Bad is the new Good (on hold)

FOUR-- Flowers and Day Care

I wake up feeling good. I had previously dreamed about Aspen and I. But no distractions, today, I have to find a job.

Crap! Who is going to watch Heidi while I work? Daycare. I run to my
Laptop and look up local day cares. The cheapest one is 'the Virginia.' But it is far away. I'll have to get up early.

"Heidi, babe, wake up. I'm taking you to day care to play." I whisper. She moans and rolls over. "Heidi," I kiss her forehead and in her back, "wake up babe." She sits up and yawns. Her head looks like as if a rat crawled in, made a nest of her hair, and died in it. "Can I have a pop tart?" She asks groggily. I smile and nod my head.

xxx

"You sure she will be okay here?" I ask the woman at the front desk. "Yes ma'am. The Virginia day care is a safe place for children with a one hundred percent guarantee." She answered with a smile plastered on her face. Does she get paid to smile? She looks like as if her life depends on it. "Heidi, go play. I'll be back soon." She hugs me and I give her a kiss and leave. She will be safe, I tell myself, everything will be okay.

The drive home felt shorter that the drive to the day care. It might be because a certain someone wasn't singing Disney song the whole car ride. Man, I love Heidi. If I lose her, I would have nothing. I would be nothing. Damn it, I am nothing.

I pull into my driveway and immediately my phone goes off.

~Hey you, since your home, you wanna hang in the garden?
-Your Sexy Neighbor

I look up to Aspen's window where I see him smiling. He winks at me, then I reply.

•Can't, job hunting. Sorry Aspen.

~The Crazy Café, 1:00 pm on Monday. You're hired.

•Aspen, did you just give me a job.

~The pay is above minimum wage. Now meet me at the garden.

I look back at him and he is gone. I laugh to myself in utter shock. Once again, Aspen has given me a reason, other than his looks, to fall for him. Yet he mustn't know.

xxx
Aspens POV

I wait in the garden for her to come. She has to come. She has to like me. If I can make her fall for me, then I can dump her and move on with my life. I always get what I want.

"Aspen. I can't take this job." I hear a voice behind me say. "Keep it. After all, I think you need the money until your mom gets back." I turn around and notice that her eyes have saddened. "Is something wrong?" I ask. Was it the job? Money? Her mom?

"Yeah. Everything is fine." She says with a smile. I would believe her, if it wasn't for the fact that the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"What are you not telling me?"

"Nothing. Anyways, what is your secret. There has to be something behind this bad boy act." Why do I even care about her feelings. She is a nobody. And what act? No, I am the real baddest boy ever. I mean man. The baddest man, I sure as hell ain't a boy.

"Let me show you."

xxx
Back to Rudy

He took me inside his house. "Where are your parents?" I asked. "They work ninety five percent of the day. I don't mind it." He replies. My dad left and my mom died, I sure mind. "Where are you taking my Aspen?"

"To my room."

"I'm not sleeping with you."

"Not to sleep with you. I'm showing you the me behind the act." I managed to peep out an 'oh' and followed him to his room. I walk in and he is perched on his bed holding an acoustic guitar.

"If you want to see the real me, you'll have to hear it first." He says and starts play chords, very beautiful chords. Is there anything he can't do? He doesn't sing, which truly disappoints me.

He finished and I was mesmerized. "Did you write that." He smiles, "Yeah. No biggie though, it's just a chord progression." I smile and take a look at his guitar. It was covered with stickers. "You should
Sing something." I suggest.

"No."

"Yeah, let's hear it!"

"No one has ever heard me sing you you're sure as hell ain't gonna be the first."

"Ouch.."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to snap like that." He says. I just nod.

Awkward silence slips between us and he begins, "wear something nice tonight. I'm picking you up and six. My mom will watch Heidi."

I stand baffled, "do I even get a say in this."

"No, but you get to have dinner with me." He winks.

And just like that, Aspen Tucker has done it again.

🔮🔮🔮
Hmm. A date huh. Comment what you'll think will happen on this date. I'll update soon. Love y'all!