The Brains and the Bad Boy <Editing>

Counting Stones

We got to a Dairy Queen and parked. "I'll go find a table, you get the ice cream?" I asked and he nodded.
"What do you want?"
"Oreo Blizzard please." I smiled.
"You got it." He said and I found a table. I took off my sweatshirt and sat in a tank top and my shorts that were just long enough to cover the cuts on my legs. I decided to look at my phone while I waited. I deleted every text off my sa phone from Lindsey and everyone she gave my number to and put my chin in my palm, my elbow resting on the table. There was a surprisingly long line still even though kids were still in school. "What's the nerd doing out of school?" I heard from behind me and turned my head to see three jocks that picked on me at school.
"I could ask the same." I deadpanned.
"Skipping school? More like a bad girl than a geek, right boys?"
"Get a life." I said, turning back around.
"I think we need to teach her some manners, it's not nice to be so rude."
"If only you listened to yourself the world would be a better place."
"She's getting feisty, Brooks."
"I noticed." I was pretty much ignoring them, keeping an eye on Keith who took notice of the guys behind me. A hand grabbed me by the shoulder and I snatched it back. "The hell is wrong with you?! Didn't your mom teach you to keep your hands to yourself in grade school or are you still having a hard time getting through Kindergarten?" I spat, getting more and more irritating. They "ooh"ed at me and I muttered something before going back to ignoring. "I think she's forgotten her place boys." He said and something cold fell onto my head.
"What? Trash goes with trash, doesn't it?" I wiped the coffee ice cream from the back of my head and flicked it off my hand. Keith slid into the seat next to me. "Now, I say we all leave the pretty girl alone, that sound good? Sounds good to me." Keith nodded and I blushed lightly, he just called me pretty.
"Aw, the poser is trying to defend the geek."
"I'm the poser, sureeee." He chuckled, Brooks walked up behind him and shoved him forward, he didn't even budge. He stood up and had a few inches on all of them. "I'm giving you one last chance before your insides become your outsides." He narrowed his eyes at them and none of them backed down.
"Alright, if you want something done you do it yourself." He said and grabbed Brooks' friends by the back of the head and crashed them together. I flinched slightly at the sound of bone on bone but felt pretty happy once they were on the ground.
"Jake, Liam?!" Brooks exclaimed and looked to Keith who grabbed him by the shirt.
"Are you done?" He smirked down at him.
"Put me down, pretty boy."
"You don't know how much I'd love to slam your face into the ground, but I don't want to do you the kindness of improving your looks." He told him and Brooks face was red with anger.
"I'm gonna do it anyway." He said and tossed him to the ground, he hit his head hard (I did not intend for the alliteration) and scrambled up and sprinted away.
"Oreo Blizzard?" Keith offered with a raised eyebrow.
"You're the best." I smiled and took the cup from him.
"You act like I don't know that." He said and I giggled softly. I ate my ice cream and enjoyed joking around with him for however long we were there for. "So... You think I'm pretty?" I raised my eyebrows.
"Shit up, will ya" I laughed and we got up to leave but I had the urge to do one thing. He already got on his bike but I back tracked to the two unconscious boys on the asphalt. I gave them one good, hard kick into the ribs each before rushing back to Keith. We went back to the apartment and hung out for a while, I'm guessing that the assemble was just group talks about blah, blah, blah and yearbook for next year. "I'm gonna take a nap." Keith said going to his room and I nodded.
I noticed the date when I looked at my phone and looked back to Keith's room. I wrote a quick note that I was going for a walk. I grabbed the spare key for the door and left. Clouds were collecting into a huge mass and darkening. I frowned and soon found my way to the entrance, Maywood Cemetery, and found my way through the rows of stones. I counted each one, I had numbered them so I knew how many in I had to go. I eventually sat down in front of one, Danielle Linda Davis Clery January 13th, 1976-April 1st, 2004. "Hi Mommy, it's been a little while. I wasn't able to come here last year because Dad was having some... Issues. But I'm here now to see you." I smiled, my voice cracked. I picked blades of grass and sniffled. "I wish you were here right now. I'm not remembering you as well anymore, it hurts to think that I won't remember how you looked or sounded as time passes." I choked and took a few deep breaths. I picked up my locket from my chest and opened it to see a picture of me and mom, we looked a lot alike. I took another deep breath and went on, "I guess I should catch you up on some stuff..."
"So about a month or so ago I got paired with this boy named Keith. He was pretty much the school bad boy you could say, a bit of a pretty boy sometimes. We have signed off on being friends but sometimes I get confused. Most times we just tease and joke with eachother but then he'll get pissed at something or I do and we argue, a few times he's even kissed me and I'm getting a bit frustrated I guess." I laughed sadly.
"I know you won't be happy to hear this but Dad has made a turn for the worse since you died. He's not really a happy drunk anymore, he's hit me, scarred me, he treats me like crap and I know it's not him. He's just angry and depressed and everyone's grief just falls on me doesn't it?" It was raining now with thunder rolling in and I didn't care, I usually was scared of storms but I was too upset and I just wanted to talk. "He kicked me out but Keith has been letting me stay with his family. He's a really sweet guy, I don't think he knows it yet but he is. He's stood up for me and all that crap and I'm happy for once." I hiccuped.
"I just noticed that I've been here a whole hour, I guess I better get going." I said, I got to my knees and stood up, I pressed my hand to my lips and put my fingertips on her grave marker. I could no longer tell the difference between my tears and rain droplets. I started walking to the entrance passing by a girl kneeling like I did a moment ago. It was Lindsey bawling her eyes out. I tried to fight the urge to go up to her and say something but my sweet disposition overrided my common sense to stay away from the venomous snake. I trudged over by her and knelt down. "Hi." I said, my voice rough.
"What are you doing here?"
"You don't have the only dead mother in town, it's officially been 12 years since my mom died so I came to visit her. Then I saw an old friend who looked like she wanted someone to talk to." I said gently and she just looked at me, all her hate and anger towards me was so faint and was mostly replaced with that lost puppy look. She looked down and turned back to her mom's grave. "I'm sorry I was so harsh today, I was just mad."
"I don't blame you." Was all she said, her chin on her knees.
"Can we agree to stop whatever is happening between us? Please? I'm kind of at a breaking point here." I asked her with a raised eyebrow.
"Sure, I miss when we were friends. I know we can't be friends again but I thought I'd let you know."
"Me too." I agreed.
"I don't mean a bit of what I say."
"See? I knew you weren't completely heartless." I teased and she laughed slightly.
"You hang out with You-Know-Who too much." She said.
"Well when your dad kicks you out and you only have one friend in the world you start acting like that person."
"Your dad kicked you out?"
"Yeah, it's for the better though. He's only getting worse as time goes on."
"I'm so sorry, Al." She said, giving me a side hug. There was a crack of lightning and boom of thunder that made me jump a mile in the air. "Maybe we should get going before we get sick." She said with a half-smile.
"I'll see you later." I told her before getting up and continuing my way back. She slowly got up a few minutes after me and headed in my direction. We got to the entrance. "Do you... Want a ride?" She asked and I shook my head. "I can walk from here." I assured her and she nodded, I started walking, I looked back to Lindsey and bumped right into something. I turned forward and found myself staring at a white Tshirt. I looked up and felt my face fall a bit. "Keith?" I was sincerely hoping he'd still be asleep.
"Just a walk, huh?" He half-smiled at me.
"Just visiting someone." I said looking down to the ground, my head was tilted up and a stray tear was wiped away, I was enveloped in a hug, he reeked like Axe but I didn't mind. I lifted my head and looked him in his piercing green eyes. I knew what would be coming next, for once, and I was met with a spark-filled kiss that put me in a way better mood than a minute ago. I smiled into the kiss and I separated from it a few seconds later. "God, you always break it off too early." He complained and I giggled, he smiled at me.
"Wanna head back before we both die out here." He smirked and I nodded with a laugh. I looked back to see Lindsey had stopped and was looking at us, she gave me a soft smile before continuing off to her car. "Let's go, Red."
"Coming." I told him and back stepped my way towards him before hopping on. When we pulled up I realized that I had soaked through all my clothes and I was exhausted, cold too. "Why don't we ever use the elevator?" I questioned.
"It's been broken for two years now." He sighed. I shrugged and we got to the doors. "Go warm up, you're shivering." He told me and I nodded, I got some pajamas and went to the bathroom to shower. I rinsed off, letting the warm water heat my icy cold skin. I got out and realized I forgot pajama bottoms. I put on the tank top, it was luckily a bit long on me. I slipped on my panties and peaked out the door. Keith was on the couch watching NCIS and I was relieved- wait he was watching NCIS without me?! I put my annoyance aside and snuck into his room so I could grab my dropped shorts. I decided to grab a better pair than the ratty ones I picked and bent down to reach my bag. I dug around and suddenly felt eyes on me. I straightened up and looked over my shoulder to see, you guessed it, Keith. "Aw, I was enjoying the view." He smirked and my face burnt red.
"You're disgusting." I wrinkled my nose and went passed him when I realized I forgot my phone in the bathroom. I slipped on my shorts and picked my phone. I left the bathroom again and plugged it in the wall before going back to Keith's room.
My beanbag wasn't there anywhere and I was too tired to care. I crashed onto Keith's bed next to him. "G'night, Red." He mumbled, I yawned and smiled. I snuggled a bit closer to him and he put an arm around me. "Night."