Unchanging [h.s. au]

five

My hands were still on the wheel and I stared blankly ahead.

I was so dead. My dad was going to find me.

Birds were chirping around me, oblivious to the mess I was in.

I wished I was a bird. Life would be so much easier if I was a carefree bird. I put my face into my hands.

A few seconds later, I could hear another golf cart approaching mine on the street behind me. It slowed down and came to a stop next to mine. I was afraid to look up.

"You're supposed to pay for the carts, you know."

I didn't recognize the deep voice with the English accent, so I figured it was okay to see who it was. I took my face out of my hands and saw the employee who had yelled at me earlier for taking the cart. I was so focused on getting away, I had failed to notice how good looking he was.

He had green eyes surrounded by a handsome face. His shoulder length hair swooped around his face in chestnut colored curls and he filled out the country club's white polo quite well. He casually sat back in the seat of the golf cart with one hand on the steering wheel. I could see tattoos covering his toned arms, some disappearing behind the sleeve of the shirt.

He noticed my lack of words and smirked. "You took one of the carts that was almost out of battery."

His accent was alluring but he spoke to me as if he was amused with my predicament. I wasn't sure if I wanted to slap or kiss that smirk away. "Well, I can see that now," I retorted.

He laughed and dimples formed near the edges of his mouth. "What exactly were you planning on doing with this stolen golf cart?"

I didn't like the vibe this guy was giving me. He was making me feel childish. I turned toward him and sat up straight. "If you must know," I spat, "I'm trying to avoid my father."

He nodded his head as if it made sense to him. "Oh, so you're running away."

"No," I immediately responded.

He raised his eyebrows and that stupid smirk returned as if to challenge my response.

"Well, technically, yes, I am running away. But only temporarily."

His face turned amused. "A temporary runaway, eh? Never heard of that one before."

Anger flared up inside of me. He was not going to take anything I said seriously.

"I don't have to explain myself to you." I stomped out of my cart and started walking away.

He eased his cart forward and inched alongside me as I walked down the road. "You know, if you're planning on running away, you're heading the wrong way. The exit out of here is two miles in the other direction," he pointed with his thumb behind him.

I abruptly stopped walking, did a 180, and started walking the other way. "Thank you, but I don't need your help." I said.

He turned his cart around and caught up to me again. "Well, if it wasn't for me, you'd be halfway to nowhere by now."

I looked over at him with narrowed eyes. Why did he have to be so good looking? It would be much easier to be angry at an ugly person.

"I already said thank you for telling me the right way to go." I drawled. "Now, beat it. Go clean golf clubs or do whatever it is a country club employee is supposed to do."

He looked at me with sad eyes and opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when we both heard the sound of tires approaching on the street ahead of us.

My palms started to sweat. "That could be my dad. Oh no, I can't let him find me." I stepped toward him and reached into the cart and grabbed his shoulders. I took a mental note of how muscled his arms felt. "I know I was being rude to you, like, two seconds ago, but help me. Please."

I probably looked like a lunatic; I felt like a lunatic. But for some reason after my plea, he resolutely nodded his head and said, "There's a sand bunker behind that hill over there." He pointed ahead at a place on the country club's golf course. "Just stay hidden there and if it's not your dad, I'll come back and get you."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I was so grateful, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders in a hug before realizing it probably wasn't considered normal to hug a stranger. He seemed surprised by the gesture. To be honest, I surprised myself, too.

As quickly as I started the hug, I let go and ran towards the sand bunker. I jumped in the sand, laid close to the ground, and waited.

. . .

I had fun writing this so I hope you enjoyed it! This chapter is dedicated to IrishBibble because her comments always make me laugh SO hard. 

Also, Drag Me Down is my new jam EVEN THOUGH THEY RELEASED IT WHEN I WAS ASLEEP AND I WOKE UP MORE CONFUSED THAN EVER. I think this boyband wants me dead before I make it to my freshman year of college this fall.

-K