Dysphoria

Chapter Six

The silence was fucking killing me.

And of course we were stuck in traffic at a red light.

Being in this truck right now was in a tank with a great white shark.

"Do you like smoothies?" He asks in his baritone voice like he hadn't just dragged me off the street.

"Yeah I like smoothies." I say quietly.

He turns off to a cute little froyo place with tables and chairs outside. He parks up and puts on sunglasses.

"Come on." He glances at you, the red mark of my hand had faded from his cheek.

What the fuck is happening right now?

I get out and follow him inside. Everything inside is painted bright cheerful colors.

"I'll have a large banana protein, extra kale." He says before he puts his hand on my lower back nudging me forward.

Scanning the board I see mango, pineapple, carrot and apple. "Am, a medium tropical breeze please."

Nate swipes his card and we both wait while the blenders whir noisily making our smoothies.

"I'll get us a table." I say quietly, wanting to sit outside for some air.

There's a table outside with a large striped umbrella.

"Here you go." He says politely, putting the creamy peach looking drink down in front of me with a straw already inside it.

"Did you drug it?" I ask.

"What?" He demands looking annoyed.

"I mean, you just picked me up and threw me in your truck. Date rape is the next logical step." I say before drinking some of this bomb smoothie.

"I picked you up because you're wearing no fucking clothes. There are all kinds of fucking creeps and predators that would take you in a heartbeat. One look at you and they're already planning how to rape you or traffic you or torture you. So stop being difficult." He says quietly.

Fine asshole. Have it your way.

I focus all my attention on literally anything but him, the traffic, the sky, the other customers coming in and out.

When he realized I wasn't going to talk to him he spoke again.

"Look. I'm sorry I said that shit about you to the guys. I did it to make myself look good. I didn't think how it would affect you." He dragged his fingers through his hair, apologizing clearly wasn't easy for him.

"I accept your apology, but it's too late to fix it. It's already done." I don't even bother to pretend I'm happy.

"I'll take care of it." He says firmly.

"How are you going to take care of it? People who don't even know me are already calling me a slut in public thanks to you." I grit through my teeth remembering the shame I felt in front of Ash and Fez. School was going to be even worse.

"You aren't a slut." He snapped.

"I know that! But because of you people think I am!" I push the half eaten smoothie away, feeling my stomach churn.

"I said I'll fix it alright? Just trust me."He reached across the table and squeezed my hand.

"How can I trust you now?" I look at him expectantly.

He looks down, and says nothing because he has no come back.

I take a deep breath and try to relax, there literally is nothing to do but enjoy the sunshine. What's done is done and what he's said has been said.

"My mom wants you to come over for dinner. Welcome you to the neighborhood kind of deal." He says seriously.

"Are you joking? No. There's no need for her to do that. We're fine. Besides, my mom won't go and it would just be me there like an awkward idiot." I say anxiously.

"Do me a favor. She knows you're our new neighbor, and if you don't come she's just going to be on my ass about it." His tone has an ounce of desperation in it.

"Jesus Nate. I don't even know you." I close my eyes in abject panic. I wasn't going to let Nate Jacobs see I was scared. "Fine when does she want to do this dinner?"

"I think she said some evening next week. Give me your number and I'll text you about it." He says casually checking his phone notifications.

"Oh really? Smooth Jacobs. Real smooth." I eye him sarcastically as he grins. "Give me your phone and don't ask me for another fucking thing until we graduate. Okay?"

I take his phone and enter my number in his contacts smirking as I hand it back.

"What the fuck? 'Euro Slut'? Really?"He looks up like I had grown an extra head.

"Yeah. It seemed like a fitting contact name." I smile at him, reaching over to my smoothie feeling a little less nauseous.

My phone vibrates with a notification.

Unknown Number: Fuck you

I look up and see Nate staring at me expectantly.

This fucking loser.

"What? I had to check it was your real number." He says before finishing his smoothie and putting his phone back in his pocket.

"Why so you can be sure you won't send your dick pics to some stranger?" I snigger at him.

"Ha ha. You would be so lucky."

I look back down at my phone, saving his number as a new contact and typing in Nate Jacobs.

Wait. Scratch that out .

"What's so funny." He asks watching me giggle to myself.

"Just your contact name." I smile widely at him.

"Show me." Nate puts out his hand for my phone.

I bring the phone up to his face but don't let him hold it.

"SHORT KING?!" He yells leaving his jaw hanging open. "You better fucking change that."

"No way!" I stick my phone into the wait band of my leggings and start to run to the truck.

"You have the legs of dwarf. Of 8 year old midget child, you think I can't catch you?" I hear him call.

"Aww don't be angry at me shorty!" I stick out my tongue at him as he slowly walks over. His eyes are watching me, and he knows I have no where to go.

Nate stands so close to me his legs are touching mine. He gently rubs his thumb against my chin. "Do you like causing trouble?" His voice is low and rough.

I feel the butterflies in my stomach again. I swallow hard. "I don't mean to. But it always seems to find me."

I look up at him, as he leans down to kiss me. It's gentler than before. But somehow more sexy. Maybe because we're sober.

But why the fuck am I kissing him? He's fucking crazy.

After a few seconds he straightens back up, brushing his hand down my neck where he sees the faded hickey from last weekend.

"Did I do that?" He asks staring at it.

"Yes you did." I watch him, half expecting him to apologize.

That dark look flickers in his eyes again, and I realize I'm not getting an apology. He isn't sorry at all.