Unwritten Rules

by Eliah Greenwood

  I lean forward and rest my arms on the railing surrounding the wood-built balcony. I let my mind wander to the complete madness I’ve been thrown in during these past few weeks.

  Kassidy’s prehistoric phone is officially registered to my number. It is as basic as it gets. It’s also very old. And not the “didn’t come out this year” kind of old—it’s the “you can’t even downloads apps on it because it can’t take the server updates anymore” kind of old.

  It serves the main purpose of a phone, which is to call and text, but that’s all it does. Realizing I haven’t checked it all day, I turn it on and unlock it. I have seven unread messages.

  Haze: Is this your way of telling me you don’t want to be friends anymore

  Haze: But it was going so well

  Haze: Hi

  Haze: Bonjour

  Haze: Hola

  Haze: Aloha

  Haze: I’m running out of languages to say hi which means you should probably answer soon.

  I mentally curse when I realize I’m smiling. He’s still texting me? He’s right though. I never answered him. If he only knew why.

  Winter: How obnoxious can you possibly be?

  It only takes a couple of minutes for my phone to light up with a response.

  Haze: 1. Very. 2. You answered ;)

  Winter: 7 texts seriously? Can you please stop blowing up my phone? I’m busy ignoring you.

  Haze: And live without your heartwarming messages. How will I ever survive

  Winter: I’ll block your number, I swear.

  Haze: You’d miss me too much.

  Winter: What do you want? Don’t you have STDs to catch?

  Haze: That stung.

  Winter: STDs tend to do that.

  Haze: Look at you trying to convince yourself that you’d never sleep with me ;)

  Winter: Don’t you have better things to do?

  Haze: Better than annoying my favorite Canadian. Nah.

  Winter: Lucky me.

  Haze: Speaking of. I have a question for you.

  Winter: Consider me afraid.

  Haze: Are you a virgin.

  Winter: No, I’m a Scorpio.

  Haze: Virgin. Not Virgo.

  Winter: What about you? I bet you’re a Sagittarius.

  Haze: God, you’re annoying.

  Winter: That’s something a Sagittarius would say.

  Haze: How long can you dodge questions like that

  Winter: I can go all day. My turn to ask questions. What do you have against question marks?

  Haze: Nothing, I’m just lazy

  Winter: Right but you’re not too lazy to text me seven times.

  He stops replying. I put the phone down, a feeling of guilt burdening me. What’s happening to me? I feel bad for texting him. But mostly, I feel bad for kind of liking it. I shake my head as if it’ll somehow restore much-needed order to my obviously disturbed mind. Then, after a good ten minutes, my phone lights up with a reply.

  Haze: I’m never too lazy when it comes to you.

  He probably says things like that to a thousand different girls, but I’m not completely unaffected by it and I hate it. He can’t expect me to fall for his lines. I won’t.

  Acting on impulse, I do something I shouldn’t. But what’s new? I stare at the message I just sent and regret it immediately. This probably seems like an invite into my life.

  Maybe it is.

  Winter: All talk. No action.

  I stare at the conversation intently, afraid of his answer. To say I don’t hold my breath when he replies would be a lie.

  Haze: Is that a challenge, Kingston

  “Winter?”

  I jump, my heart suddenly on a mission to be heard by the entire world. I turn around, bringing my hand to my chest. Blake is staring at me. How long has he been standing there?

  “Blake, you scared me.”

  “Sorry. You seemed so focused. What are you doing out here?” He walks toward me.

  I instinctively shove my phone deep into my pocket like I’ve been caught doing something wrong.

  I guess, in a way, I have.

  I shouldn’t be answering his texts at all. This needs to stop.

  “Nothing. Just texting some friends.” I feed him a lie which he’s happy to swallow.

  “Two of the girls bailed, and the other two weren’t great. No luck today. Come on, I’ll drive you home.”

  “Thanks.”

  I say my goodbyes and follow Blake to the driveway where his car is patiently waiting for us. We both get inside. The entire car ride feels heavy, awkward even. Blake is trying his best to create small talk, but it feels forced. I can tell he’s flirting with me again.

  I didn’t want to get involved with him before I knew he’d dated my cousin and lied to his best friend for months. I’m not sure what makes him think I’m interested now.

  “Do you mind if I drop you off here?” he asks, stopping the car a couple of houses before mine. He explains that he has an appointment he completely forgot about.

  “Of course not. Thanks for the ride,” I say gratefully and reach for the car handle, but he stops me.

  “Winter, hold on.”

  Please don’t ask me out.

  “I was wondering if you wanted to do something next weekend.”

  Dang it.

  I play dumb. “Like with the boys?”

  “No. Just you and me.”

  I hate that moment. I hate having to turn someone down. It’s honestly so uncomfortable and painful for both people.

  “Blake, listen…You’re a great guy and I like spending time with you, but I just don’t think it’s a good idea for me to get involved with one of Kendrick’s friends and fighters. I mean, I’m already way more involved in this mess than I ever wanted to be.”

  His smile fades.

  “Oh. Of course. Don’t worry about it. I get it.” I can tell that it stung even though he’s trying to be nice.

  “It has nothing to do with you, I promise.”

  That’s a bit of a lie. The fact that he’s a liar who dumped Kassidy without a solid reason doesn’t especially help his case.

  He nods faintly, and I don’t see what’s left to do except get out of the car. I watch him take off.

  It’s almost five o’clock, and I honestly have no idea what I’m going to do for the rest of the day. Maria’s coming home at ten, and Kass works at the animal shelter until nine. I look down at my phone at the text conversation with Haze and then look up. That’s when I see it.

  A motorcycle. Parked in my driveway.

  But that’s not the worst part. The worst part is the annoyingly charming guy that comes along with it.

  Casually leaning against his bike with his arms crossed, he’s staring right at me.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mutter under my breath, walking toward him. “What are you doing here?”

  “Well, someone told me that I was all talk and no action, so I had to come and prove that someone wrong.”

  “That someone never told you to show up her house, and that someone is thinking you’re running out of excuses to stalk her.”

  “Fine.” He steps closer. “I wanted to see you.”

  “Well, you saw me. Goodbye now.”

  “I liked our date yesterday,” he whispers.

  “It wasn’t a date,” I retort.

  “Sure it wasn’t.”

  One step closer from him.

  One step back from me.

  I jump when my back comes in contact with something—Kass’s car. She must’ve driven with her mom this morning. Great. Haze fills the remaining distance between us, and I find myself at a loss for words when his pale eyes capture mine. It’s like I can’t think when he’s too close.

  He lifts one of his arm, resting his hand right next to my head on the top of the car.

  “Stop it,” I let out.

  “Stop what?” He smiles.
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  “Trying to seduce me.”

  I escape through the empty space under his arm and step back until we’re at a bearable distance.

  “Can’t you just act normally? The flirty looks, the cocky attitude, and overconfidence. It’s getting old.”

  He half-smiles. “Oh, so you want to see the real me?”

  “That’s not what I said. But if you’re going to show up at my house, I’d rather not have to deal with your player attitude.”

  He seems a bit taken aback but quickly gathers himself.

  “As you wish, Kingston.”

  He does the one thing I did not expect.

  He hands me a spare helmet and starts his motorcycle.

  “Where in my sentence did I say I wanted to go somewhere with you?”

  He grins.

  “Where in my sentence did I say I was giving you a choice?”

  I shake my head. Definitely not getting on that thing again.

  “Come on, take a chance.”

  His insistent gaze refuses to leave me. I feel his eyes piercing through my skull. I can’t go. It would be wrong. This is Haze Adams, the guy who started this whole mess by making the deal. My mind screams no.

  But my body isn’t listening.

  “Give me that,” I sigh, and he smiles victoriously when I put on the helmet.

  There’s something about him that makes it hard to say no.

  That could be the title of a movie about teenage pregnancy.

  I mentally laugh at my own joke and realize if people could read my mind, they’d probably think I’m crazy.

  For the first time, I’m not following him by obligation. I have no excuse. But I tell myself that maybe I’ll get him to cancel the fight. That if I get closer, we might avoid all of this. In that moment, as much as I hate to admit it, I want to follow him.

  It’s all me.

  “You want to get to know me? Fine.”

  I don’t reply and hold on to him.

  “Just remember you asked for it.”

  E I G H T

  Rooftop And Confessions

  “I can’t believe I’m trusting you right now.” My words come out in a whisper.

  We’ve been on the road for a good twenty minutes. I try and gather as much information as I possibly can to at least get a small idea as to where we’re going, but the truth is, I’ve never been in this part of town before. A quick glimpse of my surroundings is all it takes. I only have one word to say: wealthy. Everywhere I look, there are tall edifices with ceiling-high windows and rich families flaunting their gated houses with high fences.

  Haze turns right, revealing an old washed-out building in the distance. The architecture and design give away that it’s a school. To say it stands out from the perfectly mowed lawns and brand-new cars would be an understatement. It’s quite obvious that it was abandoned many years ago. The closer we get, the less apparent it becomes that we’re in a rich-kid neighborhood. The houses downgrade by the second as middle-class vibes find their way back to me.

  “Let me guess, this is where we’re going.”

  He doesn’t reply.

  “Is this the part I realize I followed a murderer?” I force a laugh, analyzing the edifice hovering in front of us.

  There’s something familiar about it.

  “I already told you. I’m going to need you alive for when I win the fight.”

  I roll my eyes.

  “Oh and for the thank-you kiss you owe me.”

  “I already told you, that’s not happening.”

  “We’ll see about that.” The confidence oozing off him makes me blush.

  “Where the hell are we?”

  “My favorite place in the world.”

  The rumble of the engine wears away as the motorcycle comes to a stop near the creepy building. When I look up, all of my interrogations are drawn to a close.

  The color and neat look of the bricks on the left side of the school bring it all back. They’re new. Or at least, less old.

  I recall a conversation between my mother and my aunt when I was younger about a high school that was almost destroyed by fire. Something about a rebellious student smoking inside the school and accidentally lighting it. Eight lives were lost. Tragic. They rebuilt the part that got completely destroyed but ended up shutting the school down anyway almost right after. I wonder why.

  It’s a bit surprising that it’s still standing considering the neighborhood it’s situated in. You’d assume they’d have gotten rid of it and replaced it with a mall by now.

  “This is the abandoned high school, isn’t it?” I say.

  Haze and I both get off his bike. “The one and only.”

  “Your favorite place in the world is high school?” I can’t hold back a chuckle.

  “Its roof is my favorite place, smartass.”

  “And how are we supposed to reach it?” I glance up. It isn’t exactly something you can easily climb to.

  “I’ll show you. Come on.” I squirm when his hand drops to my back. He gives me a small push to get me to start walking. I try to ignore the goose bumps crawling all over my skin.

  I wish he was ugly.

  It would make things so much easier.

  When we reach the back of the school, I’m quick to notice a cemetery is situated right across the street.

  Cruel coincidence.

  We stop in front of an incredibly old-looking ladder.

  “No.” I say.

  “You’re the one who wanted to know me.”

  “Technically, I never said that.”

  “Ladies first.” He motions for me to climb. I raise an eyebrow in response. “Come on, what’s the worst that can happen?”

  “Gee, I don’t know. I can fall, break my back, break a leg, get arrested for trespassing. I can—”

  He cuts me off, grinning. “Okay. Okay. You’ve made your point.”

  “Is this even legal?” I take a step forward.

  “Of course. I’ve done it multiple times and never got into trouble.”

  “Says the guy who gets away with everything.”

  “You scared, Kingston?” He raises his eyebrows, a challenging smile spread across his face. “I didn’t take you for a quitter.”

  I stare at him intently, his blue eyes getting the best of me. I can’t deny this irresistible need to prove him wrong. This guy knows exactly how to push my buttons. I take a deep and long breath and begin the climb. By the time I reach the roof, I am confident that I just beat the world’s record for fastest ladder climbing. Haze follows right behind me.

  “Show’s this way,” he says, getting onto the roof.

  Confused, I turn around. My mouth drops. I guess I was too busy trying to breathe properly again to notice the picture-postcard view before my eyes. The mesmerizing and distant landscape make the biggest buildings look like tiny dots and the cars like grains of salt. I can only imagine how amazing it must be at night. The city lights must be to die for.

  “Wow.” I let out.

  “Tell me about it.”

  We don’t move or speak for a couple of seconds, both in complete awe. He breaks the silence. “Come on.”

  He leads the way toward the edge of the brick-built school and casually sits down, his legs hanging off the building. He stares blankly ahead of him, completely unaffected by the fact that the only thing separating him from death is a few feet.

  “What are you waiting for?” he beckons.

  I sigh and hesitantly step in his direction.

  “What’s to say you won’t push me off?”

  He smiles. “Who would insult me through text messages, then?”

  When I sit down next to him, it takes everything I have not to look down at the void under me. I make sure to keep an acceptable distance between the two of us, not about to let him break the touch barrier any more than he already has.

  “How does that make me know you better, if I may?”
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br />   He doesn’t answer at first, throwing a rock down the abandoned building.

  “I never brought anyone here. Just knowing this exists makes you know me better than a lot of people.”

  When his sharp eyes meet mine, I understand them—Bianca, the random girl at the restaurant, and the group of girls in math class who swoon over him even if he is the definition of trouble.

  There’s something about him.

  Something about the way he talks that could make any girl feel special. Maybe it’s the way he looks at you like you’re all he sees. Or the way he knows exactly what to say to get your heart racing. This boy could convince anyone that he cares if he wanted to.

  And that’s probably the most dangerous thing about him.

  “I come here to think,” he continues.

  “Does it help?” I pick up a rock lying next to me and throw it down the building, as well.

  “The silence usually does.”

  I smile. I’m giving him everything but silence. “Sorry.”

  He lets out a laugh. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “I’m pretty sure a lot of buildings provide a good view. Why here?”

  “I used to go to this school before… you know.”

  Part of me wants to ask a million questions, but the other fears it might be a bit of a sensitive topic. I decide to try anyway.

  “Did you know anyone that—”

  I don’t have to finish my sentence. Our eyes connect. He knows that I’m talking about the victims.

  “A couple.” The usual coldness that always fills his tone whenever a somewhat personal question is brought up comes rushing back.