A Bad Boy Stole My Bra

by Lauren Price

  “How did you do that?” Alec demands.

  “Believe it or not, I’m actually a fan of horror movies. Heaven forbid.”

  “Have you watched Paranormal Activity?”

  I yawn in reply, and his face moulds into a mask of determination. Now he’s going to try to find a horror movie that I haven’t watched, and good luck to him is all I can say.

  “Insidious?”

  “I can quote it backwards.”

  “Sinister?”

  “One of my personal favourites.”

  “Saw? The Blair Witch Project?” Detecting my glee, he moans. “You know what? Don’t even answer that. I give up trying. You win.”

  I jump up and shake my hips in a boastful victory dance. He can test me on any movies or TV programmes – from horror, to science fiction, to anime. I’m a very cultured dork on that front. A lot of my free time is spent watching things, and gaming online too.

  The doorbell rings, interrupting my moment of glory.

  “Food’s here,” I say.

  Alec rolls his eyes moodily, still upset about my victory, and gets up.

  “Don’t answer the door, Alec!” I scream in a high-pitched tone, chuckling at the sight of his raised middle finger. A minute later, he comes back in holding a paper bag of Chinese takeout.

  “This is for me, this is for me and this is for . . .” He turns to survey me. “Me as well. So none for you then. What a shame.”

  He collapses into the couch next to me with a proud sneer, and I boil over with annoyance as I watch him begin to deliberately eat some of my chow mein. His eyes glint with malevolence. This means war.

  First, I attempt to grab the food by reaching across Alec, but obviously fail. So, my next method is somewhat more forceful. Launching myself onto him, I snatch the bag of takeout and successfully pin his hands down. He writhes and struggles beneath me. I’ve trapped him to the couch. Now, sitting on his lap in an awkward slouch, I grab a cushion from beside me and shove it into Alec’s face, muffling his curses and profanities, before leaning back into it. It’s actually quite comfortable.

  “You know what I feel like watching? Disney princesses,” I declare deliberately loudly. Instantly, Alec’s hands are unleashed from underneath me, darting towards my sides and tickling me frantically. A cry escapes my lips and I squirm like I’ve just been electrocuted, before hysterics follow. My eyes water with unshed tears of joy. I hate being tickled. Helpless to his merciless fingers, my hold weakens and I go crashing to the floor with Alec following behind.

  The bag of takeout is soon forgotten as this morphs into a tickling war. He straddles my legs and attempts to pin my hands, his eyes glinting deviously as he leans forward. “Did you honestly think you’d get away with that, Greene?”

  I writhe under his legs, the knowing churn in my stomach telling me that there’s much worse to come and my jaw is already hurting from all the laughing. I don’t understand why we laugh when we’re tickled. It’s not like we enjoy it. Keeping my chin up and maintaining the shred of dignity that I have left, I grumble, “Bite me.”

  Alec laughs. “Just tell me where, sunshine.”

  Unfortunately, my plan to surprise him and jump back up fails the moment that I hear a new voice coming from the living-room doorway.

  “Well, well, well. What have we got here?”

  Alec and I spring apart, and I land on the floor with a hard thud. Rubbing my backside, I groan and attempt to shield my face from the chuckling boys in the doorway. Joe and Chase are standing there, laughing their asses off at the two of us.

  “Idiots,” Alec groans, leaning back on his elbows. “I thought you guys were my mom.”

  “Yeah well, we all know how much you love your mommy, Alec,” Chase teases. “Sorry to disappoint. We brought beer. Can we join?” Both boys look between us in anticipation. I sense Alec’s gaze on my face seeking approval, and I shrug. I am slightly uncomfortable with the idea of being part of a lads’ night, with a group of boys I’m not exactly best friends with, but maybe this will be a good chance to get to know them better. Hopefully my night has just got a bit more interesting.

  “Why not?” I say.

  9

  Intellectual Badass

  I sit in silence in my car, aware of the minutes ticking by, as I stare at the Elephant Bar in front of me.

  Somehow, miraculously, I’ve made it this far. It’s Friday night. After school today, Violet crammed me into a dress, curled my hair, and now I’m sitting outside of the place where I’m supposed to be meeting “the man of my dreams”. I can’t bring myself to move a muscle. All I can think of is the time I helped get Kaitlin ready for her first date with Toby. Her hair was tied up, she was wearing a yellow sundress and she had a smile from ear to ear. She was so excited. I feel a pang of guilt, deep and sharp enough to make me feel sick to my stomach. I’d do anything to have my cousin here now, preparing me for this. Maybe if she were, I’d have the confidence and inclination to get out of the car.

  It’s this thought that brings me to suck in my nerves, exit the car and walk to the entrance of the restaurant. Violet told me earlier that he’s meeting me just inside the entrance. I exhale slowly, straightening out my blazer and striding with my head held high into the restaurant. The music engulfs me, followed by the chatter of customers. This restaurant is small, lively and gorgeously rustic. Kaitlin would have loved it.

  I glance around, but by the looks of things he hasn’t arrived yet. I’m not sure if I’m glad about that fact or not. I don’t think I’m early; he just might be a little late. Or maybe he won’t show at all. No, no, no, I’m not going to get stood up. That’s a stupid thought. He’s just a little late, that’s all.

  Or maybe not so late.

  I watch, fighting the urge to drool, as a guy walks through the entrance. His tousled chocolate locks and big brown eyes definitely make him cute. Maybe this is him? If so, he’s way out of my league, but I’m definitely not complaining. My heart falls to my feet with nerves as he approaches.

  He’s not as good-looking as Alec.

  I ignore my senseless thought and focus instead on my potential date. The boy looks over at me, offering me a small smile, but carries on walking. I exhale quickly in relief. A girl with red hair waits for him at the bar, her hand resting on the swell of her stomach. Oh, she’s pregnant! Well, they are going to have the most attractive babies ever.

  Just like you and Alec would.

  I have no idea where these particular thoughts are coming from, but the truth is that I’d much rather be watching a movie of any sort with Alec right now than standing on my own. I feel more comfortable and happy when I’m with him, and that’s a big deal for me considering everything I’ve dealt with over the past year. It’s too good to give up. I frown and glance at the entrance again. I’m beginning to consider whether I may have been stood up. In all honesty, I’m kind of hoping I have been. I just want to go home and watch Sherlock.

  “A beautiful girl like you should never frown. You never know if someone’s falling for your smile,” a voice sounds from behind me.

  I spin round quickly. I wish I could say that the guy in front of me is a tall, dark and handsome stranger. I wish I could say that I’ve never met him before, and that he was a sweet dark mystery for me to unravel. After all, that’s what the concept of a blind date is, right? Meeting a stranger and getting to know each other, no expectations and no strings attached. The thing is, I don’t think I can call this a blind date any more. The person standing in front of me is most certainly not a stranger.

  “Toby.”

  I stare at the boy in front of me in horror. Toby is here; he’s back. My ex-boyfriend moved to Chicago six months ago after breaking my heart, and I’ve not heard a word from him since. His mom got some hotshot job there, and that was his escape ticket. Something must have gone wrong. He’s back. I clutch my head, trying to cram the memories and thoughts back into my brain but it’s no use. They’re bursting out, a flood of all of the things
that I wanted to forget. Things that are best left forgotten.

  He hasn’t changed that much since I last saw him half a year ago. Same steely hazel eyes, tousled blonde hair and strong jawline. But the circumstances have changed more than my much-younger self could have ever imagined.

  “Fancy seeing you here,” he says with a smile.

  I skip one beat and bolt for the door.

  “Riley, wait!” Toby calls after me, but I’ve taken off sprinting. I need to escape. I shove the entrance open and rush out into the chilly night, dodging diners making their way into the restaurant. I can feel my eyes stinging, but I refuse to cry. Not now, not in front of him. His feet patter behind me, and I know he’s closing in. Stupid damned quarterback. I need to get away, to outrun the thoughts worming their way inside my mind. Does he not understand that I don’t want to see him? It hurts. He’s opening a wound again, a wound that hasn’t healed properly even now.

  “Riley, stop!” A hand clamps onto my shoulder, bringing me to a skidding halt, before I’m forcefully turned round. Toby stands way too close for my liking, staring into my eyes in disbelief, as though he can’t understand that I’d want to run away from him. I flinch away, and hurt flickers in his eyes. Does he not see that he’s hurting me just by standing here?

  “Why are you here?” I ask brokenly.

  “Mom didn’t like the city. It took us a while to get it all sorted.” He huffs out a breath, his eyes wide and pleading. “Riley, you must hate me. I know that. I’m better now though – and I want a chance to make it up to you. To make things a bit better between us.”

  His voice cracks on the last word, and that’s how I know that he feels it too. Her presence. But she’s not really here. I wish she was.

  “It’s too late, Toby.” I feel fragile, trembling. Like a piece of glass waiting to shatter. It hurts so much. Too much.

  “It’s never too late.”

  “No, this. This is what too late looks like,” I hiss. “After Kaitlin last summer, you cracked. You were weak. You cheated on me, then you left for Chicago as if you could just write off everything that you did. You broke her heart, and you broke mine.”

  I turn to walk away, but he grips onto my forearm to prevent me from leaving. How dare he! I spin round and shoot him an icy glare, until he finally, reluctantly releases his grip.

  “Don’t even try to stop me from leaving,” I hiss. “You turned your back on me; it’s only fair that I should get to do the same to you.”

  The guy has the nerve to look ashamed, after all of this time. “Riley, you don’t understand, I had to! I was falling to pieces. I couldn’t deal with it.”

  “That’s right,” I whisper, placing my finger in the centre of his chest. “You would have broken, just like the rest of us did. Just like I did. Your friend died, but she was my cousin. She was like a sister to me, and it was our fault. I had to stay and face the consequences, I had to live with the aftermath of my mistake, and where were you? You disappeared. I don’t forgive you for that and I never will. Leave, Toby. Now.” I release him and take a step back, staring at him in disgust and pain.

  I can hear the sob gathering in the back of my throat, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. Be stone, Riley. Cold, hard, untouchable stone. I turn and walk away, leaving Toby standing behind me with the wounds of my words. I walk as quickly as I can, despite the fact that I know he’s not following this time.

  “You think I didn’t have to deal with the aftermath?” he yells.

  “There’s a difference between reading the flyer and watching from the front row!”

  “I’ll make it up to you, Riley Greene,” he shouts after me. “We’re meant to be, Riley. We were when I was with Kaitlin, we were when I was with you, and we still are right now. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get you back.”

  I don’t look back, but my teeth are gnawing so hard into my lip that they’re drawing blood.

  “See you at school!” he has the nerve to shout.

  I shoot the middle finger at his back as he walks away.

  It doesn’t take long for the tears to come.

  I return home quietly, slipping inside and hoping no one will notice. It’s only about 7.30 p.m. I got myself back together pretty quickly after my meltdown in the street, but it’s clear that any evidence of make-up has been erased from my face. I tiptoe up the stairs to my room and shut the door with a sigh, slumping against it. The curtains are closed, so I quickly change into a pair of leggings and a baggy sweater. I’m not in the mood for anything at all. Even a little visit from Ben and Jerry doesn’t seem appealing right now.

  Toby. My cousin. Tiana. Alec. Everything is crashing down on me, and I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.

  I choke back the rise in my throat as the thoughts enter my head again. I need some air. I need to breathe. I can’t have another panic attack right now; I won’t allow myself. I’ve improved so much, and I’m not falling down this hole again. I head over to the window. My throat feels red raw. I open the window and breathe in deeply, attempting to calm my senses, distract my thoughts. I wish I’d never gone on that godforsaken date.

  Remember what your therapist taught you.

  A few tears dampen my cheeks. I can’t seem to hold them in. Toby. Kaitlin. Tiana. Toby. Kaitlin. Tiana. Toby. Toby is back.

  “Riley?” A soft voice comes from in front of me, and I jump wildly, almost hitting my head off the window. Alec is standing behind his window, watching me with a concerned and wary expression. I offer him a weak half-smile, as though he didn’t just scare the life out of me, then wipe the tears from my cheeks in an attempt at nonchalance. I completely forgot that by going to the window, I’d be giving him a front- row seat to my breakdown.

  “Hi, Alec. What’s up?”

  “Seriously?” Alec chuckles bitterly. “Don’t even start with that crap. What’s wrong? Who hurt you?” He searches my face for any clues in my expression, while I try to keep it as void as I can. The last thing I need right now is to go all hormonal teenage girl on Alec.

  “I just found out the next season of Stranger Things isn’t out for another year,” I joke half-heartedly.

  “Answer me seriously, Riley. Stop rebuffing.”

  “Nothing, Alec,” I sigh, leaning back. “I’ve just had a hard night, okay?”

  He analyses me for a second longer. “I don’t believe you.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “Put on some warm clothes and meet me outside in five minutes. I want to show you something.”

  With that parting sentence, he disappears from his window, and I’m left with no choice but to gawk after him. What can he possibly have to show me right now, when I’m dealing with this? I don’t want to meet him!

  It takes me a few minutes to calm down, until the curiosity finally gets the better of me. I get changed and put my shoes on as fast as I possibly can, and dash down the stairs two at a time. It’ll be easy to sneak out because nobody knows that I’m back yet. Plus, it’s not like I’m going to be gone for long. I hesitate for a second as I consider how much trouble I could get in if Mom did find out, but it’s not enough to prevent me from slipping out into the night.

  I ensure my tears are all wiped from existence before I face him again.

  Alec leans against the tree at the bottom of my yard. “C’mon,” he gestures and strides over to the motorbike.

  This time, I don’t even hesitate in following his lead. I sit down and wrap my arms round his waist. I’m actually excited to see where Alec is going to take me, and surprised that he cares so much as to take me anywhere. I continue to underestimate him, and I really need to stop that.

  I watch the scenery on the journey. I’m not sure if it’s the distraction or what, but Alec has managed to calm me down. My chest no longer feels constricted, and although my head is pounding, it’s a small price to pay for being able to breathe again. As the town fades into rural forestry, it strikes me just how strange it is that we’r
e driving down these quiet country roads. They go on for miles, with no real ending. Why would Alec take me into the forest?

  I don’t hesitate to ask him as soon as we stop; we’re seemingly in the middle of nowhere, by the side of the road. The streetlights are oddly far apart, setting the scene in gloom, and there’s no one else in sight.

  “Alec, why are we stopping here? If you’re planning to murder me, just know that I always carry pepper spray – and it stings a lot more than Abercrombie body spritz.”

  Alec raises an eyebrow and begins to walk into the forest. I rush after him, scared of being left alone. We all know how that horror movie ends.

  “If I was going to murder you, it’s probably not a good idea to tell me that you have pepper spray,” Alec says, unfazed by the creepy surroundings.

  I glance desperately back at the motorcycle. Seeing me, Alec chortles. “Scared, Greene?”

  I ignore him, adopting a surly expression as I glare at the tree roots I’m trying so hard not to trip over. It’s dark under the canopy of trees, not to mention eerie. What could be so interesting, out here in the middle of a forest, that Alec found the need to bring me here?

  “It’s not far now, don’t worry,” Alec interrupts the silence, reassuring me.

  After what seems like forever, the trees begin to thin out and a small clearing comes into view. It’s set quite far back from the cliffs – I can just about see the coastline in the far distance, but that’s not the focus of my attention. In front of us lies an abandoned railway – a gorgeous stone bridge smothered in ivy to the left, with a rusted track running down the middle. It’s beautiful, and old, and the kind of thing you see on the front of stunning photography magazines. It appears untouched and completely idyllic.

  My mouth pops open in reaction to the view, and Alec turns to look at me with a smile which is almost as breathtaking as our surroundings.

  “You like it?” He grabs my hand and pulls me down the hill towards the tracks, and we stop just a few metres in front of it. He’s still holding my hand.