Bittersweet Memories

The little girl sat on her lawn, playing with her neighbor's dog. She giggled loudly when the large dog licked her face. "Bad doggy!" She heard a male voice shout playfully. She pushed the dog away from her face and watched as her neighbor walking towards her.

"Mattie!" She jumped up and ran towards him. Before she could hit him, she jumped high enough so that the older boy would catch her. "Hello, Ari." He playfully kissed her cheek which made the younger girl giggle.

"Were you playing with Toaster?" He asked her once he let her on the ground. She nodded eagerly and ran back to Toaster, the dog. The teenage boy sat beside her and played with the dog together. He might be the only ray of light in his life.

"Ariana? Where are you?" The boy heard her father's loud booming voice coming out of her house. He watched her cringe, making him confused and worried. He stomped out and saw the situation in front of him. 

"What did I fucking tell you?!" He shouted, mainly towards the hazel eyed boy. They both stood up and Toaster whimpered in fear, running back to the backyard. The little girl hid behind the older boy, peeking behind his legs.

"Ariana? Why are you with this boy? I told you to stay away from him!" He shouted, coming closer. 

"Sir, it was my fault. I shouldn't have approached her. Don't yell at her." The teenage boy tried to reason with the adult.

"What, you trying to be the hero here? Fuck off before I beat the living shit out of you." The man hissed and tried pulling Ariana away from the boy. She held a weak grip on the boy's legs and the teenager held onto Ariana.

Sick of trying to pry her away, the older man pulled back his fist and punched the boy in the jaw. The pressure was too much and it made the younger boy fall, thus making it easier for Ariana to be pulled away. 

Luckily, the boy was still conscious. The girl was trying her best to free herself from her father's grip but he was way too strong. Tears were streaming down her face. It was hard for her to breathe. Seeing the boy who's always been there for her broke hear heart. Seeing the boy laying down on the ground made her cry out.

"Mattie!!"

***

Kelsey led me into a hallway with few people left. Most of them already went to class since it was almost time for the bell to ring. "Here's your locker. 207. This is the combination," She said, handing me a paper. I smiled at her and asked her to hold a couple of my books so I can put them in my new locker. She happily agreed.

As I was busy trying the get the combination right on the locker, I watched Kelsey's eyes grow wide at the sight behind me. I cocked an eyebrow and turned around. I saw Cody walking towards me with a faint smile on his face. "Hey," He said to me and I smiled and nodded to him as I was too lazy to open my mouth.

He smiled to Kelsey also and she sent him a nervous smile. I noticed the slight redness on her cheeks. "Oh cool, your locker is right across from mine, just like our rooms." He smirked and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, ‘cool’." I made air quotes. He pouted playfully and noticed me gripping the locker handle. "You can't open the locker?" He asked and I nodded, looking down.

"I'll help." He motioned for me and Kelsey to move away. He stood in front of the locker. "What's the combination?" He asked and I handed him the paper. He was busy getting it right. I noticed Kelsey staring at him and my books were almost falling so I rushed to her side and grabbed a couple of books off her arms.

She snapped out of her daze and smiled at me apologetically with a slight blush to her cheeks. "T-thanks." I smiled at her and Cody got my locker to open. He let me put my stuff in.

"Thanks," I said to him and he smiled. "No problem.

Then the bell rang. "I gotta go," He said. I nodded and eyed him carefully. "Don't you dare memorize that combination." I threatened. He smirked and had a gleam in his eyes. He looked like he was gonna say something back then he sighed.

"Fine," He held out his fist to once again bump with mine. I rolled my eyes and bumped fists with him. I noticed him getting closer and his breath was fanning my neck.

"By the way, I know you saw me naked this morning," He whispered into my ear and before I could say or do anything, he was already walking down the hall. 

"It was just your butt!!" I shouted, not realizing there were still some people. My cheeks turned red and Cody turned around to look at me with a playful smile. He turned back around and I heard him cackle loudly.

I held up my schedule and saw I had French first. I held up the map also and I saw the class was pretty far away. Problem was that I had no idea where I am at now. I noticed Kelsey still standing beside me so I turned to her.

"Can you show me French class?" I asked her and she nodded. She led the way once again but I managed to keep up with her. Once again, everyone was staring at me and Kelsey this time.

"Hey, is there something wrong? Because everyone is staring at me like I have a monkey on my head." I said, lightly laughing but then I reached on the top of my head to make sure there weren't any monkeys. I sighed in relief.

"No, it's just that you're friends with Cody Evans." She said and I had a look of confusion. 

"What's wrong with being friends with him? Yeah he flirts a lot but he keeps his hands off." I said and kept up with her again. She was going faster. She noticed me half panting so she slowed down.

"He's the type of guy everyone stays away from, no matter how hot he is," I turned to her with a smirk. She has a crush on him. But there's no denying that he's hot.

"You like him?" I nudged her shoulder and she turned to me, face red like a tomato. She lightly punched my shoulder and flustered, stumbling over her words. 

"N-no! He's a jerk! I heard he brings girls home every night." She stated, staring at a girl. I made a face. 

"He didn't bring a girl home last night," I told her staring off on the wall when we finally reached the class. She shrugged and waved bye at me.

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A whole after that the door opened and a middle aged lady saw me. "Why are you late?" She asked with a stern voice.

"I'm a new student. I had trouble finding this class, sorry." I smiled politely at her. She didn't do anything except letting me in and told me to go and sit in the empty seat. It was in the middle of the class. I sat next to a jock who was eyeing me up and down.

"You new here?" He asked and I nodded, grabbing my notebooks out of my bag. "Where you from?" I saw him smirk as he looked back to his group of friends. 

"Alabama." I replied, quickly taking notes on whatever was written on the board. I didn't want him to talk to me any longer.

"Whoa dude, I heard Alabama girls are amazing in bed and they have nice ones," I understood the first statement but I didn't understand the second one.

"So is it true?" The guy asked me. I turned to him and cocked an eyebrow. 

"What's true?" I continued taking notes because I didn't want to fail. My grades were important. I need to get into a good school and make my mom proud.

"That your good in bed. Is it true?" He asked and my face flushed. I looked down on my lap and remained silent. Suddenly, someone near us spoke up.

"Dude, you shouldn't ask a girl that. Especially someone who just moved here." A guy spoke from behind me. I turned around and he sent me a genuine smile. I returned the smile and mouthed a thank you to him.

"Whatever you say, fag." The group roared with laughter which caused our teacher to look at them suspiciously. I rolled my eyes and continued with the lesson. 

The bell rang and we all stood up even though the teacher didn't tell us to stand up yet. I turned around to talk to the guy who defended me but I didn't see him. I figured he already left the classroom so I made my way out. 

I almost screamed when I saw him popping up in front of me when I left the classroom. I regained my breath when he laughed. 

"Hey," I chuckled and walked along the hallway with him. He smiled back at me and it started getting awkward.

"So, I want to say thanks, for sticking up for me over there." I said and he smiled. He nodded as a response and stopped at a locker which I assumed was his. I stayed at his locker for a bit as he gathered his stuff. 

"What's you name?" He asked and I told him. He nodded and told me his name. "Kyle." He held his hand out and shook it with mine. We talked for a while and I got to know him a little better. He told me he has a little sister and and older sister. He's the middle child.

"Ye-" I was cut off when I felt someone lightly punch my shoulder. I pursed my lips as I turned my head and was met with the cheeky grin by Cody. "What do you want?" I asked him and he pulled me away from Kyle.

"Hey!" I shouted and tried freeing myself from his grip. With no luck, I lazily followed him. I turned back to look at Kyle who has now left to go somewhere. I pouted and turned back to look at Cody who was still grabbing my arm.

"Seriously you should let go," I told him and we reached his locker. He finally let go and you could see the trace of his hand on my small wrist. He sent me a sorry smile and I rolled my eyes. "What do you want? Kyle now probably thinks I'm a freak with a freakier friend," I muttered the last part but I'm sure he heard it.

"I just wanted to warn you about Kyle." He said and I cocked an eyebrow. "You shouldn't get close to him because he's gay." I waited for him to continue for a worse statement but he stopped there.

"So?" I asked and he raised his eyebrows. 

"Didn't you hear me? He's gay!" I sighed and went to walk over to my locker. He followed me as I successfully opened my locker and grabbed my books that I needed for History class.

"I heard you. What's wrong with that? Are you  homophobic?" I asked and he quickly shook his head no nervously. I cocked an eyebrow and started to search for History class. 

"I know there's nothing wrong with being gay but if you get close to him, and since you're getting closer to me, he's gonna end up getting closer to me and he might rape me!" I sent him a look.

"First and foremost, stop getting ahead of yourself there. Secondly, not all gays are that desperate to have sex with any guy they see. And lastly, what makes you think I'm gonna get close to you?"