One week before winter break. (We can't call it Christmas break because not everyone celebrates Christmas. How sensitive). That means four days before the last day before winter break. Which means four days before the winter formal.
"Reed!" I turn around slowly, the familiarity of that voice already giving me a headache.
"Yes, Nicole Shore?"
She comes to a stop in front of me. I like short skirts and little shirts but for some reason the very same girl who used to turn me on now makes my penis retract in size.
"So, I'm ready to cash in my one night," she grins and points to the poster, "at the winter formal."
"You know I don't do dances." Nicole steps closer to me and slowly drags a pointed finger nail down my chest. I grab her hand, as hard as I can may I add, right before she reaches where she was heading. Her eyes widen and a look of embarrassment coats her already caked face.
"You never deny me."
"He never denies me either," the sweet voice of Zosia chuckles from behind the skank. Nicole Shore towers over the lil' peanut but Zosia is pretty bad ass. "Now move, you're blocking my locker."
Nicole flips back to facing me. "You're still with this chick? She's the size of a sixth grader."
"I'm short and fiesty. I've learned that guys like it." She shoves Nicole out of her way and open her locker. I maneuver my way around Nicole to Zosia's side.
She steps on her tip toes and presses a quick kiss on my lips. Yum, chocolate. I stop her from what she's doing, ignoring the curious Nicole, so Zo is looking at me. "Let's go to the winter formal."
She snorts. Snorts. "I don't do dances.
"Neither do I. But I do want to see you in a little dress."
She slaps my ass. "C'over the night before break and I'll show you a little dress."
Nicole groans in disgust and decides to ruin my moment with my girlfriend.
"Nico Reed doesn't sleep with the same girl more than once! I am the only exception."
Zosia raises her eyebrow and goes back to putting her things away. Once she's finished she grabs her backpack and locks up. Our hands entangle but she says one more thing to the angry, red faced, bubble gum ex Queen B.
"When you date the King you're officially the Queen."
➖✖➖
"Whatcha makin'?" I ask her. My hands latch to her hips as she stirs something in a big pot.
Zo glances at me. "Just some Mac n Cheese."
"I love you."
The front door slams shut. Zen and Mom come to the kitchen only to see me and Zo very comfortable while she cooks. Mom glances in the pot and bursts into tears.
I look at my sister, curious and worried to why she's crying. Zen shrugs, greets Zo with a kiss to her cheek, and jogs upstairs to call her boyfriend.
"Mom. . ." I move away from Zo to comfort my mother. "Why are you crying?"
She calms down a little with my arms around her. Zosia sets the spoon she was using down and cups my mother's face. "Hey, Mariana."
"You guys make such a beautiful couple. I can't wait until Zosia is married to you and you guys are having children."
Oh my god. Can a mother be more embarrassing? Zosia's face drains at my mother's words. Her eyes dullen and she looks anywhere but here. "I just remembered-- I need to get home right now. The food is finished, I just wanted to take the load off of Mariana."
She collects her bag and jacket and leaves without even a smile for me. Mom looks on the pot and tastes what my girlfriend made. Her face twists from sad to completely astonished. She starts ranting about how her cooking is extraordinary. I love my mother but she's a hyper bitch who cries because I have a girlfriend.
I tell mother that I'm leaving for the night and will return after school tomorrow. She shrugs me off.
Like always the ride to Zosia's is short. Her door is locked but with the extra key I stole from her junk drawer I let myself in.
She paces her bedroom in only panties and a bra. She doesn't see me, which is odd because she is always hyperaware of her surroundings. Her mouth moves quickly but not a single sound is being made.
The entire house is quiet. But when she spots me lingering at her doorway she cries. My eyebrows furrow as I make my way to her. She crumbles to the floor and thrusts her wrists out.
Fresh, little cuts litter both of her wrists.
"No." I pull her body onto mine. We hold onto each other like our lives depend on it. She's become my everything in the short three months we've known each other. Young love really tears people apart. "No. No. No."
"I'm sorry." Her voice is soft.
"Why?"
"Love. Marriage. Babies. Too fast. Too much."
So we lie on her bedroom floor. No talking, no moving, no crying. Just resting.
YOU ARE READING
The Bad Couple
Teen Fiction"Who the hell is that?" I ask nobody in particular. The rest of the boys look where my focus is. One chuckles. "Oh, that's the new girl. She got expelled from her last school for setting a teacher on fire with her cig." Oh, so she's a bad girl. She...
