Burning tapes

5

It was now Saturday, around 2pm. All of my homework that I had procrasted the past two weeks is done. My room mate wasn't home, and I didn't know what to do with myself. 

Charlie kept saying I could stop by the gym whenever but thats so far and im tired and i wanna nap and i really dont wanna deal with Luke 

As if the gods were sending me messages via text, I got a groupchat icon. Tf?

It was Lex sending a picture of Luke seemingly around 10 years old crying, with ice cream dripping down his head and what looked like him pissing his pants. Yeah I'm going to the gym today. 

As soon as I walked through the doors it was chaos. 

Jax was wearing a fucking dinosaur blow up costume running around blasting Katy Perry. Charlie was sitting at his desk drinking what I assumed was coffee. And last but not least Luke had Lex's arm wrapped around his back and they were yelling at each other. 

These are underground boxers? 

As soon as the door chime went off everyone stopped in their spot. Katy Perry was still playing.

"Well if it isn't-" Lex's face got smushed  onto a mat before he could even finish that statement. 

"You're such a fucking prick Lex." Luke gave one final shove and walked away as Lex was laughing his ass off mimicking him. 

I set the bag off donuts on the floor, "I brought donuts." 

Rocco was now running towards me. 

The day consisted of me sitting in a group of boys playing Uno. Today wasn't a training day I guess so Charlie seemed to be more chill and doing paper work in his office. And I wasn't completely sure why all of them were here if it was their off day. 

"Draw four mother fucker!" Jax slammed the card down looking at Rocco. 

"You're such a bitch Jax." We went around the circle. I had two cards left, and judging by the the three in Colt's hand right next to me I had to figure something out. 

"Blue." I put down a four. 

"ROBIN FUCK OFF I HAVE THIRTY YELLOWS JESUS CHRIST." 

Colt sided eyed at me and smirked. "Uno"

Everyone was yelling. 

"Do you have a draw four?? Bin Bin??? LEx PAY ATTENTION MAN WE ARE LOSING!" Lex had his hands through his hair clearly stressed out, and within the next ten minutes Colton had one. 

"That game is fucking homophobic im not playing anymore." 

"Lex just because you're gay doesn't mean everything is homophobic." 

"IT IS IF I WANT IT TO BE." 

I chuckled picking up the cards and shuffling them. I heard some movement and right as I turned my head Luke was sitting down next to me. 

"Come to get your ass beat Monroe?" 

Luke looked at me with a smirk on his face. 

"Likely story Sawyer." He put extra emphasis on my last name as did I. 

And so we kept playing. Until it was about 9:00 and Colton had won 6 rounds in a row and Lex 1. 

I was so distracted with Luke's knees hitting mine every once in a while because we were sitting criss crossed. It seemed to bother him as well because as soon as it touched he pulled his knee away. It was the first time I actually saw a smile on his face and it was really nice. 

Now I'm not sure exactly how it happened but it the span of about 30 seconds the sleeve of my black shirt rode up and when I placed my card down on the pile the room went eerily silent. I didn't realize that they had seen the cigarette burns my father gave me to years ago until I looked around the room-still laughing- and looked down. I pulled my sleeve down and cleared my throat. 

Lex looked like he was going to cry, and the rest of the boys just looked really uncomfortable. Except for Luke. Who stood up immediately. "I'm done playing." 

Charlie walked out of his little office. "You kids wanna go grab some food? The Thai place down the street is really good Robin." Everyone was just sitting in the awkward silence. "What did I miss?" 

I shook my head and everyone seemed suprised at me speaking up first, "Yeah sounds good wanna go now?" 

With silent agrees everyone stood up and started looking around for their wallets and keys. 

"I call shotgun on coaches car!" All of the boys started running out the door and piling into his car but unfortunately there was only enough for four of them. And Luke was in the bathroom. Coach's car was running and he had his arm hanging out, "Do you mind driving him? its only a few minutes away." The back seat window rolled down. 

"Yeah and if he gives you any shit I'll put nair in his bottle babe don't worry." Luke was standing right behind me when Rocco said this followed by a wink and before they could drive off they were flipping eachother off. 

"Do you care driving in my car?" He shook his head and I led him to Bertha. 

A 2004 Sante Fe Hyundai, Bertha was my baby. And also on her last leg. 

He didn't seem to care but seeing such a big man inside of a small Suv was fucking hilarous. And I couldn't control the laughs that seeped out. 

"Whats so funny Sawyer?" 

"You in my car." 

We drove in silence for a while with the radio on very low volume until he reached out and turned it off. 

"What happened to your arm?" 

His voice was gruff and making my stomach drop every time I heard it. So I am not sure what made me more nervous, him or my past. 

"My dad used to put cigarettes out on me." I turned my blinker on following Coach's black SUV in front of me. 

"How old were you?" 

"He started when I was nine, the last time was the night before I moved out, so I was 18." I rolled my sleeves up so he could see. I didn't know why I was being vulnerable, I guess it was nice to finally release some pent of emotion of my childhood and he seemed like an avid listener. 

I pointed to a spot on my left arm. "He caught me up past my bedtime reading to my stuffies." 

And I pointed to the most recent one. "He found out that I was moving out." 

"Why are you telling me all of this?" 

I suddenly felt insecure rolling my sleeves back down. "I dunno you asked." 

We drove in silence for a few more minutes before he rolled a portion of gym shorts up. 

"My dad threw a glass vase at me from across the room because I got a C in Math." I looked down and it was pretty fucking gnarly. The gash must've been huge. 

"Damn how many stitches?" He let out a silent laugh. 

"23" 

"Shiiiiiit." Him and I both laughed and I pulled up to the restaurant. 

"Thanks." 

"Anytime Bin Bin." 

He jumped out of the car before I could reject. Why does everyone insist on calling me that fucking name.