Dark and Dirty Like You've Never Seen

Finally the last bell rang for school to get out. I walked over to my locker, quickly putting in the same combination that I have had the pleasure of having for the past four years. I pulled open the door and threw my books on the top shelf. When I slammed it shut, I jumped when I found the new guy leaning on the locker next to me.

"Good God! You could warn someone next time.”

“Shhh!” one of the sisters hissed at me. I waved my hand at her with a cocky smile on my face, fighting the urge to flip her off.

"This is your locker?" He asked knocking on the door. I stared at him, then down at the lock in my hand, then back at him.

“Yes?” I wiggled the lock in front of his face, laughing a little at his obvious question. He smiled at me and chuckled. He’s got to stop doing that smiling thing I thought to myself as I felt my face heat up slightly.

“Well I guess we’re sharing” He said as he held out his books to me. I looked at him a little confused.

“What do you mean?” I asked. He held out a folded piece of paper to me. I took it from him and saw right there at the top of the page, it read LOCKER 448. “That can’t be right. That’s mine.”

“You mean ours. That’s why I said we’re sharing.” He held out his books to me again. I smiled a little and took them from him. I liked the way that sounded. Ours.
“Well, Frank, I guess we’ll have to for today, and tomorrow you’ll just have to go to the office and see what your real locker number is.” I opened the locker back up and sat his books on top of mine. I shut the door again, this time putting on the lock and slinging my backpack over my shoulder.

“Angela” He said just above a whisper. I turned around quickly and looked at him awkwardly.

“How’d you know my name?”

“How’d you know mine?”

I stared at him for a minute, trying to remember what I wanted to say. It was really hard trying to talk to him when he was standing so close. I felt my breath quicken. “Your schedule, it’s ... umm ... written at the top.”

He laughed. Stop that! My subconscious yelled at him. “I know. I’m just kidding. The inside of your locker, there was a picture of you with a friend that said Lacy next to her and Angela next to you.”

“Oh” was all I could muster up. Stupid me. What did I think, he was psychic?

“I didn’t mean to freak you out.” He said after a moment of silence. I realized I was just standing there staring at him. Well, at least he mistook my quick breathing and silence for being freaked out. This kid’s either really that oblivious to how much I’m drooling over him, or he’s just that aware of how good looking he is.

“No, you’re fine. I just huh… I have to… I’m just going to…uh, go.” I couldn’t stop stumbling over my words.

“Can I walk you to your car?”

“Oh. I don’t actually have a car” I mumbled, a little embarrassed of the fact that I was a senior in high school and still didn’t have a vehicle. My family isn’t as well off as most kids. He gave me a soft smile and shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s ok. I completely understand.”

Of course he does; he’s Mr. Perfect-AND-Understanding. “I better get going.”

“You’re not going to walk are you? I can give you a ride.”

“Well…” I know what I wanted to say, but I had to tell myself to stop and think. I just met him today. I don’t know what he might be up to, no matter how attractive he is. Plus, my mom would kill me. “No, I’m fine. I have someone coming to get me.”

“Ok. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?” He asked, pulling his car keys out of his back pocket. I just smiled and nodded at him. He nodded and turned away, walking down the hall and out the side doors of the school. I let out a sigh and put my backpack on and walked the other direction to the front of the school.

______________________________________________________________________________

I took a look at my cell phone again. 4:48. School had been out for over an hour. Where was my dad? I put my aviator sunglasses back on, closed my eyes and stretched out on the patch of grass I claimed as my territory. I chuckled under my breath at the significance of the time. It made me think of Frank again and his cute smile and my locker and the fact that I would be sharing it with him; granite it was for one whole day, but I still get to share a locker with him. Our locker. I smiled to myself. I started to get lost in my thoughts when I noticed a sudden shadow fall on my face.

“Still here, huh?” A voice asked from above me. I yelled and shot straight up, slamming my forehead into my questioner’s forehead. I winced and rubbed my head and opened my eyes to find none other than Frank. Also wincing in pain, he opened one eye and saw my pained expression. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He bent down on the grass next to me, and moved my hand to look at my forehead and ran his fingers along the injury. “Well, there’s no lump, so that’s good. How ‘bout me?” I lifted my hand to his forehead and lightly ran my fingers across it.

“Nope, you’re good. Just a little red” I said, noticing his thumb rubbing gently over my skin. I felt my cheeks start to burn again. He smiled and let his hand ran down the side of my face before finally pulling away from me. He sat down across from me and sighed.

“So, what I was trying to ask was why are you still here?” He asked pulling out his phone to look at the time.

“I guess my dad forgot to pick me up” Again. I wanted to add that but it’s not really his problem that my dad is drunk asshole who can’t seem to remember much of anything. He looked at me with concern before standing up and picking my bag up with him. “What’re you doing?”

“Come on” he said, throwing my backpack over his shoulder and extending his hand to me. “I’m taking you home.”

I stared at his hand then back up at him, a little unsure of what to do. I finally sighed and extended my hand to him. I didn’t really have another choice, unless I really wanted to trudge half way across the town to my house. “I guess if it really doesn’t bother you.”

“Not at all. I wouldn’t have offered otherwise” He chuckled. I dusted off my pants and put my sunglasses on top of my head.

“Well then, lead the way” I said dramatically. He laughed loudly this time, shaking his head. He grabbed my hand and pulled me in the direction of his car. When we got to the car, he sat my stuff in the back seat and opened my door from the inside. I climbed in, taking time to look around the car. For a guy, it was slightly well kept. Only a jacket or two in the back, his back pack, and what appeared to be a guitar covered by all of this. It smelled like a faint mixture of car freshener, cologne, and stale cigarettes. He started the car and made his way cautiously out of the parking lot.

“Left or right?” he asked at the stop sign.

“Left” I said, clearing my throat, bringing myself back to reality. As we started to drive away, an awkward silence fell over the car. I decided to ask a question this time. “So what were you still doing at school that late?”

“Oh, well I uh…” I looked over at him to see his face turn a slight shade of pink. “I wanted to make sure your ride got you ok” he finally sputtered out. I bit my lip to stop from grinning like an idiot.

“Hmm…” was the only thing I could utter. Another awkward silence fell over the car. I saw him out of the corner of my eye fumble for the radio buttons. He turned it to a random local station and let it play loud enough to stop the ringing in both our ears. The only time either of us really spoke was when I was giving him directions. He kept his full attention on the road, which gave me a chance to get a good look at him. He had undone the top few buttons of his shirt, loosened his tie, exposing his neck. That was the first time I saw the scorpion tattoo. He had also rolled up his sleeves showing off his various other tattoos. I let my eyes slyly scan his incredibly attractive face. His ears were gaged to a pretty decent size. I hadn’t noticed that before. I was so lost in him that I didn’t even notice when we pulled up in front of my house.

"We’re here” he said looking over at me. I quickly glanced down at my hands.

“I guess so.” I smiled and reached in the back for my bag the same time Frank did. I felt his hand grip on to mine. He chuckled slightly and let go of my hand quickly. I let out a nervous laugh and pulled my bag up to me. “So I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yup.” I started to get out of the car and shut the door when I felt his hand on mine again. I looked at our hands then up to him. “What’s our locker combination?”

I smiled and sighed. “Oh, right. It’s 12-31-9”.

“Thanks.” He let go of my hand and waved at me. I waved back awkwardly before shutting the car door and turning to my house. I heard his car pull away from the curb and take off down the street. I wasn’t able to wipe the smile off my face… until I looked at my house.