B A D
B O Y ' S
G A M E
Archer picks me up from my house at five in the afternoon, however, he's not with his usual motorcycle. Archer stands waiting for me next to a car, one that must be borrowed.
My dad happens to be home at the time, he makes sure to observe me as I walk out of the front door. My dad would be upset it he knew of Archer's reputation, myself making sure to not mention the flaws of Archer when explaining who was picking me up for the dance. I'm my father's little girl and if he sees me with a bad boy it would surely break his heart. My dad truly wants for me to end up with someone with the characteristics of a prince, someone like Liam. He has always taken a liking to Liam, especially since Liam was there for me when my mom was sick.
Archer, however, is much different from Liam. He may not have been there for me years ago, but he is in fact here with me now. Archer presents me a corsage for the dance, it has a red rose and a couple smaller flowers around it. I put on the corsage around my wrist, noticing a matching single rose in the car's dashboard that is for him.
After situating ourselves and getting into the car we head towards school, both staying quiet throughout the drive. We drive up to the school's gymnasium area and find a parking space shortly after, the lot has begun to fill up. He shuts off the engine and walks over to my side, opening the door up like a true gentleman.
"Thank you," I say courteously, taking out of the car the single red rose that matches my corsage.
He stands still as I carefully place the rose onto his jacket, his eyes are staring directly at me the entire time.
"You clean up well, Grey," he tells me, extending a hand out to me.
I accept his nothing and we continue by walking hand in hand to the entrance, showing our school identification cards before entering the white with silver balloon decorated gym. As soon as we walk in I spot Arden in a one shoulder chiffon red dress, Arden always one to stand out at events.
Arden pushes Archer and me into one of the three photo booths situated close to the entrance, the two of us barely fitting in the cramped space.
Archer reaches his hand out and presses a couple settings in the booth and the countdown begins.
The first picture we're pulling off ridiculous faces, looking absolutely hilarious and disorientated.
The second picture we're smiling, genuine smiles that indicate happiness.
The third photo I'm still smiling straight at the camera while Archer's smile has morphed into a smirk directed at me.
The fourth photo and his lips are just a mere millimeter away from mine.
Somehow in the quick transition in-between three and four, he manages to get me to look at him and he almost kisses me, his lips an inch from mine. If there were a fifth photo it would be of me wide-eyed due to shock.
Archer moves his lips away from the close position, walking out of the booth as if nothing has happened.
"What the heck was that?" I ask him.
"A photo booth," he says.
"You almost kissed me," I reply back, still a bit off guard.
"Keyword is almost, it will surely make a good photo. The photo looks real enough so when Ryder comes by the photo booth print out wall he certainly will see ours and be pissed," he explains, justifying his spontaneous action.
I grab the printed out photo strips, tearing him one and tearing one for myself. I place mine in my clutch and he places his copy in his jacket pocket. The third strip we drop off at the area a couple volunteers are sitting at and collecting the photos to display on a wall people could view.
I take Archer's hand and lead him to the table Arden is sitting at. Arden is accompanied by a recognizable football player, he's looking at her like she's a million bucks. The football player immediately breaks his gaze on Arden after he notices Archer and I walking up, he becomes tenser and gives a look at Archer.
"Archer West," Archer introduces to Arden's date.
"Carson Myers," her date replies, giving a nod.
Carson has blond hair like her, but his hair is several shades darker and his eyes are hazel. At a closer glance, I could tell Archer intimidates him, Carson not bothering to look at Archer directly in the eyes.
Archer proceeds in excusing himself, Carson instantly relaxing after his departure.
"Ellie, right? Is your last name by any chance Grey?" Carson asks.
I nod, he bites his bottom lip, most likely knowing me in relation to Ryder.
"Don't worry I won't key your car, I mean as long as you don't hurt Arden I won't," I tell him jokingly.
Carson gives a laugh, obviously not easy going and charming.
"I won't hurt Arden, I'm not an asshole like Ryder," he says, giving Arden a smile in which she returns shortly after.
Archer walks back up to the table, whispering something in my ear.
"Nilsen just arrived with some underdressed girl," he says in a hushed voice.
My smile drops a bit at the news and I excuse myself from the table, Archer and I making our way to the food area.
"Carson's a nice guy," I say as we push through dozens of fellow students.
Archer doesn't say anything in response and just simply pulls me by the hand through the crowd until we reach the food station. We both grab plates and put a few snacks onto them, grabbing drinks as well before we return to our table.
But, once the table is in sight I see an unexpected person sitting at it now. Arden with daggers in her eyes next to Carson, the unexpected, and his date.
I tense up a bit, Archer's hand now against my back.
"I'll see you later, Carson," Ryder says, taking his date's hand and walking right past Archer and I.
The thing that gets me as he walks by isn't the familiar scent of him, it's the fact that his date has the same exact necklace he gave me for my birthday last year. Unless his grandmother owned two silver heart shaped lockets from her husband I bet that it was the same one I threw at him when we broke up.
Ryder is cheap and only makes me feel ten times cheaper.
After he excused himself with his date I excuse myself out of the formal, still not completely over what happened. Walking out of the entrance without saying anything to anybody, not even Archer or Arden.
I'm an idiot for still being affected by him.
Revenge might just be ridiculous and now all I'm doing is asking for my heart to possibly be broken again.
I stand in front of the tennis courts with the smallest of tears camouflaging with the beginning of a hard rain.
I stand in the slow rain for a series of long seconds, a hand being placed on my shoulder and interrupting my next tear. I turn around quickly due to the impact and see Archer.
"You alright, Grey?" he asks, already knowing the answer.
I shake my head and feel a number of shivers go down my spine.
"He's an asshole, I don't know what you ever saw in him. I'm sorry you fell for such a bad guy," Archer says hastily, slipping off his tux jacket and slipping it over my shoulders.
I try my best to smile, knowing that Archer's right about the asshole part and knowing that Archer is sympathetic.
I put my arms into the sleeves and clench the jacket, biting my bottom lip in an attempt to calm myself down from this little relapse of tears wasted on Ryder.
Archer holds out a hand towards me.
"We never got the chance to dance," he whispers.
I force a small smile.
"I even got you a corsage," he continues.
I take his hand and with his free hand he pulls out his phone in the rain so that he can turn on music, it's faintly heard in the rain.
He takes the lead in our little dance, if you can even call it that. My arms are around his neck and his arms are around my waist.
Seconds later and we're slow dancing in the rain to an unrecognizable song that brings out only more vulnerability.
We are like two slow dancers who are never quite in-sync.
Dance with me darling and I'll show you what you mean to me.