BAD THINGS. (Oscar 'Spooky' Diaz.)

II. CHERRIES & WINE.

                It had been a few days since Sydney moved into Freeridge. Things were slowly coming together as she worked tirelessly to unpack her belongings and make the new house feel somewhat like home. That was going to take a while and she knew it. Things were already vastly different here than they were back in her hometown. The people weren't always as friendly — she'd learn that the hard way.

She had already done most of the unpacking she needed to for the day and felt she earned herself a night of celebration. It was only fair, considering she had no choice but to do it all on her own. A little bit of candy and alcohol wouldn't hurt, right? Sydney took the hair tie from around her wrist and used it to pull her hair back in a half assed ponytail, tucking the loose strands behind her ear. She grabbed her car keys, slipped into her fairly worn sandals and headed out the front door.

It wasn't long of a drive to the local store — coined a bodega 'round these parts. Mainly selling wine and other alcohol, it was perfectly convenient for her. She parked out front and sauntered towards the door, pulling it open with a tired sigh. It was just past 5:00 p.m. and only a few people were scattered throughout the store. She didn't hesitate to beeline right for the wine and alcohol aisle, scanning the racks for anything that seemed to catch her eye, or rather her stomach.

She wasn't picky in the least, grabbing a single bottle of cheap rosé, tucking it between the crook of her elbow and her chest. Sydney shuffled towards the candle aisle as she let out a small yawn, tilting her head side to side as she attempted to stretch out her sore neck. Things were comfortably quiet until...

"Cuchillos can suck a DICK!"

Sydney perked up and whipped her head around to find the source of the yell, eyes landing on a smaller male who just so happened to be standing next to him. The man who went by the name of Spooky. Her breath caught in the back of her throat as she remembered her very first encounter with him a few days ago.

A few other patrons turned to look in their direction and Spooky did the same back, obviously holding back the urge to chew the younger male out for yelling so loudly — and so publicly. His gaze eventually landed on Sydney and his expression immediately softened up a bit, though she quickly looked away and pretended to choose between the options of candy. In reality, she couldn't even remember what she had been craving. All her thoughts were back on Spooky, and Spooky alone.

Would he call out to her? Approach her? He felt incredibly unpredictable and that both scared and excited her to no end. Spooky added a few items to a small basket and handed it off to the younger male, who sighed heavily and rolled his eyes as he sauntered off towards the checkout counter.

Spooky, on the other hand, stood still for a moment as he studied Sydney from afar. She could feel his eyes on her, burning holes through her shirt. She didn't move, not yet at least. It was Spooky who made the first move and slowly took step after step until he was nearly pressed up against the valley of her back.

Sydney sucked in a breath of air and stiffened, which only made Spooky chuckle lowly.

"Chill, mamí. Whatchu nervous for?"

She used her free hand to reach out and grab a snickers bar, twirling it between her middle and index finger. "Who said I was nervous?"

Even though she wasn't facing him, she could just feel his grin widen by the second. His chest was right up against the upper half of her back and she had to fight the urge to press even more so into him, the puff of his breath tickling the rim of her ear.

"You're not a very good liar," he practically whispered as he reached around her and grabbed a pack of Reese's cups.

Just like that, he pulled away from her and his warmth was gone, earning a glance from Sydney over her shoulder. If his goal was to intimidate her, it was certainly working. And he knew it, too.