Just the Five of Us

The new car Shean had stolen was a little simpler that the old one, but it served its purpose.

“I smell…” Adrian whined as we drove calmly down the highway.

“You aren’t the only one,” Darren muttered taking a whiff of Ray who was snoozing next to him.

I chuckled at three in the back set and looked back towards the road. We all smelled just fresh (sarcasm).

“Chill,” Shean said yawning; he had mellowed out some since this morning after the whole confusing Ray incident. “Were gonna hit a town and find some place to change and bath, it’ll be fine.”

“And food,” I added quickly, “I’m starving.”

“Me too!” Adrian whined again, “Kristin, can I bite you?”

I glowered at him, “No moron.”

“You can bite me if you want.”

Shean slammed the breaks jerking us to a sudden stop. We turned and stared at Darren who’s ears drooped as he sank into his seat looking embarrassed. Even Ray was awake now watching him with huge eyes.

“I was kidding,” he said quickly holding up his hands and the car started again ignoring the annoyed honking of the cars around us.

Adrian was frowning at Darren with thoughtful eyes. Darren was looking pointedly out the window, but I knew he could tell Adrian was watching him. I tried not to squirm like a fan girl watching an anime. Man, these boys were like the stuff from an anime. They could jump high, they were too handsome for their own good, they were just…awesome.

I sighed happily and watched the cars zoom past and forcefully occupied my mind with things other than Shean driving next to me looking like a Greek statue in cloths. Of course I was having little success. But I found I didn’t mind thinking about him, even if it left me a little embarrassed.

Man, I wished so badly that I could know what those lips felt like. I had a feeling it would be amazing, if I ever got so lucky.

I straightened with sigh. If only, that was about all I had to think about, if only. If only he suddenly got the urge to kiss me and did so then we discovered we had mutual feelings for each other and went to senior prom together then got married and had two kids that both looked like Shean. It would be terrible if one of them looked like me.

But it should all start with a kiss…

I went red.

We had kissed.

He had kissed me back at that McDonalds in front of Angela. He really had. But why? I snuck a glance at the boy driving. He looked calm, like he normally did. Only now instead of a turbulent calm it was a peaceful, serene calm. He looked at peace with himself.

I took him in trying to understand why he did it. He might have been acting on impulse just to get rid of Angela. He might have been really, really bored and wanted to liven things up.
Or he might have had a lip itch and his hands were too greasy to get rid of it so he used me instead.

Okay, maybe not the last one.

But! But…on the complete other side of this spectrum there was the chance that he might like me back. That, maybe, he saw my inner Kristin and liked it. That idea seemed so strange to me for some reason. It felt right, but with an undertone of danger. I felt so drawn to him that it felt like if I reach out and touched him now I wouldn’t ever be able to let go.

“Yes Kristin?”

I jolted and yanked myself away from my thoughts and noticed Shean staring right back at me with deep blue eyes. I went a decent shade of red at being caught staring. I let my hair fall into my face and gave him an uneasy smile.

“Nothing,” I chimed quickly and looked away.

I heard Adrian begin to snicker from the back and a long sigh from Ray that was undoubtedly depressed.

We got to a smile town called Springville. It was a cute little place with old fashioned houses and a pleasant atmosphere. Trees were everywhere shading the place from the glowing summer sun. I felt amazing to be back in a place that felt civilized. Teenagers were visible and my normal antisocial persona faded into the background as I found myself grinning at the curious blue, green eyes of a girl who looked about fourteen.

“I say we stop at a public pool and use the showers there,” Shean said as we drove down a street surrounded by tall beautiful trees and cute little homes, “Then we can stop at some thrift shop to buy some clean clothes so that they will actually let us into a mall to get even more stuff.”

“Why do we need to go to a mall,” I asked.

Adrian dangled into the front seat, “We need more clothes, underwear especially. You can’t live on one pair, and, we need new shoes. Plus, I wouldn’t mind a new pair of skinny jeans.”

Ah, the underwear issue. He was right. My bra was losing its firmness and my boobs were beginning to flop about a little painfully. No wonder the thing was so cheap at the store. It had crappy elastic.

The car stopped in front of a public pool. It was crowded with people looking for relief from the burning sun. All five of us just sat in the car just watching the teens loitering around uneasily. They were all tanned and laughing with clean glowing skin unlike us.

We were so filthy and smelly it was embarrassing. Even Adrian and Shean looked a little worried.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to take the handle of the door and shove it open. I stood up and ignored the strange looks that immediately were shot at me. I looked into that car at the boys who were all watching me with big eyes.

“Well,” I said with a firm nod, “Now or never.”

Darren was second out followed by Ray and Adrian slipped out after him. We all stared at Shean who reluctantly unbuckled his seatbelt and pulled himself out.

We must have been an interesting scene as we marched through the parking lot into the little reception area. People looked at us; some groups even stopped talking and openly gawked.

If I had been alone, I would have been mortified. But I felt almost strong with my friends behind me.

“Kristin,” Darren said stopping once we got to the changing room area, “you’ll be okay alone right?”

I nodded and smiled, “I’ll scream if I get jumped to let you know something’s up.”

Adrian grinned at me showing of his abnormally long canines. He grabbed Darren’s hand oblivious to the blush creeping onto the taller boy’s face and pulled him into the men’s. Shean gave me a nod and followed, but Ray lingered.

“Hey, Kristin,” he said softly his eyes stayed focused on the ground, “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Umm,” he looked up at me before sighing, “It’s just that…never mind.” he shook his head and gave me a dazzling but very fake smiled, “Forget it.”

He turned and was in the bathroom before I could stop him. I rolled my eyes; why people were being so cryptic and secretive. It was getting seriously annoying. But he would speak his mind when he felt like it.

The shower was amazing. I didn’t notice all the girls, mothers and kids streaming in and out as I washed away more grime that I had seen on myself since kindergarten. I felt like I was in a new skin as I dried off with a random towel I picked up off the bench and pulled my old clothes back on. My hair would need a brush, but for now it was okay.

I found the boys by the car. Shean was sitting on the hood with a thoughtful expression while Adrian jabbered on and on to Ray, who looked glum, and Darren, who was listening intently.

“I’m done!” I announced.

“Girls,” Shean muttered with a light smirk as he slid off the hood, “You always take your good time.”

I sent him a scowl as we all clambered back into the car. We drove to the Salvation Army and bought some second hand stuff. I chose a pink shirt with a big black butterfly and a pair of grey jeans that looked like they used to be blue.

“Were do we change?” I asked once we left the shop.

Shean stopped, “I hadn't thought of that one. Maybe…ADRIAN!”

Adrian had already ripped his shirt off over his head and was pulling on his stripped new one. His pants went off next before anyone could stop him. I went red and tried to look anywhere but at Adrian and pretend I had absolutely nothing to do with him what so ever. People gawked at us as he yanked up Bermuda shorts over a pair of black boxers with little blue clouds.

We were out of there pretty fast. We ended up going all the way back to the pool place just to change and then we were off towards a mall to do some proper shopping.

“Hot Topic!” Adrian screamed as he charged out of the car.

The rest of us followed at a more civilized pace.

“You sure you have enough money?” I double checked with Shean.

“Yup.”

“You sure you’re sure?”

“Yes, Kristin.

“But then—”

“Kristin,” he said stopping and looking at me fully, “Just trust me all right. It’ll be fine. I know what I’m doing, I promise.”

He said it in a way that made shivers seep up my spine and my face feel a little bit hotter. Ray was suddenly in between us talking really loudly and really fast about absolutely nothing. Shean watched him with dark annoyed, but slightly guilty eyes.

Ray trailed off when he noticed Shean glowering at him. They stared at each other for a moment before Ray suddenly looped his arm through mine.

“C’mon Kristin,” he said with an uneasy laugh, “Let’s go.”

Shoot. Ray likes me, I like Shean, Shean doesn’t like me. I would like Ray, except, he doesn’t feel like Shean. Shean just feels right. But Ray…he felt like a brother more than anything else.

I flitted threw skinny jeans with Adrian looking for a nice Kristin-ish pair while the other guys went off to a more guy store. Apparently Adrian likes his skinny jeans skinny, even if it means girl jeans.

Gosh, that boy is odd…

To take my mind off of my own pathetic love life I tried to focus on Adrian’s by asking him simple non-suspicious type questions.

“So, what types of people are you interested in?”

He glanced at me and smiled before examining a pair of black ripped jeans, “I dunno, the type that I can have fun with I guess.”

“There is more to relationships than the physical aspects you know,” I said before getting attracted by shiny sequins on a particular pair of dashing jeans.

“I know,” he rolled his eyes at me, “I mean someone who I get along with.”

“You got anyone in mind at the moment?” I couldn’t help but ask.

He turned and smirked at me in full.

“You interested Kristin?”

I went red, “No, no, no, I was just asking.”

He wouldn’t let it go. He started poking me in the ribs making little jokes and just plain wouldn’t shut up no matter how many times I told him NO.

I walked out of the changing room to find him wrapped around a manikin in a…awkward position with a seducing look on his face. To my shock and horror I found that he was actually attractive like that. I mean I could see the counter girl drooling, but I didn’t expect myself to be struck.

“Kristin,” he said, trying a deep bass even though he was an obvious tenor, “am I a turn on right now?”

I stared at him in disbelief. He waggled his eyebrows at me and struck a different pose with on hand on the manikins butt and the other curled around its waist.

I glared at him.

“Adrian,” I hissed, “Stop raping the stupid manikin and let’s go.”

He looked taken back, “I am not rapping her, I’m simply keeping her warm.”

I raised an eyebrow before I opened my mouth to snap back something smart when a hand dropped onto my shoulder.

I turned to start apologizing to whoever Adrian was offending but the person standing behind me had my stomach dropping to my toes.

My mother.