09 | 𝐿𝑜𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒

Kayla stifled a laugh.

She face planted onto my covers whilst laying on her stomach, legs kicking in the air behind her. Her laughter muffled by the fabric of my white and green comforters. "You're saying--" she chortled into the material, "you lied about having a dog?"

I threw my head back, pressing my skull against the headboard. "You heard that correctly," I mused lightheartedly, trying to look optimistic. "By any chance do you have a gold dog stuffed into your house somewhere that I don't know about?" I wondered curiously, even though I knew she didn't, I still hoped.

"No, Mam," she sighed. "Just me and my demon hamster." She grinned at me once her head was lifted up, chin digging into her forearms. "And you named this dog... what again?"

I grumbled under my breath, "Moose--"

"Ha!" she interrupted with her sharp, resounding chuckles. "You're an idiot!" she exclaimed. "Why did you lie about having a dog?"

"It wasn't like that," I denied, but then I asked myself how exactly it went down. "I was texting Victor--"

"Stay away from my man, Man," she teased, but shook her head. "Why were you texting him?"

I scratched my neck awkwardly. "You know how I mentioned he's been helping me try and get Sullivan?" I recalled, and she nodded in agreement. "Well, funny story actually... I was texting him to give advice and Sullivan read over my phone that I was talking to Victor, but I made him think he saw me text my veterinarian," I explained matter of factly, thinking that when I spoke the words out loud, I sounded quite intelligent.

Kayla must've realized I was thinking highly of myself, because she instantly said, "you're an imbecile."

The door to my bedroom opened and I craned my back around, hauling myself over the headboard to see my mom peering in the doorway. "You're doing a lot of giggling in here," she expressed, shaking her head. "Someone's here to see you."

"Who?" I asked dumbly.

Kayla leapt up from the bed, throwing her arms up. "Heyo!" she hollered and my mom stepped out of the way to allow the figure to pass through. Lo and behold it was Jaydon Bach who approached the headboard.

I arched a brow as my mom gave one last smile and sealed the door closed. "Don't get me wrong, I love that you're here, but why?" I sniggered.

"Are you kidding?" Jay rebuked. "I heard about Moose."

I went to speak, but then scowled up at him instead, settling back into my spot on the bed. "I'm done with you two," I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest and chuckling to myself.

"Well," Jay leapt onto the mattress, criss crossing his legs, followed by Kayla who sat opposite of me, intrigued. "I know a way to distract you!" He dug into the pocket of his gray sweats and fished out a quarter shaped piece of paper. I furrowed my brows, watching him unfold the square into a much larger sheet. When I thought it was done, he continued to unfold. The length of the paper was from the top of his head to his waist.

He cleared his throat and read the front, "the best distraction for Azariah Kellman." He unhurriedly fixed the flyer around and my eyes scanned over the vibrant reds and yellows with a banner, saying, 'FIREWORK FUNDRAISER'. Splatters of colors and shapes marked the edges of the thin paper and cartoon fireworks danced above the words.

"Wow, nice," I muttered, not amused. He quickly scanned the front of the flyer to make sure he held out the right side to me.

Kayla palmed her forehead, frustrated. "I told you she wouldn't be excited," she argued, shaking her head timidly in thought.

Jay's frown deepened, but I quickly piped in, "no, I just wasn't ever really a firework person," I chuckled uncomfortably. "Besides, the date... I might be busy."

Jay cringed, throwing a hand strikingly at the yellow and red print. He jested, "nothing is as important as Kayla and I so cancel your plans." He paused, his cheeky smile widening. "Besides, I'm inviting one of my cousins you never met before, don't wanna disappoint him now, do ya?"

"You're what?" I retorted.

Kayla spun around. "I thought it was just gonna be you, me, Riyah, and Sully?" she inquired which had my mind spinning even faster. It felt like a freight train on steroids. My face became ablaze just by the inkling idea that Sullivan would be with me outside of school... again. I would be lucky to see him inside school, but it became a whole other ballpark the second I heard her words.

Though I was thrilled and happy, I was nervous. Something inside of me felt almost irritated by the fact that they didn't ask first. Not only that, but I didn't know if I could handle another hang-out with him, without lying about something stupid... like a dog.

"What happened to just the three of us?" I recalled with a fragile tone. My shoulders were becoming heavier to keep high and I felt genuinely conflicted. "Thinking of," I started, "any chance your cousin has a golden dog?"

Jay scrunched his nose in perplexity then laughed. "He has a black lab, but close one." He placed the flyer down between us, an optimistic look in his eyes. "My cousin is from good ol' Lancaster and he's super cool, staying for a weekend and a half--"

"Maybe I can date him?" Kayla suggested half-heartedly, but Jay only shrunk back in his seat.

"That'd be nice, you know, it'd work out... if he wasn't gay," He chuckled at seeing the disappointment in her eyes. "You guys would like him, he's my best friend--"

"You say that about a lot of people, I'm realizing," I noted casually.

"True, but I mean it with him. Anthem and I used to live right next to each and we grew up like brothers. Then I moved to this fucking state," he uttered, beckoning his arms to the house, and further outwards, the big square on the map, being Wyoming.

"We get it," Kayla snapped dryly. "You hate Wyoming."

"I don't hate it." Jay corrected in a smarting tone, "I loathe it. Pennsylvania is way better anyways," he explained, prodding a finger at the flyer. "We're going!"

I cried out, "but--"

"Nope." He sported a grin on his lips. "I said we're going and if I've done my calculations correctly... you and Sully have another chance at befriending each other outside of dogs and school projects?" He persuaded with resilience. I saw the eager head nods and patience wear thin at my silence, the soundless pleading swelled my pores.

"Fine," I grunted. "When is this stupid firework show anyway?" I was laughing all the while, hoping that if I chortled hard enough, I could convince myself that the anxiety was enthusiasm.

"Saturday and Sunday," he claimed.

Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no! This can't be happening. Please tell me this ain't happening. That the fundraiser is any other day but the days that I promised Victor I'd help him on and when he'd help me. Shit.

"Something wrong?" Kayla inquired, then her head cocked to the side. "You're free Saturday and Sunday, right?"

"I promised Vicky---" I watched as their heads simultaneously shifted to the side. "I mean Victor. I'd promised Victor that I'd help him Sunday if he helps me Saturday--"

"Well, the thing Saturday is only for the afternoon, correct?" Kayla prompted, gesturing a hand up to me. "The fireworks aren't until later that night."

"I guess you're right. Okay, sounds like a plan then," I snickered. "Is there anything else I'm forgetting besides a dog---"

"You're not getting a dog to impress a guy," Jay warned with a smile.

I rolled my eyes, clenching my jaw obliviously. "Well, when you put it like that---"

"There's no other way to put it!"

♡♡♡

Vicky |

11:09 PM

call me.

I hesitated at the sight of the message. It sent ten minutes prior. Momentarily with a short panic, I delayed my intentions of going to bed, dialing his number and raising it to my ear, it rang once, then again and then he declined. Silencing the ring in my ear. I narrowed my eyes on my bed comforters, now unoccupied. Jay and Kayla left at around nine. It was just me sitting with my thoughts.

What if he's hurt? Got kidnapped by Russian mafia? Or... worse, needed help on the English homework, because if that was the case, I was about as helpful as a rock during that situation.

I sat at the head of my bed, listening to music on my laptop, more into Bon Jovi at the moment, plus Bryan Adams, and a bit of The Police.

I liked my eighties music, what could I say?

Finally two minutes passed and I went listening to "You Give Love A Bad Name" by the king of music himself, Bon Jovi, and tried to dismiss Victor's message. That was until my bed started quivering under a familiar rhythm. I glanced over at the Caller I.D and saw him calling me again.

"Why did you decline me the first time?" I ordered, not meaning to be as aggressive as I sounded, but part of me was left worried.

"Goddamn, Girl. Calm your tits, I was in the bathroom," he mused alongside a shuffling noise which puckered through the speakers. My breathing mellowed.

That's strange, why did it feel like I was actually worried? Maybe a good friend? If we're friends...

"Sorry," I laughed lightly. "I've had a rough day."

"I can tell." There was a pause before he asked, "how'd it go with Corbett?"

Was he asking how it went? I mean, obviously I was hearing the words, but I still continued to question my hearing.

"Why are you interested? I mean, of course I'll tell you--"

He snapped at me. "Well, I'm trying to prevent a coming to my house unannounced and demanding cheese situation?" he lectured. I bowed my head, gnawing tentatively on my lip. "Just tell me already," he voiced tiredly.

"Okay, promise you won't kill me?" I pressed nervously.

"No, I don't promise. What did you do this time?" He was starting to recognize a pattern or my bad habit of creating a trail of destruction beneath my feet.

I held the phone flush against my ear as I explained, "Well, I... I might've told him I had a dog because you texted--"

"Okay, I get it. I like sex, you don't have to call me an animal for it," he teased, but his tone drew out more seriously, "what did you do?"

I bundled under the covers of my bed, smiling cheesily to myself at hearing his jest. "I made up this lie about having a golden dog named Moose," I admitted hurriedly, wanting to get the hard part over with. "I heard the wrath from Kayla and Jay, I don't need you too, but just in case this wasn't obvious... you don't happen to have a golden dog, do you?" I asked, kind of hopeful.

"Oh, yeah. I have tons back in storage, what breed?" he quipped sarcastically. "Why? How--I don't understand you sometimes," he chuckled, and I could imagine he was rolling his eyes on his side of the phone. "Didn't I tell you to be honest?"

"I know!" I whined. "I just got a little... wrapped up in things--"

"Wrapped up in things?" he echoed.

"Please, I think I've heard enough for one day," I groaned, tearing a hand through my russet caramel locks with frustration. I shrugged further into the comfort of my bed, seeing the soft hue of a street lamp peer through my window.

"Okay, okay," Victor prattled. "Is that all? What genre did you pick for the project?" he implored.

I slipped out of the covers and grabbed onto my composition notebook. With my bare legs exposed, the draft created a cluster of goosebumps to bubble along my thigh. I guess that was my punishment for wearing athletic short shorts with... shit, one of Victor's hoodies. Well, too bad, I liked this one. He could take the other one back with the sweatpants. This was the first one he gave me when I had a major hangover and I really liked it; no longer smelled like him though, but it was warm.

I flipped through the pages as he patiently waited on the other line. "Well, we chose suspense-thriller, which is awesome," I muttered.

"I'm assuming you're happy?" he investigated with a chortle.

"Absolutely, I love horrors, but he hates them and wanted to do comedy, but even if he's my crush, I wanted to enjoy this project too," I protested, smiling giddily that I somehow convinced Sullivan to stray from his comfort zone.

"Ooh, okay. Good for you. You're a girl with good taste. Favorite horror movie?" he asked casually and I was wondering why he was being so nice to me.

This might've been the first real conversation we had that kinda didn't involve Sullivan.

"A Nightmare on Elm Street," I answered, "but also The Conjuring--"

"The second," he cut off, referring to the second Conjuring movie.

My breath hitched in surprise. "You like horror movies?"

He scoffed into the phone. "Do I like my jeep?" he retorted mockingly.

"Oh my God," I voiced softly whilst ambling my way to my bed. I slid my legs into the comfort of blankets and fumbled with the edges of my pillowcase to keep my hands occupied. We shared a chuckle or two, but then it got quiet.

Suddenly he started again. "I didn't mean to get you mad earlier," he admitted, causing my eyebrows to furrow. I swaddled the comforters over my body in the pitch black of my room.

"What are you talking about?" I implored.

"My sexual text," he jested, "didn't mean to cause a series of lies to spiral, though I stand by the fact that it wasn't entirely my fault--" he persuaded with a slight indifference in his tone.

"Okay, a part of me thinks this is subtle verbal abuse," I pointed out matter of factly, causing him to guffaw in reply.

"Well, what can I say---" he started but I began to hear my door open and I quickly lowered the volume, hushing him to be quiet. I tried pressing the mute button but quickly threw it under the covers and tucked it close to my thigh.

"Hey, you on the phone with anybody?" my mom asked, wearing her periwinkle bedtime t-shirt and blue pajama pants.

I was still startled and I knew I couldn't lie that much. "Yeah... a few moments ago," I lied, but my cheeks were blazing red, I tried to contain my voice but it was ready to crack with my next statement.

"Alright, goodnight," she murmured, pulling me in tight. Her collarbone grazed against my feverish rash of redness, causing her to pull away and situate the back of her hand against my forehead nervously. "You feelin' alright?"

"Tired," I stated curtly.

She nodded trepidatiously, beginning to walk out of the room with one last, "okay, get some rest. Goodnight."

I echoed it back to her as she closed the door into its threshold. When I retreated the phone, his laughter burst through the speakers.

"Shit, I didn't mute myself," I cursed under my breath, rolling my eyes.

He still chuckled, a bit lighter than the last, but it was still there. Every time I heard his voice raise in pitch I felt my stomach do tiny flips, not Sullivan type of nerves, but just happy flutters that any girl could get when hearing him, imagining what the creases around his eyes must have looked like, or his smile.

"Wow," he began astonishingly, "I feel like a secret couple already."

"You better watch your tone," I warned threateningly. "My mom might hear you."

I rolled my eyes, but shortly he announced, "I should probably get going. I have a girl coming over in a few."

"Oh, you do?"

Why did my voice have a soft downcast?

I didn't mind talking to him and I love Kayla and Jay, but sometimes a new face was all I needed, even if it's Kayla's crush.

"You seem disappointed," he joshed, "Changing your mind about Sullivan already? I still have to teach you a few things Saturday and you owe---"

"Come to the firework show," I instructed.

"Excuse me?" he drew out a bit irritated. I recognized the voice that came with the scowl of question and annoyance. This was the type of voice that he used when I knew his patience was wearing thin.

I sighed, shaking my head and holding the phone close to my ear. "Sorry, that was demanding, but how about... please come to the firework fundraiser with my friends and I... please?" I speedily suggested.

"Why?" he shot.

I really didn't know, but then my self-consciousness came forth. I answered easily, "Because, Sullivan is going and I need your help, but also, Jay is going with his cousin to show him around Wyoming and Kayla, my best friend, Mikayla Ashby, is going alone--"

"Are you seriously trying to set me up with your friend right now?" he retorted a bit menacingly. I didn't understand why he was so adamant on not going with Kayla, he slept and dated any girl crossing paths with him.

Did he not like blondes or something? No, that couldn't be true.

"Well, I--"

He answered the question in my head and deadpanned, "I go out with who I want to go out with," he confirmed. I was hating how the conversation took such a turn and I so badly wanted to force it the other way. The way that had him chuckling along with me, hiding the device under the covers while he stayed quiet on my command.

I nodded frantically, though I knew he couldn't see me. "I never meant it to sound like you were being set up, but you can stay back with her. She's super sweet and fun, but I really need you there to help me out with Sullivan," I explained, and somehow got away with my correction.

He didn't seem to notice. "I'll think about it, Rhy. When is it?"

"Saturday--"

"But we're going--"

"Night," I responded. "It's at night and I really want you there to help me. The last time you couldn't respond, I told him I had a dog named Moose. I obviously need your help," I begged with a glimmer in my eyes.

"I'll think about it," he repeated softer. "I have to go now, her car's here. Well, wish me luck," he teased humorously. "Have a goodnight, Rhy."

I rolled my eyes, replacing the weird feeling inside of me with a simple, "goodnight."

x