by Raathi Chota
“What are you doing here?”
“It’s practically one in the afternoon, and you look like a squirrel attacked you,” he pointed out. I rolled my eyes and folded my arms. He let out an exasperated sigh, then stuffed his hands in his pockets. “You know that blonde chick with the ombre highlights?” I stared at him in confusion, yet the first person to pop into my head was Kelly. “My brother’s girlfriend.”
“Yeah, what about Kelly?”
“Oh, that’s her name. Well, it’s her birthday today, and she’s having a party tonight. Being the delayed son of a bitch that my brother is, he didn’t get her anything yet.”
“This still doesn’t answer as to why you’re here,” I hissed, but he ignored me.
“So he asked me what girls like, and I’m like, ‘How the hell am I supposed to know? Does it look like I have boobs and va—’”
“Just get to the point!”
“Calm down, pumpkin.” Axel raised his hand. “As I was saying, he got pissed because he didn’t know what to get, and I made him angrier. We got into a huge fight, causing him to break Mom’s favorite vase, so he kicked me out and told me to come back when I have a present for Kim.”
“Kelly.”
“Whatever.”
“That still doesn’t answer my question.”
“Well, I don’t know what chicks adore. Plus, you’re Blake’s friend, so you can help.”
“Why couldn’t you ask your friend Tamia?”
“She’s busy with college and shit.”
“And what makes you think that I will help you?”
“Because you’re are a true friend who’ll help a friend in need.” He pouted.
“We’re not friends. I barely know you.”
“Yeah, but you and Blake are friends…” He trailed off. “With benefits.”
“What?” I glared at Axel as the corner of his mouth rose.
“Nothing,” he sang, then gave me a once-over. “So get ready.”
“Why?”
“So we can go to the zoo,” he mocked. “So you can help me get this chick a present!”
“Can’t he take a bunch of flowers?”
“Lame.”
“Isn’t he her present already?”
“You got a point there,” he stated. “But I’m sure she’ll be pissed if he shows up to the party and be like, ‘I’m your birthday present!’ Then they’ll maybe break up.”
“Not such a bad idea.”
“What?”
“Nothing,” I responded with a grin.
“Clock is ticking…” He trailed off, pointing to his wrist that had no watch on it. I let out a huff as I trudged down the hallway and up the stairs. I tried my best to get done as quick as I could. I didn’t trust Axel downstairs with my father. Since it was getting close to winter, I decided on a flannel, jeans, and boots. I brushed my hair out as quick as I could, then slipped on my glasses. I grabbed my phone, then walked downstairs.
“Hope everything is okay now,” my mother said.
“Yeah, we’re getting there,” Axel responded. I raised a brow as I walked into the living room to see my parents on the sofa, while Axel sat opposite them. When Mom noticed me, she sat up, and everyone turned to look at me. I was intrigued as to how Axel knew my parents. “Well, we better get going. The mall can get full on a Saturday,” Axel said as he stood up. I glanced at my dad, expecting him to protest, but got nothing. He gave us a small smile and nodded.
“Take care of her, Axel,” Dad stated as he rose to his feet.
“Don’t worry, I’m sober,” Axel joked as he winked at me.
“You kids have fun,” Mom added as she placed her hand in Dad’s. I watched as the crazy people I presumed were my parents walked into the kitchen. Once they were out of sight, I turned to Axel with a puzzled look.
“What just happened here?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged and walked to the front door. I trailed behind as I tried to think of a reason why my parents let me go with Axel so smoothly.
***
“Why do we have to go buy her something if Blake is her boyfriend?” I asked while we drove down the road.
“Again with the topic.” Axel laughed.
“Well, you just ruined my whole Saturday worrying about what to get Kelly West for her birthday.”
“What were you going to do the rest of the day?” He glanced at me. “Sleep.” He answered his own question, which was accurate. “So think of it this way: you’re helping Blake and yourself by doing something constructive on a Saturday.”
“But sleep is the best.”
“Not gonna argue on that one.” He chuckled as he reached into his pocket. I watched as he took a cigarette out of the pack, then a lighter from his other pocket. He lit the cigarette and inhaled the tobacco. I think he noticed my stare, as he held out the pack. “Come on, I know you wanna.” Axel wiggled his brows. I let out a dry laugh as I took a cigarette and the lighter. I noticed it was Blake’s lighter. I placed the cigarette between my lips and lit it. As I inhaled the smell of tobacco, I shut my eyes because it was a substitute for the pills. I leisurely opened my eyes as I exhaled and blew the smoke into the air. I glanced over and noticed Axel’s smirk. I tilted my head at him, and he shook his head and smirked. “Not gonna lie, that was hot.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I smiled and turned up the volume of the radio. I finally turned to Axel and watched as he dumped his cigarette out the window.
“How come you’re not in college?” I asked. Axel’s jaw clenched as he stared at the road in front of him. He gripped the wheel and intently licked his lips. I realized I wouldn’t get an answer, so I remained silent. Earlier I asked if we could make a quick stop before the mall. Axel parked the Mitsubishi in front of the store, and we got out. I hadn’t been here in almost two months. I stared at the entrance. It’s where it all started.
“You coming?” Axel broke my gaze. I straightened my posture as I scurried behind him. As soon as we entered the store, we went our separate ways. I searched for Rodney as Axel went through the types of vinyl. We decided to stay on the bottom floor so that we wouldn’t have to look for each other.
“Hey, Rodney,” I greeted as he placed some posters in a box. He glanced over his shoulder and gave me a warm smile.
“’Sup, Lana? What brings you here?”
“Here to pick up those records I ordered.”
“Oh yeah! They arrived last week. I’ll just go and get them.” I watched as he walked to the back of the store. Once he was gone, I whipped my head around to look where Axel was. True Gunner genes right there. I shook my head in amusement as I watched Axel play the electric guitar in front of girls. Blake and Axel were roughly the same height, and it looked like they shared the same style. Same leather jacket, ripped jeans, and combat boots…or was it a Gunner thing? I wouldn’t be surprised if their mom was a rock star. “Alt-J and Mayday Parade vinyls.” Rodney’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts as I spun around and saw him with a box. “If there’s any issues, or one of them is cracked, just bring it back, and we’ll figure it out from there.” I gave him a warm smile as he reached under the table. From the corner of my eye, I saw Axel and his friends laugh. Beside them were a few tables and chairs filled with people who listened to music or used the free Wi-Fi. A light bulb appeared above my head as I gazed back at Rodney. “Just sign here and here,” he instructed. I did as told, then handed him the money.
“Are you open during the week?”
“Yep, weekdays nine a.m. to six p.m.”
“Is it okay if I hang out here after school?”
“No problem. You’ll just have to buy something,” he joked as Axel approached us. I chuckled as Axel took the box without my permission. He walked out of the store, and I said bye to Rodney, then caught up to Axel. He placed the box in the trunk and walked to the driver’s side and got in without a word. I sighed. His mood reminded me of Blake…it must run in the family.
***
“
How about we go in there?” Axel asked as we strolled past a few stores. For the past hour, we’ve been stuck at the mall, trying to find “someone’s girlfriend” a present. It hadn’t been going so well since Axel thought of such useless things to buy her. I glanced up, and my eyes widened at the store’s name. “Come on, haven’t you ever thought of having a pair?”
“No! Well, yes, but I’m sure there’s something else for Ke—”
“Come on, Lana. Kaitlin will love this.” He sighed as he yanked on my arm.
“It’s Kelly!” I groaned as we entered the store. I felt uncomfortable entering a store like that with Axel. Girls with designer bags and looks of maturity gaped as we entered. I squinted up at Axel and noticed a grin take over his features. He enjoyed it; girls drooled over him as we walked.
“Hi, may I assist you today?” A squeaky voice snapped me out of my thoughts. A girl who seemed a few years older than me stood in front of us. Her light brown hair was up in a high ponytail that swung as she tilted her head to the side.
“Yes, I’d like to see the cutest lingerie you’ve got.” Axel beamed as he smirked at her.
“Aww…you’re so lucky that you have a cute boyfriend buying you Victoria Secr—”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I said, then stepped aside. The girl gave us a confused look as she glanced at Axel. He let out an awkward chuckle as he swung his arm around my shoulder.
“She’s really shy,” he said. I scoffed and pried him off as the girl directed us to the lingerie.
“Take your time. Just shout if you need help.” She winked at Axel. Once she was out of sight, I snapped my head back to him. He slowly walked down the aisle and rubbed his chin as he eyed the lingerie.
“Just pick one and let’s get out of here,” I said. He pulled out a set and placed it in front of me. I glanced down to see black lacy lingerie. I squirmed away as he raised his hands in confusion.
“You and Kimberly are basically the same, so just hold on, woman,” he snapped, then placed the lingerie back in front of me. I let out a huff as he continued to hold up other pairs that looked the same but were a different color. “This one is perfect.” He eyed me. “Let’s just take a size bigger…just in case.”
“Do you think Blake will like it?” I raised a brow as he searched for a bigger size.
“Please, I bet you my brother is worrying his ass off right now.”
***
Blake
I glanced at the bottle of beer in my hand, then to the broken vase on the table. Axel was the most frustrating person in the universe—he was worse than Liam and Aidan. You’d think, him being the first-born, he’d be mature and responsible, but those kinds of words didn’t appear in his vocabulary. I believe he dated my girlfriend more than I did. He especially woke me up and reminded me that it was her birthday. Whenever Kelly and I hung out, Axel came in the room and spoke to her.
I knew it was her birthday, and she was planning a bizarre party. I sent her text, and her response was thanks, and she couldn’t wait to see the gift that I got her. Wasn’t I enough? I’d slept around a few times, but I’d never committed myself to anyone other than Kelly. With her, it felt exciting yet desperate. Whenever I was pissed at someone, she appeared. Whenever Lana and I fought, she emerged. The first few times she stood and watched me. Afterward, we seemed bored, so we took it to the next level. I didn’t know what to get her. I’d been to her house, and it’s massive. She showed me all the things in her room, so that made it harder. I wanted to loaf around the whole day, but Axel nagged me. I got so annoyed that we fought and knocked down Momma’s vase again. Instead of being the responsible one, he left and said that he’d get her a present since he’s invited too. That took me by surprise, so I gave him money to buy a gift while I cleaned up. As always.
I placed the beer bottle onto the coffee table and got up. I approached the sound system and hooked up my phone, then hit shuffle. How ironic that “Happy Song” by BMTH came on. A smirk molded onto my face as I remembered my first encounter with Lana Willson. She surprised me there. That’s where it all started. I shook the memory away as I glanced down at the broken pieces on the coffee table. I increased the volume as I sat down and held a glue gun in one hand and a glass piece in the other.
Half an hour later, I was down to the last two pieces. Nirvana blared through the speakers as I bobbed my head to the beat. Everything went silent as I heard shuffling behind me. I hastily got up and spun around, only to be met by my annoying brother.
“Look, Nirvana is amazing, but you don’t have to deafen the neighbors,” Axel sarcastically said as he stood by the sound system. I squinted my eyes at him as I twirled the glue gun in one hand. I noticed the big bag in his hand.
“What did you get?” A smirk suppressed his lips as he handed me the bag. I looked inside and saw a pair of Victoria’s Secret underwear.
“We got Kendall her fave. She can show you tonight.” He winked.
“For the tenth time today, it’s Kelly.” I turned my head. Our eyes locked for a second, then she looked away. “Hi,” Lana whispered. I turned to my brother, who had a goofy grin.
“Your parents know that you’re here?” I asked her. She stood in the corner of the living room, behind the sofa, as if not sure if she should come any closer. Her hair curled as a strand fell down her face onto her glasses.
“Yeah, and somehow they’re fine with me hanging out with a twenty-two year old.”
“Okay, now that we’ve all caught up, how’s the vase?” Axel asked.
“Getting there.”
“Thanks for buying this. It’s…err…very kind of you,” I said in an ominous tone.
“Only the best for your girlfriend,” Axel sang as I set the bag on the ground. Lana scoffed and turned away. I turned back to my brother and smirked as he returned the gesture. She faced us with an innocent look.
“What?” she snapped. Axel let out a dry laugh as I shook my head in amusement. He walked to the kitchen, which left me with Lana.
“How are you?” My voice sounded quieter than I expected.
“I’m all right.”
“All right, you reckless teenagers, I’m heading out,” Axel announced as he entered the room in a different shirt, jingling keys. I squinted my eyes at him as he smiled at Lana.
“No, no, no—you’re helping me with this shit!” I pointed to the vase.
“No can do, brother. I have places to go and people to see,” he said, then rested his hands on my shoulders. “Lana can help you. I’ve heard she’s quite handy at fixing things.” Axel released his grip from my shoulders then spun around. “See you later, pumpkin.” He winked at her. I scoffed at my brother’s pet name for Lana as she gave him a kind smile. As he passed the sound system, he turned it on. Nirvana blared through the speakers. Lana twitched. I was used to the loud music. I walked to the sound system and reduced its volume. The familiar engine roared as I let out a frustrated groan. Axel took my motorcycle on purpose, so I had to take the car to drop off Lana. The only sound to be heard was the music as I looked over my shoulder. Lana remained in her spot as I raised a brow.
“Make yourself comfortable,” I mumbled. My jaw clenched as I approached the coffee table. Lana took a seat on the sofa. I joined the pieces back together and couldn’t help but divert my eyes to the Victoria’s Secret bag. I licked my lips at the thought of Axel and Lana shopping together. “Let me guess, it was my brother’s bright idea to get Kelly some lingerie?”
“Yeah, he was determined to get her something.” Her voice was soft as she laughed.
“How was the game last night?”
“Jefferson High always wins. Ethan played well. Liam was his goofy self, while Nick and Benny were focused.” I squatted to the opposite side of the coffee table so that I faced her. I felt her eyes on me as I tinkered with the super glue. I’d look at Lana and sometimes watch as she lip-synced to a few songs. Her eyes met mine as she stopped and looked down, clearly embarrassed by the fact that I caught her. My l
ips twitched up into a smile as she blushed. That was the side that everyone knew, the kind and smiley Lana Willson. I thought back to yesterday, her weak frame wrapped in Benny’s arms as she cried. I wanted to yank her away from him, but I knew that she’d cause conflict. It seemed like hours as Aidan and I watched her cry in his arms. All he did was lean his head back on the wall, a blank look on his face as he caressed her. It’s like he felt sorry for her and understood what she went through. Me, on the other hand, I couldn’t comprehend as to why she’d do such a thing. Then again, we all have secrets. For the past few months, I tried to figure out Lana. One thing was for certain: we had a few things in common. Yet there was something else about her that I couldn’t crack. I could stare at her for hours, but I knew that I wouldn’t get anything out of her.
“Blake!” Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I saw her rush toward me. An alarmed look was on her face as she glanced down. I followed her gaze and saw the glue on my hand.
“Fuck,” I exclaimed as I shot up and stared at my right hand. Three fingers dripped in glue. As I took my other hand to pull it apart, Lana smacked my hand away, and I glared at her.
“You idiot, then you’ll glue that hand as well!” she said, then gripped my wrist. I followed her into the kitchen and snickered. She placed my hand under the tap as she opened the faucet. The lukewarm water soothed my palm as Lana pushed up my sleeve so that it wouldn’t get wet. She crouched down and opened the cupboards under the sink. She came up with two paper towels and olive oil then set them aside. She was really focused. Her hand reached out for mine under the water. She cupped her left hand underneath my right one as she took her other hand and poured a few drops of olive oil on it. I bit my lip as her soft fingers grazed over my hand to gently rub it in. The only sound to be heard was the water running down the sink. Once she finished, she closed the faucet and gently wiped my hand. After she finished, I stretched my fingers, happy that they weren’t stuck.