The guy pulls his head back, glances over his shoulder at the crowd then back to me, a huge grin on his face. I catch a glimpse of a thin scar running up the side of his right cheek as he lowers his head back down to my ear. "For luck." He whispers in a husky voice, before turning his head.
His lips are more than just kissable, they are downright sinful. I can taste the slight tang of alcohol, but beyond that there's a hint of mint and something purely masculine that makes the primal side of me feel more than a little possessive. He breaks the kiss all too soon and with my head and senses spinning, I slowly open my eyes.
The devilish punk is gone and so are half the teenagers.
I turn around, scanning the area and spot them all crowding around a couple of trucks near the parking lot. Engines rev, then the sound of a girl’s voice rings out over the cheering crowd. "Go!" She lowers her hands and the two trucks take off, gaining speed as they hurtle towards the other end of the road.
The big black truck is in the lead but the red one is gaining on him. I have no idea why they are racing, but even my heart begins to pound as they reach the T-junction at the end. It's not over though, they spin their wheels, coming back towards the crowd with their headlights blinding us all.
First the big black one, then the other screeches down the road, onto the grassy clearing and right past the bonfire. A groaning sound then a splash rings out and I cry out in alarm, along with several other girls.
The big black truck has spun around too close to the water’s edge, splashing water up along the crowd gathered at the finish line.
I shake a few drops of the cold muddy water off my arm as some of the guys in the crowd begin to cheer. "Derrin! Derrin! Derrin!"
Moving back over to the fire, on the opposite side I was on earlier, I glance back at the truck just as the guy who kissed me pokes his head out from the window. Curious, I watch as he looks around for a few moments then his smile slips, shaking his head he plasters on a huge fake smile, large enough to show all of his perfect teeth in the dim fire lit night. A smile tugs at my own lips as he holds his hand up in the universal sign for rock and roll, right before cranking the stereo up as loud as it will go. I burst out in laughter as Fury Road by Miracle of Sound blasts into the night. "At least he has good taste in music." I mutter to myself.
No one notices me standing near the fire. I don't know anyone here; I only came to see if I could handle being around a group of people. I figure if the teenagers are drunk and I screw up, no one will remember me being here.
Movement catches my eye, I turn, bringing the guy who kissed me back into focus as he ducks back into his seat and starts the truck back up. Even from this distance I can see the worried look on his face. The sound of the engine is a roar, but there's some other sound that has my attention now, it's high pitched and only lasts for a second. Looking around I notice no one else looking for the source of the new sound.
I cock my head to the side and listen carefully, "I was sure I heard something." After a second of nothing but cheering and the music, I turn in a slow circle until my eyes are back on the truck. Just in time to see a girl wearing the shortest shorts I've ever seen and a string bikini that is barely covering her too big boobs, she leans in and kisses the driver. Clenching my hands, I send a glare at the driver. "Figures, the first guy who kisses me and he's a player." I don't know him well enough to be jealous, but I still feel the tell-tale twinge in my gut.
Sirens sound in the distance and I turn on the spot. "I knew I heard those assholes." I bend down and rub my ankle where the device is strapped, shaking my head. There's no point in me running, I know I can't outrun them long enough to get away. Everyone else scatters though, jumping into cars, trucks and bolting on foot into the trees. The girl the black truck's driver was kissing disappears into the darkness, tugged along by another girl wearing not much more than she is.
One of the guys who started the chanting yells out to the guy in the black truck, "Derrin, get out of here, the cops are coming!" But Derrin's truck just rocks back and forth. I watch him for a second unsure if he's stuck or just making sure everyone else gets away. "Fucking stupid mud!" He yells hitting the steering wheel.
"Do I help him or leave him to his fate?" I toss my coin up into the air, the gold sparkling brightly in the dying firelight. I catch it, opening my palm to see the face side of the coin. "Help him it is."
With quick sure steps, I race over to the truck, ducking down out of sight as I pass the driver's window. He rocks the truck backwards giving me a good view of the reason he's not leaving; his rear wheels went over the edge of the embankment when he spun to a stop. "It's his own fault for trying to showboat." I whisper, rolling my eyes. Carefully stepping up to the back of the truck, I brace myself against the tailgate, my boots squelching in the mud beneath me. The moment he puts the truck in gear, I push with all my strength, the truck pulls forward at a slow pace, but bit by bit it finally pulls free of the mud. Mud which splatters me from my torn jeans to my brand-new leather jacket. "Just fucking great!" I growl as I glare up at the back of the truck, the music shuts off and my eyes catch his in the rear-view mirror. I know I've been caught. After a frozen moment I yell out, "Go!"
"I owe you one, beautiful." I hear the words even though they are whispered as he speeds away.
Covered in sticky mud, I watch him drive off into the distance, I have no idea if I'll ever see him again, but I'll never forget the guy who stole my first kiss.
Three
Areyna
The sirens grow louder as I try to get the mud off my jacket, I know they are here for me and only me. It’s always me they are after. With nothing else to do, I walk back over to the dying fire, stopping briefly to snatch up an unopened beer from someone’s abandoned cooler and sit down, waiting for the hell that is coming my way.
"On your feet, Rose." Richard Talon's voice comes across the speaker mounted to the top of the police vehicle. Not wanting to get into more trouble than necessary, I get to my feet, toss the bottle back towards the cooler and put my hands on my head.
"Two hours of freedom, it was so worth it!" I call out.
"What are we going to do with you, Rose?" Jason Lance shakes his head making his too long blonde hair whip around his face as he unbuckles his seatbelt.
"Lock me away, force me to wear a stupid monitoring anklet, threaten to beat me within an inch of my life?” I ask suggestively before snapping my fingers and throwing my hand into the air. “Oh, wait, you already did all that."
Richard is the first out of the cop car, Jason only seconds behind him. I notice both of them are dressed in their street clothes, which means they are off duty. They look me over from head to toe, eyebrows raised in question. "Bonfire party or mud wrestling?" Jason asks while winking one of those dazzling blue eyes at me.
"A party, not a bad one either. Not that I've been to very many, but this one had its perks, especially when me and three other girls stripped naked and had a wrestle in the mud." I smile as I lie, watching their eyes darken with lust. I love messing with them, even though I know it's a dangerous game.
Richard's nostrils flare, his emerald eyes growing darker, "Hood of the car, Areyna."
I roll my eyes, calling out, "Yes, Dick." as I walk towards the cop car, keeping my hands firmly in place on the back of my head. It's not uncommon for me to be in trouble. What can I say, I don't like having to follow their rules all the time, but they are my guardians and as much as I hate getting caught, I love the chase. I also love the fact that they keep me safe and out of Laverton.
"We have a great punishment for you this time, Areyna Rose." Jason laughs as I lean my chest onto the hood of the cop car. We go through this same song and dance every time I test their patience; I have no idea what it is they think they are going to find; it's not like I need weapons, but they search me every damn time.