Stealing Stars

Blake picks me up right on time outside the gates at my school. His Jeep looks like it went on an African safari; the windshield is covered in dust, the tires are coated in mud, and the doors are so covered in grime that someone wrote something and you can’t even read it.

“What happened to your car?” I ask.

He shrugs, “I had a little mishap during lunch today.”

“So you don’t want your mom to find out.” I walk around the Jeep and survey the damage.

“Exactly Echols. That’s why you and I are going to wash it before we get home.” Blake looks as me as if daring me to back out.

Instead of giving him what he expects I challenge the ocean blue eyed boy I grew up with, with slightly curly locks to a game of my own. “As long as you pay me back.”

I open the passenger door and climb in. I watch as Blake stands there dumbfounded for a second and see a hint of a smile before it vanishes completely. He climbs in beside me wordlessly and we begin a night that I would never had imagined I’d ever commit. Let alone commit with Blake as my witness.

We are at one of Blake’s friend’s houses. I think his name is Caleb because of the way he looks at me and smiles instead of making a dirty remark. Caleb is one of Blake’s “nice” friends. The “nice” friends are kind to me unlike his “moron” friends.

“Chandler, you don’t have to do this. I'll wash the car with Blake.” Caleb smiles at me and his chocolate eyes make me melt. Almost.

I don’t know which one of us answers first. Blake or me. But when we talk we say the say thing. “Yeah I do.” “Yeah she does.”

“He needs to owe me. I’ve been waiting my entire life for this moment.” I smile back at Caleb. “Thanks for the offer though.”

“That’s what you think Echols. Caleb just wants to be close to me; he wasn’t trying to be nice to you.” I give Blake a face that makes him smirk.

“Blake, you just want to get Chandler all wet.” Caleb says which then opens up a gate to all the stereotypical things teenager boys say to each other. Even though it’s dirty and isn’t fair to women I find myself laughing.

I don’t do much washing but I scrub off bits of dirt from the windshield and the rims of the tires.

Caleb and Blake wash the car in record time as Blake and I have to be home before four or we’ll be in deep trouble for some reason unknown to everyone but God himself. I didn’t even get a drop of water on me.

I hop out of Blake’s Jeep up to my front door. My hair is blowing around my face as some of it has fallen out from the pony tail.

“Echols, we’re leaving in three hours. Be ready.” He smiles a lopsided grin at me that for some reason makes me laugh. We stare at each other as if we’ve found something new out. Then we both turn as if on cue and we go into our houses.