Good and Bad Things Don't Mix

Stephenie Taylor absolutely hated school. She watched the clock as it counted down the seconds until lunch. Five…four…three…two…one…The bell rang and Steph was the first one out the door, as usual.

“Finally, freedom,” she sighed silently to herself.

She had just gotten out of Science and now…now it was finally lunch. She rarely ever stayed at school for lunch; usually she went to meet a guy or went to her special place to think.

She walked down the hall to her locker, tossed her unused science book in and headed out the building to the parking lot. Pulling out the keys to her Harley Davidson she hopped on and turned the key feeling the bike rumble to life.

Steph pulled out of the parking lot and into the street feeling the wind blow her hair around her neck. She came to a stop light, quickly adjusted her helmet and thought of where she would go today. Sometimes she went to her ‘friend’ Chris’ house.

Chris was a really good friend of her’s and she really cared for him, but their relationship was more of a ‘friends with benefits’ kind of relationship. Steph would call and go to him when she wanted to hook up and he’s do the same with her. They often had lunch together so they could just hang out sometimes, too. He was, in a way, her best friend.

Steph drove to a local fast food restaurant, picked up food for herself and Chris, then headed to a near by park they usually met at.

As she parked her bike and grabbed the food twp strong arms came around her waist, pulling her into the owner’s hard muscular chest.

“Hey there sexy babe,” Chris’ deep voice came.

Steph smirked and turned to face him. It always amazed her at how huge he was. Now, Chris wasn’t a body builder he was just plain big. He was nothing but strong well toned muscle.

Steph did a once over of his attire. He was wearing a white tank top that showed off his strong torso and his powerful arms. Knee length tan shorts cover his thighs but not touching his shapely calf. His buzz cut blonde hair was the same as usual and his brown eyes sparkled as they looked at her.

“Hey yourself,” she replied with a raised eyebrow.

“So whatcha bring me to eat today?”

She held up the bag of food, “I got you some onion ring and your favorite double cheeseburger.”

Chris asked, “Did you happen to bring me my beer, too?”

She turned around, putting her back to Chris and reaching over the other side of her bike, making sure she stuck her butt out to tease him. She heard him groan and step forward pushing his hips up against her butt.

She giggled as she stood back up, “Has gone too long without some comfort?”

He buried his face in her neck lying lustful kisses along it, “You have no idea.”

She bit her lip as she turned around to face him, “Do you still want your drink and to eat here or do you want to go somewhere where we can…talk?”

Chris smirked, “Oh I think we really need to catch up on our long conversations so why don’t you grab the food and hop on in my truck. Then I’ll bring you back here so you can make it back to class on time.”

Steph stood up on her tip toes putting her lips just inches away from Chris’, “Sounds like an excellent plan to me.”

Chris groaned again and wrapped his arms around her waist, slamming his lips into her’s. Steph threw her arms around Chris’ neck and kissed him back just a hard. A moment or two later they pulled away and raced to Chris’ beat up pick up and drove to his near by apartment.

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Forty five minutes later, Steph lay on top of Chris’ chest, breathing heavily, sweaty, and exhausted.

Steph tilted her chin up and kissed him under his jaw, “C’mon, we’ve got to get going.”

Chris sighed, “So soon?”

Steph sat up, not bothering to cover herself, “Yeah, sorry. Call me when you need me again and we’ll see if we can make this a little longer.” She winked.

Chris chuckled, “Alright, alright.”

They got out of bed, dressed and headed back to the park, where Steph’s bike sat unharmed.

“Call me,” she said placing a hand on his cheek as sat on her bike.

“I will, baby cakes,” he said, kissed her cheek and walked back to his truck.

After 10 minutes of driving, she pulled back into the school parking lot.

When she entered the building she looked at the clock on the wall; it was fourth period and history class was waiting.

She didn’t bother to get any of her books since class was already halfway over.

Not bothering to knock, she just walked right in the classroom.

Mrs. Renolds turned around, “Well how nice of you to finally join us, Ms. Taylor.”

Steph smirked, “Oh thank you, how nice of you.”

The teacher sighed, “Look, Stephenie, I’m not going to give you detention because I know it’s going to do no good.

Steph glared at her name. She hated her name. It was the name her parents had given her and for all she could care they could just burn in hell.

“The name’s ST, not Stephenie.”

Well that’s the name on your birth certificate and that’s what I’ll call you.” She sighed again. “Just take your seat. You have a new neighbor so please be nice to him and not scare him.”

Steph gave a sarcastic thumbs up like she always did when she was asked something do to something she knew she was never going to do. “Sure thing,” she said sarcastically.

She walked over to her seat, slouching down lazily while crossing her arms.

“Hi, I’m Lukas Howards.”

She turned her head to look at the ‘new kid’ sitting next to her. He held out his hand formally.

She looked at his hand not bothering to take it and then back to his face, “What’s up? I’m ST or Steph, call me one or the other but not Stephenie, got it?”

“Sure thing.”

ST raised an eyebrow. Did he just mock her?

Oh this guy better watch himself, she thought.

“Listen here, rich boy, don’t mock me, don’t talk to me, hell, don’t even look at me and we’ll get along just fine.”

The Howards kid smirked, “But what if I want to look at you and talk to you?”

“Well don’t because if you do I might have to punch that pretty little face of your’s in,” she replied with her deadliest glare.

Howards smiled, “I think I’m willing to take that risk to at least talk to you.”

Steph was shocked for a moment but quickly covered it with another glare. Did he really just say that? Usually when she threatened to hit someone, guy or girl, they would shut up instantly. She guessed this guy didn’t know her reputation well.

She ignored him the rest of class and when the bell rang she was, once again, the first one out. She walked over to her locker and began grabbing her math books when someone opened their locker next to her’s. She looked over to see Howards himself.

“Shit,” she cursed quietly then looked up at the ceiling. “Why? Why God do you curse me with these annoying people?”

Howards laughed and she rolled her eyes.

“So, Stephenie.”

He was purposely using her name; she just glared at him.

“What class do you have next?” Howards asked but she just ignored him.

He asked his question again but she still ignored him. What she didn’t expect him to do was place a hand on her sore shoulder.

She spun around and screamed, “DO NOT TOUCH ME!”

Howards’ eyes went wide with shock.

“Look, you can talk to me all you want, even though I told you not to. But that doesn’t mean that I have to acknowledge or respond to you.”

“Ok, but what was with the ‘do not touch me’ stuff?”

Steph glare, “Exactly that. Do. Not. Touch. Me. I barely know you and you’re already getting on my nerves.” She closed her locked and walked off to her math class.

She sat down in her seat in class and rubbed her shoulder, wincing. God, why did he have to touch that shoulder? Why couldn’t he have touched her other one? God, it hurt.

She thought about not going home. She didn’t have to go home really. Her parents wouldn’t even notice. Maybe she could just go back over to Chris’ place. No, no should couldn’t. She’d have to go home.

The rest of the day went by slowly and Steph was relived when she was able to go. After placing her books in her locker and making sure to avoid Howards she went out into the parking lot and to her bike.

Pulling her keys from her pocket she mounted her bike and started the engine. She walked the bike backwards. She turned her head to face forward and she saw Howards looking directly at her.

She gave him a cocky crooked smiled, revved the engine and took off down the road.