The Brains and the Bad Boy <Editing>

Lost Glasses and Cruel Girls

"This is hands down my worst decision ever!" I screamed as I sat stiffly on a canoe.
"Ah, we're perfectly safe." Keith told me, dismissing my screaming.
"Oh my god, don't do that!" I stressed as he leaned to one side, tipping the boat to the left slightly. I was so panicked it wasn't even funny.
"The fuck was that?!" I cursed.
"A wave? Chill out, Red. It's sturdy enough." The only reason I hate water was because I can't swim, which really sucks right now.
I tried to focus on something else but it was really hard.
"Seriously Alice, what the hell has you all freaked?!" He shouted, frustrated with my distracted behavior.
"I lack any aquatic skills of any sort. So in the event that this tips over, I would die a slow, agonizing death." I said, my eyes staring at the rippling water.
"Looks like I'm planning a funeral." He was joking but I'm pretty sure my eye twitched.
"Kidding!" He said with a smile and I sighed as I adjusted the camera strap around my neck.
"...not." He said before leaning the boat to one side until it flipped. I shrieked as I fell. I was wrapped in cold water and my glasses fell off. I surfaced and grabbed the boat that was now upside down, algae facing the sky. I was suddenly bumped from behind and I screamed so loud that a flock of birds flew off. "Could you scream a bit louder?" Keith asked sarcastically as he swam out from behind me. I glared at him though he didn't care too much about my mega death stare where I imagined him bursting into flames. He dragged me by a tiny rock to sit on while he turned back over the boat. My vision was awful and blurry as hell. I squinted to see but eventually gave up on straining so hard to do something that wouldn't help.
"Didn't you have glasses?" Keith questions as if he weren't sure.
"Yes."
"Where are they?"
"Check the bottom of the lake, you idiot."
"Oops? Do you have any spare pairs?"
"Nope... So thanks, I can now barely make out anything now." I said bitterly sarcastic.

We made it to the shore after an hour or so of silence in the boat. "Well?"
"Well what?"
"Aren't you going to thank me for an amazingly fun morning?" He smiled cheekily and I scowled.
"No, that wasn't fun. You're an ass who made me blind and gave me a heart attack in only 10 minutes..."
"I've heard I have that effect on girls." He smirked.
"You're such a egotistical asshole." I said rolling my eyes, fighting the urge to laugh. We got to his mom's car and tied the boat to the top. "Well. This was productive day!" I joked successfully, earning a smirk as we tied it securely to the roof and got in.
"Want to drive?" Keith asked.
"Pfft, no! I don't even have my permit yet." I scoffed and he groaned.
"I dare you to drive us back to my apartment."
"No!"
"Fine... It's not my fault your too scared. Play by the rules all you want..." He said, he was challenging me?
"Fine."

"Pull over before you kill us!" He shouted at me as I almost hit a tree. I was laughing because I was so freaked out, don't ask why. I pulled over to the side of the road. "You have to actually stop, Alice." He said getting slowly more irritated. I applied the brakes and it knocked us forward a bit.
"So what have we learned from this experience?"
"Never to ever let you drive ever again."  Keith said as if he couldn't stress it enough and I laughed. It was about twenty minutes before cement roads and buildings were back. I got out of the car after we parked. I peaked at my phone and as expected it was almost dead. I sighed and put it back in my pocket.
When I knocked on the door it opened to Zack, who was even more of an ass than Keith. "Oh, you're back." He said disappointed.
"Sorry, couldn't find a bus to throw ourselves in front of before being forced to look at you again." Keith shot back and I stifled a laugh.
"If that happened I'd die a happy man."
"That requires being a man first." I mumbled, Keith was the only one who heard though. Lauren's waved to me from the Kitchen as well as Ms. Salaway.
"You're dripping wet! Wha- Keith, off the hardwood!" His mom exclaimed as I back stepped onto carpet.
"Mom, we rent the place, who cares about the hardwood floors?" He rolled his eyes.
"Get dry now, young man." She ordered and he did begrudgingly and I just shrugged, following him into his room to get the clothes from the pile I was allowed to borrow. "God she's annoying." He said under his breath. I exhaled deeply, I don't get how he could say that.
"What?" He questioned at my huff.
"It's just... At least you still have a mom. Your mom's still here, your dad might not be around a lot but he's still technically here. You choose not to get along with your stepdad or step siblings. I just don't get it, I'd love to have what you have." He stayed quiet. I grabbed the last thing I needed and went to the bathroom to rinse off and change. I fixed my locket, opening it and looking at the picture inside of my mom and I. I smiled at it before closing it tight, I got redressed after rinsing off the smell of lake water and everything in it. I felt like an idiot when I reached for my glasses on the sink, they are at the bottom of a lake right now. I don't know how this'll work out tomorrow but what can I do? Luckily the only homework we have for this month is the stupid video project. I got dressed and went to the living area to watch some TV. "Your letting her watch our TV now? God is nothing sacred?" I heard Keith's stepdad, Steven, whisper to Mrs. Salaway. I frowned and got up to go back to Keith's room.
"Alice, sweetie, don't you want some dinner?" She asked and I shook my head.
"Uh, no thanks. I'm not very hungry right now." I said and gave a small, fake smile.
"Are you sure?" She asked and I nodded.
"Yes I'm sure. Don't worry." I said, she sighed but said ok. I was relaxing on my beanbag closing my eyes for about an hour or two until I heard him laughing at his computer screen. "What's that?" I asked suspiciously, getting up.
"You falling off the canoe." He chuckled and I peaked over his shoulder to see Keith flip the boat and me crashing into the water. "Oh god." I mumbled before crashing onto my beanbag.
"I can't believe you don't know how to swim." He poked.
"Shut up." I groaned
"No, it's funny! Ariel doesn't know how to swim." He teased and I huffed, crossing my arms.
"Your mean!" I whined. He scoffed at me and kept laughing. I ended up stomping out of the room, "w-wait, I'll stop." He called to me as he kept laughing.
"Your such an ass!" My face was burning.
"C'mon, it's funny!"
"No it's mean!"
"It was only a joke, Red."
"It wasn't funny." I stated.
"You don't find it even slightly-"
"No."
"Come. On."
After a while of going back and forth we realized that we woke 80% of his family up, everyone except him mom. "Shut up with your baby arguing." Steven ordered aggravated and Keith glared at him as he peaked his head out of his bedroom.
"Mind your fucking business." Keith spat.
"Dad, Keith, shut up and go to bed. You too Alice." Lauren demanded and surprisingly Steven closed the door. "Cough, your welcome, cough." She said,
"Yeah, whatever." Keith murmured before walking back to his room. "His way of saying thanks." I mouthed and she smiled. I got back into his bedroom where he turned off his laptop and was laying on his bed. "You know, your stepsister is actually nice?" I teased back and he glared at me.
"Oh so you're allowed to poke and prod at me but I'm not allowed to do it to you?" I asked raising an eyebrow.
"Nope, your a nerd, it's different."
"Bullshit it is!" I said, kicking him with my foot.
"Go to fucking sleep!" He finally snapped at me and I frowned.
"Fine." I replied sharply, I tapped the lamp to turn it off and went to sleep.
Keith shoved me awake, "get up," was all he said before I got up. I saw the time, we were late or at least I was. I jumped up and knocked on Lauren's door. She opened it, "can I borrow a tshirt and sweatpants?" I asked, clasping my hands together. She looked at me with an eyebrow raised, "like hell I'm letting you dress like that." She said, her voice dripping with sass. I was pulled into the room, she gave me a shirt and pants though I couldn't see what they were before she decided to dress me, don't ask why. I squinted at the mirror, a crop top and really skinny jeans, "no."
"Yes, it's adorable."
"It's not-"
"Tut! Now hair!" She smiled and she sat me in a chair as she curled my naturally straight hair that I would put in a messy bun usually. She even put makeup on me and it felt weird as hell. "Lauren, enough." I said as she tried to curl my eyelashes that were coated in black mascara. "But-"
"E-nough."
"K." She let me out of her room and I felt like Lindsey, gross. Keith noticed me immediately, "what has she done to you?!" He exclaimed and I nervously laughed.
"I hate it." I pursued my lips, looking down at my outfit.
"But you don't look awful for once."
"Gee thanks."
"Welcome."
"We're late, can we go?"
"Sure." And with that we left, I brushed my teeth quickly before we left. Was I hungry? Yes but I don't want anymore weight on me. We got to school late, which was unlike me. I was squinting to look at everything, I almost went past my first period if Keith didn't catch me by the arm. "God your vision is awful." He complained.
"Well if someone didn't put my glasses at the bottom of a goddamn lake we wouldn't be having this issue would we?"
"If you'd be a normal girl and get contacts or have an extra pair of fucking glasses we wouldn't either."
"Touché..." I said under my breath and he smirked victoriously. The day went smoothly, Lindsey bugged me a bit but not much until gym class. After I left the locker room and bumped straight into her. "Ugh, who do you think you are?" She looked at me disgusted.
"Huh?" My voice cracked.
"Dressing like a whore now. Showing up to school with Keith Salaway? You disgust me completely."
"I-"
"Shut up, skank," I was too scared to say anything, "why don't you just kill yourself like your good for nothing mother." I broke down, I ran from the gym covering my face. A line was crossed and I'm so done. I ran passed about everything until I crashed against a wall in a vacant hall of no teachers or students. I cried until my eyes were red and black from mascara and tears. I wiped the black away, getting it all over my palms. "Red?" I heard from down the halls but I didn't respond.
"Alice, you ok? Fuck, you look horrible."
"Leave me alone, Keith." I snapped and he just sat down. I groaned, annoyed. "Well? What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Really?" He looked at me unbelieving.
"Yes!" I stressed and he shrugged.
"Fine. Sorry for trying to be nice." He shot back, getting up and then I felt kind of bad.
"Gugh," I groaned, "wait." Damn my conscience.
"I'm sorry, I'm not in the best of moods at the moment." I said quietly.
"Uh huh, do you just want to leave? It's 6th period."
"No, I can't."
"Can't? Or won't?"
"...won't." I said honestly.
"Live a little, you little hermit."
"I am not a hermit."
"When was the last time you went out for something other then school that you enjoyed." He had me there. And though I didn't want to, he convinced me otherwise. We left but not before he had me "fix" my disaster of a face. I washed off all the mascara from my cheeks and under my eyes.
"Where are we even going?" I asked sounding more irritated than curious.
"I guess we'll be finding out." He sighed.