Behind the Bad Boy

1.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

I yank the microwave open before it can beep.

"You're crazy." Ben informs me.

"Shut up." I reply, lifting my bowl of raviolis from the microwave.

"You missed a second." He teases.

I press cancel on the microwave, put my bowl in and press the thirty second button, and then right when the number goes down to twenty nine, I yank the microwave open.

"There. Now you can shut up."

"You're an idiot." He says. I scowl and he smiles. "I'm kidding. You're my awesome baby sister."

Mom and Dad come walking into the kitchen.

Dad peeks into my bowl and smiles. "Ravioli's for breakfast?"

"I didn't want to make anything else." I defend myself, sitting down at the table.

Mom and Dad smile.

"Ready for tonight?" Mom asks.

"Yeah." I smile.

"If I don't get asked to stay back for the sixth night in a row, I'll be there." My big brother, Ben promises. "Now I've got to get dressed for class."

I've got a softball game tonight. I live in Capitola, California in the same house I have all my life. I like it here though.

Ben is in college and he's nineteen, but I'm seventeen and a senior in high school. It's still only September and this year started two weeks ago.

I turn eighteen on Halloween, which is awesome. I've always loved that day. I get presents and candy. Who wouldn't love that?

"You'll be late." Mom says. I nod and finish my food and go upstairs.

I change into light shredded denim shorts and a loose faded black t-shirt that says in white bold letters City of Angels.

I brush my hair and finish the outfit with white converse and black sunglasses, and then I grab my backpack and head downstairs.

I walk to school. I have my driver's license, but I don't have a car, so I just walk. I don't mind. I live three blocks from the beach, and the school is near the beach, so it's nice.

I trek down the sidewalk lined with nice houses. A few people that go to my school live on my street. It's a small town, so people live all around.

I'm not a nerd, but I'm not popular, but I'm not invisible either. I'm that girl that is friends with everyone, but isn't popular. I'm the girl that people sit with when their friends aren't near. I'm the girl everyone says hi to in the hallways.

I see Megan Taylor walking out of her house as I pass her house.

"Hi Melody." She jogs over to me and walks beside me.

"Hi Megan." I smile warmly. "How's your grandmother doing?"

I'm also that girl that people come to with their problems, or for help.

Megan's grandmother, for example, got cancer at the end of junior year and she came to me crying on the last day. My best friend, Alyssa and I, consoled her. I guess I never got a chance to check up with her.

"Oh, she's great." She smiles. "Well not great, but she's cancer free and she's going through recovery still."

"Well that's wonderful." I smile. We take a right and turn onto Jarvis road. This is the main road in the city and it's very busy. It leads to the beach. It leads to our school, and almost all of the other schools. It really takes you everywhere in the town. The rest are just side streets with places and homes.

"Yeah." She smiles and we walk in silence for a while. A guy comes shooting towards us on a skateboard.

"Outta the way, ladies!" he hollers. We both spring apart and he goes gunning past.

That's Mason Adams, the schools bad boy and the only person in the whole school, in the whole world, that I hate.

He's an asshole. He's a bully. He's a player. He's a fighter. Everyone is scared of him.

He scares everyone, but he attracts the ladies because he has the looks. I've never spoken to him, but I've caught him eying me before. I purposely avoid him, not because he scares me, but because he's rude and I just really dislike him. I'm really the only person that doesn't quiver in their shoes at the sight of him. Well Hale and Chase are his best friends and they don't quiver at the sight of him.

"Excuse you!" I holler after him. He flips me the bird without glancing over his shoulder.

"Are you crazy?" Megan asks when we rejoin and start walking. "That was Mason Adams! He'll shred anyone!"

I smile. "He doesn't scare me. Besides, I've known of him since kindergarten. He's never laid a finger on a female. He won't hurt me." I shrug and we head past three streets before we come up to the school parking lot. There's a lot of traffic, just like every morning.

Megan sees her friend, Angela.

"You don't know for sure." She says. "Anyways, Angela's there, so I'm going to go. Bye Melody." She smiles.

"Bye Megan." I smile back. She runs off to Angela, who waves at me. I wave back and head for the school.

"Sup Melody." Cole Frisk, the quarterback says.

"Hey Cole." I smile warmly, waving as I pass him.

Head cheerleader, Olivia Nole, smiles and waves at me.

I smile and wave back before walking into the school.

"Mel!" Alyssa comes running at me. "You aren't going to believe this!" she says excitedly.

"What?" I smile.

"You know my hot cousin? He's moving in with me!" she says, grabbing my wrist and dragging me to our morning hangout spot.

"Ethan?" I ask.

She nods excitedly. "Is it illegal to have sex with your cousin?"

I laugh softly. "I don't think so, but-"

"Then I'm calling dibs." She says.

I smile. "I wasn't going to try and-"

"Because he's so hot and it's girl code. He's my crush so you can't have him."

"I don't even want-"

"I'm sorry if I upset you, Mel, but he's always been hot to me. Did you know I gave him a handjob in my pool?"

I raise both eyebrows. "Urm...congratulations?" I lift my sunglasses onto my head. "I don't even like him. Sure, he's attractive but I don't like him."

"You like his face. I bet you would like his dick if you could touch it."

"How do you know I haven't touched it?" I ask with a smile.

She laughs. "We've been friends since third grade. You are the purest person I know. You wouldn't touch a dick if your life depended on it, unless you loved the guy, or girl."

"Girls don't have dicks." I point out.

"Well boobs then. The point is, I love you either way." She says. "Like a sister...but if you touch my boob I'll cut your hands off."

"Don't worry, Lyss." I put my hand on her shoulder. "It's all about dick for me."

She grins. "I know, I'm just messing with you. Now, back to Ethan..."

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So what did you guys think? I know a new story was a surprise. Loving Life isn't over; it's just on pause for now.

Comments are greatly appreciated.

(Btw it's my birthday :D! I'm sixteen (FINALLY))