Teen Years - Big Mouth (Updated Version)

09

I got back to the Birch's in time for dinner though I skipped it in lieu of a bath. There was a knock at the door before it opened, a tired looking Judd stepping into the bathroom. "Hey, love." He said, taking a seat on the toilet. "Hi, bug." I replied, sinking down in the tub a bit. "Date tonight?" He extended a hand with a cheeky grin. "Of course," I placed my hand in his hand gave it a small squeeze. "But only if you paint my nails like yours. I wanna match." I continued.

Easy agreement. After the bath, Judd painted my nails black just like his. Leah wanted to join in and added a small red heart to both ring fingers with a nail stamp. "Looks great, Leah. Beautiful touch." She curtsied dramatically and left the room with a wave. When they dried, I threw on a plain white tank with a red flannel and acid washed ripped skinny jeans. A mouthful to say but absolutely amazing to wear. I finished the look with my worn out converse, the logo barely hanging on. Of course, I convinced him to match with me outfit-wise too.

Judd and I hopped in my van, him behind the wheel. I couldn't stop looking at him, especially not when I turned on 2000s to 2010s top hits. None of it was his type of music and his expressions showed it vividly. I slipped my hand in his, interlacing our fingers. He hadn't bothered to tell me where we were going, just that he'd fill my tank after.

We ended up a few towns away at a lake. It was in the middle of nowhere really but it must've been owned by someone as the grass and weeds around it had been mowed and pulled. Judd laid out a blanket and grabbed a wicker basket he'd put in the backseat. I stepped out the car and sat on the blanket, watching Judd's every move.

He took things out of the basket one by one, starting with two unlit red candles with a box of matches. Next was different things to make a sandwich or salad. And finally, two cokes. He smiled at me as he made a sandwich. I made both. We talked about our days as we ate. Apparently I'd missed a fight at school between two jocks, a football player and a basketball star, over some girl named Amber. I filled Judd in on all the boring details of my day, watching his expression darken when I brought up the interaction between Jay's older brothers.

"Don't go over there anymore." He grunted, aggressively bitting off a piece of his sandwich. "Judd-" I began, placing my plastic fork down. "Dylan, I'm serious. Kurt is not the kind of guy you should be alone with. Neither is Val but I trust him more than I do Kurt." He interrupted with a shake of his head. Everyone knew they were terrible people, I just didn't know how terrible. Judd refused to say anything more about it or look at me when I tried; that conversation was over.

After our dinner, we sat by the lake for awhile, talking about this or that. Then he turned to me, smiling softly. He wouldn't say anything, he just stared. The sun was about at golden hour, everything illuminated a bright yellow. The water looked like melted gold in a few places. He placed a hand on my cheek before moving it down to the side of my neck.

He pulled me in for a kiss, my lips happily colliding with his. They moved in sync until Judd deepened it, putting his other hand in the small of my back. I moved so that I was sitting on my knees, my hands tangled in Judd's hair. He held me tightly as we pulled away, his eyes probing mine.

Judd Birch was one of the most attractive men I'd ever seen in my life; Matthew Lillard in first place. Everything about him drew me in and intoxicated me. He was a perfect dick and a perfect partner at the same time. He was rude and hateful and often cruel, but he was kind and thoughtful and despite the way he seemed, he loved unconditionally.