Heathens (being edited )

Chapter Sixteen

O a k

Although I'd like to say otherwise, I felt completely uncomfortable when I realized I was in the car alone with him. Jason. To some extent I found his lingering stares a bit abnormal and mischievous. But just watching the casual flickers of his curly hair in the wind cooled my mind again. How his arm muscles tensed when he held onto the steering wheel, the broadness of his shirt under the casual top he wore, the natural warm tan on his skin.

He was handsome, as most boys at my school were, but he was quite different (like my platinum haired Romeo). "So Oakley. Are you excited?"he asked grinning brightly and I sucked in a sharp breath. "Yes?" I said in an unsure tone and he furrowed his eyebrows. "You sound unsure" he commented and I sighed as I averted my gaze to the window and said "I am. I've never really been to a party".

The car jolted for a short bit and a car swerved around us whilst beeping violently. "You've never been to a party?" he said melodramatically and I stared at him wide eyed. Was he mad? He almost killed us because of that? "No. I haven't". "Damn. I don't believe you" he breathed out in disbelief and I took in a sharp breath that wrung my dusty lungs. "I didn't do much when I was younger. I've always been....an alien" I said quietly earning a laugh too loud and too sweet to be real.

I'm sitting here beside a fiction of my mind.

"Oh my God. I did not expect that. You had it rough. Next thing you'll be telling me is that you've never had your first kiss" he joked whilst chuckling and I flushed as I glanced back to the window. "Oakley" he called once he realized that his words have muted me and I hummed nervously. "You have right?"he asked after a long while and I bit down on my bottom lip as I stared at the dark zooming silhouettes of trees and buildings. After swallowing a large lump in my chest I finally summoned enough courage to hum a 'no'.

"Holy shit! Oakley where have you been hiding all these years!"he asked through loud laughter and I bit back a smile. "I don't know. Home?" I said and he almost went into a fit of laughter. What I do remember quite vividly were his words when he did recover.

"Don't worry. By tomorrow you won't have to bare saying those words again"

- - -

"Bienvenida a la casa de las Smiths" Jason said dramatically and I quirked an eyebrow at him when I realized the ease at which the words left his lips. "I'm not good in Spanish" I commented and he stares at me with a sly grin. "Welcome to the house of the Smiths" he translated and I furrowed my eyebrows. "Smiths?"I asked in confusion and he nodded whilst mirroring my expression. "Lucky and Pyper?" he answered and I frowned.

"I know Pyper but. Is Lucky the brunette haired boy?" I asked and he face fell with utter disbelief. "He didn't tell you his name?" He asked in a monotonous voice and almost immediately my mind made a connection.

'I'm not telling you my name. Go do that for your homework or something'.

"Lucky" I muttered feeling the name breeze across my tongue and my heart shuddered as if I had whispered the promise of blessing that would endure forever.

-------

L U C K Y

"Jason told me he was being her but I doubt that he's telling the truth" Pyper spoke dryly as she stared out my window and I kept my lips glued tightly together as I used the syringe to pull up the thick metallic green liquid from the glass bowl I had on the bed then I applied the needle to it.

"He probably will knowing that he thinks I'll ever have the tiniest bit of feelings for the girl" I mumbled, refusing to even mutter her first name. My hands carefully attached the long pointed needle to the syringe then I pulled up my sleeve. "But why? He knows the arrangement yet he still messes with her. Although you'd rather not accept it, he's trying to hurt you both" Pyper fumed as she brushed at her hair angrily then caught it up into a bun.

Her light blue eyes met me in the mirror as she did so. "Or maybe he's doing me the honors of destroying the link. I could care less about her" I grumbled and she snarled at me. "You know Lucky. You're growing to be just like dad" she spat and an unintentional whimper left me at the sting of her words. I glanced away from her stare in annoyance prepared to press the sharp metallic needle into my hands. If I hadn't looked away from her I would have started another one of our bloody fights.

I was reminded that if I didn't take the serum then I would have defiled myself in one of the worst ways possible. The last time I didn't take it I almost kissed her in the forest. I shuddered in disgust at the memory then looked down to my arm.

But all of that was soon forgotten once I heard one of the sweetest and melodious voices that pulled at the strings in my heart. Not even the noise from below where the party was keeping could be likened to the intensity of her voice. One I believed that only I heard.

"Lucky"

My arm spasmed causing me to break the syringe in my hand as I stood up jerkily.

"She's here" Pyper muttered in distaste and I sucked in a sharp breath through my teeth.