A Haze

Chapter 5. Stare

Nicole's POV

By 7 PM I find myself walking around the fair grounds in Chicago with Heather, Billy, and a couple of Heather's friends Chloe, and Tiffany.

 As we're walking toward's the Ferris Wheel, Brandon, Andrew and a few others begin walking toward's us, people steer away from them giving them plenty of space to walk past.

Heather runs for Brandon, Chloe and Tiffany run for two other guys Billy and I just continue to walk forward.

There's six guys standing there, I realize they're all familiar we saw all of them standing outside that store when Andrew nearly killed Billy.

"You're whipped." Andrew says to Brandon.

"Fucking damn straight." He says walking off with Heather her legs are around his waist and his hands are holding onto her thighs carrying her away.

Tiffany's boyfriend throws her over his shoulder slaps her on the ass and start's walking off too.

Chloe start's introducing me and Billy to the other guys.

"That's Thomas that just walked off with Tiffany, this is Nicholas my boyfriend. That's Ryan and Kevin, you already met Andy?" She asks.

I nod. "Hi." I say shyly, I'm pissed at myself for agreeing to this now that Heather ditched us and we don't really know any of them.

I look over at Andy and realize he's staring at me with curiosity in his eyes, I quickly look away as if not interested.

Ryan looks at me and whistles, I blush immediately looking away from them. "Ouch." I hear someone say my head snaps back to Andy and Ryan. Ryan is rubbing the back of his head, Andy has his arms crossed over his chest with an innocent expression.

Did he just hit Ryan for whistling at me?

Before I can take the thought any further some other girl walks up to Ryan she looks Mexican maybe. She slaps him across the face I watch in horror.

"Asshole!" She yells at him. "You forget to call again?" She asks and then stomps away angrily not waiting for the answer.

"Awe come on Jess don't be like that baby." He says loudly chasing after her.

My eyes are wide I look at Billy and he looks at me, then we both laugh. When I look back at Andy he is watching Ryan chase after the girl and laughing too.

"Where the fuck is Rachel at?" Kevin asks in irritation.

"She's pissed at you said she ain't coming out tonight." Chloe says and shrugs.

"Go figure." Kevin snorts.

"Maybe we should just stay single like Andy does." Ryan laughs walking back but he's sort of slouched over holding onto his crotch.

"She kick you in the nuts?" Kevin laughs.

"Yeah" he groans "let's not talk about it." 

I throw my hand over my mouth and giggle so hard I snort, Heather and Brandon head back towards us so does Tiffany and Thomas.

We all start walking around the fair we get to this person up in a water tank who is yelling at us telling us we're pussies or something.

Andy turns around and arches his eyebrow at the nerdy kid yelling at us. 

"Do it Andy!" Thomas hoots.

He shakes his head pays for three balls and he throws the first ball and hit's the button with enough force and speed it drops the guy into the tank. Everyone's clapping and whistling, Andy takes a bow gives the other two balls to some little kid and then waves his hand forward as if to follow him.

We all walk after him I look up at him in confusion. "We're you in baseball?" I ask.

"A long time ago." He admits.

I arch an eyebrow. "You don't seem like the athletic type." I tell him.

"Not anymore, I've got better things to do." He says looking down into my eyes.

"We should go down town to the blues club." Brandon suggests. 

Andy snorts. "Go ahead."

"We can't get in there without you." Thomas says.

Andy sighs he takes a cigarette from his pocket and lights it before he can put it back I grab his pack of cigarettes take one out put it in his pocket take the lighter from him and light it.

He stares at me in disbelief a long with everyone else who looks at me like I should run away quickly. 

"Want me to smoke it for ya too?" He asks.

"Nah I think I can handle it." I say sarcastically, he laughs and everyone stares at us disbelievingly.

"Sure for a little bit." Andy says.

We head toward's the parking lot. "Wait I don't know how the hell to get there?" I ask.

"Just follow me." He says.

"What if I lose you in traffic." I ask him.

He sighs, and holds his hand out I stare at his hand in confusion. 

"Keys?" He asks.

I hold them up for him and he takes them then looks back at Kevin tossing him a set of key's. "Drive the Impala." He says.

"Ooh." I admire. "That your car?" I ask.

"Yes." He answers simply.

"Pretty." I whisper.

He laughs.

Billy and Ryan jump into the backseat of my car, I get in front with Andy. Kevin, Tiffany and Thomas get into the Impala. Brandon, Heather, Chloe, and Nicholas get into the Red GTO.

Andy pulls out in front of everyone and start's driving out of the parking lot, I turn my radio on. Ignoring the stare I get from Andy when I turn it up.

"What?" I ask finally looking up at him, the more I'm around him the braver I get with him and that worries me.

"You like rock music?" He asks disbelieving.

"I like all kinds of music, but I prefer rock." I admit.

He nods and looks back to the road. Ryan and Billy are so quiet in the backseat I almost forget they're back there.

When I look up at Andy again he's staring at me, he doesn't even look remotely embarrassed either that I'd caught him staring at me.

The way he's staring at me immediately sends my heart into overdrive and knocks the breath out of me, I don't know how he stares at me for so long as he drives without wrecking my car. My chest rises and falls quickly I swallow hard blink a few times and look away from him.

Not really sure how he can make me feel the way he does, nobody else does it.