The Girl Who Stole the TANIWHA'S Heart

Chapter Three: Let's Be the Bad Kids

"Liona!"

Whoa.

Hadn't heard that nickname in a while. In fact, the only person on this earth that ever called me that was..... "Xenny?"

            Xendar Malstone, Breakout all-star, he's good at practically everything. My dad and his dad were at each other's house all the time, meeting him in Kindergarten meant barbeques and beer night every other day. We were pretty close until they just.... Moved away. Five years ago, we made plans to start high school together, rule the world and those kind of things. Well, it was the plan, until he left without telling me good-bye.

"Hey there." Sandy, shaggy hair and light tanned skin, I stared with disbelief in those blue-green eyes. He looked exactly the same, except with muscles, a carved body, and now he towered over me. "Uh...hi." It was easy to shrug out of his embrace— being that he had no problem leaving ME five years prior. Idiot.

"Why the long face? Don't I get a welcome hug?" He spread his arms wide, and (being the girl that I am) I couldn't help but notice his shirt rise, and how low his jeans were.

I glanced away, face slightly blushing. My mind was on a path of its own.

I could feel someone behind me, and sure enough, Koro intertwined our hands, pulling me towards him a bit. "We should get going." He whispered in my left ear. "Yeah." I whisper back. Wow. He's never been so quiet before. And is he holding my hand?! I turned to leave, only to be tackled shortly after the by mass of all that is Xenny. "Oof!" I toppled into his chest face first, flailing my arms like a crazy person. "Xennmywahtgoovvmee!!" It was no use, pounding against his chest. My attempts were failing, and my head felt like I was going to explode. Familiar hands pulled me away into fresh air, and cradled me. "Jesus Xen! You were suffocating me!" I latched onto Koro's tank. When I  realized what I was doing, I quickly pulled away. Xenny completely ignored my comment and set his eyes Koro. "Huh. So who are you?" Xenny began to grit his teeth, and balled his hands into fists. "I'm a mystery. I'm a ghost. Got it?" Koro seemed a lot more relaxed than Xenny, but it was way too eerie. Too cool and too sane. Like the calm right before the storm. "You know, I don't really like mysteries. And if you're a ghost, than that must mean you're too insignificant to even be thought of."

"God, shut UP Xendar. Who the hell do you think you are? I must be the same if you didn't even have the decency to tell me GOOD BYE. Rather be insignificant than an ass anyway." Ugh. Junk. This was making me feel junk.

I can't even look at his face right now. He was probably calling my name, but I didn't even care anymore. When did Xendar become such a butthole? Whoever that was, it wasn't the Xenny I knew. Was that his true nature after all?

As I stomp away, I put in my ear buds and made my way to Chemistry. It didn't take long for Koro's familiar presence to show up at my side. He took out one of my ear buds, leaning in close, brushing his lips against my ear. My breath catches slightly in my throat.

"Let's skip for the rest of the day." I shove him. "You idiot. You know Mams will kill me." Mams is my grandma. Koro, of all people, knew EXACTY how much trouble I'd be in if she knew I was skipping school. He smirks, and winks. "Already taken care of. Jason said he'll cover." I narrow my eyes at him, and frown. "Jason can't tell his left from his right. How's he gonna cover for us, huh?" I jab at his rib with my index finger, gaining the wince I so heavily deserved. "There's a sub for Mr.Mount, so he's gonna make sure we're 'in class'. And Katherine's got your 4th and 5th, Paston has our 6th, and Jack's covering our 7th." He saw this as a fail proof, bullet protected, no-cracks-on-the-shell plan. I raised an eyebrow in question. "How will we make it to your car?" Koro laughs.

"Maki's working." Oh jeez. Of course Big Maki would be in on this. He was Koro's cousin; practically brothers I tell you. 6'4", dark, thick and made of pure muscle. Unfinished tatts run along the side of his left arm. He says, "When my baby comes back from her mission in France, that's when I'll finish my Tatt. It's to signify that the wait is finally over." Maki could get anything to happen. In life, and especially around this school.

"I guess... I really have no choice..."

"YES!"

So we cut through the side gate; already seeing Maki sitting against the wall, head leaned back and eyes covered by dark sunglasses. "Aye Maki! Thanks eh?" He lift's up his shades and winks at his cousin. "You two have fun eh! Koro, make her your woman already will you?"

"Shut up Maki!" We say in unison. As if I haven't suffered enough embarrassment already right?! He just rolls back laughing. "Ah! You guys are made for each other!" I have no comment to that. I didn't want to think about guys right now. I wanted sand between toes and the waves to drag me away. Far, far away from this place.

Koro's navy blue Toyata Tacoma sat pretty and clean in the unleveled 'parking lot'. (The parking lot is just overgrown grass and uneven ground behind the school. That's where all of us park) We threw our bags in the back of the truck. I made sure to grab my black Classic ipod, so we could hook up some music in the front. As I hopped in shotgun, Koro grins and shook his head. "You know, most people this day and age have Iphones and Itouches. You always gonna stay so far down in the dark ages?" He raises a brow. "You know how I am Ko... I'm old fashioned. Yes, I think technology is cool and all, but I love this ipod. It's gotten me though some pretty rough days." Koro's gazes softens. He knows. Like when Mom died to a drunk driver asshole who crash into her car. Or the fact that I don't have a dad to get me through it. No big deal. But yes, Koro knows.

I connect my ipod to the adapter and click on Beyoncé's latest song "Mine".

It's a pretty deep song in my opinion. As we drive along on the road, I find myself absently singing the words. "On my mind, I pass my bedtime... No rest in the Kingdom."

"So this new ablum of Beyoncé's , kinda weird yeah? Well... you know. Can't blame a guy for liking those videos though." He waggles his eyebrows. I pretend like I don't even hear him and keep singing, it'd be hard to hold a conversation about Bey's recently raunchy vids. How about we just not. "Stop making a big deal, outta the little things, cuz I got big deals, and I got little things."

"I just wanna say you're mine, you're mine."

"Long as you know who you belong to."

He's singing with me! God.. if you could just hear his voice. He's the Poly Trey Songz, I'm fricken sure of it.

We pull up into my driveway. Thankfully, Mams is working until five, and it's only about 10:00. "Be right back!!" I fish my key out of my pocket. "Aye, can you grabs up some snacks?!" I give Koro a thumbs up. "Sure thing!" As I open my door, I'm overwhelmed by the smell of white roses that Mams leaves around the house. Juku, my little Old English Mastiff puppy came scurrying to my feet. "Hi Baby." I scratched at his little ears. He was so cute: dark mocha fur and black charcoal muzzle, I fell instantly in love. I'm still thankful to Mams for getting him for me last month. The house is quiet, expect for the fish tank running. I walked into my room; slipping out of my school clothes while also searching for my pink two-piece. The top looked like a bow, got it at Pac Sun for like ten bucks. I finished off my outfit with a white SorenxHawaii tank and turquoise surf shorts. As soon as I step out of my room, my head starts to throb. "Oww..." Pain surges up from the back of my head, and wraps around to the front. My knees hit the wood floor, and now, my hands are pushing at my head, trying to will the pain away.  I remember hearing Juku's little bark, before the darkness consumes me whole.