I grabbed the warm pretzel from the man and turned around, seeing bandana boy smiling.
He shook with laughter and took a bite of his pretzel.
"What?"
"Nothing, nothing. Let's go sit."
He laughs, dragging me into the stands.
I walk past him and up the steps, towards Melani. I sit next to her, my black hair blowing into my face.
"He-"
Melani's eyes widen as bandana boy takes a seat next to me. I hand her the pretzel, and face back towards him.
She takes the pretzel and smiles a bit.
"Well, Lake, who is this?"
"Hi, I'm bandana boy."
He points to the bandana resting on his head and then reaches across from me and shakes her hand.
"Melani. Nice to meet you bandana boy."
They smile and then focus back on the game.
~*~
It was the end of fourth quarter, three minutes left, down by twelve.
I shiver slightly as the cool air blows through the light holes in my sweater.
"It's Ashton by the way."
A cool voice whispers in my ear.
I turn quickly and notice bandana boy smiling, centimeters from my face.
"What is Ashton?"
"My name."
I feel his hair brush my ear lightly as I turn back towards the game. I smile to myself from the warmth of his breath on my neck.
"Pay attention to the damn game."
I whisper, pulling my sweater tighter on me. He laughs and leans into me, resting his head on my shoulder.
"Hey Me-"
I look over to find that Melani is gone.
Great. She fucking ditched me.
I look over at Ashton and sigh, the cold night air getting to me as the final buzzer rang, indicating that the game was over and we lost.
Ashton smiles and pulls his bandana over his eyes.
"May I give you a ride home, sweater girl?"
"That would be lovely, bandana boy."
I stand up and drag him down the stairs of the bleachers and then pull his bandana off of him.
"Hey, what the hell?"
"You couldn't see, and you're driving me home."
"Oh yea."
He laughed and then grabbed my hand, pulling me through the crowded parking lot.
We weaved in between couples making out, fans screaming, and the many other groups from school.
"Ah, here we go. Lake, meet Destiny."
He smiled, wrinkles forming by his eyes, patting the hood of the bright red car.
I laughed to myself and put my hand up to my mouth, trying to hide the smile forming on my lips.
"Come on, get in."
"Okay."
I slid into the smooth leathery interior of 'Destiny' and shut my door. Ashton climbed in and shut his door, starting the engine.
Phoenix by Fall Out Boy started blaring on the radio. Ashton quickly leaned over and tied the bandana around my head, then turned the radio down a bit, opening our windows.
~*~
As he pulled out of the now dimly lit parking lot, I started to fidget with the bandana on my head.
"Exactly why am I wearing this?"
I shouted over the radio and Ashton smiled, accelerating down the road.
"Why the fuck not? Its fun."
I nodded to myself, his reasoning toying in my mind.
Ashton pulled a cigarette out and placed it in between his teeth.
"So, sweater girl, tell me bout yourself."
I stared out at the night sky as he spoke.
"Well. I was born in London. Moved here when I was five after my father left us. I don't have a lot of friends. Hmm, everyone in school seems to hate me, oh! I also tried to kill myself twice within the past two years."
Everything was silent, besides the low utter of the radio.
"And that's anything and everything about Lake."
I sat with my hands inches from my face, playing with the black polish on my nails.
After moments of silence, Ashton spoke up.
"I'm on my own. My parents died when I was 16. I've been under the radar here. They sent me to prison, thinking I killed my parents, and before you can ask, no. I didn't. I almost died last year from blood loss, this scar here is the cause. I have no one except for Destiny here, and now as if fate has spoken, I have you."
I looked over to Ashton and his features were solid.
I saw his hands tense up on the wheel. And I looked to his wrist, seeing the thick white scar, against his lightly tan skin.
"I-I'm sorry."
I sat playing with my hair as trees passed by.
"I'm not though."
Ashton's corners of his mouth curved down, a frown becoming eminent.
"Take a right and after that, the next right and it's at the very end, at the dead end."
I point at the street indicating 'Teilon Way'. Ashton nods and turns onto my road.
Our house was the only occupied one on this street, which was comforting, but at the same time, not.
He pulled into my driveway and I grabbed my keys from my pocket.
I reached for the bandana on my head.
"Keep it Lake."
I nod, stepping out of the car.
"It was nice talking sweater girl."
"And it was the pleasure to make your acquaintance bandana boy."
He smiles and pulls out of my drive away.
I walk up to my front door and unlock it, stepping inside.
I shut the door behind me and lean my back against it, smiling at how well my day had actually gone.
I locked the door and then ran up to my room, tearing my sweater off and then prying my shoes and pants off.
I pull sweat pants on and a large tshirt, leaving the bandana in my hair, and fall asleep to the sound of my phone buzzing, and the fan going overhead.
~*~
Okay so this update was really long. I mainly wanted to give background on Ashton and Lake (Bandana Boy and Sweater Girl). I'll try to make the rest long, but maybe not as long.
The songs inspiring this chapter were Somewhere in Neverland by All Time Low, Phoenix by Fall Out Boy, All of The Stars Ed Sheeran, and Photograph by Ed Sheeran.
So Lake and Ashton are getting a bit closer, help with a ship name :D
Thanks for reading guys. Love you all.
