What Are You Waiting For?

Riley’s alarm went off and I did not want to get up. I groaned, turned over, and started falling back asleep.

Riley hit me with a pillow. “Get up! First day of school!”

“No.” I said stubbornly.

“I heard there’s a new kid.” He tried swaying me.

“Good for them.” I kept my eyes squeezed shut.

“It’s a guy.” He said in a sing song voice.

“Big deal.”

“And there’s a slight chance that he’s probably gaaayyy.” Riley sang, poking me with the pillow’s corner.

I opened my eyes and looked at him. “Yeah right, you just want me out of bed.”

“Nuh uh, I’m telling the honest truth.” He whined, then placed a hand on his hip. “Twenty bucks.”

I smirked and slid out of bed, standing in front of him, shaking his hand. “Deal.”

I hopped in the shower and made myself look amazing. I’m not conceited or anything, but I know that I look good. I stuck my hair up at random angles and pulled on one of my tightest pairs of skinny jeans, along with a form fitting shirt. I threw on a bandana around my neck to complete the look.

I went down to the kitchen to grab something for a quick breakfast.
It’s still so weird, coming down here and just being able to look through the fridge and take whatever you want. I still feel like I’m intruding on them.

I take a yogurt and a mini box of orange juice (Riley’s mom is a health nut) and sit at the table, waiting for Riley to get done, since I took forever in the bathroom.

Maybe Riley isn’t lying, he usually doesn’t lie about that kind of stuff. But if he wasn’t, I’m sure that he would’ve kept it to himself and went after him himself.

I shook my head and shoved a spoonful of strawberry yogurt in my mouth.

“You know what would be better than a new kid?” Riley asked, scaring me a bit, setting our backpacks on the ground.

“Huh?” I asked with the spoon in my mouth.

“Ethan not going to our school anymore.” He said, looking in the fridge.

I laughed. “I think that would make everyone jump for joy, except for his multiple fuck buddies.”

Riley smiled and shook his head, biting into an apple. “Nick,” He said before swallowing. “I’m not gonna lie, but you look hot today.”

My cheeks got warm at the compliment. “Thanks. You would, but you just totally spat apple all over the place.”

He just smiled, cheeks loaded with apple, looking like a dork.

“Who is that happy in the morning?” I heard one of the twins say as they came into the kitchen, both of them looking hung over.

“People who don’t drink themselves into oblivion the night before school.” Riley said.

“Also called dumb asses.” I added in, smirking.

“Shut the fuck up. Lets go. We will leave without you.” Kaedyn said, following Keegan out the door.

Riley and I rolled our eyes and got up, grabbing our backpacks and going out to the car.

“It’s about time.” The twins said, backing out of the driveway.

“Shut the fuck up, seriously.” I said, getting annoyed.

They just snicker and start talking amongst themselves, hearing mentions of Ethan and his brother Nathan and a party he’s throwing this weekend.

Nathan has to be one of the most popular guys in our school. He’s touched every girl inappropriately at least one, and the guys love him for the crazy parties. He turned 18 a couple days before school started, though still a senior this year, so he moved out of his parents’ house a couple days after he became legal. He lives in a shitty apartment in a secluded part of town, where the cops never go, which is how he gets away with all the parties.

The car pulled into the parking spot and we all got out.

When I spotted Ethan walking into school with Nathan, my hopes for him being gone were crushed.

“How are my two favorite little girls?” Ethan asked in a sickly sweet voice.

“Fuck off Ethan, we’re not in the mood for your shit.” Riley said with a sneer.

“Oh, I could change that easily.” Ethan said, grabbing Riley’s ass.

Riley turned around fast and slapped him across the face. “Hell no, that’s nasty. Not to mention I don’t want anything you may have contracted.” Riley said.

With that, Riley and I turned and walked towards our lockers, which were a few away from each other.

Scenes like that aren’t a rare occurrence between Riley and Ethan. Ethan’s a man whore and Riley won’t let him fuck him. He doesn’t understand rejection; he can’t take no for an answer. He thinks he can get what he wants whenever he wants. But no matter how disgusting it is, I think they would be cute together. The way they bicker and argue reminds me of a married couple.

“Ethan’s so desperate.” Riley said, laughing a little bit, slamming his locker door shut in sync with me.

“Not only desperate, but persistent. He knows you’re not into him, so I don’t even know why he’s still trying.” I said as we turned into first hour: Spanish. Ew.

“He just wants my ass, and I’m not giving it to him, that’s that. Pointless sex is, well, the most pointless thing I’ve ever heard. Why have sex with someone when you’re not in love with them? It’s supposed to be a way lovers express their love, not two random people who want a good fuck.” Riley rambled.

I just nodded and looked up, seeing an extremely attractive boy at the front of the class.
His hair was a light brown with a huge blonde chunk in his bangs. He had a cute, round-ish face with perfect features, and when he smiled at the teacher it was almost heartbreaking.

He just looked like someone I would be into.

He looked over at me and Riley, giving me a weird look. I immediately looked away, my cheeks getting warm from embarrassment. Great. Now that I screwed up my only chance to make a first impression…he probably thinks I’m a creeper and that he should stay clear of me. I would be thinking that, too, if someone I didn’t know was just staring at me.

When he started walking over by us, my heart skipped a beat. Maybe he doesn’t think I’m weird, or maybe he’s just here because of Riley. My mood fell slightly when I thought of that possibility.

“Hey, would it be alright if I sat here?” He asked quietly.

His shyness made me want to giggle.

Wait. No, he can’t sit here. What if Riley does just want him for himself? I can’t let that happen. I want him.

Before I could say no, Riley said, “Sure, you can sit here, we don’t bite.”

When he said that, the boy’s expression went from shy to ecstatic, causing him to get a goofy smile on his face.

I could’ve tackled that boy.

He sat in the desk in front of me, and for some reason, he smelled like peanut butter. I shook it off and kept sneaking glances at him.

“This is Nick, and I’m Riley. You are?” Riley introduced us politely.

He smiled. “Ian.”

Even his name is cute. This boy is nothing short of perfect.

He kept his gaze away from me, though, making it seem like he wanted nothing to do with me, which saddened me slightly, because I wanted everything to do with him.

“So what brings you here, Ian?” I heard the teacher ask him.

“Um, just some personal stuff.” He said, uncomfortable. I started getting curious as to why he was so uncomfortable, what the personal stuff is.
When the bell rang, Ethan came in right as it ended. He tried acting smooth and collected, but it failed.

“Late again, Ethan?” She asked, sounding very unsurprised, as she should be. This is a daily occurrence. He was probably in the bathroom finishing up his daily morning fix before having to rush to class.

He’s so nasty.

“Yeah, yeah, so sue me.” Ethan scoffed, sitting in his desk.

“Will it get you sent out of here? God knows everyone would love that.” Riley said nonchalantly, making me smirk, knowing how true that really was.

“Shut the fuck up, pansy little bitch.” Ethan spat.

“You’ll have to blow me first.” Riley said, looking at Ethan, smirking.

I almost couldn’t contain my laughter.

I looked at Ethan, and he had a slightly seductive smirk on his face. “Gladly.”

“Boys! That’s enough! Ethan, I’ll talk to you after class. Riley,” She looked at Riley, giving him her look. She never punished Riley; he was too sweet of a person to be punished, and deep down, she found all the bickering amusing.

As she started class, I noticed Ian was smiling a little as he turned around in his seat. I wanted to talk to him, but he didn’t seem very fond of me, or people in general yet. I smirked, thinking that I’m going to change that, and soon.

When lunch came Ian followed Riley and I to the cafeteria.

“You basically want to get into the cafeteria as early as possible to beat the huge rush; it’s seriously like a mosh pit in this lunch room.” Riley told Ian, who looked slightly scared for his life. He looked back at me, and I flashed him a smile, Ian returning the favor, making me melt.

“Don’t worry, we got here early enough, so there will be no moshing, at least not today.” I said. Thinking about it, that’s the first thing I’ve said to him all day, making me feel bad for coming off as a harsh person. That’s probably why he doesn’t talk to me.

Ian looked back at me again, his smile even bigger, his cheeks slightly red.

We hurried through the lunch line and grabbed our table before anyone else took it, adding another chair to it, filling the table perfectly. I sat next to Ian, a little bit closer than what I should’ve been. He didn’t seem to mind.

I saw a container in Ian’s lap out of the corner of my eye.

“What’s in there, Ian?” I asked, pointing to said container.

He looked at it and brought it up to the table. “Oh, this? Just what I baked up this morning. Peanut butter cookies. Do you guys want any?” He asked, taking the lid off.

The smell of peanut butter wafted around us, making my mouth water. I took one and bit into it, instantly in love.

“These cookies are amazing!” I exclaimed, looking at him with a huge smile. “You made these this morning? Doesn’t the dough have to refrigerate?” Yes, I do know a fair amount about baking. Blame it on Riley’s mom.

“I made the dough last night, and baked them this morning.” He said, blushing furiously.

“Oh, right.” I said, laughing slightly, trying my hardest not to blush.

“But Ian, Nick’s right, these cookies are the shit.” Riley said, finishing off a second cookie.

Ian just smiled politely, then turned to me. “Do you want any more?”

I shook my head. “No thanks, I’ll pass. It’s a tempting offer, though.”

He closed the container, that smile never leaving his face. “Alright, fair enough.”

I was dancing in my mind.

Ian actually likes me!

I went through the whole day in high spirits, and after school was the first time I noticed that Ian’s locker was one away from mine.

Obviously he didn’t realize it until then, either.

We both smiled at the same time, which made us both blush, which made us both start laughing lightly.

“Come on, Nick, we have to catch the twins before they speed off without us.” Riley said, smirking. He must’ve seen the spectacle that was Ian and I.

“If you want, my mom could give you two a ride.” Ian asked shyly.
Riley and I looked at each other, then back at Ian. “Alright.” We said, then looking at each other weirdly.

“You need to move out.” Riley said to me.

“You would want that, wouldn’t you?” I asked, faking offense and sadness.

Riley laughed and hugged me, kissing my cheek. “Of course not, I don’t know what I’d do with myself if you didn’t live with me.”

Riley’s spontaneous act of kindness and compassion probably sent Ian all the wrong signals. He probably thought we were a couple.

I followed Ian and Riley out of the school, laying low, thinking about how Riley possibly screwed this whole thing up for me.