Under the Bridge

chapter fifty four-"clout goggles"

I LEAN AGAINST THE COOL METAL of the locker, meeting the eyes of my boyfriend, who approaches from the other end of the hall. The sea of people seems to part around him, mostly freshman who know a senior when they see one. He sends me a warm smile, the kind that I have to match because it feels so real. 

"Hey, beautiful," he grins, setting hands on my waist and kissing me deeply for about a second. 

I place one of my palms on his bicep. "Hey, handsome. Are you ready to go?" 

His fingers find the loops of my pants, hands on the top of my high rise jeans. "I don't know how I feel about staying in a car for eight hours, but I do like the concept of you and I together for a weekend." 

This weekend, we have Monday and Friday off, so my friends and I have decided to go on a little road trip to California so we can warm up in this February weather. We're taking Hope's car, which means that Liam and I's usual antics will have to be subdued. 

Both of our phones buzz with a text from the groupchat, though I don't feel like getting mine from my backpack so I take Liam's from his pants pocket. 

Where are you two? Elle wrote, sending a plethora of emojis. 

I bite my lip. "We should go." 

His eyes fall to my mouth for a moment before looking back down at the phone. "I'm sure they'll find us. We were supposed to meet at Hope's locker and it's just at the other end of the hall." 

I roll my eyes and answer the message with At my locker, on our way!  

When Elle's text disappears, I see Liam's lockscreen and find a smile stretching across my lips. "When was this?" I ask, looking at the photo of me, on Liam's bed, wearing his hoodie and reaching to take his phone from him so he couldn't take any more pictures. I'm smiling from ear to ear, I can almost hear the laugh still chiming between us. 

"I think this is from the day we got ston--" 

"--There you guys are!" Elle smiles, Hope at her side. 

I give Liam a stern look so he doesn't finish his sentence. "Sorry, we got caught up in something," I say, giving my boyfriend back his phone. 

He takes it back and looks at the picture for a second before putting it back in his pocket. "I have more from that day, I'll show you in the car," he tells me, looking back at my friends and sending them a nod of the head in greeting. 

"Mr. Franz was actually looking for you, I have him for accelerated chemistry, and he said he sent you an email," Elle explains. 

My expression sinks. My AP Chemistry teacher should not want to talk to me. I'm doing moderately well in his class, I don't have my usual high grade, but I have a 93, and I don't have any missing work--"I'll walk you," Liam suggests, seeing the anxiety that's begin to flood through my face. "Where did you park, Hope?" 

"North side of the lot, I drive a light grey Buick Enclave," she explains. "I'll see you guys, I hope it's nothing." 

I nod, feeling Liam's arm shift so his fingers were linked with mine and beginning to walk down the crowded hallway and to my AP Chemistry class. 

The room feels stiff with nobody else in it. Mr. Franz is missing, so it's Liam and I, surrounded by lab equipment and walls covered in interesting drawings. The period table is painted on the wall next to the spdf notation for argon. 

"I took freshman chemistry in here, I think," Liam notes. "Mr. Franz hated me." 

"He hates me too, I guess, judging by how this is going," I reply, keeping my voice down and letting him squeeze my hand.