I absolutely detest when people from my school show up to where I work. Maybe it's the fact that since your working and have to be nice, they take advantage of it but for me it's more that I'm dressed up in a humiliating chicken costume. The chicken costume has many horrible aspects of it: the sweltering heat, the discomfort, the embarrassment; yet it also has one good aspect: the mask. The mask conceals my identity, so as long as no one talks to me or sees me take it off, they will never know it's me. Sam cannot have the same luxury unfortunately, because her face is on full display beneath the chicken decorated visor on her head.
Therefore, usually I get away with going unnoticed by classmates who drop by for cheap fast food. Yet as soon as they enter the restaurant, my stomach clenches in uneasiness. Due to the inclement weather outside, I get to be inside and usually I'd be happy to be indoors but when I see Ashton and Ronnie walk in laughing with each other, I'm tempted to run outside in the torrential rain.
I turn to look over at Sam who's lips are bent in frown, as an expression of horror quickly takes over. In that same moment, Ronnie notices her and his eyes light up with mischief. "Look who we have here," he says walking over to the counter, his hand twirling his phone.
"Are you here for food?" Sam asks in annoyance.
"That's no way to treat a customer," he replies.
"What do you want?" she hisses.
He shrugs. "Cheese."
Her brow furrows as her eyes squint in confusion. "Cheese?"
"Got it!" Ashton states happily, looking down at his phone in pride. "That was easy. I'm surprised Jamie doesn't work here too because if she did this would be perfect."
I stiffen at the mention of my name, and can see Sam's eyes dart in my direction. Please. Please. Please just leave.
"You guys are such ass wipes! Get out!" orders Sam, pointing toward the door. Ronnie smirks, as he lifts up his hands. "You don't have to tell me twice sweetheart."
Ashton and Ronnie head toward the exit and I back away, trying to distance myself as much as possible. Yet as I back up, I hit someone who was making their way to the trash can. The impact causes me to fall forward. My hands outreach to save myself from the grey tiles, yet still I fall to the floor letting out a screech.
I lay sprawled on the ground momentarily, as I let the embarrassment seep in. Sighing, I push myself up to sit on my bum, and look up to meet the mischevious smile of Ashton. "No way," he mutters as he pulls the chicken head off my suit to reveal my face contorted in horror. "Dude get a picture of this!"
Ronnie pulls out his phone and takes multiple pictures of me while I try in hide behind my gloved chicken hands. From between my fingers, I see Sam hop over the counter and push the two laughing buffoons out of the way, as she helps me to my feet. "Do you guys honestly have nothing better to do on a Friday night?"
Calming down from his laughing fit, Ronnie replies, "No we do. We have something way better planned for a Friday night."
"Is a part of it to come here and annoy us to hell's end?" I ask.
"No it's just an added bonus," answers Ashton running a hand through his brown hair.
"Then go do whatever else you guys consider 'fun'," Sam says, placing air quotations around the word fun.
"I doubt you two even know what fun is," Ashton scoffs.
"I bet we know how to have more fun than you," I state, stepping forward with her arms placed firmly across her chest.
Ashton licks his lips, his cobalt eyes lit with something unplaceable, as he steps forward to meet me up close--his warm breath dancing on the tip of my nose. "Prove it."
**************
"I wasn't actually going to say yes," hisses Sam into my ear, "Now we might get arrested."
Playing with the assorted chips on the rack, I shrug. Sam's currently mad at me for accepting Ronnie's challenge. Usually she's the one who makes definitive choices in the wild activities we take part in because at times, I don't completely think my decisions through. Yet this time, I decided to take a risk, and now here we are in corner store, contemplating whether to forcibly stop Ronnie from purchasing the cigarettes he stands in line for.
It wouldn't be a big deal if Ronnie had his I.D. since he is eighteen, but he doesn't have it with him and is determined to buy a pack, with or without it. To say the least, his desire has Sam on edge.
"Calm down. If anything he'll get arrested, and we can say we told you so," I joke in my failed attempt to lighten her mood.
Sam nudges Ashton, motioning toward Ronnie who's stepped closer to the front of the line. "Can't you like stop him? You guys are best friends, right?"
Ashton shakes his head as he places a sports magazine back on the rack. "When Ronnie really wants something, he won't let anything stand in the way--even if it's for some simple cigs." Glancing at the horror on Sam's face, he quickly adds, "But I'm sure everything will be fine and he'll get them and we'll move on."
"I'm not getting arrested. We're leaving."
I raise my eyebrow at her. "What are you going to do? Drag him off the line?"
"Nope," she says grabbing a bag of Doritos and popping it open. Picking a chip up between her pointer finger and thumb, she plops it in her mouth and proceeds to chew obnoxiously loud.
The cashier bends over the counter, craning his neck to peer through his small almond shaped eyes. "Hey, you have to pay for that young lady!"
"What the hell are you doing?" Ashton asks as he attempts to grab the bag away from Sam. Sam moves swiftly away from his grasp. "I told you. We're leaving now." Her hand reaches out to cause a bunch of magazines to fall to the floor. She looks at me expectantly, her eyebrows raised. I scrunch my face in confusion before the realization hits. She's trying to get us kicked out.
Nodding my head, I give her a smile and run down the aisle and into the next, finding a small bouncy ball. Ripping it out of the package, I yell out. "Sam, catch!"
Before she can turn to face me, I let the ball whizz through the air and she catches it just prior to it hitting her in the face. Ronnie whips his head toward us as his face reddens with anger. "What the fuck guys? We're in a store."
"Shut up!" Sam replies, readying herself to throw the ball to me but at the last second she shifts his aim toward Ronnie--sending the ball flying through the air. At the realization of the ball coming at him, Ronnie attempts to flinch away but he's too late and it hits him directly in the face.
"That's it!" yells the cashier. "All of you kids out of my store! Now!"
With smug smile, Sam flips her brown hair over her shoulder as she muches on her chips and heads toward the exit. Ronnie lets out a deep sigh as he joins us to walk out into the moist nighttime air. He hits Sam lightly on the shoulder. "Why'd you get us kicked out?"
"I told you. I'm not getting arrested. Absolutely, no freaking way."
Ashton elbows Ronnie in the side. "Your face though, when she threw that ball at you was priceless, bro."
"Ass hat," Ronnie mumbles.
"Just saying, if buying cigs with no ID is what you consider fun, then your weekends must really suck," I say crossing my arms.
Ronnie shakes his head. "You haven't seen Lindsey yet."
Sam throws him a dirty glare, her brown eyes darkening. "Who's Lindsey?"
Ronnie responds by pulling out the keys to his car. As he finger pressed the red button, a beep from a sleek light grey vehicle grabs my attention. At the sight of it's ingenuity, my eyes widen as I recognize it as the latest Aston Martin model.
"No freaking way this is yours!" I exclaim running my hand over hood of the car.
"Not his," interjects Ashton, "his dad's."
"I didn't technically steal it this time though."
Biting on her bottom lip, Sam lets an eyebrow raise in skepticism. "Technically? This time?"
"My dad's not home right now anyway, so as his son, I decided to keep a close eye on his valuables. Like this car," he answers as he slides into the driver's seat. Following his lead, we all enter the car: Ashton in the passenger seat and Sam and I in the back.
The inside of the car is equally as luxurious as the outside. The chairs have sleek structures that cause me to feel as though I'm inside a car from the Transformers movies. Plus the beige patent leather than lines nearly every inch of the car, radiating an air of wealth. I always knew Ronnie came from a rather influential background, but never knew how much money he really has access to. It's all actually kind of overwhelming.
As Ronnie starts the car, his long finger reaches out to press a button on the driver side door. I hear the rolling of a window but it's none of the windows to the side. Sam hits me as she points toward the ceiling in total awe. There opens the sun roof showing off the expanse the dark black firmament as we pull away the curb. Gradually, the car accelerates to a nice cruise as we reach the traffic free highway. Adding to the chill mood, Ronnie plugs his ipod to the stereo, and the device fills the car with he smooth cruising rap songs in his playlist.
Unclipping from my seatbelt, I ease onto my feet as Sam and Ashton look on. Sticking my head out of the sun roof, I gaze at the passing cars as I lift my hands in the air feeling the wind whip against my face and hair. My nose smells the rain in the air from tonight's storm, and strangely enough the dank smell is soothing. There's a tug on my jeans, as hand tries to ease me down, but I flinch away. Watching us travel through the highway feels like I'm flying, and honestly, why would I pass up the opportunity to feel such freedom?
"You're crazy," I hear Sam say over the wind.
I ignore her, feeling more invincibile than fearful at all. Cars continue to pass and one slows dow to match our speed. The windows roll down revealing five boys piled into the small sedan. Their hoots erupt from the car as they smile and wave at me. I woot back feeding off the energy that swirls around in the nighttime air. Just as I'm about about to wave back, I feel a fierce tug on my leg forcing me down into the car.
When I plop back down into the plush leather seat, I'm met with the frustrated blue eyes of Ashton. "Sit down, before you hurt yourself."
Ronnie shrugs. "She's just trying to have a little fun."
Ashton doesn't reply but merely shakes his head as he leans against the passenger door. Sam leans against the back of Ronnie's seat, her head resting on her arms. "So where are we going?"
"The hell if I know," he says turning up the volume of the radio so the bass blasts against the speakers, causing them to vibrate and dance along to the music. "All the best fun happens randomly."
I sit back, humming along to the fun relaxing rap filling the car. I stare out the window watching the highway turn into a grey dotted with yellow blur. My mind wanders, wondering exactly what's going to happen tonight and I legitimately have no idea.
A/N: Sorry for the wait guys! Junior year is proving to be a lot more hectic than expected. Still I was determined to get a chapter to you guys by this weekend, and I did so yay!! I hope you enjoyed it and please tell me what you think below! The picture to the side is of Ashton who is played by Chace Crawford. Once again, thank you all for the support and reads so far and I'll see ya later with the next chapter :) (which by the way is about to be stacked with some awesomeness :D)