The Benefits of Sexting

Chapter 9

Sawyer smiled before handing me my wet swimsuit cover. "I grabbed this for you," he told me.

"So you just assumed I'd say yes?" I asked as we walked outside and toward his car.

He opened the passenger side for me like a true gentlemen. "Girls don't really say no to me."

I laughed silently, shaking my head as I stepped inside his truck. My head was still pounding a little too hard and I was still a little shaken up from being body-slammed, but I didn't want him to feel concerned so I tried to play it off. I buckled my seatbelt as Sawyer started the car, closing my eyes as the radio blasted on. He quickly reached over and turned down the music, a frown spreading across his face. "You definitely have a concussion," he said.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'll live."

"Okay, tough girl," he said with a grin, backing out of the driveway.

I gave Sawyer some simple directions to my house, and for the most part he seemed to know where he was going. "So, how's suspension treating you?" I asked, peeking a look at him.

Sawyer kept his eyes on the road but his lips tugged up to form a small smile. "I've had a lot of free time to reflect on my very bad behavior." he replied.

I rolled my eyes. "And what conclusion have you come to?"

"I was thinking that if I would have fully knocked Josh out, I might have been given a few more days of reflection in detention."

"Very nice. I can see the time you've been given to think about your actions has really helped you grow and learn."

He nodded in agreement. "I think I'm a better person for it."

"Well, of course. I'm sure sulking about the detention room, plotting your next attack on Josh has really made you a better person."

"I've done no such thing. I wouldn't waste more time on a loser like him anyway," Sawyer defended himself.

"I'm glad you have your priorities straight," I told him, unable to hide a smile.

"I had plenty of time to set them straight in detention. Food first, then girls, then I have this really old episode of Criminal Minds I recorded that I wanted to get to, and then maybe that English assignment that Mr. Ford assigned, though I thought the prompt was really boring."

"Incredible, you're more organized than me."

Sawyer shrugged his shoulders as we pulled into my driveway. I felt a little embarrassed by the state of our lawn and the garden my mother used to keep. The grass hadn't been cut in two weeks, and everything that used to grow in the once colorful garden had been overrun by weeds. Sawyer didn't say anything about the yard. Instead, he put the car in park and turned it off.

"Well, thanks for the ride," I said quietly, reaching down to grab my purse from the ground. When my fingers found nothing but air, I gazed down at my feet, only to find that my bag was nowhere in sight.

I'd forgotten it at the party in Ty's car.

"Oh, you have to be kidding me," I mumbled, lowering my head into my hands with a sigh.

"What did you forget?" Sawyer asked.

I looked up at him, a hopeless expression on my face. "My bag, which has my keys in it. My mom and my sister are at my grandmother's, so I doubt they left the backdoor open."

"Before we head back to the party, let's check to see if it's open," he suggested.

"Good idea."

Sawyer hopped out of the car after me, trailing behind as I walked around the side of the house and toward the backyard. I felt a little funny walking around in just my swimsuit, but then again I had been at a pool party. And I would have had a swimsuit cover if I hadn't been tackled into the pool by some idiot jock.