MODERN DAZE- Mitch Kramer

4

"You alright?" Mitch chuckles as we walked back inside. I nodded softly but my heart was racing. Not only because we were being shot at but...no yeah that's really it.

"Besides being shot at, I think I'll be okay but my hearts racing." I sighed and smiled while playfully clutching my chest as I leaned against the wall.

"Same here!" He grabs my hand and places it on his chest. My hand stiffened and he let out a small laugh.

I looked away shyly and I spotted Slater with everyone else. I made my way over and was immediately offered a beer with Mitch soon joining in.

"They didn't say anything about your age? You still look like fresh meat to me Mitchy." Pink laughs.

Mitch was cut off by O'Bannion and his friends. He hands him another couple bucks. I glared at O'Bannion as he roughly patted Mitch's back.

"Oh fuck off O'Bannion we just got here." Mitch shoves him off and stands next to me.

"So what? Beers gone. Go get us another couple packs and your broad and I will be even-"

"She's not my broad-"

"We're already even jackass, I broke your dick and you broke my hand. That's that." I managed to keep a straight face as the words left my mouth but some of the other guys were cackling.

O'Bannion raised his brow at us and chuckled. Pink interferes, "Alright man chill out. I'll go-"

"Nah, these two will, since they're both cool...right?"

I clenched my jaw and snatched the money from Mitch's hand. O'Bannion steps in front of me.

"Get us some of that Bacardi too 'kay?" He smiles down at me.

"Blow me." I shoved past him.

Mitch catches up and grabs Slaters key's before we left the building. I sat in the passenger's seat with my feet hanging out the window as we pulled out the emporium lot and onto the main roads.

"Don't let him-"

"I'm not letting that fucker get to me, Mitch."

He chuckles as we make our way to a red light. I could feel his eyes on me and I struggled not to give into his gaze.

"Mitch."

"Val."

"You're making me nervous, stop-" He holds my hand, swiping his thumb ever so gently over mine. "You remember when we were in middle school? The night of your 13th birthday when we snuck out to the park and ate nothing but junk food on that giant Cher blanket that I stole from my sis?"

The light turns green and I still have yet to lock eyes with him. "You couldn't get enough of those mint chocolate cookies too. And when we danced to-"

"The songs in The Aristocats yeah I know, and I twisted my ankle then face planted onto the ground." I let out a laugh remembering how bad our stomachs hurt from laughing.

We made it to another stop light and I grew quiet at what happened after. "I know you hate when I bring it up. When I joined you on the blanket after you fell? When we stopped laughing and we just stared at the sky for a while and you were worried that you wouldn't be able to play dodge ball during gym class the next day. I kissed you to shut you up."

  "Yeah, yeah you did Kramer." We pulled into the lot of the liquor store after the light turned green. Of course I remember when he kissed me that night. It was my first kiss and it was with someone I loved. I was 13 what the hell did I know about love?

I was confident in what I felt for Mitch but I didn't want to ruin the friendship we had and I'd rather my heart shatter into a million piece's than to lose what we have.

I immediately let myself out the car and walk in with the money. "Wait up Val!" Mitch followed closely behind.

I grabbed a basket and made my way towards the beer aisle of the store. "Can we just talk about it for a little bit?"

"We just did Mitch." I laugh uncomfortably as he grabs a couple of packs of beer. "You know what I mean Val. You always put off the conversation and it makes me feel like you just don't care." He remarks and walks backwards, keeping his chocolate marble eyes on me.

I was silent, only because I didn't wanna lash out and cry. "You know how I feel about talking about that night Mitch." I grabbed the rum from the front of the store as we headed to check out.

"Yeah I do that's why I brought it up! It's been 4 year's and it's the first time-"

"Hi, just these please." I slide the basket to the clerk and he eyes us both. "You guys are 18 right?" I gulped, and smiled.

" Aww, you really think I look 18? 'preciate it but I actually just finished getting my masters."

He chuckles, "Smart woman you got there young man."

"Oh I'm well aware of that." Mitch smirks, grabbing the sixers' as we bolt out with our change.

"Can we get back to what we were talking about?" Mitch throws the beer in the back seat allowing for one of the cans to explode all over the leather.

"Damn it." He sighs and throws himself back against the drivers seat.

"Mitch I didn't want you to think I didn't care about what happened that night. I just..."

"Just what Val?"

"I just wasn't ready to admit how I felt about you. It's the only reason why I told you to act like nothing happened. We were 13 and just kids. But it never changed how I felt about you almost 5 years later. If I didn't feel the same then I wouldn't react the way I do whenever you look at me, when you touch me, or when you're next to me Mitch."

He grabs the bridge of nose and looks out the window. I can see the gears turning in his brain as I spoke.

"Christ Mitch where do I start. You know how much I love and care for you I'm just scared."

"Scared that everything would change between us?" He says and I nod. "Yeah, I was too." He replies and runs his hand through his hair. The air was filled with both frustration and relief.

"Nothing would change between us Val." He grabs my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Mitch, I like you. A lot." The words left my mouth and I couldn't help but feel like time had stopped.

"You know that I like you too Val. You let me know when you want to be more than friends and know that I will always say-"

I grew some balls during that split second that it took for me to launch myself onto Mitch and pull him into a rough kiss. I ran my hands through his hair and onto his chest. His hands gripped my waist and pulled me in closer.

"Yes." He said quietly as we pulled away. He started the car and we drove back to the emporium.

 We drove with the windows down. I let the Texas air run through my hair and onto my face as I leaned my head out the window. I felt almost complete, like I had mended something that needed to be fixed inside of me. The lump in my throat grew with each passing minute as I couldn't scream out all the frustration that had been let out by our kiss. I just wanted the rest of Texas to know how much I loved him and how much he loved me.

🌞