Summer Break

When Peter was twelve he got braces. At the time, I was also due for braces but was slightly insecure about it because nobody else had them . 

So, of course, when I saw Peter with his blinged out mouth, It made me feel just a little better. Especially when all the other kids were gushing over him and his braces. Especially the girls. 

They asked him to smile and giggled over him, running away. He seemed to relish in the small bit of attention and took pride in his braces. 

He came in with different colored bands and flashed them proudly at lunch. Even took care of them and avoiding all the foods he was supposed to. 

Still, people gushed over him. Even the teachers, telling him he was going to be a handsome young boy some day. That really put an end to his small smiles and blushing, he made to sure flash a smile to everyone and anyone. 

I remember getting my first Peter Nixen smile, on my way to lunch. I blushed and made sure to tell summer and we gushed over it for weeks. 

 One year later, when I got braces, kids looked at me funny. They weren't cooing over me and telling me I looked cute, they taunted me. Told me I was copying Peter and I looked ugly. 

I got the opposite effect from braces. While Peter smiled and showed them off, I hid them and made sure to never show them. Even when I was eating. 

I think during that time was when I first started to turn my girlish crush on Peter to a dislike. I spent my nights wondering what made it special on him and not on me? 

Summer heard the lot of it and comforted me, but that didn't stop her crush. She still gushed over how cute he was and still, blushed from his infamous smiles. 

The same smile he was giving Niko currently. They both throw back another miniature bottle and laugh. loudly. 

Not even the music was covering over their loudness. It just made them louder and rowdier. I suddenly felt like this was a bad idea. 

Especially after the move Peter had pulled back at the gas station. I wasn't over that and, while I hadn't checked, I was almost certain their cameras had caught us. Had caught me. 

I had trouble seeing how Peter was so calm about it. If the rumors at school were true, then maybe that could be why, but seeing this carefree guy laughing in my car, sharing a beer with my friend's brother didn't seem so out of the ordinary. 

Surely he was just comfortable because he had something in his system, but his laugh bubbling from his throat melodically and his smile coming so easily, it seemed right. 

However, somehow I'd seemed to have forgotten that while his happiness showed easily, his anger came just as quickly. 

While I'd taken my time observing this strange interaction, he'd done a little of his own. Only I hadn't noticed it until he'd fully turned to me instead of facing Niko. His smile wasn't entirely gone, but it wasn't as bright as before. His laughter was gone but I could hear the remnants as he cleared his throat. 

"And you said you weren't a creep." He says. He offers a small chuckle towards me, but it doesn't make me feel any better. I was stuck deep within my thoughts of what to feel. 

Strangely, he seemed to notice. "Listen, I'm sorry." His tone wasn't entirely apologetic, but it wasn't the annoying one from before. 

I glance at him quickly before putting my eyes back on the road. He gives me a soft smile and fully turns to me, his back against the door. He ignored a gurgling Niko calling him from the back.