Rose Bridges

Fifteen

Romero

I sit at the bottom of her house's front steps with my hoodie over my head and hands in my pockets.

Her neighbors probably are watching me thinking I'm gonna try to rob her fucking house or some shit.

She told me to wait outside and I've been waiting for five minutes freezing my ass off. This hoodie isn't thick enough for this shit.

My stomach feels like it's in my throat as I lean my elbows on my knees and scroll on my phone, my knee slightly bouncing up and down.

The sound of the door creaking open makes me turn my head.

Without looking at me, Carmen steps outside and locks the door behind her.

My eyes travel from the hoodie I had let her borrow a few weeks ago, to the blue jeans on her legs, and then the light brown ugg boots on her feet.

She also holds a black bag in her hand.

I stand up and she smiles up at me, pulling the hood over her head. "Hello," she says very matter of factly.

I glance to the hoodie and then back to her eyes. "Hi," I respond.

Shit did that sound awkward?

Before I can harp on it, she looks down to the hoodie. "Sorry I forgot to give it back, I promise I'll return it as soon as this possibly illegal mission is over, except for now I will be wearing it because it's the only black hoodie I had available." Her eyes stare into mine and she lifts her hands in defense.

I purse my lips, trying not to grin. Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I shrug, trying to ignore the feeling I get in my chest seeing her engulfed in my hoodie. "Lead the way." I back up against the railing and wait for her to walk in front of me.

Our eyes stay connected as she walks past me and to her car in front of the house.

I let out a shaky breath before following her to the car.

The inside of her car smells like her: fresh with a hint of perfume.

I sit stiffly against the seat. This car is too nice for me to be in it with it's leather seats.

I'm scared that if I move the wrong way I'll ruin it somehow.

Silence sits between us, only the sound of whatever song is on the radio being present as she drives down the softly lit streets.

I turn my head against the head rest to look at her.

Her bottom lip is slightly pulled into her mouth, looking very concentrated as she drives.

Her face reminds me of one of those girls who model for a perfume brand in a field of flowers in some nature landscape or some shit like that.

"Where are we going?" I ask, realizing I don't even know.

Her eyebrows pinch together and she takes the next right. "Um," she hums out.

The corner of my lip ticks up and I squint my eyes slightly.

She glances to me and then back to the road. "Listen, I know Alexander has been mean to you, and I hate him too, so..." Her voice trails off.

My eye brown quirks up. "What you wanna egg his house or something?"

She scoffs. "Absolutely not. His house cleaners would be the ones having to clean it, not him."

I hum and nod. "So what are you gonna do?"

She side eyes me and then looks back straight to the road.

My eyes glance to the black bag tied at her feet. It kinda smells like shit.