The Bad Boy's Blend

The Present - Ep. 1

Episode 1

The Present

"Welcome to The Brew!"

My smile hurt my lips. Being cheery on a Monday morning was almost as hard as squeezing into these jeans. Today was picture day at school and averaging 4 hours of sleep per night did not help the bruise looking bags beneath my eyes. I spent a good half-hour in front of the mirror to make them remotely match the normal pale color of my skin.

On top of that, working at The Brew every day from six in the morning to eight-fifteen really dimmed the flame burning inside me. It was all going to be worth it, though. Eventually. I'd get accepted into my dream college, I'd have my dream car, and I'd get my dream job.

In the future. As of now, as I said, they were all dreams.

If only people actually started tipping 15%. Then we wouldn't have a problem.

"Hey, baby. You look hot."

Oh, yeah. And there was Adam. My boyfriend.

Adam Parker worked at The Brew with me. His dad owned the chain. His name was also Adam. It was primarily Adam Jr. who helped me get the job I had there, but his father claimed it wasn't his son that secured it for me. I knew better, though.

"Hi," I smiled and he flashed me a grin. His hair was gelled and he had a flannel shirt on with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Oh, and on the front pocket, a pin that said 'The Brew: Hi. My name is Adam.' "You look nice."

"Yeah, I know," He groaned and slipped on his apron. "My mom took only about a billion photos of me before I told her I was going to be late."

"Your mom is adorable," I scolded him and set down two cups of french vanilla coffee on the nearest tray, bringing them over to the couple that ordered them. "Two french vanilla. Call me if you need anything else."

Adam watched me with a glued gaze as I strolled back to him, putting a seductive swing in my hips. He laughed and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I remembered the first day of ninth grade when I first met him. I was having a bad day cause... somebody spilled grape juice all down the front of my shirt and didn't have the decency to apologize. I was holed up in the janitor's closet, crying my eyes out and wiping furiously at my shirt with Windex when he found me and gave me his sweatshirt.

Two years later and here we were, that classic 'my hand in his back pocket' couple.

I was happy. And that was all that mattered.

"Oh shit." Adam's face was pale as he looked at his wrist and then to the clock on the wall. "Aria... What time is it?"

"Uh." I scratched my head and felt for my phone. I hadn't checked the time in a long while, primarily because when I did, time seemed to go slower and-

It was 8:51

School started 21 minutes ago.

"Are you fucking serious?" Adam muttered and whipped off his apron. He shrugged off his uniform and threw it into the kitchen where Theresa, the master of all things baked and savory, shouted an array of curses. I rolled my eyes and ran through the glass door, leaving a sweaty hand print on my way out.

This would happen on picture day. This would. The world enjoyed seeing me suffer and clearly, today was the finale of season 4 'How to Get Aria in a Bad Mood.' Make me late and sweaty for picture day of my senior year was a good start.

Seeing as The Brew was a nice 13-minute stroll from the school's front gates, I always made it to school on time with a few minutes to spare, give-or-take. Today, however, Adam and I ran the path to our school like we had ravenous monkeys chasing our tails in a good 6-minutes, arriving at 8:57 with the destination on our left. With a thick mustache of sweat and hair wilder than seaweed, you'd think I'd make a beeline for the bathroom and tidy myself before being called to the auditorium to have my pictures taken.

But no.

As soon as I set foot through the double doors, I was ushered into an uncomfortable auditorium chair until I heard my name called. I was apparently next in line- fancy that- so gee! It was just dandy I showed up in time for my HD, prime resolution senior pictures.

"Now try sending me a smile," The photographer laughed nervously, glancing around. He was a bald man with wide, round glasses on a fairly lumpy nose. Maybe it was just me being observant in my hyper-angry mindset, maybe it was just alarmingly obvious he had some European ancestors. Who knew. I couldn't focus on the camera lens being shoved in my face. Adam was making particularly suggestive faces at me from his five rows back and I felt the blush creep up my neck before I was sure it made an appearance on my face.

I watched with horror as Brody, Dylan, and Peter- his squad, should I say,- all started cracking up with laughter.

"Say cheese!" The bald European said in a shaky voice.

"Ch...Cheese?" I said in a shakier one and was blinded by a light so white, I thought with ease, 'This is how I was meant to die. I'm dead.'

I wasn't so fortunate. Adam was tugging my hand off stage before I knew what was happening.

"You literally just sat there for 3 minutes," He said with a smile. "You're actually the stupidest human alive."

"I thought I died!" I whined and smacked him across the arm, hopefully hard enough for him to develop a bruise. He looked more affected by the wind that was coming in through the open windows along the walls. He could at least pretend. I scowled at the ground as he led me to class, keeping a low chuckle almost out of my earshot.

When it came down to it, I was glad for Adam. Sure, he might be a pain in the ass, but that wasn't anything new. I was used to dealing with idiots like him. He was just... a special idiot. He made me feel special. I thought about that as I tightened my hand around his as we made for our next class which was thankfully together.

Senior photos didn't really even matter, anyway. It just meant a lot of girls would be changing their Facebook profile pictures all at once, but that wasn't anything new. Nobody would see my picture except in the yearbook and no one really ever looked for me in the yearbooks. At least not to my knowledge. And besides. That would come out next September, a year from this month, when we'd all be away at college, anyway. I was fine. No need to worry.

That attitude had me semi-enjoying chemistry after all. Or maybe it was the wonderful circles Adam was rubbing in my upper thigh.

Whatever it was, I could get used to it.

But not for long of course. I should be used to the fact that nothing good ever stays for long in my life. Because that afternoon, Logan Carmichael came into The Brew- during my shift- and looked at me for the first time in 5 years.

[88]

Yes, updates will still be rarer than albino dolphins. sosrry