by Karla Luna
“What? She gave you yogurt?” Well that’s just unexpected. Was she just giving out free yogurts or something?
“No, I… shit, she told me not to tell you but she works there and she made me that and now I’m sick. It’s the only explanation. I’m not crazy, even though I sound crazy. Fuck, shit!”
“Look, calm down,” I said, looking deep into her eyes. “All right? Maybe the yogurt was bad there and she didn’t know it. That place used to be very popular, but they probably don’t change the yogurt since people hardly go there anymore…” I tried to explain, but she cut me off.
“No, no, no, don’t go all defender mode, okay? I saw her, o-okay, I briefly remember her acting all nervous as she put all of my toppings in. She did something. Now look at me, I’m a mess. Zavier, these things just don’t happen to me. I know it was her.”
“She wouldn’t do that.” Joss wouldn’t … no, I know she wouldn’t.
“Oh, like I’ve said, you don’t really know her! Deep within that sweet exterior is actually a lying, manipulative bitch. And maybe, she’s not the little good girl you might think she is,” she said right before she left the room, leaving me alone to take in all that she had just told me.
Would Joss really do something like that? But why?
25: Pick Me Up
•Evelyn•
I rushed back over to the yogurt place on my bike and I knew Zavier was right behind me, a little bit farther back, chasing me. Thank God I was feeling better from my stomach because it wouldn’t be pretty to puke while I was driving this fast. Blech. I guess the anger I felt now has completely soothed my pain and sickness. Now, I was going to kill the bitch.
I got to Yo-Yo My Fuck You-gurt – the actual name wasn’t even funny to me anymore – and rushed in. I heard Zavier right behind me getting out of the car while yelling at me to stop and wait. But of course, I ignored him. I had a huge chance to go after Barbie doll, and when I had a chance to do something, I never let go of it.
Joss was currently sweeping the floor with a broom and when she saw me with fury in my eyes, her own eyes went wide as she ran to the other side of the counter, making me inwardly laugh. Really, she thought that’ll stop me from pounding her face in? I gave her a small, fake smile that probably freaked her out even more, but it only worked for my wonderful attitude.
“Hi, Joss, any last words?”
I was just about to run toward her, when I felt two arms secure themselves around my waist, also trapping my own arms inside them so that I wouldn’t be able to punch him or move away. Damn, he was strong! I ignored my hormones and tightly closed my eyes to try and get rid of this headache starting to throb in my forehead.
“Zavier, let go of me,” I hissed under my breath, and I don’t know how, but I got calmer when he put his lips near my ear to whisper to me.
“Calm down, please! Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Do you just like poisoning people!?” I yelled at Joss, who was hiding and innocently looking at us with a horrified look on her face. I could tell she really was scared of me, but I wasn’t going to let her get away with this so easily. Over my dead fucking body.
If you hadn’t noticed yet, I take things really personal. But I take things even more personal when people try to do things to me and get away with them, even if it sounds like I’m exaggerating at times.
But this wasn’t exaggerating. This shit got real.
“E-evelyn, I have no idea what you’re talking ab—”
“Oh, cut the innocent crap and get over here to fight!” I was struggling so very hard to get out from Zavier’s embrace, but he wasn’t budging at all. I knew how to fight, but at the same time, I’d hate to hurt him by kicking him in the balls or something. Hell, why was I turning so freakin’ nice!?
Joss covered her ears and shook her head. She really seemed like she was about to tear up or go crazy (more than she already was), but before I could yell at her again, some old dude (probably Dickhead’s age) came over to the front counter with a frown on his face, as he put his hands comfortingly on Joss’ shoulders.
“My goodness, what is going on out here!?” he demanded, but all I did was glare at him as I heard Zavier exhale deeply.
“I’m terribly sorry, sir. We were just leaving…”
“The hell I am!” I yelled, trying once again to get away from his tough grasp. It didn’t work at all, so I just huffed and pointed at Joss, slowly killing her with my eyes. “That thing right there poisoned the yogurt. Or at least did something to it because obviously I’m still alive, but who’s to say I won’t die later on, huh?”
“Look, look,” the old dude put his hands palms up, as if trying to tell me to calm down. “My niece would never do something like that. The yogurt just might’ve been bad, and I apologize for that because it is entirely my fault. Here,” he paused to walk over to the register to open it up, “I will even pay you back your money and we can forget about this whole situation.”
I laughed but it had no humor in it at all. I wanted to get out of there. I don’t know why I suddenly changed my mind but I just knew I needed to go. “I don’t want your pathetic money back.” With that, I easily got off Zavier’s grasp – since he had started sliding his arms away – and headed out the door.
But I abruptly stopped when I heard him say, “I’m so sorry, Joss.”
She responded with a very smug yet still frightened tone. “I-it’s okay, Zavier. By the way, I really can’t wait for our date.”
Oh, hell no.
“D-date?” he asked, obviously majorly confused. But I just turned around, grasped his hand in mine, and hauled him out of there before she could say anymore. My anger was still there. I didn’t know what to believe, maybe I was hallucinating, maybe it was true, but I was just angry at the whole world, especially her.
Zavier still liked her, even as a bitch. I still had to help him due to the deal we made, even if she was a bitch. And I still don’t like her, because she’s a bitch.
I mean, I was a bitch too, but there are definitely two different kinds. The badass bitch, and the real-deal bitch.
Yeah, I guess I was both but she definitely wasn’t.
“Wait, Evelyn…” Zavier said and I stopped and deeply sighed before turning around to face him. While he started talking, I started placing my helmet on and hopping onto my bike. “Do you know what she was talking about back there? I never… I mean, I could’ve sworn I heard her right. But I don’t remember ever asking her out on…”
“Yeah, I broke my end of our little arrangement. You know where she works even though she did not want you to know for some odd reason, and I told her I’d keep her dumb secret if she went on a date with you.”
He still seemed confused as he opened his mouth to say something, but I guess he was still pretty stunned to say anything else.
“I guess if you want to go since you like her so much, then I can’t stop you. But it’s still about a week away.” I wouldn’t let the bitch take away his first, real, sexy kiss. He was mine and then she could take him, even though that still made me so angry. “But you’re mine for now, teddy bear. Let’s go have another lesson.”
He shyly and adorably looked down, shuffling his feet against the pavement. “Not a physical one, right?”
I smirked and turned my bike’s ignition on. Fuck, he was so adorable, he took out all the anger in me right away and replaced it with freakin’ warmth and tingles. Seriously, this was just so weird. “Who knows? In the end, it might just end up being one.”
And with a wink, I was gone.
“Baby, I’ll treat you like my homework. I’ll slam you on the table and do you all night long.” Once I had said that, Zavier froze up with slightly wide eyes. I wanted to laugh at his reaction even though I knew he’d react this way. But still, it was cute.
“So, pick-up lines, huh,” he said with a blush to his cheeks, as he bit his lip and shook his head almost reluctantly. “I really don’t…”
“Just tell me what yo
u know, it’s okay. You’re learning here. Pick-up lines have to be good unless some girls actually like the cheesy stuff,” I insisted, trying to hide my smile. Yeah, I was feeling way better just by being with him. He could really take away my anger, like I’ve already said, so maybe he was just my secret weapon for being happy. Man, did that sound romantically cheesy. I wasn’t like that at all. I really do fear what’s happening to me. Am I starting to lose my ‘bad’ by being with him? Because I really don’t know if it’s for the best or for the worst.
“All right,” Zavier said with a shrug as he took a deep breath before starting. I could see how his facial features got very serious, almost passionate and sincere. Oh, this is gonna be good! “I’m attracted to you so strongly scientists will have to develop a fifth fundamental force.”
Well… wait what?
I gave him an incredulous look as I tried to take in his words over and over again. “What does that even mean?”
He shrugged as he searched my face. I knew I was frowning and looking at him in a funny, confused way. But seriously though, what?! He really did make me look like a dumbass. If there’s one thing I hate next to Math, it’s Science. Though, I guess I’m fairly good at it.
With him though, when I entered his room, there were all sorts of awesome science-geeky stuff and gadgets that I never actually cared enough to be curious about. For all we knew, he could be one of those responsible for our future.
“Isn’t it obvious? See, if you just take in the time to think about it, you’ll understand that it’s…”
“Actually, I don’t wanna hear it. It’s nerd talk, she’s a nerd too, so I guess she’ll understand it,” I said, with a playfully dramatic wave of my hand. Zavier chuckled while shaking his head, but then he got very serious again. I hated seeing that smile go away, and so I tried to think of something to lighten up the mood again.
But before I could say anything, he started talking. “Evelyn, what do you think of her?”
“I…” Swallowing hard, I tried to think about whom he was referring to exactly, even though it was completely obvious. What did he care though, of what I thought about his little crush? “She’s… well, she’s… she’s… ugh, are you really going to force me to answer this question with an obvious answer?” I grumbled as I sunk low in my spot on the couch.
He deliberately shook his head with a small frown. “No, no, I just… well, I just find it sort of weird, you know. You helping me with this and yet you really hate her.”
I scoffed. “I don’t hate her.” I slowly am beginning to. “I just don’t really like her, is all. Big difference.”
He nodded as if understanding, and then clapped his hands together. “All right, why do you not like her? Has she done something to you before you called her the B word today?”
I laughed at him still not wanting to swear, but pressed my lips together to prepare myself for answering. “I’m obviously a different type of girl and I don’t usually like anything that’s good, especially a good girl.”
“So you don’t like me, because I’m good,” he stated, and he didn’t sound hurt at all, but those adorable eyes told me otherwise.
“I like you,” I said with innocent eyes, as I lightly touched his hand. He looked down at both our hands touching and blushed. “In fact, I like you a lot.”
He looked a bit stunned by my statement, and it was then that I realized that what I had just said sounded way more intimate than I meant. Did I like-like him? Or was it just my mind playing some sort of game with me again? You know, falling for the good boy. No, it was crazy just thinking about it.
“You’re a great friend, Zavier,” I said without thinking, making him look up at me with a small, weak smile. Why did he look sad? At least I was not saying I despise him or not like him. “Now, let’s get back to the lesson.”
We spent a few more minutes talking about pick-up lines and how to pick up a girl just perfectly, and he actually seriously came up with some of the cutest and most romantic things. Who would’ve thought? They weren’t kidding when they said single, inexperienced people thought of the best things for relationships. So why are they single? Why is Zavier single? And he’s gorgeous. So tremendously fucking gorgeous, and it all really made me wonder sometimes. Maybe I did want him all to myself, forever. Fuck Joss! Fuck everybody else. Fuck…
I stopped dancing in front of my mirror (yeah, I was doing that) once my phone rang. Oh dear lord, who could it be? Only one person…
“What do you want,” I demanded, not even letting Davne say hi or anything. I just wanted to know what it was that he wanted for me this night, to get it done and over with. I admit, last time was awesome, but what if this time he wanted me for something else… something hinky?
“Wow, great way to greet me, bunny.”
I sighed deeply. When was he gonna stop calling me by that horrid nickname? Bunnies are cute. I liked bunnies. But calling me bunny? Seriously? I don’t remember bunnies being so… not nice.
“Come out and enter the green mustang, we’re going for a wild ride.”
Well, I sure hope he didn’t mean sex. You just never know with that boy.
He had hung up after saying what needed to be said, and so I shook my head of all thoughts and started to get ready. I already had my black jeans and shirt on, so I just added my Converse, my leather jacket, and a grey beanie before heading out.
Stormy had a late shift, so there was no problem with her even though it was still 7pm. And I made sure to text Zavier so that he wouldn’t worry about me this time.
Once I got outside, I was grateful that Davne parked a little far away so that he wasn’t noticeable from the windows at all. The green mustang made me stop dead in my tracks and frown. Davne was obviously there, in all his bad boy glory, with arms folded and a smirk plastered on his handsome face as he leaned against the beautiful car. What the car had though was a bunch of stickers that represented something. It also had the number 1 plastered everywhere. So one thing was definitely clear: this was a freakin’ racecar.
“Hey, bunny,” he greeted while patting the hood of the car. It had two black stripes on the very middle, but with all the stickers, it was almost invisible. Still, so beautiful.
“Where are we going this time?” I asked, even though it was clear to me where exactly we were going. But hey, he might just use this car to cruise around. You never know.
“Street race, sweet cheeks.” He grinned widely as he opened the passenger door for me. I shrugged and slid in. And in about 15 minutes, we were in an abandoned street, yet there was a huge crowd there. Once people saw the car coming in, they started cheering like maniacs and moving out of the way. There was already a red, old mustang there, probably waiting for Davne, and a girl in a skimpy outfit standing in between both cars that were racing. She was holding a black and white flag.
Davne opened his window and was greeted immensely. “Ready to race, Markus?” he yelled over the crowd of people. When I looked over at the Markus guy, he was smug, and looked pretty tough. He was probably about 10 years older than us, and dressed all bad-boyish like Davne himself, except he had a kick-ass beard and a bandana wrapped around his head.
“Ready to lose, Davne?” he asked, making people ‘oooh’ at his remark as he hopped into his car. I was just about to get out even though I didn’t want to. I mean, it’s a race and being in a car going over 100 mph was the best fucking thing, but I figured Davne just wanted me to watch him race and win and whatnot. You know, to be a showoff. But just as I opened the door and was about to let one foot out to touch the pavement, I felt him grab my wrist and pull me back in. He looked either mad or just confused...
“Where the hell are you going? You’re staying with me.”
All I did was shrug and close the door as the race was about to begin. He stepped on the accelerator hard so that it would go faster and faster each passing second. The window wasn’t open but I still felt free. Back home, I’d street race at times and I loved it. If only I could
do it again.
The car was going immensely fast, I could hardly see the trees or anything, just blurred lines. Markus was gaining on us sometimes but Davne was still going at it. He looked sexy while driving too, with his eyebrows knitted together and his jaw clenched as his muscles rippled due to how hard he held on to the steering wheel.
And I guess I knew why his car has the number 1 on it, because obviously, he won. The bad thing though was that when we got out of his car, he grabbed me and kissed me hard in front of all these strangers. I didn’t want people knowing about this. But I didn’t know anyone here, and I hardly think people from school would hang out with him like this. They’re all scared of him.
“Now it’s your turn, bunny,” he said, right after pulling away from me as he handed me some keys. I looked at him incredulously and then he turned to see a black racecar parked behind everyone. They moved and I took that as my cue to get in. But who was I racing? It’d be easy to beat Markus, that guy was a freakin’ snail.
But I was wrong. Once I had parked the car right by the finish line, I saw Davne smirk before getting into his car again. Whoa! Racing him? Isn’t he like, unstoppable? Or that’s at least what I heard from a few people. I smirked nonetheless, putting the car in gear and starting to make that wonderful vroom sound with it.
“It’s on, Davne.”
The race began and we were practically driving side by side, but I knew my little tricks into going faster. My heart was pounding and I seriously felt so great at that moment. This was me and I reminded myself that I was here to stay. It seemed that we were just about neck and neck at one time, but just as we rounded the finish line, I beat him by a few inches.
Everyone rounded the car and when I got out, Davne gave me a smirk and winked. “Good job, bunny.”
I felt proud that I, Evelyn Jo, had beaten the bad boy (aka the #1 racer here) in a street race. Though I still felt he probably let me win, I liked to think that I actually beat him.
