The boy ran a hand through his hair and there was that flash of color Derek caught. His nails were painted neon pink, attached to long, skinny fingers. In contrast to all the tats and piercings, the most adorable moles splashed his skin, leading up to his upturned nose.
He’d never seen anyone so beautiful in his life and it was terrifying.
Hey my loves it’s been a while. Most of you prob know that I write fan fiction for the sterek fandom (Your First,White Ferrari). I have sooooooo many more ideas for fics (including a sequel to Your First) but my time is very limited and I’m having a hard time structuring plots. If anyone is interested in being a co writer or just can be someone I bounce ideas off of please let me know! If not share this with your followers por favor :)
so ive been writing this Bakusquad Rock Band AU for a while and today i posted the first chapter !! its from denki’s pov and it’s basically like a coming of age story but make it spicy there is drummer bakugou, guitarist denki and kiri, stoner bassist sero and mina on the vocals. after some drunk questionable decisions, denki and bakugou end up in a fwb situation that’s complicated to begin with since bakugou has been in love with kiri for 6 years… it only gets more intense when they book gigs at a local bar, whose bartender and partial owner happens to be shinsou so yeah there’s shinkami there’s kamibaku (I’m not telling u which one is endgame heheh), there are side ships and bakusquad shenanigans in Sero’s basement and it’s so near and dear to my heart since its kept me going in quarantine. give it a chance maybe??
so ive been writing this Bakusquad Rock Band AU for a while and today i posted the first chapter !! its from denki’s pov and it’s basically like a coming of age story but make it spicy there is drummer bakugou, guitarist denki and kiri, stoner bassist sero and mina on the vocals. after some drunk questionable decisions, denki and bakugou end up in a fwb situation that’s complicated to begin with since bakugou has been in love with kiri for 6 years… it only gets more intense when they book gigs at a local bar, whose bartender and partial owner happens to be shinsou so yeah there’s shinkami there’s kamibaku (I’m not telling u which one is endgame heheh), there are side ships and bakusquad shenanigans in Sero’s basement and it’s so near and dear to my heart since its kept me going in quarantine. give it a chance maybe??
Happy early Valentine’s Day! Imagine Love, Simon… but Regency ♥️♥️♥️ This little fun project was a labor of love. It has always meant to be something quick and fun or TikTok, but then I ended up writing a script, casting roles, came up with scene directions, a director of photography and a whole editing program. I can’t thank everyone involved enough! Especially @the.dapper.daniel who did so much. The title of Director of Photography only scratches the surface of the work he did. I hope you guys love Jane Austen’s Love, Simon! . CAST & CREW Simon - @cafededuy Voice of Simon - @cfowl22 Simon’s Mom - @kellykirstein Leah - @courter7 Abigail - @monicajoelleo Nicholas - @caleb_thing2 Abigail’s Mom - @catbrenes . Film by Duy Director of Photography - @the.dapper.daniel
“Good morning. Sleep well?” My mom is way too chipper in the morning.
“Yeah. I guess.”
“Wow. Very detailed answer.”
“What? Do you want me to tell you how I drooled on my pillow and rolled off the bed twice?”
“Actually, kinda.”
“You’re weird.”
“What’s up slugger?” Dave walks in.
“Nothin’.”
“Wow babe, you’re kid’s quite the wordsmith.” I’m about to respond in a not-so-nice way, but I hold it back.
“When’s the pool gonna be ready?”
“It’ll be a few weeks.” My mom hands me a glass of orange juice.
“Thanks.” I start walking away.
“Hey! No food or drinks upstairs.” I turn to face Dave, really tempted to throw the OJ in his face.
“So no water? What about vitamins? Technically they’re food.”
“Haha, smart aleck.” He turns away from me and I flip him off.
My mom gives me a look that says “stop it!” and I just turn away, leaving my OJ on the nearest table.
When I get to my room I am very tempted to slam the door, but somehow manage to not do so. I open my window and just step out onto the deck to get some fresh air for the moment. And yet again there’s Asher. He seems to be playing some video games. So I reach into my room, grab a sock, ball it up, and throw it at his window. And he doesn’t notice. Son of a bitch. So I grab a pen and throw it. This time he notices and walks over to his window.
“What you doing?”
“Just playing some Madden.”
“Sounds fun.” I stand up, run across the roof, and jump across the gap between our roofs, landing directly in front of him.
“Shit! Dude!” He looks freaked out and I just start laughing.
“It’s all good. Now, are you gonna let me in and get destroyed in Madden? Or are we gonna just stand here like some weirdos from a 90s rom-com?”
“You’re crazy.” He steps back to let me in.
“I take that as a compliment.”
“You shouldn’t.”
I sit on his bed while he grabs another controller.
“I can’t believe you’re even awake right now. Did you even sleep?”
“I don’t sleep much.”
“So you’re super athletic and don’t sleep. Are you sure you’re not Spiderman?”
“Nope. Just a retired gymnast.”
“Gymnast?”
“What? You didn’t get gymnast off me?”
“Not at all.”
“Good.”
“How are you already retired?”
“Well I guess retired isn’t the right word. Just the one my mom uses.” I spot a photo on Asher’s desk and walk over. “It’s more that I got sick of it and left.” The photo is of him and what I’m assuming are his mom, dad, and younger brother and sister. “This your fam?”
“Yeah. From our trip to the Bahamas last summer.”
“Looks fun.”
“You’re parents seem nice. Saw them unpacking yesterday.”
“Dave’s not my dad.” I make sure to emphasize that.
“Oh. Sorry.”
“No problem. Most people assume that.” I sit back down next to him. “My dad’s out of the picture now. Dave’s the evil stepfather.”
“Sorry.”
“He’s just the stereotypical evil step-parent. It’s actually his fault that we moved here. Some business opportunity or whatever.”
“That sucks. I’m sorry about that.”
“You say sorry a lot.”
“Sor… Oops.” We both laugh.
“Now can we just play or are you scared of losing?”
“What? You’re the one that started talking about Dave.”
“Oh shut up!” I shove him and he shoves me back as we laugh.
“That was just dumb luck.” I stand up, throwing the controller on the bed.
“Dumb luck? 12 times in a row?”
“Oh fuck you.” Asher laughs. “Let’s do something else. Go out or something.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know. Out.”
“You sound like my mom.”
“I haven’t met her, but I’m assuming she’s amazing.”
“Eww.”
“Let’s go.”
“Wait. Let me at least tell my parents.”
“Fine. Come on.” I open his bedroom door and standing right there is his mom.
She smiles at me, looking very confused.
“Hi. I’m Spencer.”
“Hey.” She looks very confused, but luckily Asher comes walking up.
“He’s the new neighbor.”
“Oh! Really good to meet you. I was planning on dropping by to say hi to your parents later.”
“Oh, they’d love that.”
“I didn’t even hear you come in earlier.”
“Oh… yeah… I’m very quiet.” Asher and I share a funny look.
“Well, Spencer and I were just about to go out. Can I borrow the car?”
“Sure. Where are you guys going?”
“Oh… um…” Asher is nervous and part of me doesn’t want to save him.
“He’s going to show me around town.”
“That’s nice. You guys have fun.”
Asher and I run out to the car.
“Do you need to go and get shoes? Maybe tell your mom and Dave that you’re going out?”
I look to the house for a second.
“Nah.” I jump into the car and I just see Asher smirk at that.
“Is he really that bad?” He asks as he drives out of the driveway.
“Worse. But everyone loves him. He’s only awful to me, and never in public.”
“Like… is he…”
“No. He’s not physical. He wouldn’t even dare. I would knock him out with one hit and he knows it.”
“Damn.”
“Let’s move on to something else.”
“Like what?”
“Tell me a summary of your life… in 60 seconds.”
“Oh…”
“Begin!”
“Shit! My name is Asher Angel…”
“Angel?”
“Shh. Since I was a kid I’ve been very into acting and singing. Got my first big gig at the age of six. From there on I’ve done a lot of plays and then a few small gigs before getting a major role on Disney Channel’s Andi Mack. I’ve released multiple albums. Then I got the role as Billy Batson in Shazam.”
“Five seconds.”
“Oh, and I love Top Golf, basketball, and my sibling’s names are Avi and London.” I just look over at him, unable to speak. “You good?”
“Um… describe good.” We both laugh. “Well, now I feel ridiculous. How did I not recognize you? I’ve seen Shazam!”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I liked it a lot too.” Asher can’t help but laugh. “Well, now I’m embarrassed.”
“Don’t be.”
“And now my life story feels pathetic.”
“I doubt it. No way your life could be boring. The first time I saw you you were sneaking off your roof.”
“ It’s fine. Let’s move on.”
“Come on. I won’t judge.”
“Wait! Stop here!” I point to our left.
“What? The playground?”
“What? It’s empty.” He pulls over and I quickly get out of the car.
I rush over to the bars. I jump on them and just start swinging around.
“You’re crazy.”
“Come on. Who says a playground is just for kids?”
“Everyone.”
“Well, kids can’t do this.”
I know this isn’t the safest, but at this point, I don’t care. So I push with all my force and spin around the pole. I spin a few more times before letting go and doing a simple under swing dismount.
“Shit!” Asher starts clapping.
“Thank you. Thank you.” I bow to him.
“I think it’s so cool that you can do that.”
“It is pretty cool, isn’t it? Bars aren’t really my thing though. I’m more of a floor guy.”
“Floor guy? That sounds a bit gross.” We both laugh.
“Eww.” I step back and quick front handspring.
“Shit. Can you do the splits?”
“Of course. But not in these pants.”
“So why’d you quit? You’re so good.”
“Swings!” I run to the swings.
“You’re really good at avoiding things. You know that, right?” Asher sits on the swing next to me.
“I know. You got a girlfriend?”
“Wow. What a transition there!”
“And?”
“No. I don’t have a girlfriend. Well, I did, but we broke up a few months ago.”
“Bummer.”
“And you? You leave a girl behind?”
“Oh god no. But I’ve had a few boyfriends. Not a recent one though.”
“Oh… “ I love seeing people’s faces when they realize I’m gay. “Sorry I assumed.”
“It’s fine. Most people do.”
“So you’re out?”
“Yeah. For two years now.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, are your parents fine with it?”
I sit there for a second and just stare forward. Part of me just wants to run, but I’m honestly just too tired to keep running.
“Well, my mom was fine with it. She told me she knew for a long time.” I feel my heart racing, thinking about all of this. “As for my dad…” I literally begin feeling my chest moving at a dangerous speed.
“You okay?”
“Not really.” I find my eyes tearing up, but then I just laugh.
“You sure.”
“Not really.” I laugh again. “When I was six my parents divorced. And I was given the choice of who I wanted to live with. I choose my dad.”
“Oh…” I can tell he’s intrigued like it’s a telenovela… and it is.
“So I lived with him. But I still saw my mom every weekend. We were close. But I was much closer with my dad.”
“That’s nice.” I can’t help but laugh at that and he just looks at me confused.
“Two years ago I came out to my parents. My dad couldn’t handle it. He kicked me out. I didn’t even get to pack. My mom picked me up and she had to pack all my stuff.”
“Damn. I’m sorry.” It is a struggle to not let my tears out right now.
“It’s all good.”
“Have you talked to him at all?”
“Nope. Haven’t heard a single word from him for two years now.”
“I can’t imagine that.”
“It’s fine. I’ve moved on.”
“There’s no moving on from that.” And then I snap, tears slowly falling down my face.
“God I wish I had my flask right now.” Asher and I both laugh a little. “Ugh, I hate this.” I wipe my tears.
“It’s not a bad thing to cry.”
“I know…”
“Really. Emotions aren’t a bad thing. If you ever need to talk about anything just jump on over.”
“Thanks…” I look at him. “Are you sure you’re straight?” I laugh, but I notice he doesn’t.
“Wanna go get some ice cream?”
“Look who’s avoiding things now?” We both laugh. “Come on. Ice cream sounds perfect.”
As I peel my eyes open I quickly notice the bright sunlight. It’s like staring into the sun, then I just remember that it’s worse… I’m in Phoenix.
“Are there no clouds on the west coast?” I sit up, cracking my sore neck.
“Oh calm down. It’s not that bad.”
“It’s not that great.”
“Look. Here. The house. Now, this is definitely pretty great.”
We drive up to this house that can only be described as big and beige. It’s definitely bigger than our last place. By about three Taco Bells. And then it’s beige, like every other house around it. And what’s the plural of cactus, ‘cause there are a shit ton of them. And that’s the only green around. Oh, besides the one large palm tree that I can see popping out from the backyard. It’s definitely different from what I’m used to.
“Dave just got here. We should start unpacking what we can before the movers get here.”
“Oh yay…”
“Oh wow, the enthusiasm is contagious.”
I step out of the car and the heat smacks me like a newborn baby.
“Fuck!” I shout as I slam the car door.
“Language mister.” And then there’s Dave.
“Funny.” I walk right past him and to the trunk.
“Hey, honey.” My mom and Dave kiss and I badly want to vomit.
“Can we just get this done with?”
“Oh calm down.” Dave walks over. “It’s not like you’re going to help out anyway.”
“I was, but I guess now I don’t have to.” I grab my backpack and just walk towards the house. “The keys?” I turn back to them.
“Here buddy.” Dave throws me the keys.
“Thanks. Dave.”
“Pick any room other than the master.” My mom yells over.
“That’s the room with the big bathroom,” Dave shouts and I just put on the biggest fakest smile while I give him a thumbs up.
I step inside and… it’s also beige. But it’s massive. The kitchen is big. The living room is big. And then there’s the backyard. I step out and besides the heat, I instantly notice the smell from the green pool.
“Damn.”
The smell is bad, but the size of the pool is more impressive than I’d like to admit. And there is some grass back here. So if anything, the backyard is already my favorite spot. But only once the pool is cleaned up.
I head back in and upstairs. The master is at the top of the stairs. Normally I wouldn’t be thrilled about this, because it will be harder to sneak out, but I’m kinda excited for the challenge.
I see another room directly next to the master. Walk right past it. Then I walk down to the hall and to the farthest possible room. It’s nice. Definitely bigger than my last.
“Movers are here! Come down and help guide them!” Dave shouts from downstairs.
I throw my bag down. Then I look out one of my windows and towards the neighboring house. And I spot a boy. Looks about my age. He’s wearing a bathing suit and just a bathing suit. And his body… damn. He’s also got an amazing thick head of brown hair. And then he suddenly looks over and makes direct eye contact with me. He smiles. I smile. Then he walks out of view. Sad. I could’ve stared for a couple more hours.
“Come on!” I hear Dave yelling and I immediately remember how angry I was again.
“Coming!”
“Are you sure you don’t need help building your bed?”
“I’m good mom. I’ll get to it tomorrow.”
“Okay. Well if you need anything just let me know.”
“Okay, mom.”
“Goodnight. Love you.”
“Yeah. Love you too.”
She finally leaves my room and I quickly lock the door. I rummage through my bags and grab a clean shirt, quickly throwing it on and the lights off. I open my window facing the neighbor’s house and slip onto the roof. And then the neighbor boy’s lights turn on and nearly gives me a heart attack. I see him walking into his room and notice me. I just smile and I can tell he wants to laugh. He walks up to his window and opens it.
“Hey.” I say as he begins to laugh.
“What are you doing?” He’s looking cute. Not as cute as before because he has a shirt on, but still not bad.
“Going out.”
“Out the window?”
“Yeah?”
“Going anywhere in specific?”
“No. Just out.”
“Sounds dangerous.”
“I like dangerous.”
“Now you sound like the bad boy from a teen rom-com.”
“Ouch. That really hurts.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. I’ve got thick skin.”
“I’m Asher by the way.”
“Spencer.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“I’m still thinking you over…” I smirk as I slide off the roof, gripping the edge, then dropping down to the ground.
4:35 am…
“Shit,” I mumble under my breath as I smack my foot against a large rock.
I quietly open the gate and close it, trying very hard to not make a single noise. It’s not very easy though. Things are a bit tipsy at the moment.
But I guess I wasn’t quiet enough because Asher’s window opens and his head pops out.
“Are you just getting back?” He’s shirtless, just like I like him.
“No. I’m heading out for a morning run.” He laughs at that and starts looking up at the roof.
“How do you plan on getting back up.”
“Oh, you underestimate me, my good sir.”
I take a deep breath, make sure everything is where it is, step back as far as possible, and then run and jump at the roof. I grip the edge of the roof with my hands tightly and start swinging. Then I use my feet and push off the side of the house to push myself up and onto the roof.
“Damn.”
“Huh! Asher! The language!”
“My bad.” We both laugh, his smile making me feel good. “That was some Spiderman-type stuff.”
“Spiderman has nothing on me.” I pull out a flask from my pants and have a quick swig.
“Are you drunk?” I can see the small amount of judgment in his face.
“Not drunk, but feeling good.” I slide my window open. “I should get to bed though before it fades away.”
“Hey. I heard you come in late last night. You go out with a friend after work?” My Grams immediately badgers me as I stumble down the stairs and into the kitchen.
“No. Just biked around for a while,” Technically true.
“Sounds fun,” I can tell she’s judging, but in silence. “Do you have work today?”
“No.”
“Well, you’ve been working almost every day since you got here. So maybe today’s a good day to explore the town. Meet some kids your age.”
“Yeah. Maybe.” I turn to go upstairs.
“No.” She has a very stern voice that makes me turn around. “No hanging out in the house today. You’re going to go out and meet people. You need to be a normal teenager for just a day.”
“But…”
“No buts. I’ll give you ten minutes to get ready, then you must leave. I expect you to be gone until the sun goes.”
“Grams…”
“What?” She’s getting testy.
“Thanks.” She just smiles.
“You’ve got nine minutes now.”
At first, I started to breathe randomly. I thought I’d just end up where I’d end up. But then I found myself somewhere I recognized. Somewhere by the water. Somewhere by a dock that a certain person has a boat.
I find myself staring at the dock. Part of me knows that I should just go in the opposite direction and move on. Another part of me wants to rush up to the boat and hope to god he’s there and beat him to a bloody pulp. But in the end, I find myself just standing there. Not too close. Not too far. Just close enough to see as that same boy walks out of the boat, but not close enough that he can see me.
I watch as this boy walks around without a shirt. He’s on his phone. He’s smiling. His hair is a little messy. Something about him draws me in. But then, just as I find myself getting hard once again, a girl with fake blonde hair walks out of the boat and wraps her arms around him. He turns around and they kiss. For some reason, even though I hate this boy, something deep down inside me breaks. I quickly get on my bike, but just before I go off, I see that girl go down to her knees. I stop, and for some reason, am drawn back in. I know it’s wrong. I do. But I can’t stop staring at them. The boy just holds her head and smiles. I can see him bite his lower lip.
“Shit,” I shout as the boy suddenly looks over and makes eye contact with me.
But he doesn’t do anything. Just as I’m ready to make a run for it, he stares back at me, smiling. He looks at me directly in the eyes as his mouth opens. I find myself staring, direct eye contact, for minutes. When the girl comes up to her feet, that’s when the boy finally looks away. It’s like I suddenly get out of a weird trance. I find myself energized and weirdly hot.
I jump on my bike and speed away before I can see any more.
For a while, I bike around without any direction. All that’s on my mind is that boy. His slicked-back hair. That smirk. His body. Even those stupid preppy rich kid clothes. Something about him just makes me want to hurt him, but also makes me want to do other things. Other things that I am desperately trying to shove out of my head.
I am so focused on trying to forget that boy that I guess my body moved in a way it’s used to and biked to the club. When I come up I see Taylor in the back on a break.
“Hey, busboy.”
“Actually it’s bar back boy now.”
“Ooooh fancy.” I find it weird that I’m comfortable around her.
“Yeah, I’m moving up. You better watch your back.”
“I’m scared.” We laugh as I lock my bike up. “So what you doin’ here? You don’t work today.”
“How do you know that?”
“I may or may not have asked.”
“Awww, you actually like me. You really really like me.”
“A little less now.” She punches me in the arm. “Jk. Now really, what’s up?”
“Well…” So I begin. I begin telling her everything. Well, everything from the first time I met the boy at the bar, to my Grams being extra, and to the boy on his boat.
“First of all… I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!”
“Knew what?”
“That you were gay. I have excellent gaydar and saw it on you the second you biked up to me.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Second, who the fuck’s this boy? Sounds like you’ve got yourself a crush on a nasty Kook.”
“Kook? Crush?” I’m confused and offended for some reason.
“Kook’s are the upper crust people of the OBX. Pogue’s are what you’d call us, the working class folk.” “Folk?”
“Oh shut it. From the sounds of it, you were dealing with a Grade A Kook.”
“And he was just so…” I can’t help but lick my lips.
“Damn. You’ve got it bad.”
“Shut up. No, I don’t.”
“It’s real bad. Like stalking him online and jerking off to his Insta.”
“Taylor!”
“What? You didn’t deny it.”
“I don’t even know his name. So I couldn’t do any of that if I wanted to.”
“Well if you ever spot him again, take a pic. I know everyone.”
“Thanks.”
“So you’ve got to fill up the rest of your day, right?” I nod. “Well I’m off in 30 and there’s a party on this private beach I was gonna stop at. Wanna come?” “Do I have a choice?”
“No, not really.”
“Fine.”
“Great. Wait here. I’ll be back.”
ALMOST AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER…
“Please say we’re close.”
“It’s just beyond this line of trees loser.”
“What’s so good about these parties that we have to drive 30 minutes then hike through the woods for another 30?”
“Not much. Just kids our age, alcohol, music, and usually a good fight to watch.”
“Oh… fun.”
“Trust me. It is. You may even see your Kook.”
“My Kook? And I thought you said it’s a Pogue party.”
“He has no name, what else can I call him? And yeah, Kook’s know we throw the best parties and always crash.”
“I feel like I need to take notes.”
“Yeah. Welcome to Taylor Teaches.” She laughs as we walk onto the beach and see dozens of teens, a buttload of solo cups, and very little clothing that makes me feel like I’m ready for a Minnesota winter.
“So… do any of the guys here wear shirts?” That makes Taylor laugh. “But seriously. Not a single boy is wearing a shirt.”
“It’s too hot for shirts. And are you really complaining about seeing that?” She tilts her head for me to see these two really hot boys wearing just bathing suits and that each have these amazing heads of hair.
“Ok… I guess…” I can’t stop smiling… or starring at those boys.
“Hey!” Taylor’s voice goes up a few octaves as she walks up to this beautiful girl with dark wavy hair.
“What’s up? It’s been too long!” They hug before the girl notices me. “Is this your…?”
“No.” Taylor and I both laugh. “This is Parker. Parker, this is Kiara.”
“Hey. Nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
“Parker’s new here. He’s been working at the Club with me.”
“Oh… fun.”
“No. Not really.” That makes her laugh.
“Well it’s good you’ve made friends with Taylor here, she’s a great teacher. You’ll be a pro of The Banks in no time.”
“I haven’t decided yet if I want to be though.”
“Trust me, you will.” Kiara smiles and we follow her towards the party. “Anything to drink?”
“Nah. I’m good.”
“Hey! JJ!” Kiara suddenly shouts and I turn to see her shouting at one of the boys I saw before, who’s now throwing a knife up in the air. “Don’t be an idiot! If you get blood over my knife you’re dead!”
“Shut up! I’m amazing at this!” His voice gives me a little shiver.
“That boy’s gonna drive me to an early grave.” She looks back at us. “Sorry. I’ll be back.” She runs off to him.
“That’s JJ. He’s a total shitshow of a kid, but he’s truly kind at heart.” Taylor then points to that other boy I saw before with JJ, he’s similar-looking but with long brown hair. “That’s John B. He and Kiara had a thing for a while, but they’re really just best friends along with JJ and Pope.” We look over to the boy running up to help JJ and Kiara now that JJ was cut his palm a little. “He’s the smart one of their good, very kind, but he’s the mother of the group.”
“Okayyy… and what about the thirty or so other people here.”
“Later. I’ll need a few drinks before getting into them.”
With a few drinks and thirty minutes, Taylor goes through each person at the party. I only really remember the first few and the weird ones. There’s Christian, the boy who sleeps with any girl he meets. Then Meredith, the girl who’s dad is a police officer and not so secretly hooking up with a married man. And of course, I remember Chris, the girl, who hooked up with Christian, then realized she was gay and is dating the sheriff’s closeted daughter.
Other than that, most of the others were pretty basic. But Kiara and her friends were the ones that really stuck out to me, specifically JJ. Something about JJ hits me. I can’t stop watching him. He does all this crazy stuff for attention, but I can see something damaged about him. Something in him is hurting, and he’ll do anything to forget about it. Or… I may just be reading into everything… I ended up having some drinks and am pretty lit at the moment.
It’s getting late. The sun is going down. The drinks have been flowing. The music hasn’t stopped. The people just keep on coming. And… I’m actually having fun. For the first time in months, my mind has turned off. I’m just living in the moment and enjoying it. I’ve been sitting with Taylor, Kiara, JJ, John B, and Pope. They’ve been telling me these crazy stories about their adventures around the OBX. Some involve treasure. Others involve sharks, fireworks, drinking too much, and even one that involved multiple squirrels and a jar of peanut butter. That one confused me… and scared me a little.
“Where’s Sarah?” Taylor pops to her feet out of nowhere.
“Yeah. I thought she was coming!” Kiara jumps up with Taylor and they both begin laughing.
“She said she was having some family problems, as always.”
“Bummer.” They both say together before plopping back down into the sand.
“Sarah… your girlfriend? Right?”
“Right.” John B’s smile is cute.
“You’ve got a cute smile.” It spits out of my mouth.
“Thanks.” He smiles yet again.
I see Kiara whisper into Taylor’s ear.
“What?” I look to them, at this point losing any fucks.
“Nothing.” Kiara is smiling.
“What? I won’t be mad.” Everyone just laughs.
“I just said that I thought you’re nice. And a bit drunk.”
“Awwww…. I really am drunk.” Everyone just starts laughing. “Oh shit.” I quickly notice three boys walking onto the beach, one of which is the boy.
“What?” Taylor looks at me, worried. “You good?”
“It’s him.”
“Who?”
“Him.” “Wait. What? Where?” She starts looking around.
“The one with the hair.”
“Well, that’s quite descriptive.”
“Oh shit. Rafe and the rest of the boy band are here.” JJ says, him and the others all looking over to the boys walking in.
“Oh shit.” Taylor looks to me. “Oh shit!”
“You good?” Kiara looks at her.
“Um… yeah. Yeah.” Taylor gets close to me. “The boy you’re talking about. Is it the one with the brown hair?”
“Oh yeah…” My mind is starting to think of some very dirty things and I can’t control them.
“No. No. No. Not allowed.”
“What?” I look at her, getting quickly confused, the alcohol not helping with that.
“That’s Rafe Cameron. Aka the psycho of The Banks. Aka Sarah’s brother. Aka the boy who killed someone and who’s rich daddy got him off. Aka…”
“Hey! Wake up! You’ve gotta be at work in 20!” Her shouts annoy me as they do every morning.
“I’m awake!” I shout back, already dressed for work and sitting in my bed, staring at the small crack on the wall.
After a minute I finally force myself to my feet and walk downstairs. I quickly try to pass the kitchen and out the side door, but Grams sees me and gives me a look.
“Love you.” I walk over and hug her as she chops her herbs.
“Love you too. Have a good day at work.”
I walk out and immediately hop onto my bike. As I do the same ride I’ve been doing every day for the past two weeks, I continue watching the people of this town. There are those people who are running around like mad dogs, just trying to stay afloat. Then the people walking around like they know something no one else does. Then my favorite people of the OBX, those who own it and know it. They intrigue me more than the rest. They put their noses up at the rest of us, yet if you look close enough you realize that their lives are just as fucked up as ours.
“Hey. New kid!” The shout distracts me as I bike up to the country club and I fall off my bike. “Damn!”
“Fuck!” I shove the bike off my legs, noticing the scraps and blood beginning to drip.
“Dude, you okay?” The same girl that shouted my name before runs up to me, offering a hand.
“I’m fine.” I get up and notice her, she’s my age, shorter than me, and wearing an apron.
“You sure? You’re bleeding.”
“Yeah. I’ve had worse.” I pick my bike up and start walking it to the bike rack with her.
“Sure. Okay. I’m Taylor. I work with the pastry chef.”
“Parker. Busboy.” I lock my bike in. “Why were you yelling for me?”
“Oh. Yeah. You’re needed to help at the bar today.”
“Okay.”
“It’s a busy weekend. You’ll probably be there till Monday.”
“Okay.” We walk in together.
“Is that the only word you know?” She steps in front of me, smiling a weird amount.
“No.”
“Okay.” I laugh at that and she smiles.
“Sorry. I’m just not a morning person. Or a person person.”
“Well, that’s fine. I’m sure I’ll be your type of person soon enough.”
“Really? You think so?”
“I know so.” She smiles and turns down another hall. “See you later Busboy.”
“How was work?” Grams is hovering by the backdoor when I arrive. “Make any friends today?”
“Nope.” I go over to the fridge and grab a water bottle before I notice she’s dressed up. “What’s going on?”
“My friend’s throwing a little game night. I’ll be gone pretty late. There’s money in that jar for pizza or whatever.” The Winnie the Pooh cookie jar just stares at me.
“Sure. Have fun.”
“You too.” She says as I walk upstairs.
I didn’t sleep a minute last night. Well, I actually did, but maybe forty minutes tops. I had fallen asleep until I had the worst dream. I dream that brought me back to one of the worst moments in my life. It just kept repeating. The scream. The grab. The Fire. The beeping. Over and over. Over and over. Over and over.
Then I snapped out of it. Sat straight up in my bed, sweating. The sad thing is… I wish I could say it was the first time or even the tenth. And as I did the other times, I sat and played sudoku on my phone. I played it over and over until the sun rose. Once the sun was up I took a quick shower and left the house on my bike.
I’ve been biking for nearly two hours and am pretty sure I’m lost. I’m somewhere next to the water. There are a few boats tied up, but not much else around. It’s quite beautiful though. I’ve never taken a real moment to notice how nice the water looks. And how perfect the sun shines on it. And for just a second my mind goes blank. The sound of the wave goes through my head.
“Hey. What the fuck are you doing on this dock?” I nearly fall on my ass when I hear the voice and turn to see someone on a nearby boat.
“What?” I just starting to snap out of my daze.
“Private. Property.” I can’t really see the guy with the light in my eye, but I take the note and start walking back.
I got to the club early for my shift so they let me get some extra hours. The bar has been crowded all afternoon. I’ve realized the bar area is filled with four different types of people since I first started. The first are the men who sit at the counter and drink for hours. They’re harmless, but really like to talk. The second type are the group of men that come after they’ve played golf and now want to discuss business. They’re usually quite rude, but they tip a darn good amount. The third type are the men that bring women far younger than them who are clearly not their wives. They are the type that prefers very little attention to them, but really want to impress the women they’re with. The fourth and final type of people that come to this bar is the group of teenage boys who think they are entitled to drinks because their daddy’s pay far too much to get them in. They are the type that truly drives me insane. They try over and over to get what they want, then threaten to get my boss or their parents.
Speaking of which… just about five minutes ago this group of four teenage boys walked in and took a table. They’ve been chatting, laughing, and looking over at the bar.
And now one of the boys, one with slicked-back brown hair and wearing a bright-colored shit with cache shorts. He’s smirking and looking way too confident.
“Hey.” He takes a seat on a stool.
“Hey. What would you like?”
“Just four rum and cokes.”
“Four cokes?”
“Umm… no. Rum and cokes.”
“I.D.?”
“Well I left it in my office, but ask anyone, I’m a regular here.”
“Well… “ He smiles, thinking he’s about to get what he wants. “No I.D., no drinks.” I walk over to another person and top off their drink.
I start cleaning up and the boy is still sitting there, watching me. He seems intent on me. Watching. Smiling. Then looking back at his friends and laughing every once and a while. He waits a few minutes before he speaks again.
“It’s you!” He snaps like he knows something.
“What?”
“You’re the kid that was on our docks this morning.” Wait… that was him? “You were standing there like some kind of idiot.”
“Anything else you need sir?” I can feel my blood starting to heat up.
“I should’ve realized you we’re some poor Pogue. You probably live in some shithole with your alcoholic mother and father who beats you around for the fun of it.”
It hits me. Hits me hard. I can feel my blood going from zero to a hundred. My fists tighten, nails digging into my palms. I being picturing the things I could do to him. I could grab a glass and shove it in his face. I could grab him by his hair and shove his head into the counter. But my favorite thought right now is grabbing him by his hair and dragging him across the bar and throwing him into the hundreds of bottles before stomping my foot into his ribs and shattering a large bottle of tequila in his face.
But I don’t do any of that. I stare him straight in the eyes. I put all my anger into my eyes and let him feel it. At first, he stares back, but after thirty incredibly long seconds, he blinks. He puts on this fake laughter and steps off his stool.
“Come on guys, let’s go. It’s boring here.” They all walk out together.
I quickly walk to the main bartender.
“I’m taking my break. Be back.” I speed out of the bar.
I make my way down the halls of the club. Through the back exit and where most of the workers hang. I step through the few workers hanging out and around the corner. I immediately face the wall and punch it. I regret it the second I swing my arm, but at that point, there’s no going back. I immediately want to scream, but hold it in.
“Parker?” I jump out of my skin as Taylor turns the corner. “Oh shit!” She runs up to me as she sees the blood dripping down my fist.
“I…I…” I begin finding it hard to breathe. “It’s… it’s… al…”
“It’s okay. Shhhh.” She takes the apron off and wraps it around my hand.
“But… I can’t… I can’t breathe!” My chest is tightening and everything begins to get a bit hazy.
“Parker,” Taylor grabs my face and looks me in the eyes. “Focus on my eyes.”
“But…”
“Focus on them,” She’s stern. “What color are they?”
“Blue.”
“What’s my name?”
“Taylor.” Things begin to loosen.
“Where are we?”
“Hell.” That makes Taylor laugh, then I do as well.
“Not technically wrong.”
“Thanks.” I start to feel normal, if I was ever normal to begin with.
“No problem.” She helps me to my feet.
“It’s just not my day. This kid came in…”
“You don’t need to tell me. I understand.” I take a look at my hand. “I’ll go and get some bandages.” She turns to walk away.
“Taylor. Thank you. Really.”
“What else are friends that you’ve known for 24 hours for?”
“I don’t know, depends if they happen to bring me back a cookie.”
“Oh, really?” We both laugh as she walks away.
I turn around and lean against the wall. I take a deep breath in and run my hands through my hair. Then I look forward and that kid from the bar is standing in the parking lot. He notices me and smiles. Then he waves before hopping onto his motorbike. He looks to me once more, that grin digging into my skull. I flip him off and that only seems to make him smile more. He rides off and before I know it I find myself getting hard as I watch him ride off.
