"Hey," I feel Ronnie tap my right shoulder. As I turn my head she passes me a note with a knowing smile. "You guys are like little school kids passing notes in class. You know it's the 21st century? He can text you."
I jokingly act like I'm offended. "It's him not me," I counter, taking the ripped piece of notebook paper into my hand. It reads 'I can't stop thinking about you.'
"Aw, how sweet," Ronnie says with rolled eyes. "You know, I expected something a little sexier from the Greyson Wild. You really have turned him into a softie."
"Snoop much?" I say, glaring at her for reading the note. She shrugs and turns her attention back to the front. When I know she's not looking, I turn the piece of paper over and read Grey's real message. 'Or about taking off your black lace bra last night. Or my hand sliding up your skirt at lunch today. Now that I can't stop thinking about.'
I feel myself blushing as I look to my right, a few seats past Ronnie, and see Greyson looking all hot as he stares at me and bites his lip. Alright, now I'm a little hot and bothered. The things that boy does to me.
I write down something in return then have Ronnie pass it back, watching her closely to make sure she doesn't see my message. I watch as Greyson unfolds my note and his eyes widen in response. I smile in satisfaction as he leans back into his chair and stares at me with a smirk. "Anything to share Mr. Wild and Ms. Spencer?" My head jerks to the front of the class where my physics teacher looks at us impatiently.
"Nothing class appropriate," Greyson responds with a charming and devilish smile, earning a few snickers from some people in class, but a glare from our teacher. "What? I gotta keep it PG. You wouldn't want me disturbing the focus of the class with my messages to Ms. Spencer, would you?" His voice is dripping with sarcasm and his eyes sparkle with his bad boy charm.
I stare dumbfounded at how good he is at being bad. He doesn't so much as stutter when he makes his snarky remarks and it's clear our teacher has given up on making a big deal with Greyson's antics. "I'm pretty sure you have already done enough of that. Let's bring our focus back to the lesson, shall we?" He says in response, turning back to his lesson without so much as another glare to Greyson.
I spin my head towards him and give him the glare he deserves, but he simply shrugs his shoulders and winks at me in response. The things that boy does to me...
* * *
I twist the combination into my locker and open it as the end of school bell rings, grabbing the few books I need for my homework and shoving it into my unzipped backpack. I shut my locker and sling my backpack straps over my shoulders. I pull out my phone and open up my texts to write to Ronnie, "I'll meet you in ten. I'm gonna grab us some coffee."
She responds back almost immediately. "Knew I made the right choice being friends with you." I roll my eyes and laugh when suddenly I see Greyson approach me. I lean back onto the locker and watch as he comes in closer to me, placing a hand on the locker behind me and moving his face in towards mine.
"Hey doll," He says in a soft low voice. "Miss me?"
He brings his lips to mine, and I have to give him a light push back after a few seconds so it doesn't get too steamy in the middle of the hallway. "We're in the hallway. Let's not overdo it with the PDA, trouble."
He pulls his head back, but still remains close enough that our faces are only inches apart and I can see the light specks in his dark brown eyes. "Always a Mary," He says with a smile, shaking his head.
And you're always trouble.
"Mhmm," I murmur against my lips. "But not in private."
He bites his lip, tracing his fingers up and down my arm. "Don't I know it?" It takes everything within me not to pull him by the t-shirt and starting kissing him and running my fingers over his beautiful tanned and muscular body because he just always looks so sexy.
"You had quite a fun time in class today giving Mr. Clement a hard time."
"I thought you liked bad boys," He responds.
"Oh, I do. It actually was pretty hot," I say, moving a piece of hair off his face. "I love sappy Greyson, but bad boy Greyson does get me going sometimes too."
"Oh, yeah?" He asks, his eyes fixated on my lips and I can pretty much conclude exactly what is running through his mind right now. "Well, he can get you going back in my room right now if you want."
I lean my head back against the locker and make a pouty face. I wish. "I promised Ron I'd hang with her this afternoon. She needs to develop some photos in the art room so I thought I'd get some painting done anyway."
He makes his pouty face in return and it's almost cute enough for me to go back with him, but I feel like I haven't really hung out with Ron in a while. Not to mention, I need to make sure I'm keeping a balance and not being one of those girls that only hangs out with her boyfriend because I was that girl with Logan and I can't anymore. "I'm sorry, babe, but we can do homework later together or something."
"Your loss," He replies with a smile. "Can I at least walk you over? I have to grab a new journal anyway."
"No!" I say a little too quickly, causing him to raise his eyebrow in response. "I mean, not now. Not today. Go tomorrow."
"You hiding something?"
"No, well, yes actually," I explain, trying to find the right words. I'm making Greyson something for his birthday and I left it out to dry yesterday so if he comes with me, he'll see it. "It's just not ready for you to see yet."
"Oh, so you're making me something?" He asks with a smile and it makes me happy to see him excited about it. Our relationship has been running so smoothly ever since we made up a few weeks ago. It feels so normal, we feel so normal. Well, as normal as we could possibly be, but considering all the shit that's gone on since we first met, this is pretty fucking normal.
I smile, and kiss him briefly. "Got to go," I say brightly, slipping out from under him. I watch as he smiles at me and flashes me a wink and my heart just feels happy.
But for a brief moment as I'm walking away, I notice Vee staring at us from down the hall and I think about how she knows everything and how my life could blow up in a matter of seconds.
* * *
"Hey sexy mama," Ronnie says as I walk into the art room with two coffees in hand.
"Hey baby cakes," I respond, setting a coffee down by her on the table she's laid out some of her photos on.
I think back to a few weeks ago when Ronnie pointed out that Greyson and I call each other a thousand different nicknames and pet names and then proceeded to say sarcastically that she was jealous and wanted my attention. So now, every time we see each other, we call each other the most exaggerated and vomit worthy pet names. It's become so instinctive that we can do it without laughing anymore, but it took a while to get to that point.
"Sugar, no cream?" She asks, picking up her coffee to take a sip.
"Yes, you freak," I say with a smile because her coffee order is just gross. She drinks the blackest coffee with an oddly specific amount of sugar, one and a quarter packet if you were wondering, and absolutely no milk or cream.
She murmurs a little moan into the lid of her coffee as she takes a sip. "My goddess," I unzip my backpack and pull out an oversized run down t-shirt. I pull off my winter coat, then my blazer and then unbutton my shirt. "Yeah, sexy! Take it off!" She exclaims, cheering in between her words. I roll my eyes and quickly slip on the oversized shirt, pulling it down so it covers my skirt.
"So," I drag out my word as I open up the cabinet of my paints and pull out the ones I need. "How was your day? Anything exciting? Anything moan worthy?"
"Moan worthy?"
"Yeah, come on. Your jock star boyfriend must have done something moan worthy." She throws a box of tissues at me. "Ow," I mutter.
"Not everyone is as horny as you and your babelicious bad boy," She responds with a smile as I squirt some paint onto my palette. "But if you must know, the jock star boyfriend did pull some good moves during lunch in the alleyway today."
"Oh!" I say, widening my eyes and shimmying my shoulders. "In the alleyway during school? You raunchy girl. You are as horny as me and babelicious."
She seems so proud of herself that I can't help but laugh with her. "How are you guys doing though? For real," I ask, knowing only some of the stuff Lucas has going on through the bits and pieces Ron shares.
"We're okay, pretty happy I'd say, but it's not easy. He hasn't been the same since his dad stopped talking to him. It's kind of like a part of him is missing," She explains, and I can tell from how she's speaking that when Luke feels pain, so does she. She looks down at the floor for a second, like she's thinking through what she wants to say. "Can I tell you something? Between you and me, like only you and me."
I stare her down. "Ron, of course. Always. Don't ever think that because I'm with Greyson that I'll just run off and tell him."
"I know, I know. I just feel like a bad person saying this aloud," She says, walking over to me and sitting down on the floor where I've seated myself with my canvas and paints. "I really care for Lucas, so much so that when he's hurting, I hurt too, but I think it's come to the point where it's too consuming. I feel drained, and that's not me saying I just don't want to deal with his shit. It's more that I don't know if being in a relationship is what I need."
"I don't know, Ron. You seem really happy with him and obviously I can't see what's underneath the surface, but I don't want you to give up a good relationship because you're afraid of it getting serious."
I can see her biting the inside of her cheek and from the look on her face, she feels guilty about saying this or for what she's about to say. But, she's Ron and she's going to say it anyway. "I feel chained to this relationship," She says bluntly, and then the floodgates open.
"I went into this relationship thinking it would be fun to have someone there for me, to comfort me and do funny shit with. Especially because you were going through some shit with Grey at the time and we don't talk to Mikey so much anymore," She explains, the words flowing out of her. "But I didn't want complicated. I mean, my life is already complicated enough with my parent problems. I know being in a relationship means you have to be there for the other person and I'm perfectly fine doing that, but then the relationship just got intense and it turned into a 24/7 deep talks and comforting relationship."
Kind of what Greyson and I have, but we've started to find more of a balance lately.
And as if she reads my mind, she says, "And this is not meant to offend you, but I don't want what you and Greyson have. I love you guys and your relationship honestly astounds me because you clearly have helped each other so much, but that's just not me right now," I watch as Ronnie becomes passionate with her words like she's been holding this in and practicing this speech in her head. "I like to do stupid shit and skip class and get drunk on weeknights. I'm seventeen years old and I want to live like that, but when I'm with him, I feel held back. He can't do any of that because he's the perfect kid. He goes to all of his classes, rarely drinks, and he doesn't want to get in trouble. It took me a week to convince him to do something a little crazy and hookup in the alley."
"But isn't having a little opposite in your life good sometimes?" I ask, trying to play devil's advocate, although at this point, I'm not convinced she should stay in the relationship.
"That's the thing though. That's not what I need. It may work for some people, but I grow the most when I am free to make decisions and learn from my mistakes," She says, but her tone sounds defeated. "I just-I'm seventeen, Jo. I just want to be free. Trust me, I want what you and Grey have at some point in my life, but just not at this point in my life."
I rest my hand on the side of her arm and look her in the eyes. "Then do what you got to do, babe. Life is too short to stay in relationships that make you unhappy. Be wild, Ronnie. It's what you do best."
She smiles and lifts her head up from it's sagging position. "I love you, little peanut."
I smile back. "Love you too, sugar plum."
* * * * *
hi ik i haven't updated BUT IM MOVING INTO MY NEW APT AND MY LIFE IS BUSY AND A MESS BUT ALSO EXCITING
so enjoy this and i will try my hardest to update asap
han