Reckless Love

Two

Axel clears his throat relieving some tension between me and her and pulling me out of my trance.

"Did you like Michigan? I heard Detroit isn't too bad."

I look at him, he's decently attractive with dark brown hair and dark eyes.

"Yeah, you get used to living there and the people are mostly nice." He nods, "That's cool."

Maybe I was wrong to judge. These guys don't seem too bad.

Axel mentions he's an army brat since his dad was in the military. He says his dad recently decided to retire and they settled down here.

I think about my dad, he and my mom are so in love. My dads in Louisiana on a business trip.

He should be back in a few days.

I listen while Axel talks, he says he's lived in Michigan before but never got to see Detroit.

I laugh, "I've got a soft spot for the place. I've never been anywhere else so I definitely miss it a lo-"

"Wait Mia, you like Detroit? I mean you obviously don't come from money but I heard it's really shitty."

Oh?

I stare at Jason with a look of utter shock on my face, but I quickly shake it off. "Uh I don't know, I guess growing up there you find it isn't that bad."

I try to be nice, I kinda understand why he might have assumed. But it's not terrible. Only the part where I'm from is actually bad.
That's why I really enjoyed living there, for the pretty parts, and I'm still sad I had to leave them behind.

I keep staring at him.

The comment about not "coming from money" was completely unnecessary.

Axel and Braxton must have thought the same thing, because Axel nudges Jason's shoulder hard and they both look at him in disbelief.

Braxton speaks up, "I'm Braxton, please excuse our dickhead friend here."

Braxton, like Axel, has brown hair. He's also very attractive. They may have the same hair and eye color but they are very different in ethnicity and overall appearance. Braxton is mixed with curly hair. While Axel isn't.

I smile, "It's fine."

We all talk and I enjoy listening to Axel and Braxton talk about their love for football.

"Mia, I'm throwing a party on Friday, you should come. My parents are out of town so there will be plenty of booze," Aubrey says.

"Umm I'll think about it, I don't drink though so more booze for you I guess."

Braxton and Axel chuckle at my small joke, "no worries, Axel here doesn't drink either."

Axel smiles at me and I smile back. Yeah, I definitely like these guys.

We exchange phone numbers and the bell rings.

After school, I throw my backpack on the floor and collapse on my bed. I'm so exhausted.

I check my phone and see Braxton texted me, he asks if I'm planning on going to Aubrey's party. He urges me to go saying it's going to be boring without me.

I put my phone down and rub my eyes because I don't really have an answer for him right now.

Parties aren't really my thing.

I sit on my phone for a few hours until I hear the front door open and close, I listen as my mom sighs and her keys clatter against the table downstairs.

She walks slowly up the steps and takes a shower and changes in her room. Then she goes back downstairs to cook dinner.

I wait a few minutes and go down after her. I walk slowly into the kitchen, trying to avoid the inevitable.

"How was work?" I sit down at the kitchen table and watch her cook. She tilts her head glancing at me before looking back at the leftover soup she's heating up.

"It was okay, a bit tiring, but overall fine. First days are usually the most stressful." My mom works as an assistant manager for luxury apartments.

It seems like a good job, but she has to deal with rich people and their "problems." The people at her job treat her like dog shit and severely underpay her for tolerating it.

She makes enough to afford a two story house when combining her effort with my fathers. Nothing too big, nothing to small. Middle class.

She turns the subject to me, "Speaking of first days, how was school?" And then the inevitable comes. "It was okay. School was just, fine."

She nods, "more importantly.. did you make any new friends?" I think for a moment. "Uhh yeah, I guess. Well, I think so. I'm not sure, maybe? I got invited to a party. If that counts." She gets really excited at that last bit.

My mom is always pushing me to get out more, even when we were in Michigan.

She was always asking if I was going anywhere or had plans with friends. But I usually didn't.

She turns to me holding the spoon she was using to stir our dinner. "Mia, that's great! When is it?!"

"Friday. I'm not sure I'm going though."

She gives me a disappointed look, "Mia, you need to get out more. I'm worried about you. Maybe go just this once, if you don't like it you can call me and tell me how wrong I was and how it's all my fault for pushing you."

I tell her I'll think about it. Maybe she's right, it can't be that bad. Plus Axel and Braxton will be there, and they are super nice, I think.

I'm not an idiot, I know not all football players are bad. It's just the ones I've come across so far haven't been great. Obviously.

Me and my mom eat before I go back upstairs to my room. I call Lyla, she's been texting me all day asking about Florida. I guess it's time to answer her many, many questions.

She quickly answers and requests to FaceTime, I set my phone up on my nightstand leaning it against a fake plant and accept the request.

"Well?" she says almost immediately, "well what?" She rolls her eyes. "How is Florida?! Any hot guys, or girls.. if you're into that." She winks and I laugh.

"None on the market quite yet. I just got here after all, I'm not a whore like you." Her mouth drops dramatically and we both laugh. "I was invited to a party," I inform her.

She claps her hands excitedly.

"Oh my god! You have to wear that black dress of yours, it's perfect. Guys will for sure drool over you all night." I frown.

"Idk Layla, parties aren't my thing."

She sighs, "Mia, please tell me you aren't planning on skipping the party to watch that stupid show."

I shake my head laughing, "there's nothing wrong with watching a show I love, stop being a hater."

"Mia, you are going to that goddamn party. I won't forgive you if you don't."

I bite my lip, covering a smile. "Okay, fine, your right. I need to get out. The people here don't seem that bad anyway."

She claps her hands again and we say our goodbyes.

I text Braxton replying to his earlier message asking me if I'm going to the party, 'Okay, I'll go.'