A Lot of Potential

The boy smiled at me and grabbed my wrist and gently pulled me to the door. As we passed the groups of people I got many death stares from older senior girls. I kept my eyes on my feet until we were out of the house. He pulled me to a Range Rover and opened the passenger door for me. I hesitated before I got in. Am I really trusting a guy I just met?

I got inside the car and fastened my seat belt and watched Alex do the same. He turned on the engine and looked in all his mirrors. He stepped on the brake and shifted the gear into drive, we slid forward smoothly and down the street. I kept my eyes straight ahead but could feel his eyes on me every little now and then. I gulped nervously as he opened his mouth to speak.

"What's your name?" he smiled lightly at me.

"Haley Maddox."

"Your sister's name is Bella right? She runs with that drunk chick, Catastrophe, all the time." he looked at me strangely, causing a loud giggle to escape my mouth. "How did she even get her name?" he asked, being dead serious.

"Um, her sister told me that she was a mistake or unplanned, or something on that line."

"Geez, so they named their kid Catastrophe?"

"Yup. Her sister's name is Jenna, and I don't think she was planned either. They had her about a year later."

"Wow, someone was busy." he smirked at me, making my heart race. I couldn't help but feel attracted to him. "So you're a junior, aren't you?"

"Yes." I nodded.

"I never see you around. Why?" he asked, curiously cocking his head to the side.

"Because I'm invisible. No one realizes I exist because I'm so quiet." I laughed to myself. "What about you?"

"I'm Alex Gaskarth and I am a senior. I see your sister around a lot and she's pretty damn loud if you'd ask me. And her friend.. don't even get my started." he joked.

"I know. Imagine living with it all." I shrugged. "Where exactly are we going?"

"I was thinking Denny's. I'm so fucking hungry!" he exclaimed, letting his eyes stare down the clock. It was only a little after 11:15. I was still nervous but I somehow felt it in my to trust him.

"Ha. That is if I have money." I said, running my skinny hands into my pockets then my purse for money. I sighed when I found only five dollars in my purse.

"Don't worry about it babe, I got it." he smiled and nodded to me.

"Alex I can't do that, you've already covered my ass already tonight."

"And I can do it again." he winked at me. I sighed and gave up. I watched him jerk the steering wheel to the left where Denny's sat. He pulled into a parking spot and turned the car off. "Lets go!" he said getting out. I slowly pulled the door handle and slid out, laughing at the sight of him dancing impatiently. "Come on! Wait, you wanna race?"

"Race? I don-"

"GO!" he yelled as he ran across the parking lot to the door. I followed close behind him, stopping at the door. "I beat you." he winked, pulling open the door for me. I walked in and stood awkwardly there. I felt his hands on my upper back and gave me a light push to the back where a booth was.

"Sit." he commanded. "What would you like?"

"May I have a chocolate milkshake please?" I glanced up at him from the chair.

"Yes you may. I'll be right back." he nodded and walked to the front of the fast-food restaurant. I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket and I pulled it out, eyeing the contact name and pressing send to answer my sister's worried tone.

"Hello?" I said quickly.

"Haley where the fuck are you? I leave you and Jenna alone for ten minutes and you both disappear!" she hissed into the phone.

"I'm pissed off at Jenna at the moment, and I wasn't having fun so I left like I said I would." I smarted off.

"What did Jenna do? And where are you?"

"I don't wanna talk about it, and I'm at Denny's."

"With?" she questioned.

"Are we playing twenty fucking questions here?" I choked out. "Alex Gaskarth." I whispered his name out only to hear a gasp come from Bella's mouth.

"How? Why? Haley you better be safe, I swear to God if he-"

"I gotta go Bella. I'll be home soon." I cut off her bitchy voice when I caught sight of Alex walking back.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, handing me my milkshake.

"Yeah everything's fine." I smiled at him.

"Alright cool. Lets eat!" he grinned widely, sitting down and digging into his pancakes.

"Pancakes at 11:30 at night?" I giggled.

"Hell yeah!" he choked on a bite. "Shit. So Haley, tell me about yourself."

"Like what?"

"Your age, what you do in school. Ya know, just whatever."

"I just turned seventeen on September fourteenth. I don't do anything in school. I tried out for cheerleader this year with my friend Jenna, and I didn't make it. She did though. And.." I paused. "I don't like school." I shrugged as he laughed.

"It's okay, neither do I."

"Tell me about you now, Mr. Gaskarth."

"I'm seventeen and I will be turning eighteen on December fourteenth. I'm in a band with my friends Jack, Rian, and Zack. And I really fucking hate the calculus teacher." he laughed, smirking at me again.

"Oh so do I. My best friends Jenna and Lucas are always getting me in trouble." I said as I watched his head snap up from his food.

"You're in sixth hour calculus?" he raised his dark eyebrows.

"Yeah? I sit in the back by the windows. I might be moving Monday if things get bad soon." I sighed.

I watched him carefully as he sat his fork down, staring me straight in the eyes. "Why?" he asked, giving me his full attention.

"Um, I have a little crush on my friend Lucas.. nothing big," I paused, taking a sip of my milkshake. "and at that party.. him and Jenna hooked up. She knows I like him and everything and she still did it. She might not be my best friend anymore." I sighed.

"Well if you need to move away from them, there's a empty seat behind me. My retard friend Jack sits in front of me, but just ignore him. And I promise not to get you in trouble." he laughed.

"Thanks." I smiled at him. Man, this guy was great. I was starting to take a liking to him.

"No problem, and if you ever need someone to hang out with during the school year, I'm always around."

"If things go bad, I'll take you up on that offer!" I laughed.

"My friend Rian's girlfriend is a junior too, her name is Kara. Do you know her?"

"Um. I think. She's in my biology class."

"Okay, what the fuck? She's in my bio class too. So apparently you're in another class of mine." he laughed.

"Gaskarth hurry your shit up, it's almost closing time motherfucker!" a lanky boy called from behind the counter.

"Jack you're a dick. Go work or something." Alex called back.

"I'm off baby!" the boy named Jack screamed, running and kissing Alex on the lips.

"Jack you homo! Don't freak the girl out!" Alex looked at me with his eyes screaming with apologies.

"Alex quit being a pansy. You know you love me." he said, kissing Alex's cheek. "Baby, can you give me a ride home?"

Alex's nostrils flared with annoyance as he sighed and agreed to give Jack a ride. "Haley gets front though." he said calmly, waiting for Jack's immature reaction.

"But, but but! I always ride shot gun."

"Well you're not tonight."

"Your boyfriend's a douche." Jack turned to me.

"He's not my boyfriend, and he's not being a douche. He's being a gentleman." I shrugged.

"Thank you." Alex smirked at me. "You obviously lack the gentleman trait asshole."

"I am too a gentleman! I hold the doors open for girls and-"

"Just because you hold the doors doesn't make you a one hundred percent gentleman." Alex shook his head. "Are you ready to go Haley?" I nodded in response as I stood up. I went to grab my milkshake glass when Alex's hand bumped into mine.

"Sorry." he apologized, grabbing the glass. "I got it."

"Gentleman my ass." Jack disagreed.

"Oh give it up Jack." he spat back as we three walked to the door. We strolled through the parking lot in silence before I felt Jack's freakishly long arm around my shoulder.

"So you and Gayscarf huh?"

"No.." I whispered, pulling out from under his arm.

"Jack, what the fuck bro?" Alex screeched as he got into the driver's side. I pulled my short self up into his tall Range Rover to see his annoyed facial expression.

"Just asking." Jack shrugged.

"Jack?"

"Yeah bro?"

"Shut the fuck up before I make your ass walk home." he said.

"Bro you're a dick!" Jack spat. Alex slammed on the breaks in the middle of the highway and unlocked the doors.

"Get out." he grinned into the mirrors, seeing Jack's shocked reaction.

"Fuck my life." he said, getting out and slamming the door. Alex raised his middle finger up at the tall lanky kid before he hit the gas and sped off.

"Sorry about that." he laughed. "Where do you live?"

"It's okay and Logan Lane."

"That's Jack's neighborhood." he burst out in laughter.

"His fault!" I joined him in his laughter.

"I know. I think it's hella funny." he said as he turned the wheel to the left where my housing addition was located. He drove down the twists and turns of Logan Lane and pulled along the side of a curb by the house next door.

"How'd you know where I live?" I raised my eyebrow at him.

"Jack lives right there." he pointed at the house across from mine.

"This is all sketchy." I laughed. "I didn't know shit until like now."

"Same here. May I walk you to your door?" he asked seriously.

"Um, sure." I said, slipping out of his large Range Rover. I met him on his side of the car as we walked quickly across the street. We stopped on the concrete in front of the door. "Thanks a lot for everything you've done tonight Alex, I don't know how I'm ever going to repay you."

"No problem, don't worry about it." he shrugged.

"How can I not worry about it? You saved me a lot tonight."

"I said don't worry about it babe, you're stressing over nothing." I sighed and gave up. I turned to the door and tried to push it open. "Wait- um, can I have your number?" he stuttered out.

"Sure." I giggled. "Let me see your phone." I said, taking it from his hand. I quickly programmed my number into his contacts and handed it back to him.

"Thanks." he gave me a charming smile. He bent down and placed a small kiss on my forehead, making me look away and blush. "Hey, so, I'll text you tomorrow okay?" he smiled widely by the fact I was still blushing.

"Okay. Goodnight Alex."

"Goodnight baby doll!" he called as he ran down the sidewalk. I watched as he got into his car and left before I pushed the door open and traveled upstairs.

I found my sister passed out on in her room, and same with my father. I walked into my room and quietly shut the door behind me. I unbuttoned my pants and slid them off my thighs and into the floor. I replaced them with a pair of hello kitty shorts. I pulled my hair into a sloppy bun and pulled myself into my bed. I wrapped myself up under the comforter and drifted off to sleep.