All Roses Have Thorns

Erin XIII

Something about the way Sierra looked at her made her uneasy. She had been laughing about some stupid pun pick up line Matt used on Ryan when their eyes met. Sierra's lips were parted in slight shock, eyes widening as Erin stared back. She couldn't handle the tension and quickly turned back to the two boys in front of her.

Best way to deal with your problems? Pretend whatever it was never happened.

The time she got punched by a boy in the face and then her guys rescued her and proceeded to drag him and the rest of his crew to guidance? Never happened.

That bruise around her wrist a year ago? Never happened.

The scars on her arm in seventh grade? Never happened.

Awkward eye contact with Sierra? Never happened.

Matt was now dangerously close to Ryan's face. He was turning a bright red and he slapped Matt across the face. "Stop it."

A laugh was Matt's only response as he rubbed his cheek.

Soon enough, lunch passed as if it was only a second. The seating order in the car had been changed up. Jake was still driving of course, since he was the only one with a license. Erin was now in the front seat, because she would have to help with directions once they got closer.

Maggie, Matt, and Safiya were sitting in the back row, arguing about something (probably potatoes). Ryan and Sierra were sitting in the middle row. He was on his phone while she looked out the window, watching the trees pass by. Erin watched in the mirror as Sierra leaned over and whispered something in his ear, to which he quietly sputtered something in response.

In the second row, Reese was listening to music and rapping softly, but still very, very fast. Zach was sitting on her left, watching intently as she sang very quickly in various languages. If she noticed, she was doing a great job of ignoring him.

Erin moved her eyes back to the road and then to her iPad. They still had about an hour left in the car. She desperately wanted to draw, but the road was bumpy and Sierra would notice if she drew on herself, so she just had to wait. She pulled up some shows on Netflix, silently fuming about not being able to draw.

Erin didn't feel the lines form on her leg or see Zach and Sierra talking behind her, Sierra glancing at her every so often with very scared eyes.