We Signed Our Life Away

“So he’s a cutie with a booty?” Millie asked as she cleaned up some abandoned coffee cups.

“If you want. To be honest, I found his CD collection more interesting than his arse. Not that I was looking at it…” I trailed off.

“Gosh Parker. Live your life. Stuff music. When there’s a cute arse around, fuckin’ stare it,” Millie giggled as she put the cups into the dishwasher haphazardly.

“Next time, love,” I smiled, shaking my head.

“So this Oliver, he’s not a ponce?”

“Cross my heart. He said to call him Oli so I doubt it. His mum is brutal gorgeous though. She has these frosty blue eyes that – “

“Hang on, lovey. Yer falling in love with his mother, are you?” Millie teased.

“Oh ha-ha. I wish you could see him though, Mills. He’s a stunner. Not that I thought about his looks much until I left his house. I was much more interested in his music,” I sighed.

“You confuse the hell outta me, Parker.”

I just laughed as I left the counter to wipe down the now empty tables. I was just finishing the last table when I heard the glass doors open.

Speak of the devil, I snickered.

“Hello Oliver,” I nodded.

“Parker! I din’t know you worked here,” he said, surprised.

“I never told you, dunce,” I grinned, heading to the counter.

“You have coffee righ’?” Oliver’s friend Curtis asked. I knew him from school as he was in a few of the mathematics classes. It should’ve been obvious to me that they would be friends.

“No. We serve dog shit. What do you want?” I sighed, chewing on the end of the pencil.

“Non fat latte,” Oliver demanded.

“And you said you weren’t a ponce,” I muttered, writing down his order and shoving it to Millie who quickly began making the coffee.

“I’m not. I just like a good coffee that’s not full of shit,” he shrugged.

“Curtis?”

“Hot chocolate,” he grinned, handing me some change from the pocket of his jeans.

I took the money, shaking my head at Curtis’ choice of drink, handed him back the change and waited for Millie to complete their drinks. Two minutes passed and they were done.

“Here you go,” I smiled, handing them drinks.

“Hey, Parker?” Oliver asked.

“Yes, Oliver?”

“You busy this arvo?”

“No,” I blushed.

“See you this afternoon then,” he winked as he left the shop, Curtis in tow.

I turned to look at Millie but I didn’t have to say anything. The smirk on her face said it all. I merely chuckled at her before wiping down the benches.

“Y’ know, I find it unfair that you can act so natural around cute guys when I forget the whole English language,” she said, still smirking.

“I guess it’s my natural talent. Just like your is….”

“Making non fat lattes. Sure,” she laughed before serving a customer who had just walked in.

***

Millie, being the stunning girl that she was, let me leave half an hour earlier so that I had extra time to get ready for my ‘date’ with Oliver. When I got home and tried on all my clothes, nothing was right. I knew I couldn’t complain to mum because lat time I did I got a full-fledged lecture about dating isn’t about appearance; it’s about personality. Yeah, sure.

I thought about what Oliver was wearing at the coffee shop that morning. Tight jeans, V-neck shirt – nothing spectacular but somehow it looked dazzling on him. I decided to… borrow his style and I slid on, with much effort, my two sizes too small drain pipe jeans along with my favourite old school Metallica tee shirt that was once my cousin Eric’s. I made a mental note to thank him later.

Suddenly I heard a knock at the front door and I rushed down the stairs; praying that my mum was in the garden. I didn’t want her to know I was… getting friendly with Oliver.

“Hey love,” he smiled as I opened the door.

“Ahoy,” I beamed before walking back upstairs to my room where I still had to re-apply my makeup and pick a pair of shoes.

“I must admit,” Oliver said when he entered my room, “your room does rival mine.”

“Only just,” I smiled as I dabbed on some foundation and lip-gloss. “Shoes.”

I quickly dodged the clothes on my floor so I could get to my wardrobe. It had no clothes in it. Only numerous pairs of shoes and shoeboxes. Most of which were empty. I threw a few pairs out until I found the ones I wanted: my red Nike dunks. My very first pair. I always wore them no special occasions and I had dubbed this as one. Plus they were comfy and cute as hell.

“Sexy,” Oliver smirked as I posed for him.

“Sod off Oliver,” I chuckled before grabbing my purse and phone of the dresser and heading outside.

“Where too?” I asked once we got walking.

“The park,” he grinned.

“Hello five-year-old,” I giggled.

“Fuck off,” he pouted.

“No. Oliver?”

"It’s Oli, love. Yes?”

“Why do you want to hang out with me?” I asked,

“Because it’s either you, Curtis or Tom. And I must admit, you’re a heck of a lot prettier than both of them put together and ten times more interesting. Why’d you agree to come with?” he replied.

“Because I have no life,” I snickered.

Five minutes later and we were at the park, trying to find a tree to sit in. Oli said it was a habit of his to climb trees so it made sense that we had to sit in one so we could talk. I had no idea where he got his logic from but it was fine with me. Any time spent with Oli was gold.

“Found it,” he grinned, pointing to a leafy fir tree across the field.

“Lead on,” I smiled.

“Nah. Let me give you a piggy back ride there,” he said.

“Baha. Oli, I highly doubt you could lift me. I swear to God I’m ten times your weight,” I answered.

It was more like twenty but I didn’t want to put myself down too much. Oli was as thin as a pin and if I compared my self to him, I was morbidly obese. Add in my lifestyle and I may as well go on The Biggest Loser UK.

“I’m stronger than I look,” he pouted and I gave in. That pout works wonders.

“Just a warning: if I crush you, you only have yourself to blame ‘cause I warned you,” I spoke before climbing carefully onto his back.

I felt him grab my legs and he began running and I began screaming. The second he began to run though, I knew he was right. He was a lot stronger than he looked.

We made it to the fir tree in record time, excluding the fact that Oli was puffed and I scarred for life.

“Holy mother fucking Christ, Oli.”

“I’m a machine. What can I say?” he shrugged.

I just laughed as I walked over to the tree to try and figure out how I was going to climb it. I was about to ask for Oli’s opinion when I heard rushed footsteps and Oli came rushing past. I watched as he practically ran up the tree trunk and onto the first branch.

“No fair,” I pouted. “I have short legs.”

“Gimme yer hand, love,” he smiled, holding out his.

“You won’t let me fall?” I ask warily.

“Hon, I just piggy-backed you across a field and your still doubting my insane strength?” he laughed, still holding out his hand.

“Yes,” I stated but I took his hand anyway and climbed up the tree onto the same branch as Oli.

“Higher?” he asked.

“Uh, why?”

“Fine,” he shook is head.

“Why did you need to bring me up a tree?” I asked.

“Privacy. I dunno,” he shrugged.

“Sure. Because I’m going to share my personal details with you,” I said sarcastically.

“You may not, but I will,” he winked.

“Oh yay. So tell me Mr - Oh fuck. What’s your surname?”

“What’s yours?”

“I asked you first,” I pointed out.

“Sykes.”

“Blue.”

“So tell me Mr Sykes, how many woman have you rooted in the past year?” I asked, making my voice as pompous as I could without laughing.

“Twenty. And you?” he replied.

“None. I’m not a lesbian,” I smiled slyly.

“Good,” he said before he leant over and pressed his lips softly against mine.