Nothing feels worse than betrayal. After her parents split up, Malysa's moved across the country back to her mom's hometown in Oregon. She finds it hard to deal with the stress of the sudden uprooting of her life and family. But a girl named Arden s...
I yell good-bye to my grandma and brothers before shutting the front door. A black, outdated, Honda civic sits in the driveway. I laugh as Lin and Sasha aggressively race each other for the front seat. Lin beats her to it, cackling.
"Osana is such a chaotic driver. She once hit my parents mailbox. You've been warned," Sasha tells me this as she steps into the backseat.
Since Matteo is the shortest, he got the middle. Osana speeds out of the driveway and suddenly I question getting in the vehicle. Sasha was right. Osana's driving is a bit... reckless. I find myself grasping the side of the door as we dash down the street.
"Next time, bring a helmet." Matteo whispers, smirking.
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We arrive at the park a few minutes later. I sigh in relief and basically throw myself out of the car once she parks.
"We're alive!" Sasha yells dramatically, throwing her hands up.
"Yayyy," Lin adds sarcastically.
"Oh, shut up. I wasn't even that bad this time," Osana grumbles.
Matteo and I give each other knowing looks and try to hold back laughter.
"Whatever, let's go skate," Osana says rolling her eyes.
I go to the nearest bench to put on my roller blades and strap on my knee pads. Everyone else brought a skate board. When I'm ready, we head over to the skate area.
I push myself off, gaining speed. I smile as I skate graciously over the smooth surface. I feel in control. Like I'm flying.
At first I was hesitant to even learn to roller blade since "I didn't have balance" or "I might break an arm".
But one day I was thrift shopping and I found a pair that came with knee pads for only $25 dollars. I decided to buy them and try it out. I watched Youtube videos and practiced...a lot. I got better and better and with that I gained more confidence.
"Hey, can you do a trick?" Sasha asks, skating past me.
"Yeah, I got a few tricks up my sleeve." I say grinning. I'll admit, I love showing off my skills.
I push myself forward to build up speed. I do a perfect barrel roll. When I complete it, I hear Sasha hooting and clapping. I laugh at her cheerfulness. I was getting ready to do another trick as Osana, Lin, and Matteo approach us.
"Hey guys, we're going to get slushies. You want to come?" Osana asks.
"Yeah I'll go," Sasha replies, nodding.
"Me, too." I say.
We skate across the street and my mouth starts to water at the thought of a pina colada flavored slushie.
I stop outside the door to take off my roller blades. Everyone waits with me until I'm done. Matteo offers to hold them for me. I smile and thank him.
We enter and immediately chill bumps rise on my arms. It's much cooler in here than outside.
I look around as we make our way to the front counter.
This place has a very welcoming vibe. Bright, summery decorations and posters fill the space, along with yellow and orange chairs.
A blonde girl is seated in the farthest corner typing away on a laptop. Sunlight beams in through the huge glass windows. I love it, and honestly, this would be the perfect place for pictures during golden hour.
"Hey! Yeah, the usual for us. But add a large fry, too."
I look back over to the ordering counter and my heart skips a beat.
I panic internally, recognizing those hazel eyes.
Arden.
A barely noticeable smile appears on her lips but disappears just as quickly as it came as she looks back at me.
She's dressed in a corny looking uniform, the colors matching the bright shop interior. Her hair is pulled into an unruly ponytail, wisps framing her face. She looks cute...obviously.
"And what would you like?" She asks, expectedly.
"Oh...a p-pina colada slushie, large." My hands are shaking so, I quickly stuff them into my pockets.
"Alright, that will be $18.73."
Osana hands her a $20 dollar bill.
"Okay, your orders will be right with you," Arden tells us with a smile.
They go to find a seat but I... stay.
My stomach flutters when her eyes meet mine.
She raises her eyebrows as if to say "Can I help you?"
God, I'm nervous.
I also need to say something right now or she'll think I'm a creep.
"Hey, you're in Mr. Jansen's class with me, right?" I say this louder than than expected but honestly, I'm surprised that my voice didn't shake.
"Yeah. You asked me for a pencil. Is my face that forgettable?" she replies, smirking.
I chuckle and shake my head.
"The farthest from it, actually." I mumble this and glance away. When I back at her again, I notice there's a pink tint on her cheeks that wasn't there before.
Is she blushing?
I anxiously push my hands further down into my pockets.
"Good to know," she responds, looking at me intently. She tries biting back a smile but ends up flashing me a toothy grin.
I grin back.
God, she's so beautiful. I feel as though I'm on the brink of exploding into a million little hearts.
I've said it once and I'll say it again.
Her smile will be the death of me.
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I'm glad they said more than two words to each other lol. Hope you liked this chapter! :))
