Unrestrained • H.S au

001

"You need to stop punching people you don't agree with, Alissa." My brother, Carter, says as we walk into the shop.

I look down at my bruising knuckles and shrug, "he deserved it and you know it."

Fifteen minutes earlier I had punched the "rich boy" if the town, Marcus. I only fractured his nose, sadly, but his family won't press charges because he was harassing me in the first place.

"One of my greatest and worst decisions was teaching you how to throw a punch." Carter laughs lightly.

The motor shop that Carter owns smells like oil and pine cones. To most it's an unusual combination, but to me it's comforting.

I walk to my usual spot behind the front desk and pull out my journal where I doodle when bored, which in this hell hole, is often.

Twilight and stories revolving around small places; glorified towns like Dennis creek. Small, isolated and uninviting. It's home though and I suppose I have to appreciate it.

Carter starts working on "his beauty" in the back. The sound of scratching and drilling fills the silence.

People often think it's weird that Dennis Creek has a motor shop, but the lands surrounding us are filled with farms which have tractors and other motor-like equipment.

The shop is cheaper than our neighboring town's ones: "east wellton" which, if your wondering, is actually considered a town and is found on most maps.

The unlucky tourists that attempt to
Pass through and have to stop usual come to us for a quick tyre check up. When I say quick I mean quick. I swear once I saw a greasy looking family traveling in a caravan almost tackle each other to get in the car so that they could get away; after their engine had been checked. I wanted to hitch a most with them. I would have suffered through eating tinned pork sausages and baked beans
every night to be free from here.

I start doodling a cat when the front door opens, letting in a gust of wind.

"Hey, um, is there a bathroom here?" Asks an unfamiliar voice.

my eyebrows knit together as I look up. Before me stands a boy, about my age, in a green flannel and black ripped jeans. His brown hair is curly and wind swept. Damn, he's hot- I mean, um, he must be hot; it's basically hell heat out there.

"Ah yeah, " I feel under the counter for the bathroom keys, "let me show you where it is."

I walk down the hall that runs past the work shop. He follows silently.

"Here we are." I say signaling to the bathroom door.

The key slides in and I give the door a slight push with my hip and it creaks open,

"Thanks." He says shuffling past me.

I lean against the wall and wait for him to do his business. Out of habit I start to tap my foot and hum a random tune.

I hear a flush and Shortly after the Handel turns and turns and turns.

"Ah help." He says panically.

"Just give it a hard tug." I say through the door.

I hear him grunt and then the sound of clanking, "oh shit, oh shit!"

"What happened?" I ask, reaching for the door Handel.

"The Handel, um, might have broken off." He meekly replies.

"Wait what?" I ask again. I pull on the Handel and sure enough it slips out of its hole, "oh god." I groan.

"please don't tell me stuck in here!" He says frantically.

I look down the passage and contemplate calling Carter, but then vote against it. The only other option is...

"The window!" I say

"The what?"

"Just relax, I'll be right back." I quickly say before darting down the hall, past the front desk and out the entrance.

I run around the building to the back where a small window is.

"Um hi." I breathlessly say into the cracked open window.

"you expect me to fit through that?" He asks almost humorously.

"Well, yes," I think, "if you go head first."

He slides the window up completely and pokes his head out. He looks around, then at me before he nods, "okay, I'm ready."

The window pane creaks as he shifts forward like a caterpillar. Soon his shoulders are out.

"See?" I cross my arms, "was that so difficult?"

He huffs at my comment before venturing on. He looks like a slug. Well, if a slug could have gorgeous curls and a cute dimple. Half way through the window crawling he stops.

"What is it now?" I groan, throwing my arms into the air.

"My pants are hooked onto something," he wiggles from side-to-side, "yea I'm stuck... Again."

I look at the sight in front of me and can't help but laugh. A boy who I've never met before is stuck in my window looking like a half metamorphosed butterfly who's butt's too big to break free from the cocoon.

"Don't laugh!" He whines, "this isn't funny, my stomach is starting to hurt."

"Okay, okay" I grab his hands, "I'll try pull you out."

With all the strength I have in my body I pull him.

And pull him.

And pull him.

"I'm Harry by the way." He says, while wiggling.

"Alissa." I breathlessly say.

"Nice to me-" he goes silent for a moment and then say, "did you hear that?"

I stop pulling and try to catch my breath, "no?"

"It sounded like ripping."

"No time for chit-chat we need to get you free, wiggle!" I command while grabbing Harry's hands again.

Then I hear it- a rip. Before I can do anything the force of me pulling and Harry's wiggling causes him to tumble out the window. Pantsless.

He stops, stands up, smiles and then realizes he feels a draft in a part there shouldn't be a draft.

"Well that's just bloody brilliant." He mutters.

"At Least you're free." I say, helpfully.

"Yeah, thanks for that," he smiles, "but I have to go."

"Oh," I say slightly disappointed, "right, well enjoy."

He smiles again before jogging off. I watch as his bare legs move.

I laugh lightly before looking at the window, "oh shit, wait your pan-" But before I can finish he's gone.