My Fiction Fix #01

Writing Idea #51: Desperate

CHAPTER 1

"I'm almost too certain he's claimed her." Darren Harrison's deep, husky voice whispers next to me, his arm around my shoulders while I read, nodding absentmindedly with the captain of the football team leaning in just to see what chapter I'm on. He tilts his head in against mine. He was talking about Noah Levin, our brown-haired caramel-eyed player of the year with his bad-boy comedic thread rolling up in stock uptake given his trophy of girlfriends. Only now we believe this girl may just be the magical one.

"Dude, you missed practice?" I overheard Noah call out to Ashton Grayson, the one male in the group who quite literally hated being on the football team, but they were a league of their own, something I had noticed with Darren practically being my brother/closest friends since our childhood years and shared baby baths. Not so ideal, but not uncommon either.

Darren moves his arm from my shoulders, curling around my waist before his thumb strokes my side languidly. I still stare at my book, being the only girl at the table not talking loads about getting my eyebrows done or going to the salon for a change of hair colour, Alison Tate, Noah's new and hopefully last girl. She looks more interesting in popping bubblegum and looking up hair styles on Pinterest than chatting about books, I tried that once. Talking to her about what she was interested in and then what I was interested in. She looked about as interested in me as I was in fossils.

Nada.

Darren hmm's next to me, I blink and look over, "Yeah." I ask.

His silver eyes hold mine, "You're coming to the party right? Tonight?" He asks me.

I shrug, "It's literally at your house, next door, dude." I point out. It's not like I could miss it if I tried. He sighs next to me and just nods, still holding me while Evander and Theo Carson, the Carson twins look at Darren with raised eyebrows. I lower my tablet down and reach for my bottled lemon ice tea, finding delight in just a swig of it. I glance at my phone when I receive a numbered message, riddled with encryption. Darren frowns when he side glances it, but says nothing because I had returned to reading on my tablet. His arm is back around me, and instead of just rubbing my back, he lifts me between his legs casually. Resting his muscular arms in under mine, they flatten against my abdomen. I don't look away from the book I'm reading, not until I'm too late in sensing Alison's eyes on us. Noah astutely watching us too. I feel a head slide in against mine, his sharp chin on my shoulder.

"Is she serious right now?" Alison whispers, as if shocked.

"Believe me, it will take a while. You end up just extending the bet, Alison." Noah tells her, speaking of something odd as it is.

My phone vibrates on the table again.

I grab it and without looking, I answer it, "I'll deal with it later." I say into the phone.

"You'll deal with what later, young lady?"

I choke on my own spit, "Shit, Mom. No, sorry-I thought you were someone else. Is everything alright?" I ask immediately, straightening whilst feeling Darren's chest shake with laughter against me. I give him a look, gesturing to let me up when I reach for my bag and slide the tablet away.

"I'm at the office, honey. I'm picking you up early." She says, sounding stiff.

I frown, "Okay, I'll be right there." I tell her, super confused as I hang up and grab my bag.

"Hey, what's going on? Is she alright?" Darren immediately asks me, getting his bag too while I just nod to him.

"She's fine, just picking me up early. I don't know why. I'll text you later, okay." I tell him, fist-bumping his shoulder while he's about to stand and follow, but I shake my head at him, "It's just Mom, I'm going to figure it out and I'll text you, okay." I urge him to sit back down, only for him to grab my arm, pull me down and peck my cheek.