Time After Time

Part 3

We walk to his car, which ends up being a gorgeous 1988 red corvette. My mind races with the thoughts of what Lucy will do when I tell her this. Once we're in the car, Corey turns on the radio which lightly plays 'Space Age Love Song' by A Flock Of Seagulls.

"So, Lux," He says as he turns to me, driving out of the parking lot. "Where do you live?" His smirk falls to a genuine smile and his blue eyes look right into mine and then back at the road. I get caught in the moment and I have to force myself to reply.

"I live, I live uhm-" My words fall slowly like molasses and I look away.
"I live close to Monrovia." I say, finally like a normal person.

Corey nods and shifts gears as we approach the freeway. God, of course he drives a stick shift. I sit here in my puddle of confusion and continue to wonder why Corey came up to me today, and out of all people, offered me a ride home. I feel him glance over at me and I grow nervous but remind myself of the pledge I made this morning and  attempt to remain calm.

"So, Lux, what do you do?" Corey's right hand grips the steering wheel and his leather, designer watch is wrapped around his wrist. I admire his hand as I wonder what he means by 'do'.

"What do you mean?" I ask, trying to sound confident but not eager. A thought brushes past my mind. You know, Corey's probably done this whole car ride home deal with a dozen other girls. He's probably run out of girls at this point and that's why he chose me. Why else would this happen?

"Well, what are your passions? You know, what's your thing, what makes you you?" He asks with a convincing tone, as though he really does want to get to know me. My mind quickly dodges between the two possible realities: Is Corey actually a really great guy trying to branch out from his usual popular group or is he just a douchebag trying to play me?

"I write, I really like writing. I mean, I have other things I do like tennis and reading, but writing-" I find myself feeling relaxed and comfortable with revealing these details about me to him for some reason. "writing's just my thing, I guess." I shrug my shoulders slightly and smile.

"You'll have to let me read something of yours sometime." Corey smiles and my doubts about him melt away. "I bet you're an amazing writer!"

I thank him and agree to show him a short story of mine soon. "And what're your passions?"

"Well, most people that know me will tell you my passion is lacrosse." He raises his eyebrows and rolls his eyes in a sarcastic way and I laugh. "But, really what I love to do is draw."

"So how come most people who know you don't know that?" I say, trying not to sound too shocked about his hidden love for art, although I am far beyond shocked.

"Because most people who know me, don't really know me." Corey quietly laughs and I notice his gorgeous smile.

"That's too bad." As I soon as I say this, I grow embarrassed thinking he'll find it weird that someone like me is even attempting to flirt with him.

All he does is glance over at me with that smile. The way the right side of his lip slightly curves up just makes my heart drop. I never thought that Corey, the guy I've been crushing on for the past 3 years, is directing that legendary smile towards me.

We get closer to my neighborhood and I start losing patience without knowing why he decided to talk to me today. Just ask him, Lux. This is your year. Take control. You can't leave this car without knowing.

"So what made you want to talk to me today?" I ask, trying to sound as though I don't really care.

"What made me wanna talk to you today?" Corey repeats back in an almost laugh and I fumbled my thumbs around. "Well, uhm, I don't know really." He pauses in thought as his face relaxes to a serious look. "I mean, this morning I made this pledge to myself." Corey raises two fingers up and makes a quotation mark gesture when he says 'pledge'. He smiles shyly as he continues. "I kinda decided to not stick with the same crowd I've been hangin' around these last few years." My face remains in the same neutral state but on the inside...What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck!

Corey slows down to a stop sign. "Uh, which way?" He sweetly asks and I motion to the left because my words cannot put themselves together. Corey continues and I sit listening while freaking out internally and pointing to which street to turn on. "When I got to school this morning, they all just had the same bullshit going on. I sat with them at lunch," he glances over at me, "just to give it one last chance." His vision shifts back to the road. "But Jacob could only talk about his adventures of cheating on his girlfriend and Jeanette and Molly think all I'm really good for is fucking." Corey's voice grows angrier and I have this urge to reach over and take his hand to comfort him, but I only stay still. "I'm just over it, ya know?" He says quietly.

"Yeah." I reply, even quieter. "I completely understand." I manage a smile, the replacement of holding his hand. Although I've never been in his position, I can understand how that plastic world can get tiring. I mean, who would want to deal with rich, fake, brats everyday?

"Thanks." His blue eyes gleam towards me in an innocent way and I feel my face blush. "That's why I talked to you today. I saw you in class and I just had this feeling," I notice he slightly blushes, too. "this feeling like I had to know you. It sounds dumb. It sounds dumb, doesn't it?" Corey laughs his nervous look away.

"No, I don't think so. Not at all." I answer. He must deal with his dick head friends constantly making him push his genuine feelings down to the point that he thinks they're actually dumb. I want to hold his hand now more than ever. "Well, this is my place." I motion over to my small, paint chipped home and the car stops next to the curb.

"Thanks, Lux. Sorry, I didn't mean to throw all my shit on you." I giggle at his apology.

"Don't worry about it!" I say, perkily as I step out of the car. "Thank you for the ride home!"

"Anytime. I'll see you tomorrow?" His eyes looking up, full of vulnerability and I have to pull myself out of his gaze again in order to respond.

"Yeah, yeah okay." I nod. "Bye, Corey!" I wave and close the door.

"Bye, Lux!" He says through the open window. I turn to walk towards the porch as he drives away. That did not just happen.