Loving Kinnick (Rewritten)

It's A Fucking Tragedy

We shoved through the doorway; Kinnick's cursing followed me as I made fun of him. His hand gripped my upper arm and pushed me further out of the door. Apologies left my lips as I slammed into a few classmates. The moment my staggering body found redemption, I shot back toward Kinnick and let my palm cross his arm.

"You jerk!" I yelped. "It isn't my fault you got less than one hundred percent on your test! I told you we should have been studying instead!"

His blue eyes left the hall in front of him to stare at the girl walking on his right side. "You were distracting me."

"Oh," I nodded with a look of disbelief. "You would have done better if I didn't distract you? How was I distracting you? What could I have done to make you score less than ninety percent on your exam?"

He motioned to me as if I would understand what that meant. My eyebrows furrowed together as he pulled out his phone. I wasn't sure what was happening until I heard the click of his camera. My mouth dropped as he continued snapping photos of me. I readjusted the strap of my backpack as I let out cries of laughter.

"Stop!"

"I can't," he continued to snap photos as he talked. "What am I supposed to do when you aren't around? Suffer?"

"Suffer from what?" I jumped up to snatch his phone. "Isn't it a miracle to be away from me?"

"No, it's a fucking tragedy."

"Hardly," I scoffed. "It is practically a dream come true."

"Damn right it is," he grabbed my hand and pulled me into his chest. "Whenever I get to see you is a dream come true."

He held his phone into the air as he stopped me from getting it. "Now, I never have to worry about never seeing you again when I have at least one hundred different photos of you."

"You better delete those," I pointed up at him. "I look hideous."

"Impossible," he pulled away as he tucked his phone into his backpack. "You are coming tonight, right?"

I shake my head. "Absolutely not. Until I have proof that those photos have been deleted, I will never come to any of your fights."

"What do I have to do to get both?"

"You can't always get what you want, Kinnick Carson," I teased him.

His eyebrows furrowed as he stared down at me; it was as if he were thinking of something but couldn't say it aloud. "I know."

"I'll come to your fight under one condition," I bumped my hip with his to pull him from the trance he was in. "If you get me really good seats and promise me muffins and smoothies on Monday morning."

"Consider your wish granted then," his lips twisted into a smile.

"I was expecting you to say that I can't get everything I want," I joked.

"But that is my job," he directed me to his truck. "To make sure you get everything you wanted."

"And why is that your job?"

"Because we are the best friends."

I felt the pain in my cheeks as I smiled up at him. "Heck yeah we are."

"You know what this means right?"

"No," I shake my head. "What?"

"Since I scored less than expected, you have to be my tutor."

"Then tell John I don't want to pay for my lessons."

A chuckle emitted from his lips, sending shivers down my spine as it gracefully grazed my skin. "You drive a hard bargain, Miss. Bennett."

"Well, do you accept the plea bargain as it is presented to you?"

His chuckles only grew into deep laughter. "Plea bargain, huh?"

"Mhm," I hummed.

"And what happens if I don't?"

"Then you fail," I shrugged. "I don't really lose much. If I have to pay for your lessons, then so be it."

"I could put an end to training you."

"You wouldn't do that."

"Test me."

"I would, but I am afraid you would get seventy-five percent," I burst with laughter.

"I am rethinking this best friend thing."

"Yeah, right," I pulled myself into the passenger seat of his truck.

I watched his blue eyes roll away from me as he flipped the keys in his ignition. As the engine roared to life and the music came through the speakers, I zipped up my jacket. My eyebrows furrowed as Kinnick kept his foot on the brake, refusing to move from his spot as he pointed at me.

"Put on your damn seatbelt."

My motions masked his as I rolled my eyes. "Is that what you are waiting for?"

"Yes," he nodded, growing timid. "So, put on your damn seatbelt."

I reached for the band behind me, pulling it across my chest as I stared Kinnick in the eyes. He narrowed his baby blues at me as if he knew I was challenging him. It isn't like I wanted to die, but I didn't wear my seatbelt for different reasons. Kinnick didn't know that, though. He never would because he didn't need to.

Every time I got into a car, I wondered why I didn't fear it. It wasn't until I realized I wasn't scared of dying; I was afraid of being in a world without my mom. So, I am not scared of losing my life if that means I get to be on the other side with her. It is where I would rather be anyway.

"I am sorry," he mumbled.

"What? Why?"

"For getting upset."

"Then I am sorry for making you upset."

"That isn't how apologies work," he looks at me. "I say I am sorry, and you accept it."

"Well, I said I am sorry, so accept it."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Whatever you want."

I heard him suck in a breath as his hands tightened on the steering wheel again. "Don't say that."

"Why? What would you do?"

He glanced over at me as he stopped at a red light, his eyes scanning over my body as he licked his lips. "That is for me to know and you to never find out."

"I would hope you'd tell me one day."

His shoulders tipped upward. "We will see."

"All good things?"

"All things involving you are good things."