Skinny Jeans |H.S|

Chapter 1

"Liam! What are we going to do about our project? We haven't gotten anything done! We're screwed, and I'm not ready to fail the semester just yet!" I practically screamed.

"I don't know! Stop bitching at me! It's not my fault we've been sitting on our lazy asses the whole month we were supposed to be doing this!" 

"You just said we, as in we were sitting on our asses, Liam! We are both to blame!" I replied with sass.

"You don't need to say my name that much, I know you're talking to me, Alex!"

"Well, sorry for trying to get your attention." I was getting sick of arguing with him. I can't win.

"You have my full attention, always," he smiles.

Let me fill you in on this story, Liam Payne is my best friend out of everyone in the whole eleventh grade. We have this stupid project we need to do for History, which is due tomorrow, and like dumb asses, we procrastinated this whole month we had to do it. Typical teenagers, right? We were a couple months apart in birthdays, him being eighteen after August 29th, me being seventeen, waiting for April 3rd to roll around. But, we were in late December, struggling to get this damned project turned in before the holiday break. If I'm honest, I didn't think we could do it, provided we only had approximately twelve hours until first period bell. 

"What are we going to do?" he breathes.

"I have no clue. I kind of forgot what the project was even about."

"Here. The grading syllabus," he handed me a small white paper with four large creases from being folded and kept in his pocket for God knows how long. My eyes scanned the paper until Liam spoke again, "I just don't know, Alex. We have to get this shit project in by tomorrow with a well-written essay." I kept reading the paper.

"Liam, all we have to do is write an essay and deliver a good presentation."

"No, here," he handed me another syllabus. My eyes looked through the sea of words and only then did I know why he was so stressed.

"Are you fucking with me right now?"

"Nope, that's what Mrs. Rodriguez wants."

"Unbelievable. She expects us to build a train?" I ask as he nods.

How the fuck do you build a goddamned train? 

"Let's go," I tell him as I grab my keys.

"Where are we going, I don't think-"

"Shut up, let's go," I cut him off.

We got into the car and drove into the city. We lived in the suburbs of Los Angeles, about twenty minutes out.

Liam broke the silence, "Where are we going?"

"Toy store."

"For what?"

"I'm not building a fucking train, Liam. Rodriguez can kiss my white ass," I state bluntly.

I looked over to see Liam laughing to himself.

"What's so funny?"

"It's a good laugh when you're mad, considering you're always happy. I'm usually the mad one. Perhaps I'm just delirious."

I started to laugh with him, knowing he was right. I was always happy and calm, but it's been a long day, and I'm exhausted.

We pulled up to a cute toy store within the city range. I'd remembered coming here as a small child with my parents, always begging for new toys, even though I already had many. Coming here gave me a pain in my chest thinking of all the memories of being with my parents. Nowadays, they were always away on business. I missed them.

When we got into the toy store, everything was just as I remembered it, except with updated toys, and newer kids running around happily. It was a big store, and I had no clue where they would keep train sets.

"Do you know where the train sets are?" I ask Liam.

"Nope, this was your idea, Alex."

"I know," I sigh.

I found a worker and asked him about the train sets.

"Yeah, those train sets are... back there, where you make a right, and uh..... I don't know actually."

"Are you kidding me?" I yell.

"No, I've only been working here a couple days, sorry."

I sighed, "It's alright."

"Go ask him, back there," he pointed to a boy wearing a toy worker outfit, but he didn't look the part at all. He had many tattoos and piercings. My knees went weak after seeing him, nervousness taking over my body. He sure was intimidating while restocking the toys angrily.

I began to walk over to him shyly with my hand cupped infront of me.

"Fuck, you're specialized to fit in fucking shelves you piece of shit-" he was cursing at the top of his head when he looked at me with his glossy green eyes.

"Excuse me," my voice was small.

"Yes?" he asked, annoyance clear in his voice.

"Um, do you know where, the um, train sets are?" 

The boy began to laugh histerically. What the hell? I know my voice is shaky and high, but come on, give me a break.

"How old are you?" he asks.

"Seventeen, why?"

"I assume the train is for your little brother, or little cousin, yeah?" his accent became apparent.

"No, well, it's a long story. It's for school."

"Oh my God. Rodriguez?"

"Yeah," I reply more comfortably.

"I had her when I was in high school. I did the same thing you're doing now."

"What? Bought a train because you were too lazy to build one, like us?" I pointed between Liam, who was ten feet away, and I.

"Mmmmhmm, Louis was my partner on that one." he looked away as if remembering the thought.

"So you went to Lincoln High?" I asked, my voice high once again.

"Yeah, you know what, my shift is almost over. I'd rather give you guys my train rather than making you buy a new one. They're shit anyway."

"That'd be great! I didn't get your name, by the way."

"I'm Harry, Harry Styles."

"I'm Alex." I smiled as we shook hands.