Something else I never thought I would find myself doing? Trying to sneak back into detention; but I found myself doing just that as Gina and Link, who stick out their tongues at us from inside in a childlike manner, have closed the door. I huff in annoyance as I look at my unwanted partner in crime, Grayson who looks livid towards them and flicks them off, but relaxes as he looks at the door handle. I had been on my way back from my locker when I noticed the predicament they had put me in. Now that I was stuck, there was no use whining.

I look over and grab the doorknob, twisting it only to hear a creek issue from it and I quickly release it, flinching backward as if it would burn me quicker than boiling water. I turn to see Graysons, whose eyes have become darker, and look at me with annoyance. "Are you trying to get us caught?" he hisses at me.

I ignore his comment and roll my eyes as I respond equally as annoyed as him now, "since you're so good at this. Then fix it yourself."

"With pleasure, Strawberry," he says, drawing out the nickname for emphasis.

I scoff at him and his lack of knowledge, "as if you could do it. The only obvious way would be to put oil on the hinges but we don't have any. Unless-" an idea starts forming in my head, "we go to woodshop class and-" my statement flusters out as my idea dissolves into the thin air as if it was nothing to begin with. Grayson pulls on the door while lifting it up and steps aside, giving me a wide fake smile, and signaling for me to enter. An impulse to step on his feet overcomes me but I push it down as I return his fake smile and walk ahead.

Before I reach my seat I hear a voice cough behind me and says in a rather shrill voice, "Miss Lockhart, I presume?"

I close my eyes as my heart starts thumping faster by the second as I turn around with a grimace and wave, "hi."

"I've never seen you here before. I guess you're not a normal delinquent, do you only do it on the weekdays?" He laughs at his own lame joke. At least, I assumed it was supposed to be a joke. He composes himself and adds, "what are you doing up from your seat?" I can feel my cheeks turn red as everyone's attention is on me and my brain tries to come up with a good excuse. Any excuse, but my words have left me.

"I ah-"

"She was trying to run out of class, Zack," Grayson says unhelpfully. My eyes darted to him as I imagined lasers going through him but all he does is give me his giant fake smile.

"That's not-" before I can continue defending myself someone else speaks up.

"It's true-" Link adds equally as unhelpful and with his own sly smile, "she was just sad because she was just rejected by me." I bury my hands in my hands which seemed to be the wrong choice as Link quickly says, "see- she's so distraught."

"Oh please, no one believes that-" Gina speaks up as she stands and walks towards Mr. Lambert. I can see her give him a seductive look; with a bright smile, fluttering eyelashes, and flipping her hair. "The truth is that she was reading and we happened to let it slip that you have a newborn, so she was on her way to ask you about the baby but noticed you were asleep so she was headed back to her seat when you happened to wake up." Gina's eyes had shifted from sweet to wicked as she scrutinized Mr. Lambert under her stare, challenging him to question her.

Mr. Lambert turns pale at the mention of sleeping but trying his best to not give away that her words have caused him distress, he starts nervously fidgeting with his tie and bouncing side to side until he finally whispers, "detention dismissed" and starts walking out before everyone saying, "I need some water."

I let out a sigh of relief as I looked over at Gina and mouth, 'thank you." She gives me a wink in response. Link is laughing so much that he falls from his chair and only causing an eruption of laughter from those still in the room. I look over and see Grayson reading my book with a bored look on his face. Apparently, my embarrassment wasn't amusing to him anymore. I go over and extend my hand in front of him, waiting for my book. He lifts an eyebrow and smiling places the book in my hand. "You know- I wonder," he slides off the desk and whispers in my ear, "what you would have done without the help of Gina."

I narrow my eyes at him and offer up, "tell him the truth? How I saw you coming and was headed to let him know?" His smile falters for a second before it returns but more cunning.

"Always knew you could lie like that." He walks away from me and heads out the door as Link follows him, yelling at him to wait.

"Are you coming with?" Gina asks me as she stands in the door frame. I nod my head and grab my things quickly, making my way out the door with her to the parking lot. When we get there, I see Grayson leaning against a black convertible Corvette. Next to him is a tall African American with a basketball jersey who I instantly recognize.

"You guys are friends with All-Star Matt?"

I can see Matt blush as he looks away from my eyesight.

"How do you know Matt?" Link asks.

Gina scoffs, "he's an all-star? I just think he's lame," she says and drops her gum to take out a cigarette.

"I interviewed him for the school paper."

"We have a school paper?"

"No, not really. They just wanted to print a copy to celebrate his win at the championship last year."

Gina nods along in understanding as she bumps her arm with Grayson, the cigarette already in her mouth. Without a word, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a black Zippo lighter. He flips it open in one quick and simple motion before tracing his thumb faintly over the roller. He looks over at me and at that moment I wonder if a person could feel someone's stare, my breath hitches, as I watch him apply pressure and turn it on. I follow his movements as the blue and red flame flicker against the wind but set ablaze the cigarette. I watch as Gina inhales as if her life depends on the nicotine within it, making it look almost euphoric before she blows out the smoke.

"Why don't you give it a try?" Grayson's voice comes out deeper as he takes it from Gina who muffles a small protest and holds it out for me. I look up at him with a glare as his intense eyes twinkle with destruction.

"I should leave," I tell them and turn around.

"Leave my new friend alone Grayson," I hear Gina say from behind me as I start walking away. I hear footsteps behind me before she grabs my wrist and turns me around to face her, "come with us. Grayson is more than happy to give you a ride." I scoff at that, finding it hard to believe. She smiles and shrugs, "it's the least he can do- considering I'm pretty sure it was either Link or Grayson who got you into detention in the first place."

"Hey!" Link yells, peeking his head out from the window, "I didn't do anything. It was all Grayson's fault and his short temper."

Gina rolls her eyes at his statement before saying, "even better since you don't have a car to offer her a ride."

"No, but I have something-"

"Matt, punch him before he finishes that sentence because I will murder him."

Link laughs, "Matt would nev- Ow. Buddy- why?"

I can hear the chuckles of Grayson who watches his friends, as we head back. Gina pushes Link into the seat as she steps back to allow me to enter, and lastly gets in herself. Matt sits on the passenger side and straps the car belt.

"I'm glad the witch isn't sitting next to me, thank you, Amelia," Link tells me as he shakes my hand in gratitude.

"I can hear you," Gina retorts through gritted teeth.

"Yeah- because you're a witch."

"No, because thankfully I'm not deaf," she says and leans across me to slap the back of his head.

"Why do you all mistreat me?" Link says with a sad puppy face.

"Why are you so annoying?" Gina asks.

"Huh, I guess the world will never know-" he says with a shrug. "So Matt- you gave an interview?" Matt looks at me with a smile and nods his response. "But you don't speak."

"Shut up Link-" Gina says, making her way to hit him again but Link holds up in surrender.

"Hold your fire- damn Gina it's just a fact, or did he actually speak to you when he gave you the interview Amelia?" They both turn their attention to me.

"I- he wrote down his answers."

"See."

"Shut up Link," Gina responded and looked out the window.

I feel the car go in reverse before it zooms through the streets. I can't help but yelp as I clutch tighter to the seat.

"I should have probably mentioned how he drives," Gina says leaning against the car, clearly without a problem in the world. "Just relax," she says and closes her eyes.

Right, relax, I tell myself as I dig my nails deeper into the seat cushion wondering if I would leave a mark. I look up to see Grayson with a smirk across his face as he glances an eye in my direction through the rearview mirror. Suddenly, finding the thought of leaving scratches in his beautiful car seemed better by the second.

"Ease up on my car," he tells me.

"Not until you drive slower," I retort. After a few seconds of hesitation, I realized that he had eased the car and was now going gentler, then he slammed on the brakes and I jerked forward like a ragged doll only held in place by the seat belt.

"Whoops-" he says and gives me a fake apologetic smile, "didn't realize we were here."

After giving him my best glare to which he laughs off, I look around to where we are. There was a beautiful small blue house surrounded by white picket fences and made up of all types of gardens. Each patch was labeled with different names like tomatoes, lilacs, lemons, and so on. I watch as everyone hops off the car, taking it as my cue to do the same.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to the wonderful women who did all this," Link says with a bright smile to me.

Nodding my head with my own smile, I follow along as we cross the gate and into the mixture of sweet smells of flowers surrounding us. I see the door of the blue house come into view and watch as a woman bustles out of it carrying a tray of lemonade. She sees us and her smile only seems to brighten as she places the tray quickly on a table outside and smoothes her clothes.

"Hi sweetheart, I was wondering when you guys would get here?" She addresses Link as she gives him a kiss on the cheek which he quickly wipes off the lipstick stain left. I look at Link and realize they had the same facial shape but where his eyes were green, hers were brown and she had straight brown hair, unlike his curly one. "Hi Gina, the daughter I never had," she greets Gina with open arms and says, "getting more pretty by the day aren't you?"

I can see Gina turn a light shade of pink as she moves to the side for Link's mom to engulf Matt and Grayson in a bone-crushing hug.

"Hi miss Delores," Grayson says, to which I note is the only person I've heard address with their last name.

"Oh, I've told you kids to call me Rosa." She finally reaches me and gives me a grin. "Now- who is this beautiful flower?

I can feel her stare and can't help but smile because I understood why Gina blushes at her. Her compliment and her stare came from a motherly love. It made you feel whole and complete as if the thing you were missing would be solved by having the support of a mother.

"Mom- this is Amelia Lockheart," Link tells his mom as I struggle to speak, basking in the warmth of her embrace.

She pulls away and stares at me, her eyes filled with pride. "Welcome to our humble home Amelia." She turns to talk to everyone, "please- sit down and have a snack. The lemonade is set up and I am going to go get some cookies from the oven. Be right back."

"Your mom is so sweet, Link," I note.

"No one asked you," Grayson says with a roll of his eyes.

"Well, no one told you to respond," I told him and took a seat next to Gina.

"She is incredible," Gina says, "which is why we love coming here when we can.

I watch as Grayson stays standing, reading something on his phone. "Here they are," Mrs. Delores says as she places a tray of cookies in the center and we all mutter a thank you. I grab a cookie and bite into it, feeling the gooey chocolate melt in my mouth as a burst of flavors explodes.

"This is delicious," I told her.

She gives me a wide grin and says, "well help yourself." She looks over at Grayson with an arm on her waist in an expectant manner, "Grayson- why aren't you sitting and enjoying a snack."

"Mom- he's in training." Link mumbles through a mouth full of cookies.

"Don't be gross," Gina tells her as she makes a disgusted face.

Link gives her the middle finger and his eyes widen in realization as his mom gives him a stern look. "Sowy-" he says. Gina smirks to herself as she drinks the lemonade and watches Link from the corner of her eyes filled with smugness as if she had just won an invisible battle.

"I really can't stay-" Grayson says, "I need to be heading home Mrs. D."

She gives him a small pout before grabbing some cookies, taking most from Links's hands, and giving them to Grayson. "We'll take some for the road," she says with a smile as I start getting up. He was my only ride home, and now I needed it more than ever.

"Thank you for everything," I tell her as she hugs me one last time goodbye and I follow Grayson out as he has already vanished before my sight.

I make it to see him getting into the car and he looks up at me with surprise, making me regret this choice. "Did you need something?" he asks me.

"A ride home," I state.

"Well that sucks. Have fun getting one."

I give him a blank face and shrug, "fine," I was not playing this game with him. I start walking down the street and hear him yell as I continue walking.

"Strawberry. I was only kidding," he says as he drives the car next to me. I stop to a halt and look at him. "Come on- get in the car. I promised Gina I was going to take you home, and I will." I mull this over in my head. For Gina, who he promised, was the only reason he was taking me home. Had he not promised her, he would have probably left me. I decided not to dwell on the 'what if' and respond, "okay." I get into the car and give him my address.

As we start driving I decide to speak and ask, "so how did you all become friends?"

I can see him roll his eyes in annoyance but responds, "listen- we're not going to talk as if we're becoming friends. We're not going to swap life stories. You're just a girl who needed a ride and I'm keeping my promise."

I huff in annoyance at his words and turn away from him to stare at the road passing us by. I retorted under my breath, but loud enough for him to hear, "and you're just the guy who is giving me a ride home." From that point, we drive in silence for a while, the only sound with us is our steady breathing. As we near my street he speaks up, catching me off guard.

"I'm sorry I got you into detention." I look over at him flabbergasted, wondering if I had heard right, and see that his grip has tightened on the steering wheel and he looks ahead, not sparing a glance my way, making me believe I heard right. Grayson was apologizing to me.

I can't help but laugh a little at this. He turns to look at me with confusion and I respond with a shrug, "it's not entirely your fault. I'm the one who responded by yelling-"

"That I should fuck myself? Yeah- I remember," he says with a grin.

Another moment of silence paces, as I decide whether to speak or not. I decided to ask, "is it true?"

He raises an eyebrow, "is what true?"

"The rumors? What they say about you?

He shrugs, "I guess that's up to the person who hears them to decide, isn't it?"

"Not unless some are true."

"What do you believe?"

Now it's my turn to shrug, "I'm not sure what to believe. All I know is that well- your kind of a jerk. So I wonder why you act like one when I see you right now with Mrs. Delores and know you aren't one all the time."

He rolls his eyes before giving me a blank face, "being a jerk is part of the title." He stops in front of my house but I stay seated.

"What title?"

"The bad boy title. It includes reckless fun, leather jackets, and being devilishly handsome," he says with a wink.

"I don't see where being a jerk factors into that."

He shrugs, "it might not, but it keeps unwanted people away."

I think about it but the only thing I can think of responding is, "I think that says more about you than it does your title." I step out of the car and start walking to my door but hear him yell.

"I guess I'll see you in detention tomorrow, huh, Strawberry?" I stop in my tracks and look at him, devastation stuck on my face. As I am about to speak he elaborates, "since you chose detention instead of tutoring me, didn't you?" The blows just kept coming. How did he know I was given an option? It didn't matter because he thought that I had chosen detention. Now standing outside my house in the moonlight, watching a guy who I didn't know before today, my decision seemed to have stayed. Whether I would regret that choice, only time would tell.

Collecting myself, I smirk at him, "You know what, Grayson? I guess you'll find out tomorrow." I turn around trying to keep my smile hidden from his view.

"What does that mean?"

I reach my door and yell, "Have a nice night, Grayson. Thanks for the ride."

I can hear the car reeve as he scoffs and yells back, "Bye Strawberry," and with that, I close my door. 

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I'm backkkk. For a bit anyway. Well trying. Anywho, I hope yall liked it. Please don't forget to vote, comment, and share. 

Can you guys believe what Grayson did?