Hook, Line and Sinker

The next morning I woke up with a smile on my face, and when I finally dragged myself out of the comfort of my bed I had a spring in my step. Some part of me insisted that the reason behind this happiness was a certain blue-eyed boy next door.

But I knew better, it wasn’t Tyler.

Nope, not at all. The reason behind my smile was very simple. It was Friday, which meant school was over for a few days and I could feel excitement welling up inside me.

After school my friends and I would be making our way towards the lake for our camping trip and tomorrow I would wake up to one of the most spectacular views this city has to offer.

For the past four years we’d all packed up our tents, sleeping bags and other camping essentials every weekend of the summer, journeying towards the lake where we spent the weekend in an adult free, rule free environment. It had become a tradition that we all loved.

With graduation looming over us like a hammer waiting to drop, we had to cherish every weekend we got. Because soon enough we would all be splitting apart, like the branches on a tree, to go to different states for school.

But each individual branch is still connected. I had to remind myself every time my thoughts wandered down that dark path.

However as soon as I entered the kitchen that morning I stopped dead in my tracks, the smile slipped from my lips and was replaced by a pained grimace.

Sitting at the breakfast bar with the newspaper in his hands was Seven. What made it even worse was the fact that he was wearing my dad’s gray woolly robe. He had it untied so I could once again see his boxers. A tight black pair with a green animation of a monster on one leg. In big bold text it said ‘Shhh, my monster is sleeping’.

I almost scoffed aloud. If this man thought his manhood was a ‘monster’ then I think his ego was bigger than said manhood. I walked into the kitchen stiffly, my back as straight as a ruler.

Seven looked up at the sound of my arrival. His hair was sticking up in a thousand different directions, I was beginning to think this guy was too lazy to run a comb through his hair, every time I saw him it just looked like a mess. His eyes scanned me up and down for a second before taking on a mischievous gleam. His lips curved up in what was meant to be a sweet smile, I think.

I just bit my lip to stop myself from scowling in his direction.

Why the hell was he wearing my dad’s robe?

“Good morning, Kiddo.” He folded the newspaper up and placed it on the breakfast bar, reaching out for the steaming coffee mug next to him and bringing it to his lips.

“Good morning,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady and light. It was hard, so very hard. I was angry as hell and I really waned to let it out on someone.

Why was he here? Didn’t my mom know that not every date had to carry on into the bedroom?

“Where’s my mom?”

I shoved my own mug under the nozzle of the coffee machine with a little more force than necessary. It clanged on the plastic and I winced as the sound rumbled around my head. I could feel a headache starting in my temples. I scrunched my eyes closed, mentally counting the hours till I could sit by the fire and laugh with my friends.

As I punched the button for the coffee machine to start I felt Seven’s eyes on my back.

“Her boss called, she had to go into work early.”

My eyes shot open. Mom worked as a secretary for Dave Renshaw Realty, she’d had to go into work early numerous times before so that wasn’t what I was surprised about. I was shocked to my core that she’d left this guy, who was virtually a stranger, alone in our house.

“Excuse me,” I growled. I stormed out of the kitchen and when I was out of Seven’s hearing range I pulled my phone out, quickly dialling in my mom’s number.

She answered on the fourth ring with an enthusiastic, “Hello Honey!”

“Why the hell is Seven sitting in our kitchen half naked?” I yelled down the phone, I was in no mood for pleasantries right now.

“Seven, who’s Seven?”

If I wasn’t so mad right now I probably would have laughed at her confused tone. Of course my mom didn’t know about my secret names for her one night stands. If I was honest, I don’t think she even realised that she’d slept with seven different guys within the space of a few months.

“Dominic!”

“Oh, he was still half asleep when I left for work. I really didn’t want to wake him and make him drive home like that. I’m sorry. If it bothers you that much honey, I’ll text him and tell him to go home.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to regain some semblance control over my emotions. I hadn’t been this angry with my mom in a long time. It’s one thing letting your fling, boyfriend, whatever stay over the night. It’s a whole other story to leave him in the house with your eighteen year old daughter when you’ve only known him for two damn days.

“Of course it bothers me! I hardly know the guy, you hardly know the guy! But you left him in our house. Now he’s wearing Dad’s robe, sitting around like he owns the place. I don’t want to see a semi naked guy I hardly know when I’m trying to eat my Wheaties.”

“Poppy, you don’t eat Wheaties.”

“Well perhaps I wanted to today!” I shouted into my phone. Her tone as she’d said that was so light and teasing that I knew for a fact that she thought I was overreacting over this situation. I dropped my voice to a whisper and spoke slowly, as if I were speaking to a child. “Mom, you can’t just let someone you don’t know stay in the house alone with your eighteen year old daughter. He could be a rapist or a murderer.”

“Oh,” Mom murmured, her voice sounding muffled. It was like she’d pulled the phone away from her ear. I could hear her talking to people in the background. It was plainly obvious that she hadn't heard a word I'd just said. Then her voice was back, crystal clear. “I’m sorry honey, I have to go. We’ll talk about this when I get home.”

“Yeah, whatever.” With that said I hung up the phone and let out a huff of anger.

I ran back into the kitchen, my cheeks burning with embarrassment when I realized that Seven had probably heard that whole conversation, despite my cautious volume control at the end. But on second thoughts maybe it would make him realize he wasn’t wanted here and perhaps he’d leave.

Yeah right Poppy, there’s more chance of Hannah becoming a nun. I thought to myself, glancing at the man that had took the phrase make yourself at home a little too seriously. But a girl can dream.

The aroma of coffee permeated the air and I inhaled, enjoying the heavenly scent that invaded my senses. I grabbed my travel mug which looked like a camera lens, I could still remember the huge grin I’d had on my face when my dad bought it for me. I quickly and sloppily transferred the coffee from the mug into my travel mug, desperate to be far away from this awkward situation.

I heard Seven chuckle behind me, the sound sent shivers up my spine. “Goodbye, Kiddo.”

I clenched my teeth together so tightly that my jaw ached. The way he said it reminded me way too much of how my dad used to say goodbye to me after dropping me off at school.

I glanced at myself in the mirror by the door before I left. I looked okay, I guess. I was wearing denim shorts and a black vest with a picture of the New York City skyline. I shrugged into a gray cardigan and grabbed my bag, hurrying out of the door before Seven could offer me a ride again. I didn’t want to spend any more time than necessary with that man.

As soon as I stepped outside the sun beat down onto my skin. I reached behind me and took my anger out on the front door, slamming it shut so hard that the glass quivered slightly in its frame.
Seven’s sleek, black sports car sat on the driveway again, sunlight glinting off it. I surveyed it for a moment, fingering the rough ridges of my keys.

Oh how I wished I could jam my key into the immaculate paint work and scrape a deep line across his beloved car.

Maybe then he’d realise that he wasn’t wanted here. I stood there, weighing the pros and cons of writing my initials into the side. I kept my eyes locked on that car, tossing my keys up into the air, listening to the way they jangled in the air before catching them.

Then before I could question it any further I was rushing across the driveway and dropping into a low crouch. I leveled my shiny key against the car, the uneven edges tapping against the door with a metallic clink.

I was just about to dig my key into the side of the car, debating on if I should write: Go away! , in huge letters on the passenger door when a voice rang out from behind me.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

I stared at the keys in bewilderment, was I really going to vandalize this guy’s car just because he’d irritated me by wearing hardly any clothes and calling me Kiddo?

I usually prided myself on being a nice, caring person. But the way I was acting now, it made me question it. I hadn’t been nice to Seven since I’d caught him and my mom in that vomit inducing embrace yesterday, even though he’d went out of his way to be nice to me. Sure, he set me on edge and kind of creeped me out, but he hadn’t been horrible.

I dropped the keys as if they’d burned me, they landed on the cement driveway with a clatter.

I whipped my head around, expecting to see Seven standing there, with anger burning in his eyes and his huge hands clenched into fists that could do some serious damage to my body.

Instead I was greeted with a familiar view that made my heartbeat speed up exponentially.

Tyler was leaning against his glossy motorbike, one long leg crossed over the other. There was a hole in one of the legs of his jeans, showing a strip of the pale and scarred flesh of his knee. His black hair was sticking up all over the place and the breeze that blew by wasn’t helping to tame it any. My fingers itched with the urge to pat it down.

“The fine you’d get isn’t worth it.” He explained with a shrug, his expression was neutral but his eyes gave him away. Those eyes I loved so much were filled with nothing but amusement.

“I wasn’t going to do anything.” I lied smoothly as I stood up, brushing my hands absent-mindedly over my clothes. I looked at him with what I hoped was an innocent expression, like I hadn’t just been caught red handed about to vandalise a car. He was staring at me, his gaze sweeping up and down my body leisurely in a way that was making my cheeks burn. “I was just, uh, admiring the tires.”

He raised an eyebrow at me. “Sure you were, Poppet.” He said, then he slowly and deliberately tore his eyes away from me and let them slip toward my abandoned keys. Bending down, I quickly scooped them up and tucked them safely away in my back pocket, away from his accusing look. He threw his head back and letting out a loud chuckle. “And I’m a cross dresser.” He added sarcastically.

“That would explain a lot of things,” I remarked, striding down the pathway with a confidence I didn’t feel. “I was wondering where my denim skirt had disappeared to. I suppose you have my red heels too?”

The satisfaction I got from the way his mouth dropped open and the dumbfounded look that crossed his face, was unexplainable. But then the oh so familiar quirk of his mouth returned.

“Yup,” he whispered, his voice oddly husky and seductive. “I’ll definitely have to model them for you, sweetheart.”

For some reason I had the feeling that if I took him up on that offer, red heels would be the only thing he had on. Now don’t get me wrong, the sight of Tyler Burke stumbling around in nothing but a pair of red heels would most definitely make my day one hundred times better, but school was calling.

“As tempting as that offer may be, I have school and if I stand here any longer I’m going to be late.” I told him, throwing him a smile as sweet as sugar and as toxic as poison over my shoulder while I walked away.

Somewhere in the distance I recognized the sound of his motorbike starting up, but I paid it no attention. Not until he pulled up beside me, shoving a helmet in my direction.

“Hop on,” I shook my head, ready to tell him no. To tell him he could take that helmet and shove it where the sun don’t shine. But then Tyler sighed, a sound that held so many emotions, a sound that hurt my chest somewhere near the region of my heart and my resolve crumbled like a cookie.

“Look, it’s just a ride Poppy. You don’t want to be late, do you?”

I took the helmet cautiously, holding it as if it were a bomb that only had seconds left on the clock.

“My mom always warned me about guys with motorbikes,” I told him as I fastened the helmet onto my head. The weight of it was comforting and familiar.

“What words of wisdom did she give you?” He asked, his eyes shining like two precious jewels.

“That if you're in more danger of falling in love than falling off. But before you go getting a big head I think she meant the bike, not the guy.”

I swung my leg over the bike, settling myself gently onto the seat. I’d sat on this bike plenty of times before, wrapped my arms around Tyler and held on tight as he raced through the streets. Now though, with our breakup creating so much space between us, I didn’t know where to put my hands.

I shifted uncomfortably behind him on the seat for a bit until Tyler reached back, grasped my hands in his and placed them on his taut stomach.

His hard muscles flexed under the thin shirt he was wearing as he started the bike. I could actually feel the muscles rippling under my fingertips.

The bike soon rumbled to life beneath us, growling like a hungry tiger. Then we were flying through the streets and Tyler was laughing at me as I grasped onto him for dear life, all previous reservations about where to put my hands forgotten.

“Just like old times huh, Poppet?” Tyler shouted, I could feel the vibrations of his words from where my arms were wrapped around his body in a backwards bear hug.

“Yeah,” I responded, wistfully.

The trees that bordered the road blurred together as we raced past. It reminded me so much of how life was passing me by, my memories all becoming a blur as I struggled to keep up.

I was so focused on my thoughts, so lost inside my own mind that I didn’t see the bend in the road up ahead. Then Tyler swerved around it without slowing down, his actions as reckless as he was.

I screamed, quite loudly. Yet, it wasn’t in fear, for some bizarre reason. It was a scream of exhilaration. Like the scream that leaves your lips when you go over the first dip of a roller coaster. That scream of pure excitement without a tinge of fear, ‘cause you know you are safe and even though I hated Tyler, I still trusted him with my life.

I just didn’t trust him with my heart, not anymore.

“A little warning would be nice next time,” I gasped. I pulled one arm away from his waist and tried to land jab to his ribs. But the angles were all wrong and I just ended up landing an awkward, overly weak punch to his hard stomach.

He chortled, the sound immediately made me smile. but I quickly covered it with an angry sneer. I directed my burning gaze on his his thin blue tee shirt that was billowing slightly as the wind whipped by us.

“Hey now sweetheart, no need to get violent.” I could actually hear that infuriating smirk in his voice. “Or I’ll have to do something like this,”

“Like wha—”

The breath was stole from my lungs when Tyler suddenly skidded the motorbike around a sharp bend. Swiftly I wrapped my free arm back around Tyler’s waist, a small squeak shock escaping my mouth.

The bike teetered to the right for one second too long, I felt my heart clench in fear as I instinctively tightened my arms around Tyler and buried my head in between his shoulder blades.

I felt the bike right itself and I let go of the breath I didn’t know I was holding. I kept my forehead against Tyler’s back, taking a few deep breaths to calm down my racing heart. The scent of spearmint clung to his skin, the scent was so familiar, yet so foreign at the same time. I inhaled it deeply as I clung on to him.

“You’re an asshole,” I mumbled, hoping he could hear my shaky voice over the roar of the engine. Then I felt the light pressure of his hand against my own white knuckled grasp on his shirt. “Keep your hands on the handle bars!”

A few minutes later the bike slowed, then with a sputter of the engine it came to a stop by the sidewalk. I finally looked up from Tyler’s back, the sun seemed a little too bright for a moment, my eyes had become too accustomed to the light blue color of Tyler’s tee shirt.

Students milled around the sidewalk. Some stopped and outright gawked at the bike, or maybe it was me on the bike, I wasn’t quite sure which. Tyler patted my hand, his touch gentle and oddly comforting. At the same time though, it wasn’t odd at all; Tyler had been the one I went to with all my fears until seven months ago.

I clambered of the bike, my legs were unsteady but thankfully they held me upright. As I unbuckled the helmet I saw Maya, James and Hannah standing off to the side, each watching with equally astonished expressions as I turned back to Tyler.

I knew what they were thinking, Why is she with Tyler? I thought she hated him. The truth was, I did still sort of hate Tyler. He’d hurt me so badly. But how could you love someone so fully and so deeply and not still feel something for them, even after a bitter breakup?

Tyler was still straddling the bike, his helmet was off and resting between his legs, his arms crossed over it to keep it in place. As I passed him the spare helmet I saw something that made my heart swell so much that I thought it might burst. A few words in red pen, that had faded over time, were written upon the back of the helmet.

Poppy and Tyler.

What would be just two names joined together by a simple conjunction to any other person, meant so much more to me.

Clenching my eyes closed, I shoved the helmet towards him, trying to forget what I’d seen on the helmet.

Why was it still there? I was sure he would have tried to scrub it off, or at least scribbled over it. When I finally opened my eyes again I saw Tyler looking at me, concern clear in his eyes.

“Thank you for the ride and near death experience.” I strived to keep my voice light, pretending the helmet hadn’t affected me as much as it actually had. “Best way to start the day.”

“I would never let anything happen to you, sweetheart.” He told me, serious for once in his life. “After all, Greta threatened to chop my balls off if you cried again because of me, remember? And I’m not gonna lie, I’m pretty attached to them.”

It was at that moment that James, Maya and Hannah decided to saunter up to us. James threw his arm around my shoulder, tugging me towards him so the length of my body was pressed against his. I glanced at him but he was glaring at Tyler and let me tell you, if looks could kill, Tyler would drop dead on the spot. Maya wore a similar expression to James’ but Hannah gazed at Tyler with unabashed admiration.

“Hi Tyler,” Hannah greeted, biting her lip and looking up at him through her eyelashes. He looked at her for a moment, his gaze reminded me of how you’d look at a bug on your windscreen before you blasted water at it, with a sort of mild disinterest.

He just bobbed his head in acknowledgement before he turned his gaze back towards me. His eyes instantly settled upon where James’ arm was wrapped around my shoulder. Something flashed through his eyes, but it disappeared before I could analyse what it was.

We stared at each other and I found myself getting lost in his blue orbs, it was like I was drowning in his eyes.

“I’ll see you later, Poppy.” Then he slid his helmet on, concealing his face and breaking the spell he seemed to have put over me. He started up the bike and then he was speeding away, leaving me in the lions den.

They waited until he’d disappeared down the street and turned around the corner, as if they were scared he would hear what they were going to say. Then they attacked me with their questions.

“What’s going on? Why were you with Tyler Burke?”

“You guys aren’t getting back together are you?”

“Are you okay?”

I sighed, shaking myself free from James’ grasp then walked towards the red brick building. Leaving my friends behind me without answers, still spouting out their intrusive questions.