Unwritten Rules

by Eliah Greenwood

  “You know what? I don’t even want to know.” She shakes her head in disapproval and exits the bathroom before I have a chance to justify myself.

  As soon as the door is shut closed, Haze and I share an awkward look and burst out laughing

  This day just keeps on getting better and better.

  “If she tells Kendrick, I’m dead,” I say.

  “What could she possibly tell him? He had soap in his hands and she had a helmet on her head?”

  He has a point. I can’t think of a credible way to explain this. Haze goes back to trying to free my poor head. After a painfully long while, the helmet finally decides that it’s done fucking with me and cooperates.

  “Oh my God,” I say, staring at myself in the mirror.

  “What?”

  “I have a face.”

  We laugh again.

  His gaze drifts from me to his phone. “I hate to put an end to our second date, but I have to go.”

  I consider fighting him on the D word again but decide against it. He’s right, and although I profoundly hate myself for it, I did go out with him for the second time tonight.

  “I’ll see you at school?” I can tell from the way he chews on the inside of his mouth with a hesitant stance that he’s debating on something.

  He glimpses at my lips but rips his eyes away shortly after.

  I hand him his helmet, or should I say my own personal nightmare, and watch him stride toward the door. Just as he’s about to open it, he turns around, smiling,

  “Hey, Kingston?” he says quietly.

  I look at him.

  “Thank you for getting to know me.”

  I try and ignore the feeling of warmth spreading deep within me.

  I smile as he reaches for the door handle.

  “Hey, Adams?”

  His blue eyes collide with mine.

  “Thank you for showing me you were worth knowing.”

  A smug grin widens across his strong features. He looks at me one last time and walks out of the room. Seconds later, I hear the front door being shut. I walk out of the first-floor bathroom and come face-to-face with Kassidy. She doesn’t say a word at first, but the look she gives me is full of blame.

  “Thank you for showing me you were worth knowing? Seriously?” She raises her eyebrows, her tone judgmental and cold.

  I don’t reply, walking around her in an attempt to escape her speech.

  “When you catch feelings and he drops you, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  I enter my bedroom and shut the door, hearing the roar of a motorcycle fade out outside.

  His words echo in the back of my head. Thank you for getting to know me.

  He’s right. I know him… and it could turn out to be the worst thing that ever happened to me.

  N I N E

  Gone

  My favorite part of the day has always been when it ends. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never particularly hated school, nor have I ever particularly liked it, but I always loved that feeling of knowing that you’re done for the day and going home. I walk toward the exit with Kass. My cousin’s words sound distant although she is right beside me. She’s been going on for the past five minutes about how Mr. Stevens, her art teacher, is completely nuts, but I can’t seem to focus.

  He wasn’t in class today.

  Or yesterday.

  Or the day before that.

  I know I shouldn’t care or even notice, but the only empty desk in the class was pretty dang hard to ignore. Especially when it’s been three days since he gave me any sign of life. He said, “See you at school,” didn’t he? I think he needs to work on his definition of “see you.” It usually requires both people being in the same place.

  I haven’t texted him. If he wanted to talk to me, he would. I’m guessing the sight of me with a helmet stuck on my head finally did the trick and he lost interest.

  “Are you even listening to me?” Kass waves her hand in front of my eyes.

  “I’m sorry, I was…” I begin but then realize I have no idea what I could possibly say to her. I was thinking about Haze? “What were you saying?”

  She picks up from the start, but I stop listening again, barely two words in.

  Tonight I get to see Kendrick for the first time since he got beat up by Tanner. The guys said he looked better. Or at least, less awful. Will’s supposed to be waiting for me in front of the school so we can ride to Blake’s place together.

  I still can’t believe that Kendrick convinced Maria to justify his absence for four days while he’s staying with his depressed “girlfriend.” He promised that the guys—who he shares every class with—would bring his homework over every day.

  I think she’s either blinded by the hope that her son might actually be in love and ready to walk a straight line, or she knows a lot more than she lets on.

  “So, what do you think?” Kass finishes her speech, and her gaze shifts to me.

  “Uh…” I have no idea what she’s going on about. “You’re right. That sounds great.”

  “Really?” She bounces up and down in excitement. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I promise you won’t regret it.”

  Damn it. What did I just agree to?

  “I know you had a crappy experience last time, but it’s different since it’s a pool party, and I promise I’ll stick with you all night long. I just need to get my mind off some things.”

  Great. I agreed to a party.

  God knows the last one went so well.

  I do understand why she wants me to come though. Kass’s friends, Morgan and Zoey, aren’t exactly party animals. I eat lunch with them and Kass regularly, and although they’re great, they seriously need to learn to loosen up. Morgan is hell-bent on getting into a great school, which I completely understand, and Zoey has been in a relationship for three years now.

  This leaves Kass to fend for herself in the single world.

  “Where did you say it is?” I ask.

  “I didn’t. It’s at Natasha’s house—you’ve might’ve heard of her? She’s a friend of Bianca. Redhead, tall, gorgeous.”

  Natasha. I know where I heard that name before. She’s the girl who hit on Haze at the diner last weekend. But why would she hit on him if she’s friends with Bianca? Wouldn’t she know that Bianca’s crazy in love with him? That’s harsh.

  “Does she go here?” I analyze my surroundings, looking for her ginger hair in the moving crowd.

  “Nah. She’s in a private school. Rich daddy and all.”

  I nod. We reach the front door and walk out, pushed around by the students who are all as eager as I am to get this day over with.

  “Anyway, I’ve got a shift at the animal shelter in thirty minutes. You’re okay to get home?”

  “Yeah, Will’s driving me.”

  An unreadable look crawls into her eyes. “He is?”

  “Yeah. Something wrong?”

  “No. Just surprised that he knows what a nice gesture is, that’s all.” She purposefully ignores my eyes set on her. “I’ll see you at home. Don’t forget. Tomorrow, 9:30 sharp.” She turns away, heading for her car that’s parked in its usual spot.

  I watch her stride across the parking lot and shake my head, trying not to overthink her confusing behavior. That’s just Kass being Kass.

  On a positive note, the party is not today. I have a whole day before she drags me to hell. There’s no school on Friday this week. So, of course, that means a massive pool party on a Thursday.

  I’m ripped away from my racing thoughts when I see Will’s car in the distance. I march toward him and slide into the passenger seat.

  “What took you so long?” he asks.

  “Kass begging me to go to a party I don’t want to go to. What’s new?”

  He doesn’t laugh, the smile on his lips fading away. “A party, huh?” He slightly clenches his jaw, his fingers tightly wrapped around the steering wheel. What’s with him?
“Didn’t you use to have to drag her to those?”

  “Yeah. I guess she had a change of heart. Something about needing to get her mind off some things. Whatever that means.” I stare out the window.

  Will doesn’t reply, giving off a vibe that’s positively frosty. It’s no secret that Will and Kass don’t really get along, but I didn’t know it was to the point of drastically changing attitude at the mere sound of each other’s name.

  “How’s Kendrick doing?”

  “Not too bad. You’ll see for yourself.” He turns on the radio, making it clear he is not interested in small talk.

  I have no idea what caused this mood swing, and frankly, I don’t even have the energy to overthink it. I bury my earplugs in my ears and throw my head back, my worries vanishing with every note.

  That’s when my phone lights up with a text message.

  Haze: You looked gorgeous today.

  I stare at the screen in shock. I have no idea what he did these past three days, but the fact that he didn’t try and annoy me until now tells me he must’ve been really busy.

  But doing what? Maybe he was with Bianca. I haven’t seen her much at school either. The thought leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

  Why the hell do I care?

  Winter: Says the guy who didn’t show up to school.

  Haze: I don’t need to. I know you looked good.

  Winter: Does that line usually work for you?

  Haze: Usually, but you’re not like other girls.

  Winter: *violently vomits at how cheesy you are*

  Haze: *violently keeps on being cheesy*

  Winter: Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you as it seems it’s the only way to get you to leave me alone

  Haze: There’s no Netflix in jail

  I can’t help but laugh at his message. It comes out a bit louder than I’d anticipated, raising suspicion from Will, who peeks at me from the corner of his eyes. Thankfully, he doesn’t go as far as to question who I’m texting.

  Winter: Why haven’t you been at school?

  Haze: I had stuff to do.

  Winter: Like what?

  Haze: Like not be at school. Badum tss.

  Winter: You know, if you put as much energy into your studies as you put into dodging questions, you’d be a freaking genius.

  Haze: Did you just give me a compliment

  I sigh. He’s never going to answer me. It’s no use.

  Winter: Why are you still texting me?

  Haze: Because I like talking to you.

  Winter: Well, you shouldn’t. I meant what I said Sunday night. We need to stop.

  “We’re here.” Will’s breathy voice brings me back to reality.

  I look up to see Blake’s washed-out apartment complex ahead of me. Will pulls up into the guest parking spot and motions to get out of the car, which I do, dragging my feet and trying my best not to check if Haze replied. Then, as Will leads the way toward the main entrance of the brownstone building, I can’t help but give in to the curiosity.

  Haze: What if I don’t want to

  I text back that I’ll talk to him later and bury my phone deep in my pocket. I can’t keep doing this. I need to get this boy out of my head and focus on what’s really important here: Kendrick.

  We go up the stairs, heading for the fourth floor. I try my best to ignore the throbbing guilt I’ve come to know very well in the past few weeks.

  There are a million reasons why I should get him out of my life.

  But my stupid self still tries and find the one reason not to.

  BLAKE’S LIVING ROOM IS SUN SOAKED and barely furnished. You’d assume with the money he makes from the fights, he’d be able to afford a kitchen table. A red couch is pushed up against the wall of his one-bedroom apartment, and a lamp is placed in the right corner next to it. I’m guessing his excuse of a couch is where my cousin has been sleeping. Blake lives alone, which is convenient for Kendrick, but two guys living by themselves also means dishes in the sink, unwashed floors, and empty beer bottles.

  I’m so relieved when Kendrick walks out of the bedroom that I pull him into a hug. He isn’t as bad as I thought he would be; the dark bruises on his face and neck are still very much visible but they’re starting to fade. I’ve tried asking Blake why he’s not living with his parents, but he remains very secretive about it.

  “I’m hungry,” Kendrick says, his hand on his stomach.

  “Me too. You guys want to go get some food?” Blake asks.

  “Sure. I just need to shower first.” Kendrick gets up and winces in pain. Tanner got him good. He enters the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

  Will turns to us. “We still haven’t found a girl to play Kendrick’s girlfriend.”

  “I know,” Blake sighs. “We tried everything, but no one’s up to the task.”

  “Well, then, we don’t have a choice.” Will shrugs, sliding his hand into his pocket to get his phone out.

  “What are you doing?” I frown.

  “Desperate times call for desperate measures,” he says, dialing a number.

  I look at Alex and Blake in confusion. “What’s he doing?”

  “Will, we can try again. You don’t have to do that.” Alex begs.

  “We’ve been trying for days now. Plus, Maria already knows her. It’s perfect.”

  I raise my voice. “Knows who?”

  Alex scolds. “Kendrick made it clear he never wants to see her again.”

  “Oh please. We both know they have that weird ‘I hate you but want you’ chemistry going on.” Will rolls his eyes.

  “Who are you talking about?”

  They remain silent like they’re scared to say her name.

  “We’re calling Nicole.”

  Cue the dramatic music.

  Although I have absolutely no idea who this Nicole is, so it’s not dramatic at all.

  “Kendrick’s ex-girlfriend,” Blake adds when he sees how clueless I am.

  It all comes back.

  “Oh my God, you mean…”

  “Yeah, the one you think we’re talking about.”

  Kendrick only had one serious girlfriend in his life, and it did not end well. Will puts the call on speaker.

  Nicole picks up. “Hello?”

  Will grins. “Hey, Nicky, it’s been a while.”

  “For the love of God, what did Kendrick do this time?”

  Will spends close to thirty minutes with her on the phone. He proceeds to explain it all to her, and even though she isn’t easy to convince, she gives in and accepts to help us out.

  William hangs up, the guys glaring at him.

  “Now, how are we going to tell Kendrick?”

  I stop listening.

  Hiring Kendrick’s ex-girlfriend—which ended with a horrible breakup—to hide from his mother that he got beat up and can barely walk?

  What else could I want to do on a Wednesday night?

  LOCKING MYSELF UP IN MY BEDROOM and stepping into a scorching hot shower, just the way I like them, is the first thing I do when Will drops me off in front of my house. It’s close to eleven already.

  We went out to eat and ended up spending hours trying to get a fry out of Will’s nose. He thought he was so funny when he put it up his nostril but quickly changed his mind when the fry decided it felt at home. I haven’t checked my phone since I came back.

  Only one message awaits me.

  Haze: What are you wearing.

  Of course.

  Winter: Creep.

  As always, he texts back almost right away.

  Haze: Just answer.

  Winter: Pajamas why?

  Haze: I think this would look really good on you.

  Haze Adams sent a picture.

  I click on the attachment and frown in confusion. Something must’ve gone wrong. He sent me a blank picture.

  Winter: It didn’t work. It’s a picture of nothing.

>   Minutes go by.

  Haze: Exactly.

  It hits me.

  Winter: Oh my god. STOP.

  Haze: Never ;)

  Winter: Did you really ask me that just so you could plug in your stupid joke?

  Haze: Maybe ;)

  Winter: You’re unbelievable.

  My phone chimes again.

  Haze: Call me now.

  Winter: Hi Now, how are you?

  Haze: You think you’re so funny, don’t you

  Winter: As a matter of fact, I do.

  Haze: I’m serious. Call me. You don’t even need to say anything. I just need an excuse to leave

  Winter: What do I get out of it?

  Haze: I’ll stop texting you for like two days

  Winter: One week.

  Haze: 5 days.

  Winter: And you cancel the deal.

  Haze: Don’t push it.

  Winter: One week or you find another excuse.

  Haze: Fine. One week.

  Winter: Good boy.

  Holding my breath, I divert my fingers to the call button. He picks up on the first ring.

  “Hey. I know I’m late. I’m coming. I’m sorry, I got held up,” he says before I can get a word in.

  “Do you really have to leave so soon?” I hear a female voice say in the background.