What I like about you

30

My alarm screams at me continuously, trying to wake me up.

I don't know how long it's been going off, but I finally decide to get up.
Turning it off, I look at the time.

7:59

"Shit!" I yell, scrambling out of bed and diving head first into my closet.

I'm going to be late!

I put on the first thing that I yanked off the hanger, a T-shirt. Picking up some random jeans and just quickly slipping on my shoes, not even worrying about untying them first.

I sprint into my bathroom to brush my teeth, tripping on the rug and falling on my hands and knees.

"Gosh dang it!"

I jump up and rush to brush my teeth. I brush so fast that I feel like I could've knocked my teeth out.

I run and grab all of my stuff for soccer and school and slam my door open.

But just as I was about to take a step out of my room, I see my mom standing right in front of me.
I scream, falling to the ground from the amount of weight on me and the loss of balance.

"Why'd you fall?" She asks, purely confused.

"Why'd you scare me?" I counter.

"I just came to see if you were ready, you have like five minutes to get to school." She rubs her eyes.

"I know, are you ready?" I stand up, adjusting the straps of my bag.

"Ready for what?" She yawns.

"To take me to school?"

"Oh, I'm not taking you."

"What? Why?" I start to freak out.

I rushed to get ready and all for nothing!

"Ryder, your boyfriend, is waiting in the living room to take you." She easily states likes it's an everyday thing to say.

Wait, Ryder? Boyfriend?

Then it all clicks.

Ryder asked me to be his girlfriend last night.

And I said yes.

"Since when do you have a boyfriend?"

"Since yesterday, I guess."

She shrugs and starts to walk away to her room, until she stops and turns her head towards me.

"Well good job, he's a cute one." She laughs, running to her room before I can scold her on what she just said.

I sigh out, kind of nervous to actually face what's waiting for me in the living room.
But I have no time for this so I just walk straight in.

Ryder sits at the couch, just looking around the room until he sees me. He stands up, a bright smile on his face. I feel myself replicating his smile as my heart does little flips in my chest.

He walks towards me, wrapping his arms around my body in a warm embrace.
His expensive cologne filling my nose.

He softly pulls away, smiling down at me.

"Hey, babe."

"Hi." I breath out.

I've never been anyone's 'babe' before.

"You ready to go?" He nods his head towards the front door.

"Yeah." I smile up at him.

He leads me to the door and out of the house, his hand on my lower back.

He jogs ahead of me to open the car door. I get in and he runs around to hop in himself. And we're off to school.

We still have a few minutes to spare before class starts.
My stomach flips at the thought of people talking about Ryder and I. Starting ridiculous rumors.

Ryder opens my door, staring at me in concern.

"Don't worry, I'll be next you the whole time." He gives me a comforting smile.

He's surprisingly really sweet.
Who knew that the guy who looked like he wanted to murder me before was a nice person.

"Alright."

I step out, grabbing my bags. Ryder decides to hold my soccer bag until I get to my locker.

We walk towards the school. People looking at us in bewilderment at the sight of the nobody walking with the somebody. With all eyes focused on us, Ryder grabs my hand in his, interlacing our fingers.

I look down at our hands and then at him to see he's already staring at me. A cute smile on his face, making me mimic the same.

I stare back ahead, no worry in the world.

Or that is until I see Blake.
Leaning against the lockers, talking to Molly. A smile etched onto his face, but it fades when he sees us. Something dark flashes in his eyes the second he sees our hands laced together.

We continue to walk until we get to my locker.
Ryder drops my hand, giving me my sports bag as I unlock the combination.

"So, I was thinking..." Ryder smiles at me.

"Thinking's good." I smile back.

He laughs, a smooth yet happy laugh.
"Since we're dating now, we can maybe go to lunch together today, dinner tonight and call it a date?" He bites his lower lip in anticipation as I stare at him in slight shock.

A date?

I wouldn't know how to act on a date. I mean, it's probably nothing different like any other day. Just act myself, right? I mean, how hard can that be?

"Okay, yeah. That'd be great." I send him a full smile, feeling a slight flutter in my chest when he does the same.

"Great. I'll see you later, babe." He swoops down, giving me a sweet lingering kiss on my cheek.

Then, he sends me a flirty wink and one last smile before he's off and down the hall.

I smile with my hand over my kisses cheek, the giddy feeling bubbling inside me.

As I follow his retreating figure, my eyes meet painfully familiar green ones. The amount of anger, disgust, disapproval, and disappointment evidently shown on his face. His tightened jaw, furrowed brows, deep frown, dark eyes. His whole stance reads fury.

I gulp as his stare becomes more and more intense. Not being able to look away, I feel my knees begin to go weak. My breath caught in the back of my throat.
Shivers run up and down my spine. Goosebumps cover my skin.

And from what?
One look.

His look.

I feel like I'm about to just fall to the ground and never be able to get up until he looks away and walks right passed me. Not even giving me a second glance.

I feel my heart ache but I try to ignore it.

I can't worry about that anymore.
About him.

He's not mine, nor will he ever be mine.

Ryder is mine now. I have a boyfriend.

Wow. That's weird to say.

I have a boyfriend.

Who knew I would ever say that?