“You sure? It’ll be a fun night. If you’re not going to school tomorrow, then I think you’ll enjoyit.”
“Who says I’m not going to school tomorrow?” I didn’t know if I was or not, but I assumed that I would be unless the boys saidotherwise.
“Well, then let me pick you up. I’m sure you’d rather catch a ride to school than take the bus. I had to ride that thing for a whole year before I got acar.”
“Oh, wow.” I feigned amazement. “That must have been so hard foryou.”
He laughed, deep, and full, and slightly smoky. I hated that I wanted to see what he actually looked like when he laughed like that, without reserve. From what I had noticed, usually when he laughed, it was subdued. A chuckle here. A smirk with a rumble there. Nothing so filling as this laugh. It made my insides warm. Why, though, I couldn’tsay.
“I like you, Harlow. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at 7:30 am. Beready.”
“You don’t know where I live, and I never saidyes!”
“Goodnight,Harlow.”
I slapped the phone on the nightstand and crawled under the covers after setting my alarm. The guys were right. I needed to change my phone number. My insides rebelled at the thought that I wouldn’t talk to Grayson again. Even though we still had school, who knew how many more days I would actually see him in person before he went his way and I wentmine.
How much longer would Erika be my friend for that matter? I hadn’t spoken to her in a few days, which wasn’t unusual due to my work schedule and previous lack of phone. Still, I felt like we were growing further and further apart. She had been my constant for so long. Who would I be without her as a friend? Who was Inow?
* * *
Ialmost hada heart attack as I opened my front door the next morning and found myself staring at a tall, surprisingly chipper, Grayson. He grinned, with one arm slung over his head on the door frame as he leaned againstit.
“Man, girls take forever. You finally ready togo?”
“How did you–” I stepped back into my house and grabbed the doorknob, preparing to slam it shut and turn the deadbolt. “How did you know where Ilived?”
“I asked that friend ofyours.”
“Marv?” I shook my head, inching the door forward a bit. “He wouldn’t tell you.” Grayson grabbed the edge and held it, shaking hishead.
“The girl…Erika?”
“You don’t even know her name?” I accused. “No. Just no. Get out of my way.” I brushed past him, shutting the door and locking it behind me. I headed straight for the curiously empty bus stop a few houses down, glancing around for the usual one or two other bus riders that lived in theneighborhood.
“Scared to be in a car alone with me?” Grayson’s footsteps echoed around the empty street as he followed behind me. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you jump me no matter how much you might wantto.”
I rounded on him. “You!” Jabbing my finger at him, I sputtered, “You’re just…you’rehorrible!”
“Nah, just trying to give a friend a lift.” Heshrugged.
“We’re not friends.” My hands itched to go after my phone. I had received neither a phone call nor a text from any of the guys thismorning.
“So, you don’t want aride?”
I huffed, frustrated. “I have a ride. The bus has just as much ability as your…” I glanced behind him at his car, my eyes widening, “mustangdoes.”
He shrugged again. “Well, I wouldn’t be so sure since you missedit.”
“What?” I froze, turning away from him, and scanned the area. It was odd that the other students weren’t on the curb like usual. “No, that’s notpossible.”
This time I did fish out my phone, wondering how I had lived without it before, to check the time. I stared down at the fat numbers on my screen. How had I missed the bus? I had never missed the bus before, not unless I had been sick or yesterday… I had missed the bus yesterday because of theguys.
Grayson’s arm slung over my shoulders. “I promise to keep my hands to myself. Let me just give you a lift toschool.”
“You did this on purpose,” I hissed through clenched teeth, shaking his armoff.
“Who? Me?” He raised his brows mockingly. “I distracted you so much that you didn’t even notice you were running too late to catch your bus just so I could give you a ride to school? I wouldn’t dothat.”