The Player Next Door ✓

35 | Not My Friend

Chapter 35: Not My Friend

"Live for a thrill," he offered me a helmet.

Black helmet with two signature red streaks on the side. I stared at it and slowly, reluctantly, took it in my hands.

Live for a thrill, he said. As if I hadn't almost drowned in a lake, been mauled by a brown bear in a forest and attacked by a biker gang at the very place we were going to now....

"Sure," I smiled sweetly, "Let's live on the edge."

My arms wrapped around his waist, helmet strapped on tight. We raced through the streets on the back of his motorbike. It roared louder than my busted car's engine. My legs squeezed against his sides until he asked me to loosen up.

I was apparently constricting his blood circulation.

My B.

The ocean came into view before the beach did (image above). We drove down into the valley and parked by the Surfside Shack. It was just like I remembered. Surfboards against the blue building and people strolling in from the beach.

Jake held the door open for me. The Shack was crowded with seniors from our high school. They were hanging out around the bar, using their fake IDs for drinks. The back doors opened out onto the beach and people spilled outside, to watch the sunset.

Jake guided me to the restaurant part of the Shack. He slid into a corner booth and put his arm around the back of my headrest.

"It's too crowded over there," he said, scanning the menu.

I nodded, trying to act chill. Nothing about this situation was chill.

Chad was the loudest guy here and I noticed him the minute I walked in – hanging out with Luke and Austin and half the girls' volleyball team. I hope they hadn't noticed me, even though others had. Other people were staring at us, wondering what Jake was doing with a nobody like me.

**

"Who's the new girl Jake's with?" Omi asked, noticing Luke had stiffened when they walked in.

"A nerd. He's probably using her for homework," Bianca guessed, "Why is he over there anyway? Jake should be hanging out with us."

"Who?" Austin asked, turning to the girls with a drink in his hand.

"Jake and..." Bianca struggled to remember the girl's name.

Austin lost interest and started to chug his drink.

"Millie," Luke answered coldly.

Austin spat into his glass.

The girls stared at Luke, surprised he was paying attention to their conversation and even more surprised that he remembered a girl's name. Meanwhile, Austin choked on the side.

"Millie?" he wheezed, setting his glass down.

"Do you know her, Luke?" Omi asked, confused how there was a new girl she didn't know about.

Luke ignored the girls and walked towards the booth.

"What just happened?" Bianca seethed.

Austin now tried to subtly back out of this without being noticed.

Bianca's beautiful face contorted. She turned to her minions and snapped, "Who is that?"

They all looked at each other. They had no idea who the nerd was, and why both the school's hottest boys knew her.