Bad Boy Good Girl Cliche

Chapter 8: Lost Hope

Skylar sat on her bed listening to her heart pounding in her head. She couldn't get her foot to stop bouncing and she was getting more and more anxious by the second. Skylar looked over at the clock, for what seemed to be the millionth time, and saw only a minute had passed. She refrained from groaning, and instead settled for flopping down on her bed.

She wasn't expecting Kenneth for another two minutes, yet those two minutes couldn't seem to come fast enough. Today was the day she was supposed to meet her mother, and Kenneth was driving her down to the ice cream shop. Skylar was more nervous than she had ever been before, she hadn't seen her mother in how many years, and here she was about to see her again.

Her father would be livid when he found out.

If. If he finds out, Skylar reminded herself. It was a Sunday and much like every other Sunday, her father had his regular meetings with the other members of his 'club' and wouldn't be back until later in the day. Skylar planned to be home at least an hour before her father. And she would be as long as Kenneth got here on -

Crap. It was a minute after 12. Kenneth was late. Skylar got up off her bed and ran to her window, but her window view couldn't see the front of the house. Skylar tried to calm herself down, reminding herself that it was only a minute - two minutes. She laughed at herself. This was ridiculous. Kenneth would be here soon, and she would be at the park at the exact time she was supposed to meet her mother.

~~~

Kenneth laughed as James struck out with another girl. The two of them were at the mall, and James had coerced Kenneth into getting him a date. James flunked back to the food court table with defeat in his eyes. Kenneth smirked.

"Dude, you cannot just walk up and say that!" James glared at his best friend.

"Come on! What girl does not like that?"

" 'Hey chicky?' Hmmm, let me see...just about everyone!" James punched Kenneth lightly in the arm then crossed his arms over his chest.

"Okay, let's see you go then." Kenneth stopped laughing.

"What?"

"Go get a date for tonight. Show me how the 'master' does it!" Kenneth forced a laugh and a smile.

"You've seen me get tonnes of dates..." James leaned on the table.

"Yes, but I have never been studying you before. Go on, do it!" Kenneth crossed his arms and looked away from his best friend. He glanced down at his phone. Half an hour 'till he had to pick up Skylar. "Kenneth?" Said teenager looked back up to his friend.

"What?" James looked stricken. Silence passed between the two best friends for a moment before James finally spoke up again. 

"What is with you?" Kenneth's frown deepened.

"Nothing!" 

"Seriously! You're so different! You've lost interest in pranks, you're showing up for classes, and I haven't seen you on a date in weeks!" Kenneth scoffed. "Kenneth...is this about that Skylar girl?" Kenneth's gaze snapped to James. "I mean, you have been hanging around her a lot recently, what if she's changing you?"

"Come on James! I'm not different! And NO girl is changing me." Kenneth spat out before James could counter him again. "Fine - I'll help you prank someone on Monday, okay? What did you have in mind?" A wide grin spread out over James' face and he leaned forward, all thought of Kenneth's recent behaviour whipped away.