~ 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮 ~

𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞 🌷📖🧃

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲 - 𝟬𝟭

Clara was sitting on my bed, all fancy as usual, although she was only studying for her final and watching me pack. The black haired girl turned to me to look over my outfit. She sounded a simple 𝙉𝙤 and turned back over to her chemistry book.

𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙣, 𝘾𝙤𝙤𝙥. 𝙄𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙜𝙤𝙙 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙛𝙞𝙩? I argue with her, still folding clothes into my suitcase. My outfit was completely fine, denim shorts and a white crop top. It wasn’t the best but I would only be in a car for an hour, it didn’t matter. She sat up from her spot leaning on her hands.

𝙄 𝙖𝙨 𝙠𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚. She says and I laugh. One thing I haven’t been doing lately. I only haven’t because It made me feel like I should always be happy, be super confident. I never was. I also haven’t because of my dad, my dad told me we were moving and I broke down, he called me weak and annoying. I was surprised I didn’t end up with a cut or a bloody nose.

𝙀𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙚, 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙣! Joseph Abbot, my dad, called from downstairs. He was turning fifty three tomorrow, and something inside made me happy that he was one year older, I wanted him gone. My dad wasn’t just a normal guy, he was big. His arms were probably bigger than my head. When he was stressed or mad and his kids were no where around to beat, he used exercise as an outlet. I have an outlet, painting. Something i’ve been doing since I was five.

𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜! I zipped up my suit case and drug it downstairs with Clara following closely behind, she had always been scared of my dad. I don’t blame her but she’s not scared of him for the same reason i am. I’ve never told her about him and I don’t plan too, i feel embarrassed when I can’t cover a mark up.

I said goodbye to Clara and she hugged me so much that I almost began to cry, she never shows affection. She’s hugged me once through our whole friendship and that was only because she had just gotten broken up with, keep in mind that we’ve been best friends for eight years. But today she wouldn’t stop hugging me, at one point she kissed me on my cheek before I got into the blue Sedan.

The whole hour long car ride was torture, it was awkward and the only time we talked was when he got mad at me for turning the radio up. Thankfully, he was sober so he wasn’t as mad. When we got to the new house I gasped. I don’t think I’ve seen anything more beautiful in my life.

The house was grey and the shutters were a baby blue to match the door. It looked like a beach house but instead it was a house that had a dock once you finished cutting through the yard, much like the other houses. The yard was big in the back, at least. In the front there was a porch with a long walkway leading to it, three little stairs from the sidewalk connecting to the walkway. It was officially my dream house.

𝘿𝙖𝙙, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚? I call out to him who was already stepping onto the porches steps. He turns around and smiles.

𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩, 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙚 He said, but i knew he didn’t mean it. I wouldn’t want the master anyways, it would be way too much room. I grab my suitcase out of the backseat and make my way up stairs. I walk into a room with a great view of the docks and probably pretty sunsets. I set my suitcase on my bed and go off to find dad. I found him placing his beers into the white fridge and i grimaced.

𝙃𝙚𝙮, 𝙄’𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙜𝙤 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙣, 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨. 𝙊𝙠𝙖𝙮? He didn’t say anything he just nodded and I took that as my cue to get my bicycle out of the trunk of the car. My bicycle is a yellow cruiser and the handlebars are a light brown, i’m in love with it. I find my backpack that contained my phone and wallet in the trunk as well and put it on, deciding to take it with me. I hopped on the bike and rode and rode until I came across a snow cone shack. I put my bike up against a tree and walked up to the trailer shack. I began to order but I keep looking over at my bike to make sure nobody was going to steal it since I didn’t have a lock chain. My posture was probably terrible right now.

𝘽𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙠𝙚? I hear them ring the bell and I quickly take a step forward to grab it. I leave a tip on the counter thing through the window because, why not? I walk over to the tree with my head down but when I look up, my bike is gone. My gut was right again. shit. shit shit. fucking shit. I begin to panic and look around me and the hint of yellow crosses my eyes across the street. I’d rather get ran over or robbed than dad get mad at me for not getting my bike back. Hell, he’d probably be mad about me going into a coma. I run through the not so busy street and kick the person behind their knees, making them fall. See? I’m smart.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙞𝙠𝙚? 𝘿𝙞𝙘𝙠. I mutter the last word under my breathe as he begins to get up. I take this as my cue to hop on my bike and book it. The boy was honestly attractive, i’d think he was hot if he didn’t steal my bike. He had messy blonde hair and he had dark washed jeans on with a light green hoodie on. Which, why? It’s the beginning of summer.

I head to a place called the Dock House, i remember it from when I used to vacation here with mom. I put my bike against the railing that said “ferry tours”. I walked inside and up to the bar asking for a milkshake, that’s something I like about this restaurant. They let you sit there even if you’re under age.

I hear the ding of the door and look at it which was letting warm air flow through the crack of it slowly closing. I look to it’s left a little to see the Bike boy but he took off his hoodie and is wearing a surf shop shirt. I’m tapping my foot against the barstool, hoping he can make a milkshake faster.

𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙞𝙠𝙚. His voice was deep and so, so close to my ear. It was a good kind of deep and not the type that scares you. My whole body shivers and whoever the man was that whispered in my ear just now, notices it. I look at him to only see bike boy.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩, 𝙗𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙮? He chuckles at the nickname and i catch myself before I can smile. His smile was so pretty, his teeth were white and straight and he had dimples. They were deep, which made him even more attractive, not cute.

𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙡, 𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩, 𝙨𝙤 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙞𝙠𝙚. He says and I stare blankly, no emotions. I push my eyebrows together and ask, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩?

𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙞𝙠𝙚, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙥𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙖𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙖𝙣.

It still didn’t make sense.

𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙠𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙠𝙚. He offers and sits on the stool next to me.

𝙄 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙠𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄 𝙠𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙨. I place my crossed arms on the table and lean my head into them. My hands were shaking and I was nervous. Why? I don’t know. He begins to spin around on the stool and so do I, pretty soon I’m really dizzy.

𝙇𝙚𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣. I tell him, slowing down. I feel nauseous.

𝙒𝙖𝙞𝙩, he pauses and stops his chair, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙚.

I begin to talk but realize it was kind of dumb so I decide to lie, like I always do. 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙞𝙠𝙚.

He laughs and so do I. By the way, where is that milkshake?

𝙃𝙪𝙣? A woman in a scandalous bartender outfit asks from behind the counter. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙣?

𝙊𝙝, 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙠𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙠𝙚. I say nervously and I place my hands in my lap.I look over at the boy that was in the same position as me but slouched. The woman seems to realize something.

𝙒𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙠𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚, 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙠. Her southern accent drawled out and the boy next to me smiled.

𝙊𝙠𝙖𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪. I feel upset although I was only getting it for my dad. I spin off of the chair and walk out of the restaurant with a ding, then another ding. I spin around to see the boy that claimed he wasn’t trying to steal my bike. Speaking of, where is my bike? I look over at the tree to make sure it was still there, and it was. Thank go. I redirected my attention to the boy who was standing in front of me. Did I mention how fucking tall he is, this is how I get neck pains.

𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙬? I ask sarcastically as I walk over to my bike and getting on it.

𝙉𝙤, 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩? He said, convincingly. I whipped my head around to him and smiled.

𝙄’𝙢 𝘾𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚 𝙀𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙚. I grip the handle bars a little tighter.

𝙄’𝙢 𝙎𝙖𝙬𝙮𝙚𝙧. 𝙉𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙄 𝙖𝙢, 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙀𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙚? His hands were in his pocket now, and i just realized that his hoodie was in my basket.

𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨? I teased him as I wiped my hair out of my face and behind my ear. He could most likely see my freckles right now.

He smiles and said, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙚𝙩.

I don’t know why, but I felt nervous in that moment. My hands began to shake so I hid it by strumming my fingers on the handle bars.

𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙡, 𝙄’𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙜𝙤. I say before kicking my kickstand up and steadying myself.

𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙣𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧? He asked me and only then did I realize that he was British, he must try to hide it all the time.

𝙐𝙝 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙝 . I smile because if he didn’t like his accent, I most definitely did. He hands over his phone and I notice that he barely has any contacts. I type in my number and put my name, that was something about me I hadn’t told him. I handed his phone back and he smiled. That god damn smile.

𝘽𝙮𝙚. He wiggled his fingers from what I could see when I was riding away.