Boy Next Door||Axl Heck

The Trip

   It had been a few weeks since Axl and I had pur talk on my front porch. It seemed like nothing had really changed. If anything, it was even more awkward.

   I guess it was because I had a boyfriend and Axl had, well girlfriends. He was still navigating the whole "star of the football team" thing, and the benefits that came with it. And by benefits I mean cheerleaders.

   My birthday was this week, and I wasn't really looking forward to it. My dad was still in the hospital, and my mom started working more and more to avoid being home without him. I was alone most the time and I hated the thought of spending my fifteenth birthday alone.

  "Mackenzie! I've been looking literally everywhere for you!" Deb said as she ran to catch up with me.

   "So as you know this weekend I'm having a party, and if course you're invited, but I just wanted to see if you could get the word to Axl? I mean duh hes gonna be there but can you maybe let him know that I want him there? Y'know like a date?"

  "Yeah next time I see him." I sighed, perks of being Axls friend I guess.

   I walked to my locker feeling even worse than I had been this morning. I grabbed the books I needed for English, and started my walk to class.

  "Its been almost a month if I quit it now can I just get like half the money?" I heard Rick's voice from around the corner.

  "Nah man a month or nothing, you know the deal." Another voice said.

  "But I'm really getting sick of her, she keeps nagging me to call her and she always wants to hangout; like of all the freshman you had to pick her?" Rick complained.

  "A deal's a deal. A month or nothing." 

   "Or nothing." I said, turning the corner and facing the group.

  "Hey Mackenzie, I'll walk you to class." Rick said, pulling me away from the group.

  "Save it. I dont want to see you again."I said, pushing him off me.

  I walked down the hall to the girls bathroom with tears in my eyes.

   I skipped the next two class periods, and finally went to see the nurse to play sick and go home. She didnt buy it and I was stuck sitting in math, miserable as ever.

   Eventually class ended and I was free to go to cheer practice. My day had been so sucky I was actually looking forward to being thrown around for the next two hours.

   "Mackenzie, hey, so glad I ran into you!" Heather McCarthy, a girl in my grade who I'd never really spoken to was running to catch up to me.

   "I was thinking of running for class president, elections are next week, and I need someone to be my vice. You up for it?" She asked, handing me a flyer.

   "Uh yeah, sure. What do I have to do?" I asked, flattered she thought of me.

   "Well as president I'd be doing most the hard work, so all I'd need you for is sitting there and looking pretty. If I'm gonna win against Courtney and Deb, I need the a cheerleader on my team, especially one dating a sophomore." Heather explained.

   I suddenly grew very angry. Was that all Heather thought of me as? Some dumb, superficial cheerleader?

  "Uh, yeah no thanks." I said, shoving the flyer back into her hands.

  "Well think about it at least." Heather said, giving me the flyer back.

   Now I know I said I wasnt into the whole "short skirts, bullying losers" aspect of being a cheerleader, but I had had a terrible day and Heather was making it ten times worse. I did what anyone would have done in that situation, except I was a pretty, popular cheerleader so it maybe came off as much more mean.

  "Heather, I am not interested in being some ten foot tall, abnormal brainiac who doesnt know how to dress's vice president, find a different skank to rack in votes for you."

  Maybe the height comment was a little harsh, Heather had been teased for being 6'0 for as long as I could remember, but I really couldn't care any less at that moment. I watched her face fall at my mean words, and walked off to go home. I decided I didnt feel like going to practice that day.

   When I was walking up the front steps to my house, I noticed Sue sitting on her porch, looking upset. Once again I decided to comfort her.

  Turns out, Sue had raised a bunch of money so she could go on a school trip to the State Capitol, but somehow it had gotten mixed up and she wasnt able to go anymore. Just her luck I suppose.

  I tried to console her the best I could, but in this situation words just werent enough. When she finally decided to go inside, I knew what I had to do.

   In my closet, in a shoebox on the highest shelf I had three thousand dollars in babysitting money saved up from past summers. I counted out the $1500 Sue needed, and put it in am envelope.

  That night after I ate alone, as usual, I slipped on my coat and went to the Heck's mailbox. I put the money inside and tried to get away unnoticed.

   "Stealing my mail huh." Axl's voice rang into the night.

  "Yeah, I was kinda hoping I wouldn't get caught." I said, turning to face him.

   "Well unfortunately for you I was just taking my nightly walk." Acl joked

  "Your nightly walk at 11:15?"

  "Hey you're out here too. I dont want hear it." Axl teased back, leaning against the mailbox.

  We sat in silence for a while, looking out into the night. Axl sat on the curb, and I followed.

  "Remember when we used to sit here and wait for the sun to set to catch fireflies?" He asked me

  "Remember when you chased me with a worm on a stick around this very block?" I said

  "Way to ruin the moment." Axl playfully joked, shoving me.

  "Sorry." I said, shoving him back

  "Hey listen I had no idea that the whole Rick thing was a dare. If I had I would've told you." Axl said, his face serious.

  "Its no biggie, I should've known something was up, I mean a popular older guy interested in some nerdy freshman? Yeah right." I replied.

  "You're not just some nerdy freshman, you're pretty cool sometimes."

  "Gee thanks." I said, getting up "it's getting late, I'm gonna head in."

   "Let me walk you home." Axl got up and started walking to my house.

  When we reached my front door Axl sat on my swing like he always did when he walked me home.

  "Well night Ax." I said, reaching for the doorknob.

  "You know you kinda owe me for stealing my mail." Axl stopped me from going in.

  "I didnt steal your mail." I said

  "No but you were lurking suspiciously around my mailbox at eleven o'clock at night."

  "What are you implying?" I said, going along with his joke.

   "Well say the cops come looking for witnesses, I might need a little inspiration to keep quiet." Axl teased.

  "Such as?"
 
   "A kiss." Axl said, making eye contact.

  "Oh." I was unsure of how to react. I mean he didnt want to kiss me. Not like that. He was Axl Heck he had so many girls lined up to date him.

  I didnt know what to do so of course I did the worst possible thing I could've done. I opened the front door and went inside.