Take This to Your Grave

I decided that I wouldn't see Pete for awhile. I was feeling more and more embarrassed about bringing up the notion of us dating. Besides, I wanted to not rely on him to some extent. I had thought this all through when I put the necklace back on. I felt sullen about it; I felt ashamed.

I pushed it away; the following Monday, I was taken to the police station. I had called Kate to tell her, but she didn't pick up. I wondered what was wrong; then it hit me that she may've told her folks that she was pregnant. I decided not to try, I left her a message that I wouldn't be at school.

My dad drove me down to the station to tell what happened. I was nervousness as hell; I wasn't sure what to expect. They had told me that Seth had bailed out, but was being charged with assault.

First, this cop who looked like a hard ass asked me repetitive questions. Then, they had a woman come and talk to me; I was so frustrated about it all, I almost threw up my hands. But, I held on for my dad; to appease him.

Well, for me too; I wanted Seth to leave me alone.

I was able to get a restraining order against him until we went to civil court. He couldn't talk or come near me at school, or he'd be arrested. He couldn't even look at me threateningly; I could call the police of he even looked at me the wrong way.

This all satisfied me entirely.

We returned home, my dad had to go in to work, to make sure the frame of the house he was constructing had covers over it. I went up to my room to nap; my head was still a little heavy with everything. I was getting a small migraine thinking about Pete; I felt embarrassed still after everything. I thought maybe he didn't really like me and he was just being nice. I mean, he probably didn't want to be with me; I am still a teenager.

I got up, rubbing my temples; I looked over at my desk and saw my notebook. I got up, my hands falling from my head to the pages; I found Ricky's number, "I need to get rid of this headache."

I took the paper with me and went downstairs. I grabbed the phone and dialed his number; he answered after two rings, "Hello?"

"Hey, Ricky, it's Naomi."

He laughed, "Hey! What's up?"

"Uh, what are you doing?"

"You know." He laughed again, "I'm stoned."

"Could I come over?"

"Of course."

I had gotten his address and walked over; he didn't live that far, just three block around the corner. His house looked typical, and I bet he lived with his folks; I went up to the garage, as he had instructed and knocked.

The garage door slid up, the pungent scent of weed floated out. Ricky grinned at me, "Welcome to my crib."

I laughed and went in; the garage closed; I noticed that Mike was there. He was smoking from a bong, inhaling and sitting back in this old sofa. He nodded his head my way as a way of saying hello; I waved.

"Sit, Naomi." Ricky urged. "You got a headache, you say?"

I nodded; my headache had ceased, but I didn't care. Ricky sat on the arm of the sofa, beside me and handed me a joint. I sat back; "Light?"

He tossed my a lighter and I lit it quickly. I took in a deep inhale and held it for a moment before blowing it out. Ricky laughed, "You're my favorite person, Naomi."

I just shook my head at him.


I was a haze when I returned home; it was around 3, my dad and Amy would be home soon. I went in and went straight to the kitchen. My stomach growled; I opened the fridge and my mouth watered when I saw brownies; "Thank baby Jesus."

I grabbed the plate as retreated upstairs, eating one as I trudged up. I kicked open my door; "What the hell?"

Pete was lying on my bed, holding my journal. He set it down on his stomach, "Hey--" he looked at me, "Are you high?"

I nodded and went in; I set the plate on my desk and finished off my brownie, "I'm so hungry."

"Where were you?" Pete questioned as he sat up.

Shutting my door with my foot, I raised a brow at him, "Why? You ain't my dad."

"Who did you get pot from?"

I took another brownie, "Oh, my new boyfriend," I spoke sarcastically. "I'm so in love with him."

Pete raised his brow right back as I stuffed the brownie into my mouth. "What's his name?"

I chewed and laughed, "None of your business."

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

I frowned at him, "Gosh, you act like you and I never gotten high before."

Pete just eyed me as I went and sat on the bed; "Want a brownie?" I asked him.

Pete got up, "No, I came over to see you."

"What for?" I pointed to the plate next, "Gimme those please."

He rolled his eyes and grabbed the plate and handed it to me. I blew him a kiss, causing his brow to raise again.

"Just came to see you."

"So you can feel on me again?" I shoved a brownie in my mouth.

His jaw slacked, "You told me to!"

I smiled, chewing and swallowing; "I was kidding, Jesus Christ, Peter."

"Did you talk to Kate?" Asked and sat back on my bed beside me.

I shook my head, grabbing another brownie; Pete snatched it from me, "Hey!" I pouted at him.

"You need to be punished for getting high without me."

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever. What's up with Kate?"

"Chris told me their parents were yellin' about her being knocked up." He bit the brownie and handed it back to me. "She didn't say anything at school?"

"I went to the police station this morning, and then I went to Ricky's."

"Oh," Pete paused. "Does Lee know about Ricky?" He used his fingers as quotations.

"No." I spoke with my mouth full of the bitten brownie. "He won't either."

"So, he's your secret boyfriend too?" He asked in a sour tone.

I frowned now, "My secret boyfriend? Seth wasn't ever my boyfriend, and my dad knew him."

"I'm talking about me, Naomi." He muttered.

My eyes widened and then, after a moment, they narrowed, "You don't want to be my boyfriend. And you weren't ever my boyfriend."

Pete just looked at me now. I turned my head and pushed the plate aside and fell onto my back. I frowned, staring at the ceiling, "You ruined my high."

Pete lay beside me, "Sorry."

I looked over at him, "Did you really think you were my secret boyfriend? Or do you?"

Pete shrugged, "I didn't mean it that way."

I sighed and looked back at the ceiling, "You confuse me so much."

Pete leaned over, propping up on his elbow and kissed the corner of my mouth. I turned my head to the left, away from him, "Don't."

"Why not?" He asked in a soft, saddened tone.

"Because I have brownie stuff in my mouth."

Pete fell onto his back and laughed, "Oh."

"Plus, I shouldn't kiss you, we're just friends, remember?"

"Don't get mad, Navy," he cooed. "C'mon."

"Nope." I turned onto my side. "You don't deserve my kisses. You don't deserve anything, not even Amy's brownies."

His hand fell on my arm as he cooed; "Aw, Navy, don't be mad at me."

"Too bad." I grumbled childishly.

He buried his face against the back of my neck, "I love you, Navy." He murmured in a muffle.

"Big deal." Goosebumps riddled my skin, and I shifted a bit. "Stop."

He chuckled, "Say you forgive me."

"No." I spoke stubbornly.

Pete sighed, his breath tickling my neck; "Please? Please? Please?" He emphasized the "ease"s.

"No. You're a jerk."

"I'm your jerk." He said, "I'm really sorry. I'm not even sure what I'm apologizing for anyway."

"Being a jerk-off, that's what." I grumbled even more.

"I'm sorry I was a jerk-off, Naomi." He said this sincerely, "Now, gimme a kiss.

"No. You beg." I smirked, "I don't like beggars."

He growled funnily, kidding, "Quit it. I want to kiss you."

"Too freakin' bad, buddy."

He began to tickle my side; I jerked around and started to laugh, "Hey, stop that!"

"Nope." He teased, his fingers tickling my sides harder.

I was stuck in a fit of laughter; my stomach twisted and I could barely breathe. "Stop! Okay!" I begged, "I'll--I'll kiss you! Stop!"

He dropped his hands and hovered over me, "That's better."

I rolled my eyes, smiling, "Fuck you."

"In your dreams." He smirked.

I narrowed my eyes, "No kiss then."

Pete copied my glare, challenging me, "Yeah?"

"Yeah." I mimicked.

Pete sighed, and was preparing to move back; he caught me off guard by leaning back down and kissing me right on the lips. I laughed; he cradled the underside of my jaw and forced our lips closer. My stomach twisted, but I wasn't reluctant for him to stop.

I ran my hand up his back and held onto his shoulder blade, exhaling through my nose and letting out a small groan. We parted a moment later, heavy breathed and looking at each other. "I hate you." I told him jokingly.

"I love you." He said with puckered lips.

I shook my head at him, "You're impossible, Wentz."

He rolled over beside me, "I know."

I sat up and grabbed the untouched brownies and set them on my bedside table. I lay back and crept into silence with Pete. I could hear him breathing with each passing second; I wondered what he was thinking.

"So, this Ricky guy is your boyfriend?" He murmured.

I looked at Pete, "No, he's just a friend. He's 19, a pothead and he laughs a lot...not my type."

"What do you expect from someone who stays high?"

"Well, you're always high, one way or another."

Pete looked at me, "You're right."

I bit at my lip, "Pete...can you cool it with the pills? I don't want anything to happen to you."

He gave me a small nod, "Yeah, Navy. I won't go overboard."

I sighed, "Why can't you just stop?"

"It hurts too much." He explained. "And this shit can't be fixed overnight."

I frowned slightly, "Okay...okay, fine. Just..." I let out a small sigh, "Promise you won't take too many."

He looked back at me, "I promise."