Young & Reckless

I stared at Hayden Jak as soon as he’d put me into his blue rusty old truck. You know, one of those trucks that you find popping out gas on the road or the ones you see in those old country movies. I was in one. More specifically, I was in Hayden Jak’s. I couldn’t help but look at those defined cheek bones and those blue gray eyes. That body. I couldn’t help but stare at that bod-

“You know Annamarie, I wish you’d stop staring at me.” Hayden said with a slight smirk on his face. I quickly adverted my attention to the road ahead of us. The window was dirty and cracked, I quickly found myself loving his truck more than anything in the world.

“You were the one to kidnap me and place me in your car.” And now I was talking to Hayden Jak. Was this a dream? Had I fallen asleep in Mr. Luca’s after school detention? I tried to think of something else. I couldn’t keep thinking about Hayden, but he stayed in every aspect of my brain.

“You were more than willing to come along, Jesus Freak.” I rolled my eyes at the nickname he now often used on me. I was, more than willing. I wanted to come, but I was so content on staying in my seat. I didn’t mind the fact that he picked me by the elbow and placed me in his old pick up truck.

I looked out the window and watched as we passed a couple houses. There I could see Mrs. Jones watering her grass while her little new born was playing in the garden, harshly throwing flowers in the air. Then next to hers I could see children playing in the lawn that was once yellow and brittle that was now muddy and murky.

Who would have known. Annamarie destroyed her friendship, social life, and detention status in just one day. Now to top it off I was riding in a car with the one person who'd had a sexual relationship with every girl in the school.

“Anna, we’re here.” I could hear Hayden faintly say. I hadn’t known I was so out of it. My hearing went fogged and distant, like I’ve been under water for far too long. I took a deep breath, letting myself come to realization. That I was really talking to Hayden Jak. That I was really at this small town diner with him nearly in the middle of nowhere.

I took my bag from the carpeted car floor and slipped down the trucks door frame. “Where are we?” I asked Hayden, finally catching up to him. He swung one arm near me, almost making contact with my fingers and his. His other hand was fidgeting with the white expensive looking sun glasses placed on his nose.

“A diner.” He replied smugly. I rolled my eyes again and ran my fingers through my ash brown wavy hair. The hair fell back down to my waist. Oh great, I thought, he was going to work his charms on me and make me fall for him. Well, it was already too late for that.

“I could see that. But why?”

Hayden quickly turned his body to look at me. His white sunglasses were now tucked into his shirt and his piercing blue eyes bore into my plain brown ones. “Because I’m famished.” He stared at me and placed a slight smirk on his face that could be mistaken for a snarl. “Do you care to object?” He asked quickly. I shook my head, “Good, ladies first.” Hayden opened the door and put his hand out.

I looked at him for another second and quickly made my way through the door. I heard the tiny bell ring as Hayden closed the door. Again he took me by the elbow and lead me to a small booth in the corner. We sat across each other.

Quickly a waitress came near our table wearing an old fashioned blue dress and red skates. The woman looked at Hayden and smiled. I rolled my eyes and looked down at the table.

“Hello, we’ll have two milk shakes. One chocolate and…” Hayden tapped his finger on the table. Why was I here with Hayden? Why did he just decide to talk to me now? When I’d been lusting after him for so many years. I finally decided to acknowledge the waitress.

I looked up at the waitress and gave her a kind smile “Strawberry.” She nodded and rolled away on her skates.

“Why did you bring me here? Out of all people? Why do you care to even talk to me?” I asked Hayden. Another smirk played on his face. Hayden took a while to answer. Soon the waitress came back with our milk shakes.

“Well why not?” Hayden winked. Oh God, how it made me swoon. Everything about him made my heart warm. “Actually Holden told me to do something to make you feel better. He knew you’ve had a crush on me for the longest.” He rolled his eyes and smiled. Did his eyes always shine when he smiled?

Great, even Holden knew that I liked Hayden. Granger probably told them. Oh Granger. I’d lost her too today. I’m sure Holden wouldn’t talk to me anymore. He was a popular. I was a wallflower. Watching life go by from a far. Then realization hit me, Hayden didn’t really want to talk to me. Holden told him to, probably even paid him.

I took a long sip from my milk shake and began to feel disappointment in my heart. Maybe another Hayden Jak will come along and steal my heart for years just like this one had. Then maybe I’ll screw it up just like I did with Holden by sleeping with him.

“Come on.” Hayden said, shaking his head and quickly placing his glassed back on the bridge of his nose. Without another word out of either of our mouths Hayden took me by the elbow yet again and led me out the diner.

“What about the milk shakes?” I asked, grabbing my bag, quickly thinking about reaching in there and just placing a fiver on the table. “Hayden, your truck is over there…” I muttered, pointed in the direction we were not heading towards.

“They’re on the house. And we’re going to mine.” I couldn’t believe it. I was going to The Hayden Jak’s house. Also, we totally just skipped the bill. I didn’t utter another word as Hayden dragged me through the diner parking lot and down a street of old looking houses.

He said we were going to his. I couldn’t help but think that Hayden didn’t actually want me there. That Holden told him to because he knew that I liked him. Holden, always looking out for other people.

“Okay, up here.” Holden said, stepping through someone’s rose bush and hopping on a brick wall.

“But Hayden, that’s someone else’s property.” I looked around and noticed this in fact, was not Hayden Jaks home. I recalled from the day I’d lost it to Holden. Hayden’s home had a nice porch swing and tall healthy grass on the lawn. His binds were yellow and pink, not white with water lilies on them.

“I know, just get up here before they see us.” Hayden held out his hand for me to take. I looked around once more and took hold of his out reached hand. I could feel electrical currents surge through my body once mine touched his. I shook my head, I shouldn’t feel this way, especially after what he told me.

Hayden helped me jump to the top of the tall brick wall. Without a word or nod he took my bag and threw it in the persons back lawn. I opened my mouth and looked Hayden in the eyes. His gaze bore through mine, I turned and saw the contents from my bag roll out on the concrete ground.

Hayden jumped down and held his hands out for me to fall into. I shook my head. No, no way was I going to jump into the arms of Hayden Jak. Okay, I really wanted to, but I resisted the urge to. He sighed and shifted his weight to one foot.

“If you want to have fun you have to cooperate.” With another shake of his head an idea came to his mind and he smiled. “Maybe if you’re nice enough I’ll even give you a good night kiss.” Fuck.

Without another thought I jumped from the brick wall and into his open, buff, toned arms. I could feel his body flex against mine as his muscles molded into me. I was still partially off the ground when he looked me in the eyes and whispered, “Good girl.”

Swiftly he let me down on the ground. I quickly went to the middle of the small backyard and grabbed my bag. Most of the items had fallen out. Crap. I started to gather them and put them back into their proper places and pockets.

I stood up and placed the back on my shoulder. I looked over to Hayden. He was at the opposite side of the backyard with a gate open to another. I jogged over to the area he was and walked out the gate. Sure enough we were in Hayden’s backyard. A small yellow lab came running toward us. I dropped my bag and bent down to pet the soft fur of the dog.

When the lab adverted its attention to Hayden I looked over at my bag and sure enough pencils and pens had fallen out. I sighed, I really need to stop doing that. I placed the pens back in my bag and zipped it with a force I didn’t know I had.

I stood and quickly turned around, ready to ask Hayden why we were at his place. Once I turned Hayden was close to my face, I would have usually been hoping and swooning over this. But this time, I knew he didn’t want to be with me. I couldn’t help but want more of him.

I could feel his chest heaving with each breath he took. His lips parted and the small pooch squirmed in his arms. I slowly moved my eyes from his to his lips.

“Um, what are we doing here?” I asked, nearly out of breath for no reason. I knew it was because we were so desperately close. Maybe I could blame it on when we hopped over his neighbors yard wall.

Hayden lifted his hand from under the dogs body and put a piece of hair behind my ear. The long hair wove through his fingers. I could feel his fingers reaching behind the nape of my neck once again. My whole face began to turn hot and red. I struggled for my lungs to breath air normally again.

“I wanted to show you something.” He shrugged his shoulders, the uneasy dog jumped from his arms and landed on the ground with ease. He smiled and moved his thumb to the front of my face, tracing invisible lines near my lips and cheek. “Besides, I thought you’d like to revisit the place where you lost your virginity.”

I rolled my eyes and pushed myself away from the hot teenage heart throb. Fucking player. Hayden chuckled, I’d barely even moved the buff boy. Though I could feel the pang in my heart as I remembered that night. I’d watched Holden cry and sob as he reminded himself he betrayed the only girl he loved. I betrayed my so called best friend that night. I didn’t regret it one bit.

“Come on Jesus Freak, its almost nighttime. I have to get you home before 10:30.” He winked and placed his hand on my lower back. Again the heat rose up from the pit of my stomach to every inch of skin I had. The butterflies in my heart flew as Hayden guided me to the edge of his house where a ladder was located.

Hayden pulled himself up the ladder and quickly made it to the flat top of his house. The one story house was easy to climb, the hard part would be coming down. I carefully put my bag on the roof and stood at the top.

“What-” Hayden cut me off and threw a ball for his yellow lab to catch it.

“Are we doing up here?” He sat down on a blanket that was already laid on the red orange roof. “You know for a freak you sure do ask a lot of questions.” Hayden paused and took a deep breath, looking far into the horizon, “I like to sit up here and watch the sunset sometimes.”

I put my hands into my back pockets and kicked another ball into the direction of the yellow dog. I watched as he happily ran to it and placed the ball into his mouth. The dog stupidly looked around for the source of the flying balls.

I turned back to the boy who had taken me here. Well I had no way to get home, might as well sit. I reluctantly sat relatively close to Hayden. I could feel the heat from his body coming towards mine. I couldn’t keep thinking about him when we wasn’t even a foot away from me. I had to stop, I laid down on the blanket and looked up at the sky.

Crap, Hayden followed my lead and laid down too. He pointed to where the sunset started to begin. The blue sky met the orange, yellow, purple. He let his arm fall back down to his side. The wind changed direction and I could smell the faint boy scent coming from Hayden’s body.

“Don’t think that just because I brought you here means I’ll open up to you and fall for you. Some stupid shit like that.” Hayden chuckled and whispered another sentence, “This will probably be the last time you’ll talk to me.” I knew it was true. He was just doing this for a friend. I should hate Holden for telling Hayden my secret crush. But I was glad, I would have never talked to Hayden other wise.

I shook my head, “Wouldn’t even dream of it.” And I wouldn’t. Having Hayden fall for me was way beyond my grasp. He was meant for girls like Stacy Greene. Always on her game and forever looking beautiful. She was perfect. I was no where near it.

I turned my head to look at Hayden. His eyes were closed, his head still pointed up to the sky. Why had he flirted with me so easily. Knowing my weakness was putting my hair behind the ear and knew I would love it when he stared into my eyes.

Hayden sensed me and turned to look at me in the eyes yet again. Hell, he just knew how to make a girl melt didn’t he? Our noses were barely touching, only brushing against each other. I could smell the chocolate milk shake that still lingered on his tongue. My heart was beating faster than it ever had. My hands were shaking and I didn't know what to do.

I could see his hand reach up and pull one of the hairs that began to fly in the air with the wind. This time he pinned it to the back of my head, lacing his fingers in-between other strands. With every second that passed by he grew closer and closer. Soon his lips were on mine and I felt like I was flying on cloud nine straight to heaven.

I loved the way his lips fell in sync with mine. His soft ones moving along with my dry brittle ones. He didn’t seem to mind though, He kept the kiss, lingering for more than a minute. Slowly he inched away and opened his eyes, still looking down at my lips. He bit his, indicating weather or not to go in for another or leave it as is.

“I did that because I can’t let a girl be sad.” He laid back down on the blanket, with his head toward the sky and his eyes closed. I stared at the handsome boy who had just kissed me. I licked my lips, right where his were. I longed for that moment and I longed for it to come back.

My lips tingled, my face hot. Just another. I wanted just another. Just a thousand more. I didn’t want this moment to pass. But I knew it would. I looked at the sky and watched the sunset turn to twilight. I thought about what Hayden said about sad girls. I wasn’t sad, and I knew he knew just that.