Burning the Rulebook on Romance

“Can we part on good terms today please? It’d be nice,” I requested and finished my drink.

“I’m sorry, Dakota. It was stupid of me to bring it up.”

“Yeah well, never mind huh,” I shrugged.

“It’s getting late, we should call it a night.”

“Yeah I got an early start so I better get goin’. I’ll call when I’m back for my trip or something.”

**

My flight landed and I was jittery as fuck. This was almost certainly due to too much caffeine but I was dubious to fall asleep on the plane.
I had to make my own way to where we were meeting because we’d calculated I’d arrive the same time as their tour bus got there too but that was fine by me.
Excitement accompanied the coffee in my stomach and I almost ran out of the airport when I got my hands on the glittery black suitcase of mine. I jumped into the first cab I could and asked to be taken to the hotel which Ronnie and his band were staying at.

“So yeah I’m pulling up outside now. Where you at?” I rushed as soon as he answered my call.

“I’ll be right out. Great timing!” he replied and hung up.

I paid the driver and hopped out, pulling my case with me. I looked up and found Ronnie striding out of the main doors looking like he thought himself to be the most charismatic fucker since Presley.

“Yo! Over here!” I called.

I caught his attention and he took his shades off to look at me in surprise.

“S’up wit choo?” I pulled a funny face before grinning.

“I didn’t recognise you for a sec’, sorry,” he came over and wrapped me in a hug.

“I’ve not changed that much,” I rolled my eyes.

“I forgot you were having your sleeve finished and that you’d obviously have to radically change your hair again. How are you? Lookin’ fine,” Ronnie winked with a smirk.

“Psh, psh. As good as I apparently look,” I flicked my long layered black and blonde hair back as he put his arm around my shoulder and toyed with the chunk of pink on the other side of my head.

“How’re you?”

“I’m good. We’re all starving, are you?” he questioned as we strode inside.

“I’m not too fussed,” I shrugged, “hey I need to…”

“Its all taken care of,” Ronnie assured me as we bypassed the reception desk.

“Dude, the fuck?” I tried to stop but he pushed me along so I’d fall over if I actually stopped walking.

“Don’t worry. Now hurry your ass up cos I got everyone waiting for you,” he urged me into the elevator and pressed the 5 button.

“But why?” I whined.

“It would’a been rude to get food without asking you first.”

“Could’a just sent them ahead,” I mumbled.

“Shut up and go along with it. Don’t split hairs,” he flicked my shoulder so I elbowed his ribs.

He glared playfully and before I could register, he’d thrown me over his shoulder, grabbed my luggage and began sauntering out of the elevator, down the corridor.

“Hey asshole! Put me down!” I demanded.

“No. Do as I say,” he laughed.

Fighting was a little unnecessary so I waived my rights and stayed still.

“We’re here!” Ronnie called, swinging a door open, which I couldn’t see because I was facing the opposite way for obvious reasons.

All I knew was that the room fell silent.

“This is Dakota,” Ronnie announced and put me down.

I spun to see four amused expressions.

“What?” I asked, dumbfounded, “You have seen a woman before, right?”

I knew who was who because I’d done my homework and they were all meant to know that already.

“Well today just got more fun,” Derek said.

No idea what that was meant to mean because I neither had ‘fun’ written anywhere upon my person nor was I clad in a slutty outfit. Black Capri jeans, red stiletto heels and a black custom band shirt were today’s attire.

“So you’re hungry? Lets go!” I motioned towards the doorway.

Nobody needed telling twice and pretty much bolted. I left my suitcase when Ronnie had put it and exited the room also, the ringleader behind me.

**

We got to the nearest fast food restaurant; McDonalds, and sat in with the piles of food we bought.
I wasn’t saying much, just observing the guys and noticed that one by one they were stealing Jacky’s fries while he was distracted, and smirking about it. I frowned at Ronnie in a ‘what the fuck?’ way.

“It’s a game we play,” he mumbled, “he falls for it every time. We keep going until he catches one of us.”

I nodded and decided to join in. For another five minutes or so it was all going so well.

“What the fuck! You’ve done it again!” Jacky finally noticed.

“It was Dakota, not us. Look!” Ryan laughed and pointed at me, red-handed I widened my eyes and stuffed the fry into my mouth as if that meant I didn’t have it, then shook my head.

“Wasn’t me,” I squeaked.

Jacky glared at me but then grinned and threw half a chicken nugget at me. Horrified; I pulled a piece of soggy lettuce from my burger and threw it at him. It slapped against his hand, which was shielding his face and stuck there.

“This is war!” he announced and shook the sauce drenched vegetation from his limb.

“No!” I grabbed my burger and hid under the table, determined to finish it.

I succeeded though the last bites were swallowed as I was being pulled out from under the table by my ankles. Burned and salted chunks of wedges rained down on me. I struggled to scramble up, grabbed a pot of ketchup and flung it at him then dashed outside with my coke. Nobody said or did anything to stop us for some unknown reason and just laughed the entire time. Jacky chased me around a parked car in a circle then finally grabbed me and had me pinned against the passenger door. I froze up and closed my eyes.

“Please don’t kill me,” I whined.

When nothing happened I opened my eyes to find him smirking. He was incredibly quiet and incredibly cute, saying nothing, then wiped some ketchup off his shirt onto my nose.

“I’m not gonna kill you,” he laughed as I wiped the sauce from my nose and pouted.