Caught by the Bad Boys Series

by Raathi Chota

  “Well, then I must’ve got it somewhere else,” I lied as I took off my glasses.

  “Sneaky,” Levi added. I watched as Blake opened the pack and saw that there were only three gone. I hadn’t used that pack yet, even though I had it the longest. I finished my others, then I’d probably use his.

  “Get ready.” Levi snapped me out of my thoughts.

  “Where are you going?” I asked as they stood in front of me. Levi still had my phone in his hand as he scrolled through it.

  “My house.” Blake smirked as I sighed.

  “I don’t think there’s a need for me to go,” I said, then turned back to my work. A second later, “Stacey’s Mom” by Fountains of Wayne played. I looked up to see Levi bobbing his head.

  “Now this is incredible,” he said as the song played. I watched in amusement as he lip-synced the song. Levi used my phone as a mic as he swung his arm around Blake’s shoulder. Blake soon joined as they belted out the lyrics.

  “Stop,” I whined as they sang the chorus.

  “Will you come with us?” Levi asked as they rocked back and forth. I shook my head and crossed my arms, then Levi turned up the volume. My eyes widened as I reached for my phone, but he ran away as the music played. “Blake!” Levi called out, then tossed my phone. Thankfully, Blake caught it as he raised his arm so I couldn’t get it. They laughed as I jumped for my phone.

  “Lana, turn that music down!” Mom yelled as I groaned.

  “I will!” I replied. Blake threw it back at Levi as I spun around. I watched as Levi jumped onto my bed and sang. Very soon, Blake ran up and joined him.

  “I just made the bed up!” I yelled as I tried to push them off. “All right, I’ll go!” I yelled over the music as they jumped. They immediately stopped, and Levi turned off the music. They jumped off and walked toward the door.

  “I’ll be waiting in the car,” Levi said, then exited the room. I let out a sigh as I ran my hand through my curly hair. I picked up my phone and shoved it in my pocket, then put on my glasses. I walked down the stairs and into the living room to be met by my mother and Blake.

  “Where are you going?” she asked as Jade sat down beside her.

  “Blake’s house.”

  “Okay, don’t stay out too late.”

  “Axel will be there,” I blurted out. Blake had a puzzled look on his face as Jade stared at him. My mother smiled as she gave a curt nod.

  “Tell your brother I say hi,” Mom said.

  “Err…yeah, his birthday was a few days ago,” Blake said in an ominous tone.

  “Well, tell him we say happy belated birthday,” Mom said, then turned back to the TV. I squinted my eyes as I watched her. I followed Blake out the door as we walked to Levi’s car.

  “What was that about?” he asked as he got onto his motorcycle.

  “I have no idea…my parents know Axel.”

  “Hmm…must be because he got arrested or something.” Blake shrugged as he started his bike.

  “Yeah,” I mumbled as I walked toward the black Mustang.

  ***

  “Make yourselves at home,” Blake said as we stepped into his house. It looked the same as last time. It seemed cleaner. The vase that Blake and I fixed stood above the fireplace. Blake soon disappeared, which left Levi and me alone, yet I heard voices from the other side of the house. “All right, come on,” Blake said as he came into the room with a toolbox in his hands.

  “Why are we actually here?” I asked as Levi and Blake walked to the kitchen.

  “Touch up my car for the next race.” Levi winked as he accepted a bottle of beer from Blake. He offered me one, but I kindly declined as I sat on a stool by the island. I watched as the boys opened their bottles with their teeth. I laughed. The garage door was right next to the fridge. Blake opened it, and they walked out and left me in the kitchen as they touched up Levi’s car. I became suspicious as to why Blake wanted to help with his vehicle.

  “Fancy seeing you here, pumpkin.” I glanced up to see Axel Gunner. He sat opposite me with a guilty look. I raised a brow as he spun around and opened the fridge. Once he took out a bottle of beer, he faced me. “Look, about the other night, I was drunk and stupid.” He sighed as he twisted the top off. “My bad, pumpkin.”

  “You’re not good with apologies, are you?” I asked, and he chuckled.

  “You know me so well, pumpkin.”

  “Heard it was your birthday a few days ago,” I said. Axel’s eyes lit up as he took a sip of beer, then nodded eagerly. He stood up and walked to the back door.

  “Guess what I got for my birthday?” he asked. Before I even thought about it, he waved it off with an excited look. “Wait, don’t guess…his name is Scruffy.” He opened the door.

  “What kind of name is Scruffy?” I said and tilted my head. My eyes widened as a black greyhound entered the kitchen. My hands gripped the edges of the island as the dog jumped on Axel. The dog barked, which showed his sharp, scary teeth. I loved dogs and preferred them to cats, but this dog seemed to frighten me. The dog’s appearance was beyond scary as I bit the inside of my cheek.

  “Scruffy, meet Lana.” Axel shifted Scruffy’s head toward me. With one look, Scruffy released himself from Axel and darted toward me. My eyes widened as Scruffy ran toward me as he barked. He jumped on me, and we fell to the ground. I let out a scream as Scruffy hovered over me and barked uncontrollably. I thought he’d bite me as I shut my eyes. “Bad Scruffy!” Axel called as I opened my eyes. Levi was above me with Blake on my left and Axel on the right. They pulled Scruffy away from me as I frowned. Blake held his hand out, which I gladly accepted. He pulled me up as I glared at him.

  “You could’ve told me you got a dog,” I grumbled as Levi and Axel put Scruffy outside.

  “You never asked,” Blake stated as he brushed me off. I shook my head as Levi and Axel laughed. Axel didn’t have many tattoos like Blake and Levi. In fact, he only had a few on his hands. “I didn’t know you two knew each other.”

  “We met at a party once.” Axel shrugged as he sat back down. Levi and Blake walked back into the garage and left me alone with Axel, who tried to hurt me twice. The quietness was soon interrupted with an engine.

  “That’s my girl,” Levi cheered, and I pictured his smirk. I noticed someone entered the room—a female who looked to be my mother’s age. Her dark brown hair was tied up in a bun with a few strands stuck out. She wore black glasses and a formal black suit.

  “Hey, Momma,” Axel greeted as she set her bag on the island. It made sense as the standard features seemed to come from Blake and Axel. Yet I didn’t imagine her with glasses.

  “Hi, baby.” She smiled as Axel got up to kiss her on the forehead. She turned to me with a warm smile as she took in my appearance. I shifted awkwardly as I held my hand out.

  “Hi, I’m Lana Willson,” I said as she gently shook my hand.

  “Roxanne Gunner and I know who you are; my sons talk about you all the time,” she said as my eyes flicked toward Axel, who winked at me. I turned to his mother. She smiled at me.

  “You have a lovely home, Mrs. Gu—”

  “Momma’s boy!” Levi yelled from the garage. We turned our heads to see Blake jog in. He was shirtless, and the sweat made his body stand out. The tattoos on his arms seemed to glow as he ran a hand through his hair. I watched as Axel went over to the kettle and switched it on. Blake walked to his mother and kissed her on the cheek.

  “Hey, Momma, how was work?” he asked, then sipped on Axel’s beer.

  “Tiring as always.” Mrs. Gunner sighed as she sat on a stool. “Axel, did you feed that dog your uncle bought you?” she asked as she removed the hair tie and let it flow on her back.

  “Yes, Momma,” he mumbled as he fiddled with the crockery.

  “Good, because I’m not going anywhere near that thing.”

  Levi walked in, and it was no surprise that he was also shirtless. He had more tattoos on his body rather than his arms.

  “Dude, your car will
be ready by tomorrow night, but you should go for a new paint job,” Blake said as he put his arm around his mother’s shoulder.

  “I know, I know.” Levi sighed as he waved to Mrs. Gunner.

  “What are you two doing?” she asked.

  “Busy with his spark plug…oh, and you need a new battery,” Blake said, then walked out. “I think I have one in the back. Come on.”

  “He has a car battery?” I raised a brow.

  “He has everything,” Axel stated as he placed a cup of tea in front of his mother.

  “He loves motors,” Mrs. Gunner said, then turned to me. “Do you know what he wants to be?”

  “A mechanical engineer,” Axel said as he joined them in the garage.

  “Wow, that’s amazing.” I smiled.

  “Indeed, my boy has dreams,” she said, then sipped her tea. “Now I just have to find a way to make them come true.”

  ***

  A raspy yawn escaped my lips as I walked through the hallway. After Mrs. Gunner and I talked in the kitchen for a while, Levi and I had to go. It was nice to talk to her, and they were a genuinely nice family. It was Wednesday, and as I turned the corner, I saw Benny by my locker. He acted strangely lately, and I really didn’t know why. I felt like it had to do with Levi. I slowly approached him, and his face immediately lit up.

  “Hi.” I smiled, then opened my locker.

  “Hey, err,” he mumbled, then let out a frustrated sigh. “Do you wanna go on a date?”

  “O-on a date?” I repeated.

  “Yeah, but if you don’t want to, I unde—”

  “No.” I quickly cut him off as I placed my hand on his arm. We looked down, and I removed my hand. “I-I’d love to. It’s just I haven’t been on a date before.”

  “Well, if you don’t feel comfortable, just think of it as two friends hanging out.”

  “Okay, but what do I wear?”

  “Anything. What you’re wearing is even perfect.” He stuttered as he glanced down at my outfit. I let out a chuckle as I glanced at my gray hoodie and faded black jeans.

  “So comfy and casual it is,” I said as the bell rang.

  “Yeah, I’ll pick you up at seven.” He laughed as we walked to Physics class. I couldn’t stop smiling as we entered the classroom. I couldn’t believe I was going on my first date tonight! I didn’t even know what to wear. I didn’t know where we’re going or what we’re doing, but I hoped it turned out perfect.

  “Good morning, class!” Mr. Gorton smiled as he entered the classroom.

  “Well, good morning to you too,” Liam replied as he sat in front of me.

  “Look, I know winter break is in two days and your brains are probably fried by now, so free period,” Mr. Gorton said as the class cheered.

  “There must be a reason,” Nick said as he raised a brow.

  “Well, as you know, there are other Physics classes, and all your results have been tallied. Our class received the highest!” he exclaimed as everyone clapped and cheered.

  “Can we practice?” Liam asked as Mr. Gorton took the attendance. He nodded then propped his legs on the table.

  “Yo, Ethan!” Nick called as he held his hands out. Ethan miraculously had a basketball in his hands, then he tossed it to Nick. Since most of the team was in the class, they spread out so that they could throw the ball to each other. Coach told them to practice a lot since there’s no practice today and there’s a game soon.

  “Careful with the ball. I don’t wanna be a witness for when you guys break the window…again.” Mr. Gorton sighed. I leaned back in my chair as I watched the boys goof around. Liam stood on a chair as he formed a hoop with his arms. I laughed as Ethan flung the ball into his arms. The door was wide open, and Aidan casually strolled in. He ducked as he walked over and plopped down in the chair in front of me.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked as he smirked at me.

  “English with Mr. Basil is annoying.” Aidan frowned. His posture seemed to straighten as he looked over my shoulder. I raised a brow and followed his gaze, only to see Tiffany Martin. Her long red hair fell to her hips as she tugged on the sleeves of her sweater. She laughed with her friends, which made her eyes squint. I spun back around to see the big smile molded onto his face.

  “Why are you staring at Tiffany?” I asked.

  “Just thinking back to Homecoming,” he sighed. “We had an awesome time, and she looked stunning in that dress.”

  “You like her, don’t you?” I tilted my head.

  “Yeah, but she won’t go for a troublemaker like me.” He frowned as I rolled my eyes.

  “Don’t say that, Aidan. You’re a great guy who’s fun—”

  “Rowley, what the heck are you doing here?” Mr. Bronx’s voice cut me off as he poked his head into the room. Mr. Gorton shook his head in disappointment but welcomed Mr. Bronx. Aidan let out a sigh as he stood up and walked to the door. He spun around and stared at our teacher with a mischievous look.

  “Can I stay please?” he whined, and Mr. Gorton shook his head.

  “Aidan, catch,” Ethan said as he threw the ball to him. I sighed as I slowly got up to go and talk with Mr. Bronx.

  “Lana, watch out!” Ethan yelled as I froze. It was too late as I felt a solid basketball connect with my cheek. I stumbled back as my legs hit the desk. The ball landed on the floor as I settled down on the desk.

  “I’m so sorry, Lana!” Aidan exclaimed. I peeked up to see him by the door with a panicked look. Mr. Bronx glared at him as he looked around the classroom, then ran out.

  “Are you okay?” Benny asked as he, Liam, and Ethan rushed toward me. Mr. Gorton rose to his feet, but Mr. Bronx stopped him.

  “That’s a big bruise,” Liam said as he tilted his head. I raised a brow as they stared at me. Mr. Bronx shuffled toward us as his eyes widened. I squinted my eyes as I touched my cheek. A small bump lay beneath my fingers, but Ethan shook his head and motioned down. My hand slowly moved down until Ethan told me to stop. I didn’t feel anything, but they seemed aware of the bruise. Liam let out a sigh as he took out his phone and opened his camera. He gave it to me as I stared at myself through his phone. My eyes widened as I saw it. They thought my hickey was a bruise. I gave Liam my phone as I pulled my hoodie up and sat down on the chair. Benny, Liam, and Ethan gave me weird looks, but Mr. Bronx shooed them away as he sat in front of me.

  “I know that’s not a bruise, Lana,” he said with a concerned look.

  “I can’t help it,” I whispered as I rested my head on the desk.

  ***

  “Oh my god!”

  “I know!”

  “Oh my god!”

  “I know!”

  “Would you two shut up?” Melissa grumbled from the backseat. Miranda drove me home, and I told them about my date with Benny.

  “What, Singe? Upset because Blake didn’t have the balls t—”

  “Whatever! I’m still team Blake long and strong!” Melissa confessed.

  “Any tips, guys? This is my first date.” I frowned as I nervously twirled my hair.

  “Don’t talk too much about yourself. Give him a chance.”

  “Don’t order any finger food even though I know you love that food.”

  “Don’t talk about any other guy.”

  “If you’re gonna order pasta, don’t take the spaghetti, because once you slurp it up, it whacks you in the face.”

  “Smile and laugh at his jokes, but not too much.”

  By the time they were done, we had arrived at my house.

  “All in all, be yourself and have fun,” Miranda said as I got out of the car. “Tell us all about it tomorrow!” I anxiously ran my hand through my hair as I walked into the house. Mom and Jade were in the kitchen as I quietly entered.

  “Hey, Lana, how was school?” Jade asked.

  “It was good, err…listen, I won’t be home for dinner tonight,” I mumbled.

  “Why not?” she asked as a smile formed on my face.

  “Benny asked me
out on a date!” I squealed as I rushed toward my mother. Mom and Jade let out a squeal as we jumped up and down and talked about tonight. I knew Mom would be happy because I’ve never been on a date, yet Jade had a son, so she was obviously delighted since I was like a daughter to her.

  “Whoa, what are we celebrating?” Levi asked as he walked in.

  “Lana’s going on a date!” Jade squealed as she pinched my cheeks.

  “With who?”

  “Benny.”

  “Fucking cunt!” Levi’s blank expression changed as he rushed out of the room and into the garage. I followed him only to see Blake on the floor right next to Levi’s car.

  “Shit, dude. Sorry, I forgot you were under there.” Levi laughed then helped Blake.

  “What’s all the fucking commotion about?” Blake asked.

  “Lana’s going on a date with Benny.” Levi huffed as he leaned on his vehicle.

  Blake squinted his eyes at me as he gave me a questioning look.

  “Get back to your cars.” I waved them off with a smile then skipped out of the garage.

  ***

  I stared at myself in the mirror as I tugged on the cream sweater. Benny said casual. I let out a sigh as I slipped on my over knee boots and red scarf. Jade straightened my hair rather nicely, so I decided to leave it loose. I was nervous because it was my first date, and I didn’t know what to expect. I trusted Benny, and he wouldn’t do something extreme, especially for the first date. That explained why he was so quiet the past two days. I glanced at my clock, and in time the doorbell rang. He must be nervous too, since it’s six fifty-eight. I walked downstairs, and I saw my dad by the door. I let out a groan as I watched him interrogate Benny. He looked cute in his jacket, black sweater, jeans, and high tops. I approached my dad, but my eyes were on Benny. Once he spotted me, he smiled. I looked at my dad, yet his gaze was already fixed on me.

  “Don’t worry, Dad, we won’t be out too la—”

  “No, you kids have fun,” Father said as he smiled at Benny. “I’m trusting you with my daughter, Nielson. Don’t mess it up.”