Stay With Me ✔

8.

I see his car parked next to my regular spot as soon as I pull into the lot. He's leaning against his car and staring down at his phone, obviously waiting for me. I can't help but smile to myself at the sight of him. This morning I had woken up to a good morning text from him and it was like a weight was lifted off my chest at the sight of those two words. 

I wasn't sure what was going to happen after our talk last night, but so far, Rave is keeping his word and not shutting me out. Even when we were friends before, he never waited for me at his car and we hardly ever talked while at school, so this is new and I'm kind of nervous about it - mostly about Lexy's reaction. 

Rave looks up from his phone when I pull my car into the empty spot beside him and through my rear view mirror I see a smile spread across his face. 

I step out of my car and look at him as he slides his phone into his back pocket. "Waiting for someone?" 

"Yeah, this girl that hasn't made me a playlist in way too long. You seen her?"

"Hmmm." I tap my chin and look around the parking lot, "Is that her over there?" I point at Ashley Harrison, who is wearing a pair of baggy black pants covered in chains that match the  black sweater she is wearing perfectly. Her purple hair is pulled back so that you can see the long line of piercings traveling up her ear and her usual grimace is on her emotionless face. 

"Yeah, that's her. Thanks, see ya around." Rave pretends to walk away but when Ashley notices us looking at her and shoots daggers in our direction, he quickly turns back to me. "Shit, she's scary."

We both laugh as we start to walk towards the school and when one of Rave's friends says hi to him and gives him a fist bump, I'm reminded of my own overly dramatic friends. "Crap!" I grab Rave's arm and pull him back with a little too much force. 

"What? What's wrong?"He looks around like he missed something, but instead of answering him right away, I dig my phone out of my purse and open the group text between me and my two best friends. 

Don't freak out when you see me. PLEASE ACT NORMAL. 

"Ky, what's going on?"

I look up at Rave who looks totally lost and confused right now. "My friends." 

"Okay, what about them?"

"They're going to freak out when we walk in there together. It's going to be so embarrassing." 

I look down at my phone just as a text from Whitley comes through.

Whit: Why? What's wrong with you? Did you dye your hair again? Was your talk with Rave that bad?

I tilt my screen towards Rave so that he can read the message and get a glimpse of what I mean when I say they're going to freak out. "Does she always ask that many questions at once?"

"Pretty much." 

No,  I didn't dye my hair. Just please don't make this a big deal.

I let out a over exaggerated sigh and Rave laughs at me before throwing his arm around my shoulders and leading me towards the school. "Come on, Ky. It won't be that bad." 

Whit: Wth? Where are you? 

Erin: Shit. I just woke up. What's going on? What am I missing?

"Prepare yourself." I warn Rave as we turn the final corner that leads to my locker. We see Whitley before she sees us. She's standing by my locker, looking confusingly at her phone, probably waiting for my reply. I glance towards Lexy's locker and send a silent thank you to God that she isn't there. I don't know if I can handle her and Whitley right now.