Love & Ride

Chapter 8

- "What time is it?" I ask Tyler when he picks his last piece of pizza.

- "20 to midnight. You didn't drink your coffee." He notices.

- "I'm not really in the mood. We should go back to the party."

- "Yeah, we should." His phone buzzes so he fishes it out of his jacket. "Fuck!" He turns it off then stands up.

- "Hey marc!" He screams.

- "It's on the house buddy."

- "Thanks man. See ya."

I get up and follow him out. I get behind him and put the helmet on. He starts the motorcycle and heads back to the party. He's so quiet this time.

When we arrive, I get down quickly and take off the helmet. I don't know really know how to act.

- "So, uh..." I start.

- "They announce the winner in 5 minutes. You should go." He says without even looking at me.

- "Yeah, so, uh, I'm gonna go." I put the helmet on the motorcycle and walk to the house.

I get in and realize that everybody's in the backyard. I head there and look for Jordan or Cooper or anybody that I know.

I try to make my way through the crowd when someone catches my shoulder. I turn around and find a not very happy Jordan.

- "Jordan I..." I start saying.

- "You left with Tyler Hanson!" He says, angry.

- "Let me explain, I just..."

- "No! One of the boys saw you when he went back from his beer run! How could you do that? I thought you were different."

- "No, it's not like that! I had drinks and he was pissing me off and I don't know how it happened but it was nothing I swear."

- "Oh come on you weren't drunk! You had two drinks! You got on his motorcycle Skyla! If I'd wanted to take one of Tyler's girlfriends I would've asked Kate, at least she's fun" He says then starts walking away and I follow him.

- "Look I know that what I did was wrong but you can't talk to me like that."

- "Just go away Skyla." He gets back in the house.

I hear screams so I look behind me and see some boys putting a plastic crown on Kate's head. She smiles then makes her way through the crowd and kisses someone. He takes her by the waist and leans slightly, that's when I recognize the guy. Tyler Hanson.

- "Bastard." I whisper to myself then turn around and leave.

I'm standing outside of the house when mom's car parks in the driveway and stops. I get in and sigh.

- "What happened?" Mom asks me. She was pretty worried when I called her asking that she picks me up from the party. I was supposed to sleep at Cooper's.

- "Nothing, just, bad night." I tell her while texting Cooper that I went home so she doesn't look for me.

- "A boy?" She says and I laugh.

- "Kind of, I don't want to talk about it. Let's just go home."

- "Okay."

When we arrive at home, I take off my party clothes and take a shower. I wear an old t-shirt of dad's and get in bed. I close my eyes and fall asleep instantly.

*************

I open my eyes and try to adjust to the light coming from my window. I stretch my arms and look at my clock. 11 am. I get out of bed and go to the kitchen. I find mom at the table working on her computer.

- "Hey honey. Sleep well?" She asks.

- "Yeah, why didn't you wake me up?"

- "You looked pretty exhausted last night and there's no school so..."

- "Oh, thanks."

- "There's pancakes! I made you a plate."

- "Thank you, mom." I say as I sit in front of my plate on the table.

- "I know you don't want to talk about what happened, but just know that when you do, I'll be here." She says with a smile.

Right, as if I'll ever be ready to tell her that I got on a motorcycle with a psycho, at a party where I couldn't see clearly because I was drinking. I finish my late breakfast then tell her:

- "I think I'm going to spend the day with the girls, do some shopping maybe."

- "Oh, I forgot to tell you, Cooper called on my cell, she's worried about you."

- "It's okay I'll call her. Thanks mom, see you later."

I get back to my room and call Cooper.

*phone call*

- "Hey Coop."

- "Skyla! Oh my God I was so worried!"

- "Yeah lots of things happened last night, I was thinking we could have a shopping day at the mall with Isobel?"

- "Yeah definitely! Call Isobel, I have to shower. Meet me at my house in 30."

- "See ya."

*End of the phone call*

***************

- "I still can't believe that you got on a motorcycle with a guy, and not any guy, it's Tyler fucking Hanson!" Isobel says. "I know I should've gone to that party."

- "Jordan must've been so angry! I mean, I understand his reaction. You were on a date and you let him down for another guy. It's almost like cheating."

- "Yes Cooper I know! I didn't mean to! I'll never drink again!"

- "Oh come on you had two drinks! You wanted it Skyla, just admit it."

We're at the cafeteria of the mall. Cooper's eating her McDonald's burger and Isobel is looking at a hairstyles magazine. I know that what I did was wrong but I just wasn't thinking! Like literally! My brain stopped working and it's all Tyler's fault. I don't know how but he does that to me every time. He makes me nervous and brings out the worst parts of me. I can't let him do that anymore, I need to change that!

- "Yeah I know, I'll apologize to him again on Monday. I hope he'll be calm this time and will listen to me."

- "I'm sure he will, He seemed to really like you."

- "Alright, I have decided! I want pink streaks! Let's go!" Isobel says and stands up.

- "You're sure?" I ask her.

- "Yeah, it'll bring out the brown of my eyes."

- "Let's go then."

- "And my burger?" Cooper asks, mouthful.

- "You'll get another one later, move!" Isobel pushes her out of her seat.

We head to the hairdresser and wait for our turn. We wait 15 minutes then Isobel's turn comes.

- "I want something like in this picture." Isobel says as she opens her magazine.

- "I want something too, uh, wait I got a picture."

- "What? Really?" Cooper asks

Actually I just thought about it. I want a change so I show the woman a picture of Elena Gilbert in season 1.

- "It's nothing big, just a little change." I tell Cooper then follow the woman to my seat.

30 minutes later, we get out of the shop and head to the library.

- "I love my pink hair." Isobel says."

- "It looks really good Izzy." Cooper tells her.

- "Thanks Coop. Skyla, you really do look like Elena, your sister was right."

- "As long as it's season 1 and 2 Elena, I'm totally okay with that."

I get a drawing copybook and some pens from the library while Isobel gets magazines and Cooper buys some CDs for her mixtapes. We stop at an H&M and I buy a Harvard hoodie then go home.