New Girl

The Hideout

School hit you like a freight train. You've barely had time to think past your mounds of homework, let alone your love life. Or maybe you were just trying to avoid it. You're learning that school in Indiana was a lot different from California. You thought small town, slower pace. That was a load of crap. You grab a stack of books from your locker and panic when you hear the bell ring. You quickly close your locker and make a run for it... crashing into someone immediately. Books, papers, pencils...all exploded across the empty hallway. 

"Shit... I'm so sorry," you say frantically, not even looking up from the mess you've made.

"Its okay. I like when beautiful girls run into me.."

You look up. It's Eddie. He smiles as he bends down to help you clean up. A rush of red runs across your face in embarrassment. "Ugh...that's just perfect. Of course it's you..."

"Ouch...."

"No no. Not like that. I...um... nevermind. I'm sorry," you manage to collect everything. "How can I make it up to you?"

"Well you're already late for class. Wanna join me in the woods? Skip class? You look like you need a break."

You think for a minute and eventually thought...fuck it. "Let's go."

"Need help carrying those?" Before you can answer, he grabs the stack of books from you and opens the door leading to freedom. 

"Such a gentleman," you giggle out. 

As you walk the short trek to the table in the woods, he tells you "You know... I'm glad I ran into you."

"You mean you're glad I ran into you? Sorry about that, by the way. I've just been so stressed out and not focused..."

"I get it. School sucks. You making any friends?"

"Outside of Steve and Robin? Not really."

He sits down next to you at the table. "You and I could always hang out. Listen to music. Smoke." He pulls out his black metal lunchbox, opens it up, and takes out a joint. He puts it to his mouth and lights it up. His lips were pillowy and juicy. You wanted to be that joint, you wanted those lips around you. He exhales the smoke from his lungs and offers you a hit. You grab it from him, hands trembling with nerves, and breathe it in.  

"So I was wondering...are you free tomorrow night?" He asks as you hand back the joint. 

"Tomorrow? As in Tuesday night?"

"Yeah...I mean, unless you have plans with Steve or something."

You blush remembering he saw you drive away with Steve on the first day. "No. Why?"

"Well my band is playing at The Hideout. You know where that is?"

"Yeah! My aunt is a bartender there."

"What? No way. Is it Brenda?"

"It is, actually."

"You're Brenda's niece? That's pretty cool. Brenda sometimes slips some rum into my Coke before a gig."

You laugh and shrug, not surprised that your cool aunt would do such a thing. "So you want me to come see your band play?"

"Would you be interested? We're probably not any good and we get a crowd of at least...5 drunks."

You laugh nervously. "Is this like a...like a...date?"

His eyes widen and you panic. Shit. Maybe he's not into you like that. 

He rubs his neck. "Actually... if that's cool. Shit. Sorry. I'm not good at this. I don't usually ask girls out so bare with me."

You scoot closer to him "I'd love to go on a date with you, Eddie."