The Adventures of Bad Boy & Bad Girl

9 - Perfectly Pink Manicured Hand

*Bridget’s POV*

I had Ronnie stop by my house and pack some clothes for me while I stayed at Tyler’s house, which wasn’t that great of an idea because Brent almost didn’t let him. I received several calls from my mom but I sent them all straight to voicemail. I didn’t want to even think about them.

“So how’s it going with Tyler?” Ronnie asked, and I just shrugged. I was outside of the school, and Ronnie followed me. We were ditching last period. “Can you please talk, Bridget?” 

“What do you want me to say, Ronnie?”

“I don’t know, 'thanks for picking up some clothes for me while I stay at some random guy’s house while my long lost brother is at my house.’” 

“Tyler isn’t some random guy.”

“Oh really? You met the guy like a week ago, and you’re basically living with him!” 

“You know this is real rich coming from the guy who took me to the bar that night in the first place.”

“Yeah, I did. I took you so you could have a few drinks, loosen up, let yourself have some fun, not stay at some waiter’s house as you run away from your problems.”

"Run- Me? Me?! Run away from my problems?! Brent is the ultimate fucking definition of running away from his problems, Ronnie.”

“Yes, but you have to be the bigger person here,” he sighed, taking a cigarette out of his pocket. 

“Can I have one?” I asked. He raised an eyebrow, then handed me one. He took the lighter out of his other pocket and lit mine. I took in the smoke and let it out, watching it disperse into the air. Smoking calmed me down a lot. Really any form of drugs or alcohol calmed me down. 

“There’s a party tonight.”

“Oh great, another infamous Mountain Lakes party.”

“I won’t let anyone hurt you this time, I swear.” I let out a puff of smoke and stared at it, shrugging at Ronnie. 

“I guess. I’ll see if Tyler can go.”

“Really? You’re gonna bring him?”

“Well yeah, he’s my boyf-, uh, fuckb-... He’s with me.” Ronnie just rolled his eyes. 

“Anyways, we should leave, bell rings at any minute now.” 

“Right.” I threw the cigarette on the ground and stepped on it, walking away. In the damp parking lot, we walked to Ronnie’s car, a silver Maserati. He unlocked the doors and I slid inside, immediately putting on the music to let him know I didn’t want to talk anymore. 

**************************

“So can you come to this party later?” I asked Tyler while we watched a movie in his living room. 

“Babe, I have work today. Besides, I’m 21, what would I do at a high school party?” He chuckled. 

“Mmm, I don’t know, at least accompany the hottest girl there.”

“Oh so that’s what I am to you? An accessory?” 

“You might be,” I said, pecking his lips. He kept me close.

“However, I do know a few college kids a few miles up, and they’re having a party tomorrow night. Maybe you can be my accessory.” I smiled and pulled away. 

“I’ll think about it.” 

*Ronnie’s POV*

I was next to Calum, who was DJing the party. Everyone was dancing, drunk, or high. The place reeked of weed. I was silently wondering how the cops hadn’t arrived yet. 

“Dude, cheer up!” Calum shouted. 

“What do you mean?” I shouted back, though I could barely hear myself over the music blaring.

“You’ve been sad lately, I can tell.”

“How?”

“You’ve barely gone outside your house, and you’re quiet. When's the last time I saw a girl on your lap?”

“I don’t know, man.” I chuckled. 

“Go out there, and be the Ronnie Ashburn I know.” He basically pushed me away. I walked through the crowd, and made my way to the kitchen. I was serving myself some beer, and just as I was about to walk away, a perfectly pink manicured hand pulled my hand back. I turned around and saw none other than Cherry McDonough. 

“What do you want?” I asked impatiently.

“You’ve been avoiding me, Ronnie,” she said, crossing her arms.

“So?”

“So? You’ve been paying quite a lot of attention to that piece of trash, what’s her name, Britney, Brenda…?”

“Whats the problem if I’m hanging out with Bridget?”

“What problems aren’t there, Ronnie?” 

“What the fuck do you want, Cherry?” I sighed, not in the mood for her.

“I want you to stop hanging around that criminal.” 

“She hasn’t done anything I haven’t done,” I rolled my eyes.

“Oh she’s done much more.” I raised my eyebrows.

“What do you mean?” 

“Come with me,” she grabbed my hand and dragged me up the stairs and into a small bedroom, which I guessed was the guest room in the house. We sat on the bed.

“Cherry, what is it?”

“You really don’t know, do you?” She smirked. 

“What are you talking about?”

“That Chandler girl isn’t as innocent as you think. Of course you know she recently got released from juvy, but did you know that wasn’t her only time there?” What? “It was her third. Next time she gets arrested, its prison, not juvy.”

“What do you mean? Three times?”

“Three times. The first time for assault, second for drugs, and third for destruction of property.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Drugs? Assault? Destruction of property I could believe, but the rest?

“How do you know this?”

“Her record says it all, Ronnie.” Cherry put a hand on my shoulder. “You see, you don’t know anything about the girl you’re hanging around with. I don’t want you to get dragged into whatever she does.” Slowly, Cherry leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on my lips, and right at that moment, someone barged in. A drunk couple. 

“Oh, dude, sorry…” The guy slurred, and I stood up, getting away from Cherry. 

“Fuck…” I walked away and left Cherry on the bed, but she quickly chased after me. “Cherry what do you want?!”

“Ronnie, can’t you see? You don’t belong with her! She’s so troubled, you belong with someone who deserves you! Someone who’s in the same social status as you. You know, the hottest girl in school with the hottest boy in school…” She was an inch away from my face, and she didn’t even have to get on her tippy toes with the heels she was wearing. She placed another kiss on my lips, and I don’t know why I did it, but I kissed her back. If Bridget could be with someone, then so could I, right?