughing voice gave the arrivals away, soon accompanied by Benny's soft chuckle. I just knew that Ivy and Bertram were going to say something, to gush—and I was correct. As usual.
"Benny!" Bertram said, sounding mystified. "Do you have something you want to tell me? As best friends who tell each other everything?"
I did not lift my head, but I could imagine the half-concerned, half-casual expression on his pretty face. "No?"
Well, it was a bit reassuring that Benny hadn't spilled the news to everyone. If he had not told Bertram, Kenny was the only other person he would have told. Upon my wishes, he would not tell Liz, because if Luke found out, he would absolutely freak out.
"Leave it alone, yeah?" Leah's voice rose with surprising power, with confidence. Kenny had definitely brought out the best in her; she no longer seemed like the frail little girl she had been, always with fresh scars to season her pain. She hardly left Kenny's side, and that seemed to affect her extremely positively.
Ivy glanced at Leah and smiled. "Damn, girl, okay."
Bertram's eyes flickered between me and Benny suspiciously. I raised my head to note this. Benny climbed swiftly over the side of the truck, dropping softly at my side. He gifted me with a blue Mountain Dew and a mini-bag of Funyuns.
"Thank you." It was nearly a whisper. They had successfully embarrassed me to the core.
But, to their credit, neither Ivy nor Bertram said another word concerning the matter. The looks on their faces dripped with knowing and accusations and obvious pleasure—but they said nothing that Benny could hear.
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THE sky had darkened, but the city lights of Hollywood made up for it. Along with dozens upon dozens of other cars, Bertram slowed along a long oval-shaped stretch of street, which was flanked by stores. Pedestrians filled the place, and each vehicle blasted their own music.
Bertram's radio blasted rock—currently one of my childhood favorites: Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns 'N' Roses. The atmosphere was utterly breathtaking, one that would someday provide sweet, sweet memories.
Ivy had climbed into the bed of the truck through the narrow back window. She sat on the roof of the vehicle, obviously enjoying all of the whistles and remarks she earned.
Kenny and Leah were snuggled together against the far corner, to mine and Benny's right, so that they faced the crowds. Leah's chin rested against Kenny's shoulder. They looked so utterly comfortable together. I couldn't help but to remember how Bertram had initially liked her; now I was certain he had strong feelings for Ivy.
I wondered if anyone but myself recalled the fact that, during a game of truth or dare, Ivy had admitted that she liked Bertram. By the way she had said the words, it seemed as though she may have meant it in a friendly way. Still, sometimes, I wasn't so sure....But no one brought the topic up, and I could never quite find an opening. Nor could I find the time to recall upon the fact that the two had shared a kiss before I'd moved; Ivy had marked it as an experiment that proved fruitless.
Backs to the window, I found myself enclosed in the strong circle of Benny's arms. He was steady and strong, yet so soft, so familiar. No measure of time would change the fact that when I was in Benny's arms, I was home. I could be standing on the moon or be placed into another universe completely, surrounded by a completely alien landscape, but as long as Benny was with me, his hand in mine...I was home.
Sweet Child O' Mine transitioned instantly into another one of my all-time favorite songs. Manhattan by Kings of Leon—one of the songs that already defined the summer nights of my childhood, that held only the purest, most tear-wrenchingly beautiful memories and emotions. And tonight was a wonderful addition to the collection.
Benny's chest rose steadily, slowly, against my shoulder. Being around him didn't feel awkward, not even knowing that he knew me in ways that no one else ever had. I had broken through the layers of icy hesitation, fear, deep insecurity. I had come to know him in the most personal way I thought possible, and it only drew me closer to him, only made me feel all the more fortunate.
If my pure love for him had not been sealed before, it was now. There was absolutely no conviction. This was a fact. And it was almost scary, how much I loved him.
"I love you." The words poured past my lips on their own accord, but they did not bring any bit of embarrassment.
Benny glanced down at me, pressed his lips to my head, and returned, "I love you."
A smile quirked on my mouth, and I tilted my head to meet Benny's soft eyes. "You sure?" It was more of a joke, but Benny's eyes turned serious.
"I love you," Benny repeated, tongue dripping sincerity. "There is no greater truth."
I met his lips with mine, just a peck, but it was enough to choke me up with overpowering emotion. I could think of a proper way to show him this, but for now, all I could do was lay my head against his chest, listen to his hard-beating heart, and smile and smile and smile.
Somehow, through the music, Bertram must have heard, or maybe he'd seen us. Either way, he lowered the music, just a bit, to deliver a surprising line:
"Nobody can mess with fate. Not even nice girls!"
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oh my GOSH. i attempted this chapter three times, was never satisfied, and procrastinated like hell, so i had to write this entire chapter in a few hours. it's more of a filler, but i hope ya liked it anyway. (:
also, this boy threatened to shoot up my school. literally everyone knows it, and all the school did was check his backpack (and maybe his house). i had a friend who jokingly made a comment ab blowing up the school, and he got suspended for the whole year. this other boy is walking around like normal. so if i die or something, know that it could have been prevented and nothing was really done ab it. and in times like these, it's messed up that people aren't taking larger measures.
stay gold
x kayla
02.22.18