He's a Fanboy?!

He Needs to Blindfold Me

"I'm pretty sure this is illegal--," I start, trying the door handle every five seconds without success.

"--yeah, maybe," Brayden cuts me off, shrugging.

"Where are we even going?"

"Are you going to give up on escape?"

"No."

"Then I'm not telling you. And I'm going to carry you out of the car again when we get there."

I whine and flick him in the side, mumbling, "I thought birthdays were supposed to be happy."

Brayden pulls the car over to the side and suddenly winks. "You will be."

I look around. The car rolls to a stop on a residential street with medium sized houses. Recognizing a couple signs, I realize Brayden is taking me to the city. Then I mentally slap myself, because where else would he take me?

The only places he knows are the central library and the mall. He must be taking me to either one.

"Why are we stopping?"

"I need to blindfold you," he replies blatantly.

"Yeah, no, I'm fine." I scoot closer to the window, away from Brayden.

"Shut up and accept your birthday present." He pulls a silver fabric from his pocket and makes an effort to forcefully blindfold me. When he fails, he jumps out and walks to my side of the car.

He offers me his hand when he opens the door. "I'm offering the easy way. Take it or leave it."

With a skeptical look I take his hand, stepping out of the car.

And then, within a split second, I twist his arm back behind his back quickly before running down the street.

"Sucks to suck!" I yell while he writhes on the sidewalk.

A part of my mind knows that it would actually take quite awhile to get all the way back to StarCross from here, but I keep running anyway. Until I bump into a familiar lanky blonde.

I lose my balance and almost fall back into the sidewalk, but Luke the Blondie grabs my hand and snakes an arm around my waist before I fall.

"Annabelle," he says with a bored expression. "do you have an obsession with bumping into me?"

"I--what--no!"

"On my own lawn, too."

"I didn't even--I didn't even know you lived here!"

"Is this your way of trying to fullfill your cliche high school fantasy?"

My face heats up. "I don't have high school fantasies--,"

His face moves closer to mine. "Then why are you getting red?"

"Maybe because you're holding me like a princess and your face is way too close?" Luke is attractive, I'll give him that. But he's weird. Utterly, completely, weird,

"Why does that make you uncomfortable?"

"Don't be stupid. It would make any girl uncomfortable," I argue, slightly gaining my confidence back. Though I won't admit it, I secretly pray for Brayden to come run after me already so that I can get out of this awkward conversation. "also, could you please let go of me? If you haven't already noticed, I'm no longer falling to my death."

"I would," Luke looks over my shoulder, "but you've got the golden boy running after you and it would be fun to make him jealous."

I give him a look. "Why would he be jealous of--,"