The Edge of Tomorrow

6

"Loving you was young, and wild, and free. Loving you was cool, and hot, and sweet. Loving you was sunshine, safe and sound. A steady place to let down my defenses. But loving you had consequences."

Chapter Theme Song: 'Consequences' by Camila Cabello.

••

Becca

We got to school at eight on the dot. The session bell was just going off, but Richie's jock friends were still gathered at their usual spot in the parking lot, laughing, smoking, fleeting around the girls in the group. I couldn't look at the dreaded spot he'd parked in last evening under the old cherry tree, and I sighed with relief when I found that Chris had already parked his motorbike there.

Good. Too many memories.

Richie parked somewhere else with ease, right in front of the deplorable science block that had these ugly black vines stretching along the walls of it. He unsnapped his seatbelt as one of the guys in the group, I recalled naming Colt, jogged over to the van with a white plastic bag in his hand. He used his knuckle to knock at the window while Richie unlatched his seatbelt.

"Wanna eat lunch on the soccer fields today? I know it's Thursday, but..." He trailed off, and outside the window his friend squinted his eyes from the small droplets of dew, his teeth chewing on his lower lip while he waited.

"Okay..." I said quickly and looked down, digging through my bag for my earphones. I would need them that day. It was a bit rainy, and the weather would oftentimes impact my mood greatly. I needed some Pink and Giveon. So I wouldn't have to leave first period or any period for that matter to go brood in the bathrooms. And with my nose a mess...my tear-bag was full.

"Okay. I'm gonna come get you at your class..." He reached over and kissed me on the side of my lips, grabbed his door handle, and climbed out of the van, shutting the door behind him. I watched outside his window as he drew up the waist of his pants and raked his hair back, but I couldn't see Colt anymore because Richie was now blocking him. Sighing tiredly, I opened my door and got out. I shut the door and walked around to where he was standing. Colt was no longer holding the plastic bag, and Richie was putting something away.

His other friends joined us with their noisy laughter and chattering, and I glanced down at my watch. 8:15. I had to go. Richie laughed at something Chris said as he leaned back on his dew-dotted van, perching a cigarette between his lips and lighting it up with a pocket lighter. The cherry lit up brightly against the dark grey skies above his head, and the crisp morning wind swiveled his hair around.

"Party is Friday night. Need you there, you know that, right?" Colt said to Richie, and he shrugged.

"If I feel like it."

"I'm going to class," I told Richie, and turned to walk off. His cold, pale hand grabbed onto mine, pulling me back against him.

Mishima scoffed, and Chris laughed, bouncing her on her bare shoulder. "Still not over him?"

The sentence pulled my focus to the pair, but Richie stole it away again, tugging me even closer to his warm body. He sucked on his cigarette stick, his cheeks faintly caving in as thick rings of smoke oozed through his nose. Did I like who he was when he was with his friends? No. But I hated who he was at home too. His father's punching bag. I wondered if his friends knew that? They didn't. I could tell.

"Kiss me..." he muttered, and I looked around us. His friends were mostly grinning their faces off. I hated public affection, but I did appreciate that he wasn't ashamed of me.

I tipped on my toes and kissed him lightly on the lips, and his grin stretched across his face. His long lashes hid his eyes as he leaned down, kissing me longer and harder. He moved back and smiled at me, looking into my eyes.