May These Noises Startle You in Your Sleep

It was lunch now and I sat in my favorite part of the courtyard, of course a secluded corner in the shade that got almost no traffic. Mike would come out and visit me every once and a while but he would always bring his friends over with him. I didn’t bring anything to eat, I just sipped on some water and I was soon joined by Steph.
She sat down in front of me and her smirk was the same as it was earlier. “So about that story.” She pulled out a sandwich from her bag and handed me half.

“I don’t know if I really want to talk about it.” I shrugged and took a bite of the sandwich she gave me. She finished her sandwich quickly and grabbed my hand, not even waiting for me to finish. I groaned as she dragged me off into the parking lot. She stopped in front of a beat up black car and unlocked the door. She waved for me to get in so I followed her lead, sitting in the passenger seat and letting the hot air engulf me. The car started up and the windows rolled down as she drove out of the parking lot.

I didn’t bother to ask where we were going; there wasn’t a point to her madness anyway. It was a couple minutes later when we pulled into a driveway and she stopped the car. We both got out of the car and she dragged me up the stairs of the house. It was nearly empty, almost abandoned if you ask me. She pulled me into one of the rooms and it was maybe the most lively part of the house, in comparison of course. There was a mattress on the ground and it was covered in some black blankets and there was a small stuffed animal on top of the pillows. There were some clothes on the floor and the room smelled a bit like cat piss, and then there was the carpet. It was stained and I was more than happy that I didn’t take my shoes off.

“What is this place?” I finally asked after taking all of it in.

She turned to face me and her red hair flipped with the motion. Her mouth twisted into the crooked smile that drove me crazy. “This is my house.” She took my hand and brought me over to the bed. I furrowed my brows and let go of her hand.

“Is it just you here?” I leaned my back against the wall and watched as she ruffled through a pile of things next to her bed. She pulled out a bottle of dark liquid and took a long drink. Once she was done she smirked again and handed me the bottle.

“Yep, I’m emancipated.” She shrugged and leaned against the other wall so she could rest her feet in my lap. I was surprised, but she didn’t seem bothered by it, so why should I be? We sat there for a while before I took a drink of what was inside the bottle. Upon it touching my tongue I realized it was whiskey, so I downed some more.

“Whoa there kid, that’s all I’ve got and I’d like to make it last.” She laughed and took the bottle out of my hands. It was the first time I’ve heard her laugh, and it was more beautiful than when I heard her voice. I smirked and rested my hands on her boots, turning my head to watch what she did. Her lips wrapped around the bottle and I was in yet another trance, the things this girl could do to me without even trying. She brought the bottle down and screwed the cap back on.

“You’re smiling.” She let one corner of her mouth curl into a half smile. “It looks good on you.” She laughed and set the bottle down beside her bed. She curled her feet back below her and she leaned forward, pressing her lips against my cheek. I turned to face her again, her eyes no longer peering into mine. My sleeves were lifted up and she frowned when she saw my scars, she adjusted herself to straddle my lap. I watched as she took off every bracelet on each hand, revealing small cuts similar to the ones on my wrist. We said nothing; we just shared the same silence that we each felt more comfortable with. Her hands made their way to my shoulders, crossing them behind me neck and brought her face closer to mine again. Our lips connected and all I could taste was the whiskey on her tongue. I let my hands rest on her waist as we kissed, her tongue slipping into the kiss and things started to get heated. She pushed me down onto the bed and pinned my arms above my head, keeping the kiss going without so much of a sign of struggle.

We stayed there for a while, just kissing on her bed and things were fine for just a moment. My phone buzzed in my pocket and she groaned when I tried to reach for it. “Can’t you just check it later? I’m having such a good time.” She whispered against my skin but I answered it anyway, smirking as her lips moved down to my neck.

“Hello?” I answered in a nearly irritated tone.

“Where the hell are you Vic?” Mike grumbled. “I’ve been waiting at the car for half an hour and you haven’t even bothered to fucking tell me that you’re going to be gone?”

I sighed and tried to apologize. “Sorry Mike, I’ll be there soon, okay? Don’t go anywhere.” I hung up the phone and got up, Steph rolling off me and sitting on the mattress. She frowned and followed me out the door so she could drive me back to the school. Her hair flicked around in the wind and I didn’t even bother to look out the window to make sure we were going back to the school; I just watched her drive as her eyes looked straight ahead to stare down the street.

“Stop staring Fuentes.” She smirked and kept her eyes on the road.

I furrowed my brows and sat up straight in the seat. “I never told you my last name.”

“The teacher in first period did, he kind of told me that you were a loner.” She shrugged and turned to me with a deadly grin. “I figured we’d get along well, wouldn’t you agree?” I looked back on the road and we approached the school’s parking lot. The only cars left belonged to staff and then there was mine with a lonely Mike leaning against it. His head was down and his hair covered his face, his hands were shoved in his pockets and I could already tell that he was pissed. I pointed to my car and Steph pulled up beside it, letting me out.

“Let’s continue this tomorrow.” She smiled and sped out of the parking lot.

“Who was that?” Mike picked his head up and cocked it to the side, the frown on his face was the most prominent feature. I sighed and walked around to the other side of the car so I could unlock it. We got in and I started to drive the car, ready for silence but then Mike opened his mouth again. “Vic, who was that and why were you gone? You know that mom will be pissed when she gets the call that you skipped.”

I scoffed and tucked my hair behind my ear. “That’s why I’m going to delete the message before she gets home Mike, you honestly don’t know how easy it is.” I rested my head against the head rest. He groaned and cocked his head to the side.

“Vic, just tell me who that girl was.” He frowned.

I shrugged and kept my eyes on the road. “She’s just this girl I met today; it’s not really a big deal.” Lie. It was a very big deal, everything about this girl was a big deal. She was dangerous and a bitch but I couldn’t help but fall for her tantalizing spell, everything about her was so irresistible to me and ever since I saw her she’s been running through my mind. No one has ever made me feel like this before, not even previous girlfriends or celebrity crushes, this just seemed so real.

“Like it’s not a big deal.” Mike laughed and pointed to my neck. “You have lipstick all over your neck and face, so sure, it really isn’t a big deal.” He crossed his arms and looked out the window, the smirk on his face slowly fading away. We pulled into the driveway and Mike nearly ran inside the house, I never knew someone could be so happy to get back to a place this terrible. Once I got inside Mike was already in the kitchen, getting something to eat and then he sat down on the couch to watch some TV. But all I could do was sit on the couch beside him and think about Steph.

Notes