Fast (The Fast Series)

by Ringbloom, Ryan

  He’s gorgeous.

  If Kent looked like this it might not be so hard to decide if I like him or not. I’m not going to wake Patrick up to say goodbye, even though I do want to thank him. Tonight has been pretty remarkable. Pizza and a movie, remarkable? I have to thank him.

  Impulsively I sweep down and kiss him softly on the cheek.

  It’s the most intimate thing I’ve ever done.

  I gather my stuff and carry my shoes onto the front porch. On the top step I sit down to put them on. Kent’s car is outside, wherever he ran off to, he’s home now. For the first time I wonder where he even went.

  Robin

  My finger didn’t need any stitches. An hour wait for a butterfly bandage, turned out it wasn’t that bad after all.

  We’re both quiet as the music in the car is playing softly in the background. I pick at the corner of my new bandage. “I feel bad, making you take me for nothing.”

  “Hey, I’m glad you texted me. You don’t ask me to do anything anymore, at least this way I got to hang out with you for a little bit. Kind of pathetic this is what it took.”

  I shrug. “You’re very busy lately. In fact aren’t you in the middle of a date right now?”

  Kent ignores the question and asks one of his own instead. “Want to go see a movie?”

  This is unexpected, but if Kent doesn’t care about getting back home to his date with Ashley, then I certainly don’t.

  After the movies we go to the diner. Talking, laughing, and getting all caught up. We’re back to normal tonight, like we were a few weeks ago. Before school started, and before Ashley. Tonight everything feels the way it should. Actually it feels even better. But what happens when the night ends?

  It’s really late by the time we pull back on to the street. My stomach is in knots, will we kiss again? I kind of think we’re going to. Tonight was so good. I can’t imagine it won’t end with us kissing. This time I’m saying the right things. I prepare myself as we pull up in front of our houses.

  But what I see I’m not prepared for. Under the street light is the little white Mercedes. Ashley is still at Kent’s. She’s still there, all these hours later, waiting for him.

  Kent parks the car, he sees it too.

  I can’t take it anymore. I’ve reached my limit. This is the breaking point. “I’m going in there.” I pull the handle on the car door.

  Kent grabs my arm, keeping me in the car. “Where are you going?”

  “I am going into your house and telling her what I should have a long time ago.”

  “What’s that Robin?”

  “That she needs to go! She needs to take her stringy blonde hair, get in her fancy white car and drive her annoying gum smacking face out of here.”

  Kent still has a firm hand on my upper arm. He reaches for my other arm and pulls me back to face him.

  “Why do you want her to leave?”

  “Because you are my boyfriend. Or at least you should be. Not her. Me. I’m the one who loves you. That kiss we had before school started, that wasn’t a joke. It was real and I was just too scared to say it. I wanted you to say it, but you didn’t. Then you and this whole Ashley thing happened and I didn’t know what to do. It’s just… I’m the one who should be sneaking up to your bedroom when your parents are away, not Ashley.” I’m finished talking and I’m not really sure how to end my profession of love. I close my eyes, lean in and plant my lips on Kent’s.

  Kent kisses me back aggressively, his tongue sliding into my mouth making up for each of the days we’ve missed out on since our last kiss. He pulls away and flings himself back against his seat, panting. “My parents are still away,” he says turning his head to look at me. “I want you to come to my room.”

  After a second I catch my own breath. Coming back to my senses I shake my hand violently in the direction of his house. “Ashley. Is. Still. There,” I shout. Did he really just forget that?

  Frustrated fingers run through his hair. He looks over at the house and lets out a heavy sigh. “That’s right. What am I going to do about her?”

  “Do you like her?” I probably should have asked that first.

  “No, of course not. Not like that.”

  “Then, I don’t understand. Patrick said he thought you were playing a game? Is that what you were doing?”

  “I needed you to put all your insecurities and weaknesses aside and show me that I was someone worth fighting for. We didn’t stand a chance Robin, until you learned to speak up for yourself. I mean we kissed and less than a minute later you were telling Patrick it was a joke. Then it was just us and you still continued to say it. How could we build anything from that? We couldn’t. Then Ashley came along and I knew you were jealous. I knew it might be just the thing to get you to speak up. It was an innocent plan, no one got hurt. Nothing happened with me and Ashley, we’re just friends.”

  “Kent people got hurt. I was hurt. Watching you guys the last couple of weeks was unbearable. I think Ashley likes you, I know it hasn’t been that long, but she shared things with me that make me believe it wasn’t ‘just friends’ on her part.”

  “I didn’t lead her on,” Kent says.

  “You kind of did.”

  “I didn’t mean to. I had a plan for her too. “

  “What was your plan for her? Patrick?”

  Kent nods.

  “I think you can add him to the list of people who got hurt. He hasn’t been himself since all this started.”

  “I know I made a mess and I’m gonna fix it. I will make it up to all the people I hurt.” He kisses my lips softly. “Starting with you. I’m sorry.” He kisses me again. “I’m sorry.” His lips find my neck. “I’m sorry.” He places a soft kiss below my ear.

  Of course I quickly forgive him. I put my hands on his face and guide him back to my lips to let him know - apology accepted. He slides his hands down my back and I put my arms around his neck. His hand reaches the bottom of my shirt, his fingers exploring my bare skin and I don’t stop him. We only stop kissing when he reaches my bra.

  “My dad isn’t home,” I say eagerly, with our lips still touching.

  Kent smiles. I giggle. The race begins.

  We scramble out of the car and race back over to each other. I jump up throwing my legs around his waist. We clumsily make it up to my front door wrapped in each other’s arms kissing.

  The ten seconds it takes for me to unlock the door seem like forever. We slam the door and hurry up to my room.

  Ashley

  I see it. I see the whole thing from the steps across the street. The movement in the car, the doors flying open and the kisses exchanged between two people I thought I could trust.

  Kent didn’t even say goodbye to me tonight. Robin knew all about my plan for tonight and didn’t say anything. This new crowd is the same as my old crowd. I was looking for a change, something better. I didn’t think it could get much worse, but here I am dumped and discarded once again. The problem isn’t other people, it’s me.

  The Daniels’ front door opens. I know Patrick’s behind me. “Did you see?”

  “I did.”

  “I didn’t stand a chance with him did I?”

  Patrick walks over sits down next to me and sighs heavily. “They have history.”

  “It all makes sense now. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before. Kent was using me to get Robin. I’m so stupid.” My eyes sting, but I will do whatever it takes not to cry right now in front of Patrick. “I am so unbelievably stupid. I tried to convince myself to like him because I thought he would be different and the whole time he was just using me to get to some other girl. Here I was willing to do anything with this guy, like usual, only this time I got used in a whole different way. I wish someone could have warned me that I was about to screw up again.”

  “Ashley.” Patrick rubs his hand over my back to try and comfort me.

  I flinch away from him and it hits me. I aim a finger in his direction. “That’s right, you tried to warn me. Y
ou knew this was going to happen the entire time. But I wouldn’t listen. Don’t worry Patrick, I never do.” I shake my head. “You were probably laughing at me the whole time.”

  “Never,” Patrick says. “I care about you, Ashley. I never wanted to see you get hurt.”

  “Patrick – please. No one cares about me, especially you. That’s okay. Trust me, I’ll be fine. I’ve been dumped many times before. I still have a whole life of bad decisions to look forward to.”

  “Don’t talk like that. There is so much more to you than I think you know.”

  I stop listening to Patrick. I’m getting upset over Kent, a guy I don’t even like. Imagine if I did like him how bad I would have messed it up? I make myself sick.

  “I need to leave. It’s time to walk away from another desperate disaster in the life of Ashley Simons,” I declare.

  Patrick lowers his eyes away from me. For a second I actually think I might start laughing. Patrick pities me. Well, isn’t that just adorable. All the time I’ve spent with him has been one big pity party. Kent would leave and Patrick would get stuck with me. It makes sense now why such a nice guy like Patrick would get mad and yell at me. The video game, the time he wanted me to move my car. Tonight I let myself believe it was a great night. But it was just him being stuck with me again.

  I stand up and Patrick follows me into the driveway. I face him. “Your duties as my babysitter are officially over. You don’t have to spend any more time with me. You don’t have to do my homework. I won’t ruin your video games. No more interrupting pizza night with Matthew. You’re free.”

  Patrick’s face contorts and he shakes his head. “Ashley, if you only knew.”

  Robin

  It’s almost impossible to do but I force my lips away from Kent’s. “Stop, I need a second.”

  Voices coming from outside make me need to look out the window. Ashley and Patrick are standing in the driveway across the street.

  “Kent, we really should go over there. You’re leaving Patrick to clean up your mess. It’s not right.” I pull the curtain back and we both look out.

  Kent stands next to me and looks across at the couple. “I really saw it ending differently.”

  I see it first and gasp. “Oh my God he’s kissing her.”

  “This,” Kent taps the window with his finger. “This is what I hoped for all along. I knew it would work out this way.”

  We’re both gawking out the window in amazement for only a few seconds before we coil back and wince.

  It was quick and looked painful.

  Ashley pulled away from Patrick and smacked him right across the face.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Ashley

  I need to get as far away from the Daniels’ house as I can. I despise myself for thinking something good could happen to me.

  I will not make this mistake again.

  This rejection is one of many. Kent isn’t cute, we don’t have much in common, and we never even kissed. Then why does this one hurt? Why does the thought of not going to his house anymore make me want to cry?

  Kiss. Smack.

  No, I tell myself, that’s not why.

  The garage door rises and I pull in. If she’s awake I think I’ll just turn around and run away.

  Fortunately mom is already passed out on the sofa. The last thing I need tonight is a drunken lecture on the evils of men. I leave water and the trusted bottle of aspirin on the end table and head up to my room.

  I need a book. I need to get lost in someone else’s story and forget about my own pathetic one. It doesn’t work. I can’t get the image of Patrick’s look of pity out of my head. The look someone good gives to someone bad. Thinking about the kiss he tried to give me only makes me feel worse. It felt so good and yet I knew it was so wrong I couldn’t let it happen.

  My night of trying to read is followed by a day of actual reading, escaping to the unrealistic tales of love where the hero rescues the girl. Heroes and Love, there is no such thing.

  A noise coming from my dresser makes me jump. My phone is vibrating and scares the hell out of me. I run over and slide my finger across the screen to see a text from Josh inviting me to his party.

  Josh is awful, disgusting, repulsive…bad.

  Just like me.

  I can’t change who I am, I tried, and what happened…rejection and pity. The familiar wave of desperation empties me and I need to fill it.

  I accept the invite.

  At least the party is a chance to fix my fake friendships. Not my ideal situation, but fake friendships are better than no friendships. Due to recent events, I need a new lunch table.

  A few hours later I’m showered, dressed and on my way to Josh’s house. My tan is freshly applied, my make-up is in full force, my dark roots are nonexistent and I’m wearing a big fake smile. I peek at my reflection in the rear view mirror and sulk. I’m back to my old self.

  The party is in full effect when I get there. I’m guessing it started a lot earlier than I was told. A few people look at me suspiciously and I feel uneasy walking through the crowd. Technically I did kind of abandon these people. I see Holly and start walking over to her. Holly sees me, gasps and runs in the opposite direction. She grabs Tessa’s arm pulling her in close to whisper. Both girls stare daggers at me and I stare back with a false confidence. Josh comes over and I’m actually relieved when he leads me away from the crowd to the kitchen.

  “I’m so glad you came.” Josh slides his arm around my waist, lowers it and grabs my ass.

  “Yeah, I don’t know if this was such a good idea.” I glance over my shoulder to see if Holly and Tessa followed us.

  “Why? Are you nervous about those girls?” Josh tips his head in the direction of the room we just came from.

  I nod yes, my stomach feels queasy. There is something so unsettling about all of this. I regret coming.

  “Come on, come with me.” Josh takes me by the hand grabbing two beers from the refrigerator as we walk by. We go upstairs straight to his bedroom.

  My queasiness intensifies. Josh hops onto his bed and twists the cap off one of the beer bottles. This is a mistake. I need to get out of here.

  “Here.” He holds a beer up motioning for me to come onto the bed with him.

  I do what I’m told and climb onto the bed taking the beer from him. I take a small sip. I’ve seen what drinking does to my mom. I’m not big on it.

  “So you and Tessa are definitely broken up?” I already know the answer. At least I hope so.

  “Yup.” Josh gulps down his beer. “That girl wouldn’t do anything.”

  I’m confused. Josh finishes his own beer, reaches for mine and guzzles it. I’m not actually drinking it, but still what an asshole.

  “She would not give it up for anything. Biggest tease I ever met,” he continues his rant on Tessa.

  Is Josh telling the truth? Because Tessa always talks like she gives it up on a regular basis. Is it all just talk with Tessa? All those ridiculous romantic sex stories she tells us. Come to think of it, aside from Josh all her other love stories are about guys we’ve never met.

  “That is why I think we should get back together.” Josh leans over and runs the back of his hand down my shoulder.

  “Back together?” I laugh. “You cheated on me.”

  “With a prude who just wanted to kiss,” Josh says defensively.

  So, if Tessa is a prude, what does that make me? I go to ask him but never get the chance. He leans over and kisses me. I’m about to stop him when…

  “You are so beautiful,” Josh whispers into my ear.

  The words take away some of my pain of feeling rejected and unwanted. It temporarily buries the memory of the look of pity and more importantly about the person who gave me that look.

  “I missed you,” he whispers in my other ear.

  More words validating me. I believe the words because I need to. Someone wants me. Josh gets up from the bed. He locks the door and turns the lights off. I lie back on the bed an
d wait for him.

  Hands I told myself would never come near me again, yank my shirt up and tug at my body. It’s okay. His mouth lands hard and sloppy against my skin. Still, okay. He slides his jeans down directing me lower. It’s okay.

  None of this is new, this is who I am and it’s all okay.

  Robin

  Kent screwed up. I know it. He knows it. Now it’s time for damage control.

  We know there are some missing details about last night. Kent asks me to come over for moral support while he talks to Patrick.

  Waiting for Patrick to come downstairs gives us a few extra minutes for fun. I sit on Kent’s lap running my hand through his hair as we kiss. His soft, long hair is all mine to touch whenever I want. The kissing is so good I never want to stop.

  “So you two are together now. That’s great. Real glad that all finally worked out for you guys.” Patrick’s flat declaration brings our fun to an end.

  “How was Ashley last night?” Kent asks as I slide back onto the couch.

  Patrick flicks the television on and tosses the remote. “Not so good. She was hurt. You guys are kind of fucked up.”

  We both hang our heads. I didn’t have a willing part in Kent’s scheme, but I still feel guilty.

  “I’m going to call her later,” Kent says.

  “Great plan, Kent. That will fix everything,” Patrick replies sarcastically.

  This is a mess. Ashley’s hurt and obviously Patrick is hurting too. “How are you Patrick? Are you okay?” I squeak out the question.

  “I’m fine.” Patrick sits up straight, his voice rising to a higher octave. “Why wouldn’t I be fine? I had nothing to do with this. I’m totally fine. Please, why would I not be okay?”

  Kent and I exchange glances.

  “Because we saw you kiss Ashley,” Kent starts.

  Patrick doesn’t say anything.

  “And we saw her slap you,” I finish.

  Patrick’s breathing becomes rapid. He points at us. “Ya know what.” He doesn’t finish the thought. Whatever he was going to say he changes his mind. He makes a fist and brings it up to his mouth. He storms away from the room only to return a moment later. “I’m really happy for you guys,” he shouts at us. “Really freakin’ happy it all worked out for you.” His anger is almost comical as he storms away from the room again, this time he doesn’t come back.