Adrenaline

2

Smile for the Picture
"No, no, no. I am not wearing this." I say while holding up the small black dress.
"Yes, you are. Please. I'll be the happiest girl in the world." She begs while giving me the pouty lip.
"Alright, but only if you promise not to wonder off without me."
"Ok. I promise." She says while clapping her hands. I sigh and change into the little black dress. It's tied like a corset up top and the back is tied in a bow. It's not bad on but I know that if my parents saw me wearing this they'd freak.
"Alright, now sit." She says while pulling a chair up behind me.
"Please don't make me look goth." I beg.
"I won't." She sighs while pulling out a series of brushes and pallets. I don't wear much makeup. I like to keep it natural so if it rains I don't have mascara and foundation dripping down my face. But that's just me. I feel the brushes leave my face and open my eyes.
"Done?" I ask while looking in the mirror.
"Yep." Marlene smiles proudly while I check myself out in the mirror. Not bad. I'm lightly contoured and the thin line of eyeliner and thick lashes really make my hazel eyes pop. I flirtatiously smile at her  and she pretends to swoon. We both break out laughing.
"Alright, let's go." I say while slipping on the black pumps. Man, I'm still short.
"Yeah, I just want to get my Polaroid camera."
"Why?"
"You never know when you'll want a picture taken." She says while swiping it from her dresser. We open her window and carefully step onto the piece of roof she has below her window. Once we are on top we step down onto her porch railing and hop down. My ankle hurts a little from our great escape but I walk it off.
"We're gonna have so much fun. Especially you." She winks at me as we walk in the setting sun.
"I don't like him. I swear!" I say, a small smile creeping on my lips.
"Whatever you say." She says in a sing song voice. I shake my head at her and continue walking. By the time we get to the party I've already stumbled in these stupid heels a million times.
"Hey, what's this place called?" I ask her while looking at the glowing neon signs in the windows.
"It's Buck's." I nod my head and wait for someone to answer the door. A man opens the door and smirks down at us. He must be Buck.
"Come on in." He says while wrapping his arms around both of our waists. I look up at him. I'm going to be honest. I'm a little scared.
"Hey, man. Lay off the little one. She's new to this." A deep voice says. I turn around in Buck's arms and see Dallas. He winks at me and then turns his attention back to Buck. Buck lets both of his arms drop and walk away.
"Thank you." I say softly.
"No problem. You girls want a drink?" Marlene nods her head frantically so I just follow along. Dallas leads us to a bar sits between Marlene and me.
"I'm Marlene, by the way." She says while flashing him a smile.
"And you're Samantha, right?" Dallas says while turning to me.
"Yeah." I say shyly.
"I'm sure you both know who I am." He smirks. We nod our heads and smile at him.
"I'm going to the restroom." Marlene says while walking away, winking as she passes me.
"So, how old are you?" Dallas asks while taking a sip from his beer bottle.
"I'm seventeen."
"Jeez, I thought you just turned sixteen year old or something."
"Why?" I ask slightly offended.
"You're just so sweet and calm. I figured that you hadn't seen enough yet. Don't take offense. I dig." He shrugs while taking another sip from his drink.
"Are you sure I can't get you anything?"
"Ugh, you know what get me whatever you think of first." He breaks out into a wide smile and leans up from his stool so his lisp brush up against my ear. A chill runs down my spine as I await to her his voice.
"How about a sex on the beach?" I break into an open mouthed smile and let out a soft laugh. I normally wouldn't laugh at something like that but I did. He pulls back from me with a smile on his face.
"Yeah, let's get a sex on the beach!" I say still laughing a little. Dallas orders my drink and then turns back to me.
"You know what's different?" He asks while looking at me up and down.
"What?"
"Your name perfectly represents what you look like anywhere but here. But here you don't look like a Samantha."
"What do you mean?"
"Samantha is a good girl name. I mean, right now you aren't as good as you let on."
"I'm not?"
"No! Here's your sex on the beach." He says when the drink is placed on the counter. He slides it over to me with a slight smirk.
"Thanks. But how am I not being good now?"
"You just have this air to you. Like you don't care."
"Eh, maybe I don't. It's nice to be able to go out and just relax." I say while taking a sip from the drink. I scrunch up my nose at the taste of the stinging fluid but soon enjoy the way it burns down my throat.
"Good, isn't it?"
"Yeah." I say while taking another sip.
"You are a Soc right?"
"Ugh, don't call me that." I say while rolling my eyes.
"Then what should I call you?"
"A person! I'm not some dumb Soc that washes away their parents money for fun. I have a job you know? I don't ask my parents for money. I make it." I say, suddenly feeling the urge to let all my secrets out and forget about consequences.
"Well, shit. I don't even work."
"Why not?"
"I don't know, man. I mean, I work here and there but nothing long term."
"Whatever." I say while pulling the straw from my glass and gulping down the rest.
"Come here." He says while grabbing my hand and pulling me into a room with a pool table and smoke floating through the air.
"What are we doing?" I say between hiccups.
"I'm going to teach you how to be a badass. You up for that?" He asks while standing in front of me, his brown eyes sparkling in the fluorescent lights.
"Yeah...shit! Where is Marlene?" I ask while standing up and looking around.
"I'm right here." She says while walking over to me with her Polaroid camera still in hand.
"Come on." I say while grabbing her hand.
"Alright I just want to get a picture of you two." She says with a smirk.
"Fine." I groan while stumbling back over to Dallas. He wraps his arm around my waist and just as she's about to snap the picture he presses his lips to my cheek making my mouth hang open, a smile tugging at my lips.
"Okay, go call your brother while I talk to Dallas." She says while walking us over to the phone. I see her handing things to Dallas as she speaks but I blow it off and dial Ryan's number. Thank God my parents got him his own landline because it would be really bad if mother or father answered.
"Hello." He mumbles into the phone.
"Hey, Ryan!"
"Samantha? What's going on?"
"Well, I need you to go to the back door in twenty minutes to let me in. Just don't tell anyone." I slur into the phone.
"Alright." He says and hangs up. I turn back around to see Marlene and Dallas watching me carefully.
"Come on, Marlene." I say while grabbing her hand.
"No, I'm not going. Dally is going to take you, okay?"
"Okay." I say while hugging her then turning to Dallas.
"Come on, Sam." He says while walking me outside.
"Sam?" I ask with a raised eyebrow as he slips me into a car.
"It's what I'm calling you. You are clearly not innocent enough to be a Samantha." I let out a high pitched giggle and roll around in my seat.
"Where do you live?" He asks as he turns a corner.
"Stalker much?"
"Sam, I'm not going to ask you again–"
"Alright! Go past the movie house for three blocks then turn right. It's the corner house." I say while holding three fingers up in front of me.
"Alright. We're here." He says while hopping out of the car. I lead him to the back door to see my brother.
"Hey-o!" I yell while stumbling over to the door.
"Be quiet." Ryan whispers while Dallas walks me inside and up the stairs.
"Which room is it?" Dallas whispers. I point forward and he just nods and helps me down the hall. When we reach my room he plops something on my desk before tucking me into bed.
"I'll see you around." He says while patting my head softly.
"Mahalo motherfucker." I whisper while  making the hang loose sign.
"What does that mean?" He asks, an amused grin rising to his lips.
"Thank you in Hawaiian." I say in a matter-of-fact tone. He just laughs quietly and shakes his head while walking out of my room. He shakes his head a lot. As I lay in the darkness I slowly feel myself drifting off into a restful sleep.