Chapter 6

"You should come Knight's we are having a pool party later tonight," Ariel tells me as I opened my car door. I looked at Knight who was too busy listening to whatever Via was saying to hear what Ariel.

"Yeah I'm gonna need you to drive me home, I am planning on getting wasted" Sun wraps her arms around me

"Okay, I will catch you guys later. I have to go" before they could question me I slam my doors. I didn't want them to know where I was going, they would lose their shit if they found out. After the game on Friday Ash and Ariel were very happy and gloating about the win;34 to10. I was surprised we won, I've heard how good Las Jun was. They were number one in the state, I expected them to smoke out the ass. I mean we were good but not that good.

I knew something was fishy when I saw Ash and Ariel talking before the game, they were sure that we would win. Like that already knew. I finally found out after I threatened one of the players— that if he didn't tell me what happened I would make sure he gets kicked out of the team. He told me that some of the boys went down to Daisy Dinner— that was where most of the Las Jun rats chilled. They gave them 500 dollars each if they dropped the game. Of course there captain and coach weren't aware.

I don't know what made me think driving down to their town would make things better. That was where I was going, it was Friday afternoon. Instead of hanging out with my friends, I was going to Las Jun. I wanted to let Tyler know it wasn't his fault they lost— yeah right, I was just looking for an excuse to see him.

I knew most of them were either at the snake pit or Daisy Diner, I made my way to the diner first. It was closer. And the snake pit was the last place I wanted to be.

The diner looked empty as I pulled into the car park, there were a few cars parked but none of them was the blue Ford bronco. I still park and made my way, making sure my car was locked. Holding my Dior bag close to me. I knew what went down in this part of town.

All heads turn to me when the bell above the door rang, I felt out of place. Holding my head high I walked towards the waitress that was standing behind the counter, she looked about my age. Her face crewed up in confusion when I approached her. She was very pretty, is she came to ASH the guys will be all over her.

"Do you know where I can find James?" I asked, intentionally not asking for Tyler. Apparently, he and this James guy were tight.

"Who is asking?" she looks at me up and down

"Bella, Bella Thomson," I say folding my hands

"I'm sorry, I don't know a Bella. If you want James your gonna have to find him yourself" she turns her back

"What's your name?" I called after her. If she wants to be a bitch so can I.

She drops the coffee pot and smirks at me, "Adriana"

"Listen to Adriana," I said sweetly "I would hate to call your manager and tell him you are refused to serve me and get you fired and by what your wearing I can tell yours in desperate need of the money" looking down at her worn-out last season's vans.

"Now I ask again, where is the fuck is James" putting my hand in my back pockets of my jeans

"Listen, rich girl. I don't give fuck how much money your daddy got, you ain't gonna come up in here like you own the place getting away with talking to me like that" she walks closer raising her eyebrows

"Heyyyy!" someone sang from behind "what's going on here?" I felt hands wrapped around my shoulders

"Get your hands off me," I tell the idiot

"Baby girl, come on" he smiles moving to the side

"How can we help you, I can tell you don't belong here" he looks at me up and down

Crossing my hands over my chest, "I was just asked sweet Adriana here where I can find James"

"James?"

"Yes James, did I stutter?"

"Girl...," Adriana stops and shakes her head

"Nah, James right there" the guy points to a table filled with boys. I recognise some of them from the game. I walked towards it before he could say anything else, I didn't care for him. I was here for James.

"Damn!" I heard them whistling as I got closer. I couldn't see names face, he was facing the other way, but his friends noticed me.

"What's going on baby," one of the guys asked me moving closer

"Eww" I looked at his face, I mean he wasn't ugly but doesn't reach my standards. "Guys with faces like yours don't get girls with arses like mine," I said quoting She's the man. They all started laughing and snickers. They guys face turned a deep shade of red.

"James" he still wasn't looking at me but I knew he could hear me "I know you aren't deaf".

"Who's asking?" his voice was deeper than I expect, but not as deep as Tyler's

"I need to know where Tyler is"

"Listen, if he said he would call his not. Don't go looking for him" my cheeks turned red, he thought I was one of Tyler's whore?

"It's important" I'm not gonna give up

"You pregnant or something?" another guy asked "damn! He already got one baby mama"

What! Tyler had a kid? What the fuck? Who was the bitch.

"Listen just call him and tell him Bella is asking for him" I don't know why I am bothering with this

"Bella is it? If Tyler wanted you to find him you wouldn't be here" he finally looks at me, his eyes widened a little bit but he quickly sobered. Did he know me?

"Fine don't tell me, I will just go to the snake pit." Fuck him, he can suck a dick. If they he wasn't going to help me. I will go to another source.

"Fuck, wait," he says running after me, I stopped at the door having a victory smile.

"Why do you want to see him?" he asked

"It's about the game," I tell him, I'm not sure if he was in on it as well.

"Listen, he got fucked up last night. But Imma gives you his address, don't do anything stupid" he warns.

"He fought last night?" I didn't know there was a match, no one mentioned it.

"Yeah, I'm only giving you this cause I saw you two together the other night" he was referring to the match between him and Knight.

"Thanks" I mumbled looking down at the address.

"I don't know what's going on between the both of you but don't fuck with him, yeah. He already has so much shit on his plate. Doesn't need so white bitch problems" he walks off before I could tell him I don't want anything from Tyler, what could he possibly have that I wanted.

I parked my car next to the Ford Bronco I knew was Tyler's outside the house number James gave me. The house looked old. Very old. It looked like it had been rebuilt. It was as if it had rolled off a production line, but they had forgotten to apply the mandatory layer of colour to it. The windows were small and seemingly inspired by something truly alien. They had no gate, Anyone could see into the house from an uncomfortable distance. From here, could see the inside. There wasn't a single square meter of organic material insight. Not even a comforting wallpaper that imitated warmth in some way. Not even a plank of wood. The next house was only a few feet away, identical. The house, it seems, was a homey, old and used.

I made my way the door, there was a little patio with white flowers and two white chairs. I wondered if his parents were home, would they be alarmed that a girl was asking for there son?—I doubt it. Opening the screen door, I knocked slowly and softly as if the door would cry. There was a long pause before I knocked again. I knew he was home, I saw his car.

I move to knock again but the door flew opened. It wasn't Tyler who opened it. I looked down at the little girl, wondering who she was. Was she his kids— no she was too old. Sister?

She was wearing dark blue worn-out jeans with a pink zip-up hoodie that had some ink stain, her hair was in two pigtails. It was curly and a light brown colour like Tyler's. She looks alarmed to see me, I think she was expecting someone else.

"Hey is Tyler home?" I said I a sweet soft voice "I'm a friend"

"He's sleeping and I'm not allowed to let strangers in" she crossed her arm making me smile.

"Can you wake him up and tell him Bella is here" I almost begged, what person sleeps till 5 in the evening, didn't he have school?

"I'm not allowed in his room" she mumbles. I rolled my eyes of course.

"Do you know when he will up?"

"Not really, he wakes up late sometimes"

"Well do you mind if I sit here and wait for him?" I say surprising myself. I could just leave.

"Did he give you that?" she points to the sea glass around my neck. I always forget it was there.

"Erm, yeah" I blush, how did she know?

"Look, I have one as well" she pushes her hands in my face. Hers were the colour of the sea, it was held by sliver bracelet around her wrist. I almost felt jealous that she had one.

"It's very pretty," I tell her smiling

I heard his footsteps before I heard his voice "Jada, who you talking to?" he comes to view, covering the doorway with his body.

His chest was naked, he had on shorts that were hanging low allowing me to see his V line. His upper body was covered in bruises and a few cuts; what that fucked happened. I move up to his face; he had a cut on his lips that had a little blood. He tongue rolled out to lick it. There was a tiny bruise on his cheeks but the rest of his face was milky.

"Bella, what are you doing here?" I place his arm around the girl that I know now her name was Jada.

I stared at him speechlessly, not remembering why I was here. They look identical it was scary.

"Bella?" he raises his brows "are you okay?" he sounded more concerned

"Erm yeah" I shake my head, what the hell was wrong with me.

"Why don't you come in" he moves to the side

"Sure, thanks" taking a small step into the small house

The living was connected with the kitchen, it contained one big grey couch into the front of a tv, there was a coffee table in the middle filled with unopened letters. There were pictures of Tyler and Jada everywhere— mostly on the black fridge. There were boxes of pizza on the kitchen counter with some juice boxes. The sink was filled with plates and cups.

"Ignore the mess" he starches his head

"It's fine," I tell him, waving my hands. it didn't bother me "If it wasn't for Melissa our house would be a mess too. I don't think my mother has ever washed the dishes" I laugh

He nods looking at me uncomfortably, I stood the middle not knowing what to do. Jada had run off into the corridor I'm sure leads to the bedrooms.

"What are you doing here Bella?" he moves behind the counter, attempting to clean.

Dropping my bag on the couch, I move to the kitchen as well. "You lost the game," I said, he winced as if I punched him.

"You came here to rub it in my face?"

"What! No" I stalked towards him "I came to tell you Ash and Ariel paid your players to forfeit the game"

"That bastard" he whispers "how much? Huh, how much did they sell me for?"

"500 dollars each"

"Those, bastards!" He slams the counter making me jump. 

"They sold me out from 500, I guess that's how much I'm worth to them" he shakes his head. "Does that make you happy, you guys have a good laugh? I bet that money means nothing to you people. For them, its everything. That's probably why must of them could afford new football gear this year"

"Hey, I had nothing to do with it. They shouldn't have done that." I knew I was exactly like them.

"So you thought you were doing me a favour by telling me" he moves fast trapping me behind the counter.

"I don't want you doing me favours" his face was filled with so much hatred

"I'm sorry, I thought it would make you feel better"

"You thought wrong, now leave my house. I got shit to do" he backs way taking my shatter heart with him.

"Hey, wait" grabbing his arm, he stops and looks at where my hands were.

"I'm sorry Tyler, I know I have shitting friends. But I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you"

His eyes soften for what looked like a second before it went back to being hard and cold. "You should leave before it's getting dark, shit tends to happen"

"Fine! Be a fucking dick. At least I tried!" I shoved his massive shoulders grabbing my bag. I made it halfway to the door but his voice stopped me.

"What exactly did you try at? Huh. Just because you say your sorry doesn't fix everything"

His scent messes with my head. I want to reach out and caress his face. Kiss his wounds better. Beg for forgiveness. Curse him. Push him away. Cry on his shoulder for what I've done. For how it ended. For what we became afterwards. Because I'm full of crap, and he is empty. We ruined ourselves the day of our first kiss.

Before I could stop myself I opened my mouth "I'm sorry you lost the game, I'm sorry I didn't find you earlier, I'm sorry I didn't try, I'm sorry that you had to live like this" I gesture to the house "I'm sorry I was lucky and you weren't. I'm sorry I didn't save you my firsts, I'm sorry I broke my promise." I didn't realise I was crying till I felt falling down my cheek. Fuck my makeup.

"Can I use your bathroom" I whisper avoid eye contact, I need to fix myself before I leave. He didn't say anything for a while, I looked up and he was looking at me surprised? Shocked? I wasn't sure.

He pulls me close looking down at me, time stops. It feels like the world is losing gravity, floating into a bottomless depth in space when he clasps my chin with his thumb and finger to lift my head. I can't breathe. I'm not sure I want to, either. My bags drop to the floor with a thud even though I secured it.

All my walls are down. Somewhere in my head, a red alarm blasts, and my inhibitions are arming, ready to fight back. I'm trying to decode his expression. He is amused, irritated, and...playful?

The mixture of emotions doesn't make sense. "Mess with me again Thomson, and I will ruin you."

"Not if I ruin you first." I can't hide the lust in my tone. A beat pulses between us.

His fingers slip around to the back of my neck, and my eyes flutter shut. My brain is screaming at me to open them. This is a hoax, the alarm screeches. He hates you. "I like what I see." His breath is sweet and hot. It caresses the tip of my earlobe and a shudder ripples through me.

My nipples pucker so hard, even the faintest brush of air makes me drip between the legs. This could go in so many directions, and I have no control over any of them. His mouth crashes against mine, and I yelp into his open lips just when his tongue invades me.

He is swallowing me whole, and I'm so frustrated with my sick attraction to him. I bite his lower, bruised lip and feel his blood gushing out, warm and coppery. My hands clutch the fabric of his top, clawing to find the hole and fill it with my greedy fingers. He grabs the back of my neck and clutches like a lion taming his lioness as he deepens our kiss.

There's nothing shy or experimental or promising about our second kiss. We're not the same kids. Not the same hopeful human beings. Our teeth clash, but we don't laugh it off or stop. At the same time, it feels like we've never moved from that spot next to the trash can. We're hungrier, and wiser, and angrier.

I've never been kissed this way before. This was different from the changing room. Not by anyone. His mouth disconnects from mine, and it takes me a few seconds to register what's happening. "The rarest thing in the world should not be given to a basic bitch. I'm glad you didn't save me your firsts because I have no interest in taking them," he whispers into my ear, and my eyes snap open.

Tyler shoves something into his back pocket, then steps back. He turns into the house, and before I have time to tell him to go screw himself or drop dead, he coils his head over his shoulder. Those snake eyes, they speak to me. They tell me that he doesn't want to be my friend. That he is fully prepared to be my enemy.

"Nice seeing you again." He slams the door in my face. My hand jumps instinctively to my sea glass necklace, preparing to clutch it in shock. It's gone.