Strawberry Blonde

十三

We bolted outside and Laurence held the front seat down as I squeezed my way to the back.

The door slammed shut and I could feel a presence as I tried to gather myself from the rain.

I looked up to a hand in front of me and a bubbly smile accompanied by familiar blue eyes meet mine.
" Hey I'm Jason !"

I was kind of hesitant but I grasped his hand and he shook it up and down sporadically catching me off guard.

" Hassan, nice to meet you." I said giving him a little grin.

He turned back around as the car started to roll in the rain.

" So my little brother here says your quite the guy, he couldn't shut up about you yesterday." He admitted making Laurence punch him in the arm.

" Can you shut up !?" He yelled making me laugh and blush.

" Well it's true ! One would say it's how a lover talks about their partner." His brother said shifting through the radio.

" No it was not, Hassan don't believe him !"

I wanted to believe every word of it. With each embarrassing slip Jason told I felt myself getting more and more attached to Laurence.

" Besides it's not like I'm gay or anything."

My heart skipped a beat.

We caught each other's glance in the rear view mirror and he averted his gaze to the rain soaked road.

" Yeah...me neither." I tried to hide the anger and sadness in my voice but I knew I couldn't hide my facial expression.

I could tell rage and disappointment was sprawled across my forehead as I took out my phone to distract myself.

" Don't you guys just love this song !" Jason cut into the silence raising the volume.

I was so focused on them before and my current vexation that I didn't even notice Bohemian Rhapsody was playing !

" Of course I do what human doesn't ? This is literally the Song of Songs." I said forcing a smile and cheery tone.

" Amen on that one !" Jason said.

We stopped at a red light as the rain came to a light shower as he turned down the music.

" So where you from Hassan ?"

He had a slight country accent and his hair was a shiny wood blonde. He was so full of energy and just from his voice alone I could tell there wasn't a single violent bone in his body. How people confused this for a murderer is just wild.

" New York." I said.

" Really !? What's it like up there in the Big Apple ? Do people still call it that or am I just old ?" He asked playfully.

As we continued to drive the streets started to become more familiar.

" It's great up there, I'd choose it over this place any day no matter what." I said.

I could tell that bothered Laurence as he shifted in his seat when I said that. I caught him look back a little before he cut his head back to the window.

" And honestly, I don't even know if people still call it the Big Apple but it's wonderful. City lights, food literally everywhere and nothing but diversity. I mean of course almost everyone up there is kinda mean, but that's just because we have places to be and things to do." I admitted reminiscing about the good ole times.

" One day I think I'll go there, maybe became a musician and play in penn station." He said.

" Hey man go for it, make your dreams a reality." I said smiling.

We drove a little more and stopped completely at a stop sign.
" So where do you live Hassan ? We're back in town and I'm kinda driving blind here ?"

" Oh right sorry, 49 Bennett Road !" I said looking out the window.

" Thanks, so that Halloween dance party thing at school is Tuesday ain't it ?" He asked.

Tuesday !?

I pulled out my phone and rushed to the calendar.

How was Halloween in four days !? I thought I had like a whole month left.

" Apparently ! I still have to decide what I'm going as." I said tapping my chin.

" Better start shopping quickly you're running out of time bud." He said pulling up to my house.
" Wait you live right here ?" He asked.

Laurence got out the car and pulled the front seat down for me.

" Yep." I said struggling to crawl out.

" Wow we live two houses down that way, you should come over tomorrow, the weather is suppose to be nice and we have a pretty big pool." Jason said trying to look at me from inside his low vehicle.

I turned to Laurence who stared down to me.
" It's fine you don't have to come if you don't want to..."

I heard a speck of guilt in his voice as he couldn't even keep eye contact with me.

" I'll have to see what my parents say." I said as he got back in the car closing the door.
" Thanks for the ride !" I said waving to his brother.

" Anytime kiddo."

As he pulled off Laurence and I kept looking at each other until I couldn't really make out his face anymore.

Just wait till Bee hears about this...