"Quinn hurry you'll be late for school." My Grandfather yells from downstairs.
"I'm coming!" I screamed back. I stayed up all night talking to Myers on the phone. About his car crash and about the kiss. I haven't even told Lyra about this and seeing Alexander at the grocery store. I'm literally torn between two guys. Myers is someone I can see myself with, whereas I barely know Alexander but there is something about him that draws me in.
For Instance, at the party he helped me with Will and he paid for my groceries which lets me know that he'll always be there for me. We have these moments that are not planned and I live for them to happen more and more. The thing about Alexander that bothers me is that he's 2 years older than me. If I was 22 and he was 24 then no problem, but I'm 17 and he's 19 that's causes a problem. Grandpa will never let me date an older guy.
I brush it off and head downstairs. Walking into the kitchen I see grandpa making muffins, blueberries my favorite.
"Did you make these for me?" I wrap my arms around his waist and give him a kiss on the cheek.
"Actually, there for Irene I was going to go down to The Tribune to surprise her." He puts the last few muffins in the basket and wraps them up. They sit in a worn out flower basket with bits of it sticking out.
I put my hand on my chest and act all hurt. "Oh, so there's another woman, I'm distraught."
"You will always come first Quinneth." I reach over and give me a big hug. While he's in my arms I grab two muffins from the basket and bolt towards the door.
"I love you gramps!" Shutting the door, I drive off really quickly so he won't catch me, I'll apologize later.
I throw my backpack over my shoulder and head down to the locker room. Opening the door, girls surround the place gossiping and changing into their gym clothes. I pass the first two sets of the lockers until I see Lyra putting on her shoes.
"Where were you? If coach knows you showed up late, she'll make us all run laps." She finishes tying her shoes and puts the rest of her stuff in her locker. I sit my bag down and start undressing.
"Sorry... I was up all night talking to Myers on the phone and then I fell asleep at 2 in the morning and woke up an hour late." I finish changing my clothes and start tying my hair up.
"Back up the train you were talking to Myers on the phone, since when are you talking to him again?" She asked.
"He came by the house last night when we had the dinner for Irene and grandpa. He told me the reason he missed our date is because he was in a car accident." Closing my locker, I walk over to the sinks to check my hair out.
Lyra, hot on my trails, follows behind me. "He came by and you didn't tell me? What kind of friendship is this we keeping secrets now?"
"No. I just didn't want to say anything it wasn't a big deal." I'm lying it was a big deal. When a girl get's her first kiss, it's always a big deal, a change in the universe. A shifting of the tides.
"OK then what happened next?" She asked crossing her arms.
"He then kissed me." I turn around away from the mirror to see her mouth hanging open.
"HE DID WHAT!" She said while screaming. The whole locker room turned around to look at us. I pulled her away from the onlookers towards the showers.
"Can you not be so loud?" I leaned into her whispering.
"You have no right to tell me to be quiet. I can't believe you didn't say anything, we tell each other everything."
"I didn't want to say anything because if I say it out loud then... it's real and what about Alexander?" I tell her while sitting down on the bench.
"What about Alexander?" She sat down beside me turning her head towards mine. Her red hair slides down her exposed shoulders.
"There's something about him Lyra he's... Different and not the 'he isn't like someone I never met before' different. The way I feel when I'm around him and when we were at the grocery store, he shook my hand and I felt sparks... Literal sparks Ly." I said showing her the palms of my hands.
"Wait shook his hand where?" She asks.
"At the grocery store, I'll tell you later want to meet up for burgers later?"
"Yeah let's do that there's a lot we have to catch up on."
Before we could say anymore, we hear a loud whistle from our coach, Ms. Pellowski.
"Come on ladies those laps won't run themselves." She says as she clapped her hands together. Everyone pours out of the locker room including me and Lyra to go to the track. How I loathe running.
Me and Lyra lay on the track sweating and out of breath. We had to run a mile around the track and it's like 100 degrees out here.
"I'm literally dripping sweat as we speak. So disgusting this is inhumane." The frustration rolls off her tongue.
"It's not inhumane Lyra it's a standard P.E. requirement." I tell her while standing up to stretch my sore bones.
"Whatever I can't wait till this class Is over." She grunts out.
"Me too, let's go over to the bleachers." She gives me a nod and we walk over to the bleachers.
We sit in silence for a few minutes just to catch our breaths. The bright sun beams down on us as we lay on the bench. I lay on the top bench while Lyra lays below me. She rolls over to look up at me.
"Hey I need a favor from you?"
"Anything, what is it." I rise up from laying down and give her my full attention.
"So, the vet clinic is hosting a charity event to raise money for the strays. The girls and the boys are auctioning ourselves off to people in the audience and Mary bailed out on us at the last minute and we need a new girl so I was wondering..." I raise my hand up to her indicating I don't want the sentence to be finished.
"No, I will not be on display for men to buy me." I start to get up and walk away.
"Look I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't serious." She jumps in front of me. "We need another girl and you owe me for not telling me about Myers and Alexander." I roll my eyes, damn it she's got me trapped like a lion to its prey.
"Fine, what do I have to wear?" She jumps up and down in excitement and gives me a huge hug. I cringe when I feel her sweat on me, she instantly let's go and says sorry.
"Clariza's Closet donated some dresses for the event so you'll just wear Mary's dress."
"Ohhh I love their dresses!" This may not be bad after all.
"Yeah you'll love this one." Ms. Pellowski blows her whistle.
"Come on girls you got 15 minutes to go take your showers, hustle hustle hustle."
All the girls including me and Lyra run off to the showers very eager to take off these clothes.
I say bye to Lyra and head off to my next class, Biology. While walking to class I start thinking about the auction Lyra asked me to be in. Never have I ever been good in front of lots of people. The thing about St. Helena is that everyone and I mean everyone comes out to each event that is hosted so basically the people that I want to avoid I can't because they'll all be there.
I turn the corner of the hall to accidentally bump into a figure. What is with me that I keep bumping into things, first a door now a person. This time I don't fall on my butt I just stumble back. Once I get myself all together, I look at the person that I bumped into and it's no other than Myers.
"Hey I'm sorry for bumping into you, I'm just clumsy like that." I tell him while fixing my jacket and readjusting my bag.
He gives me a smile and waves his hands off telling me that it's all right. "You can bump into me anytime." He says with a smirk on his face.
I blush at his comment and try to contain my smile. "Noted."
"Where are you headed, I'll walk you." He suggests
"No, you don't have to do that, and won't you be late for your class?" I ask him.
"Yeah, but I'm always late it's not a big deal." I give him a nod that it's ok. He rests his hand on my back to guide me down the hall with him.
"So, how has your day been for far?" I curiously ask.
"Just fine really a little bit of pain on my right shoulder, but I'll be fine." He rubs on his right shoulder wincing at the pain.
I give a little pouty face to him and rest my hand on his shoulder. He looks at me with a questionable face, taken back at my gesture. I massage his shoulder gently.
"Does that feel better?" I ask him.
"Yeah it actually does. What would I do without you? "He looked down and smiled at me.
"Maybe die in a ditch." We both laugh out loud at my comment.
We talk some more until we reach my biology class.
"Well here's my stop I'll see you later." I tell him as I start to walk towards the door to my biology classroom. He gently pulls me back with his good arm and gives me a quick peck on my lips. He lets go of me and I immediately squirm up.
"What was that for?" I ask him.
"Just felt like it". He said playing with my hands.
"So, what does this make us then?"
"Well I would like for you to be my girlfriend. Would you like that?" He looks me dead in the eyes saying this.
I paused for a second. This would be my first boyfriend ever. I mean he's sweet and nice to me. And what about Alexander. No, don't think about him that could never happen. He's so good looking girls are probably lined up at his door. In that moment I had my answer.
"Yes, I would love to be your girlfriend." I stand on my tip toes and plant a kiss on his cheek. He returns the favor with planting a kiss on my cheek. We say our goodbyes and he heads off down the hall and I head to my desk.
I pull out my notebook and pencil and sit it on my desk. I rest my hand on my lips and the other on my cheek. I can still feel his soft lips on mine.
"Welcome class today we will be focusing on Photosynthesis If everyone can flip to last week's notes we will.." I start to zone out of the lecture and daydreamed the whole time.
The bell rings indicating that school is finally over. Everyone pours into the hallways and starts rushing out the door. I follow the crowd until I reach the doors to the drive way. I finally reach my car; I throw my bag into the backseat while hoping in the front seat. As I start to put the key in the ignition my phone buzzes, it's Lyra. She's reminded me not to forget to meet her at the diner at 6:00. I send her a quick message telling her I won't forget.
"Hey Ida." I say while walking into the door of the antique shop. The bell rings above my head.
"Quinneth honey, how was school?" Ida asks from somewhere in the store.
I trace her voice to behind the counter. Leaning over all I see is the top of her head.
"What are you doing?" I ask her.
"I was looking for some red ribbon to wrap up an item for a client that is coming by later but I can't find it." She says messing around behind the counter.
"Ida, it's in the basement on the third shelf second rack to the left." Working here you have to know where everything is at. Ida is always misplacing things.
"What would I do without you Quinneth. Man down the counter while I go down to the basement. Oh, and todays Inventory day get on that quickly." She tells me.
While she downstairs I organize the counters and pick up the clip board and start on Inventory. We usually do this once a month to make sure nothing has gone missing. I start over at the paintings and work my way around the store. This will take me a while.
I finish the photo album section and start to go over to the random objects. Behind me I hear the ring at the top of the door indicating that someone is here.
"I'll be right with you just give me a second." I tell the person as I check off a few boxes.
"I can wait all day." I hear the person say behind me. My eyes leave the clipboard to bulge open at the reflection in the mirror in front of me.
Alexander.
I turn around to see him leaned up against the counter with his arms crossed. He's wearing a black t-shirt that shows off his tattoos and big muscles might I add. His outfit concludes black pants and white tennis shoes. That hair I find myself so fond of is tousled around his head.
"I forgot you were coming today. Let me get the money it's in my purse." I sit the clipboard down and run behind the counter to grab my purse. I chatter through it until I find my wallet and pull out two twenty-dollar bills. I come from under the counter and hand him the money. "I only have twenties no change, sorry."
"It's ok." He says tucking the money on his back pocket. "Are you about to be on a break soon?" He asks me.
"No, not for another 20, why?" I ask curiously.
"Just wanted to use the 3.50 left over in change to take you out for Ice cream. I saw a booth just down the street from here." He leans his arms on the counter focusing all his attention on me. I can smell the strong fragrance that lingers on his body, smells very manly.
"Sorry maybe another time."
His eyebrow lifts, "Who objects to ice cream?"
"Apparently me." I grab the clip board and start to head back to doing inventory until Ida comes out.
"Quinneth is this a customer?" She asks walking over to him.
"No, he's a friend of mine. I owed him money and he was coming to pick it up." I tell her.
"And what's this I hear about Ice cream?" She ask readjusting her red studded glasses.
"I wanted to take your lovely employee, Quinn, out for Ice cream but she told me that her break doesn't start for another 20 minutes." He says looking at me. I know what he's trying to do and it won't work on Ida. She's no fool.
"Let's see I'm the owner of this shop and I dictate the break hours. Quinneth you can have your break early." She smiles at me. So I guess she is a fool, I stand corrected. l look at her with the 'are you serious' face.
"Ida don't be modest I should stay here it's inventory day the biggest day of the month." I say nudging her shoulder, hopefully she picks up the desperation in my voice. She doesn't.
"Quinneth, darling, don't be modest there is a handsome gentleman who wants to take you out and you will not object." She pushes me towards him.
"But I have a-." I tried to finish my sentence but she cut me off.
"I get it you have a lot of work. Let me handle it now go." She says ushering us out the door.
"Thank you so much I'll have her back at the end of her break." He says giving me a grin basically saying I won and you lost.
"I was going to say I have a boyfriend and it would be highly inappropriate for me to go with another guy." I mumble to myself while grabbing my bag from Ida.
"What did you say?" He said looking down at me.
"Nothing let's go." We head out the door to this very expensive looking car.
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