The Boy Down The Block

Chapter 1 - Talk About Run-Ins

“Hahaha, so your parents are going to be outta town, I’m going to be outta town, and you’re not going to have a car. Can you think of anything worse?”

Laurel and I were walking out of Coldstone Creamery, and the twilight sky was pink and purple. It nearly matched the cotton candy ice cream Laurel and I had both bought.

“I could be stuck on a hot, steamy island, with only you, seven palm trees, and a case of soda. You’d drink all of it, then where would we be…” I jokingly replied.

A team of little league softball players marched into the ice cream shop, huge grins plastered onto their tiny faces.

“Oh c’mon, I’d leave you one. Anyways though, really, what are you gonna do? Have you forgotten about Scarlette's party on Saturday? You can’t miss it! Everyone is going.” she harped.

“That’s right! Ugh, fuck me.”

Right as I was saying it, a tall, masculine guy brushed into me.

“At least let me take you on a date first,” the tall, masculine guy uninvitingly replied. He clearly was speaking to me, his eccentric, almost exotic, green eyes staring into mine.

I could feel Laurel’s huge exhale, as she waited with bated breath.

“Why don’t you tell me your name first?” I asked. It isn’t an everyday occurrence to have a cute guy reply in such a gentlemanly matter, to a sexually related tone.

He smirked, “I’m Andrew.”

“Well, Andrew, my name is Aurora and it is very nice to meet you, but I really have to get going.”

“Here, let me give you my number at least?”

“Sure?”

Surprisingly, Laurel quickly dug out a pen and pad of paper from her purse, and Andrew neatly scrawled his number onto it. Who was this guy?!

“See ya, Rora,” he gave me a quick wink, and confidently walked into Coldstone Creamery.

“Bye…” I muttered.

Laurel gave me *the look* and said, “Funny how both of your names start with A… He's already got a nickname for you! Are you gonna call him?”

I glanced at the torn piece of pale blue paper in my hand. “I don’t know, but if I do I’ll make sure to tell you everything,” I replied sarcastically.

“Good, because he’s pretty cute and if you don’t pick him up I’ll definitely be stealing him from you,” Laurel threatened.

“Meeeooww, calm down tiger. How do you know he’s not some captive of a creepy pedo, that will try at the first chance he can, to get me to his house so I can be gang raped,” I suggested.

“Because, I just know, okay? He seems like he’s the type that goes to church every Sunday and helps out with multiple charities.”

“Good guys are nice...”

We were nearing my house, and we had both already finished our ice creams.

I wanted a subject change, “What do you want to pig out on while we watch cheesy romance movies these next two days? I’ll call my mom.”

Laurel was going to spend her last remaining days here in Whalen, Los Angeles with me, before heading to New York to spend time with her dad for two weeks.

“EVERYTHING! Skittles riddles, peanut butter cups, kit kats, milkyways, lemon heads, and maybe even add in some bubblegum and peppermints.”

That was why we were best friends.

******

Crowded by pillows, mountains of candy, and Laurel’s face on my shoulder, I dialed the number that ‘Andrew’ had given me. If that was his real name.

“Okay calmly and coolly say ‘Hello,’ and then be quiet so I can listen,” Laurel whispered into my ear as I listened to the dial tone. I was about to reply to her, before a deep voice answered the phone,

“Hello?”

“Hey, Andrew. This is Andrew, right?” I could hear muffled laughter. Great, he was laughing at me.

“Yes, this is Andrew. Is this Aurora?”

“Yes, this is Aurora.”

“Good, haha.”

There was a pregnant pause.

“Do you wanna hang out sometime?” Andrew asked.

“I don’t know…”

“Oh come on! I’ll treat you to the rock climbing gym, tomorrow, eight in the morning, sharp! We’ll meet up there.”

“But I don’t-“

“Sorry Rora, I’ve gotta run, mom’s home! I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said the last part seductively. Oh, please.

I heard a click and our connection was lost. I guess that’s the best way to force a girl to meet you—tell her when and where to meet up, and then hang up without letting her get a chance to reject you. I’ll give him some credit, it was pretty smart.

Laurel couldn’t even wait for me to press end before she screeched, “YOU’RE GOING TO THE ROCK CLIMBING GYM WITH A HOTTIE TOMORROW MORNING!”

“Hush, Christopher might hear you,” Christopher is my brother, and he will stop at nothing to ruin my plans. Not that I wanted to go tomorrow, or anything…

“Oh, right, sorry,” Laurel mumbled.

I watched as my best friend stuffed about ten pieces of my bubblegum in her mouth, following a handful of lemon heads. She's crazy.

“What do you think I should wear tomorrow,” I asked.

“Now it’s your time to hush, we’ll discuss all of that jazz tonight, I wanna watch my husband," Laurel said. She is in love with Channing Tatum.

We had paused the movie “She’s the Man,” during my phone call, and it was right where Viola, dressed as her brother, was walking into ‘her’ dorm room. 

I guess at some point she and I had fallen asleep, but woke up around three (I woke up at three, and forced her to wake up to discuss my 'date' with Andrew). There were only five, short hours until I was supossed to meet Andrew at the climbing gym.

Heaven, help me.