Hooligans

Bright morning sunlight streamed through the gauzy white curtains, rousing me from my slumber earlier than I would have liked. I squinted my eyes at the light and glanced at the digital clock on one of the bedside tables. Seven in the morning.

I groaned in protest and rolled onto my back from my lounging position on my stomach. I was almost asleep again when the scent of various breakfast foods hit my nose, pleasing my senses. Even then it took me a second to force my tired body out of the comfortable bed.

Before I left the room I threw on basketball shorts and a torn up T-shirt, only for the fact that I was still in my boxers. I found the kitchen easily. It was off to the side of the living room.

In the doorway, I stopped short when I noticed that Betty wasn’t the only occupant of the kitchen. Another girl sat on a stool pushed up to the island in the center of the room. From this angle I could only see her back, only revealing that she had wavy, mahogany hair to the middle of her back that was kind of gorgeous.

Nobody noticed me until I took the seat next to the girl at the island.

“Oh, Tyler,” Betty greeted once she finally noticed. “Nice of you to join us. I made breakfast.”

I nodded, rolling my eyes dramatically at her obvious statement.

“This is Rikki Coen.” Betty gestured to the girl beside me with her plastic spatula. “She’s the next door neighbor.”

I risked a sidelong glance at her. There was no denying she was gorgeous. That mahogany hair I’d noticed before framed her pale face perfectly. Stormy gray eyes glittered in her skull, lighting up her entire face. She was dressed as one would expect for the area we were in. She had a black cardigan over a white tank top along with blue jeans and cowboy boots.

“This is my nephew, Tyler,” Betty continued for Rikki.

Rikki smiled at me. God, even her smile was gorgeous. “Nice to meet you,” she chimed in a melodic voice, extending her hand out for me to shake.

Despite all my thoughts about this girl, I stared at her hand like she was crazy for even have offered such a thing. No matter how gorgeous this girl was, I did not want anything to do with anyone or anything in this godforsaken place.

Slowly, and awkwardly, she pulled her hand back. She turned to the plate of food Betty had set in front of her.

“Do you need a ride to school today, dear?” Betty asked Rikki. School? How old was this girl?

“If it wouldn’t be a bother to you,” she answered. “I could walk.”

“Nonsense!” Betty denied. “That’s far too long a walk. I’m happy to take you.” Betty set a plate in front of me. “You’ll be okay here by yourself won’t you, Tyler?”

Without looking up, I nodded.

“We’d better leave,” Rikki told her through a mouthful of food. “I don’t wanna be late. One more tardy and I’ll have detention.”

In my peripheral, I saw Betty grab her keys from the hook on the wall. “I’ll be back soon, Tyler.” I didn’t respond as they left me there in that unfamiliar house.



Rikki’s Point Of View

“Tyler seems… rude,” I commented to Betty, trying my best not to offend her, once we were in her truck. Tyler, I admit, was a good looking guy, but he barely mouthed a word and refused to shake my hand, which I’d offered him in an act of courtesy.

Betty nodded without taking her eyes off of the packed dirt road that lay in front of her. “Yes, I’m trying my best to be generous as possible to him. That’s the only reason he’s here in Georgia to be honest. A few days ago him momma gave me a call and asked if I’d let him stay here for a bit, said his ego has grown quite a bit.”

“I’d say,” I muttered. If there was one thing I couldn’t stand it was an entitled jackass. Yet, I wondered what had made him to feel so entitled in the first place. “What caused his ego to get so big anyway?” I voiced aloud.

“Debra, Tyler’s mom, mentioned something about his band gaining bigger fame. More tours, more fans, etcetera.”

“He’s in a band? Hmm, that explains it,” I scoffed, a slight roll of my eyes accompanying my words.

Betty flicked up here turn signal right before she took a left into the tiny school’s parking lot, which was actual just about as big as the school was. “They asked me to let him stay here to ground himself a little before he returned to them in California,” she continued, rounding into a parking space near the entrance of the school.

“Let’s see if it happens,” I mused, slinging my lightweight bag over my bony shoulder.

“Will you need a ride home after school?” she queried as I pushed open the passenger door of her truck, ignoring my last statement.

“Um, I don’t think so. I think I can hassle Felicity into giving me a ride.” I giggled as I referred to my best friend and hopped down from the truck that was substantially taller than my five foot two stature.

“Alright, dear. Call me if you change your mind!” she called after me as I was already bounding up the cement sidewalk that led into the miniscule school.