"What's going on Maverick?" she asked through gloss covered eyes. I huffed. I hated the position I was in. I would have to force her to take the oath of Omertà because that's the only way I'd be able to tell her everything.
"You are sworn by Omertà...
This kid was 6"1 with brown hair and hazel eyes. He had a muscular build but nothing compared to Maverick. Why am I comparing him to Maverick? I must be tired. "Hey hey hey chill chill chill," he said trying to make me shut up.
"You scared the shit out of me! Who even are you?"
He gave me a dazzling smile and said, "Hi. My name is Gryffin," as he stuck his hand for me to shake.
I gazed at him skeptically before I shook his hand reluctantly. "Alayah."
He sat down on the swing next to me. "You sing beautifully by the way."
I smiled and said, "So do you."
He scoffed. "Puh-lease I couldn't hold a torch to you," he said and we both laughed. "Are you new to the neighborhood?"
He scratched the back of his neck. "Is it that obvious?"
"No no no. It's just I've never seen you before."
He laughed at my perturbed behavior. "Yeah, I just moved here from Calfornia." I nodded my head enticed. "Why'd you move?" I asked. He was slightly swinging back and forth looking down at the floor. "My parents are opening up some businesses and are starting some new projects here so..." he said trailing off. I just nodded my head and it became silent. It was comfortable silence so I didn't mind.
"What's California like?"
He lit up like a Christmas tree and began talking about how amazing California is and how it's always sunny and the amazing beaches. He talked about his friends and his life back in California. I smiled at him and said, "California sounds incredible." He gave me a sad smile and looked down at the ground. "It is." I began to feel sad for him. "I can tell you miss it," I said softly. He just nodded and sighed.
"You'll be back soon enough."
He gave me a questioning look. I laughed and said, "When you graduate high school, you can go to college there."
He gave me a small smile and said, "Yeah. I guess you're right."
"How old are you?" I blurted out curiously. I instantly blushed and looked down at the ground. He laughed and said, "18. 19 in December. You?"
"17. 18 in December."
His mouth formed an 'O' and he turned back around and looked down at the ground. "What high school do you go to?" he asked.
"Storm Coast High. You?"
He smiled and said, "I'm enrolled there too!"
I smiled. "Look at you already makin' friends," I said excitedly and we both laughed.
"You're a senior right?" I asked and he said yeah. I smiled and said, "Yay! We might have some classes together!" He nodded his head excitedly. I looked at my phone and saw it was 5 o'clock already.
"Ya wanna go to the roller rink?" I asked.
"Definitely," he said.
We got up and walked out of the park and crossed the street. I gave him one of my headphones and we were now listening to SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK by Joji. We were both singing together and messing and jumping around. People were looking at me like we were crazy but we just kept on singing a laughing.
We finally made it to the skating rink and we paid the admission and skates fee. As I laced up my skates, Gryffin sat across from me and made no move to get skates nor put them on. "Are you going to skate?" I asked. He shook his head. "Why not?" I said in a bratty tone. This is why people think you're a brat Alayah. "I'm not trying to bust my ass today," he said sassily. I placed my hand over my heart and gasped dramatically. "Well excuse me."
He laughed as I finished putting on my skates. "So I'm guessing you don't know how to skate?"
He shook his head no.
"Omg let me teach you please please please!" I begged him.
"No, no, and double no," he said smiling sweetly before walking away. I rolled my eyes and skated towards him to catch up with him.
"Why'd you even come to the skating rink with me if you're not going to skate?" I questioned.
"I don't know I was bored. Now stop asking questions and go skate," he said while pushing me out into the rink.
I skated for about an hour bouncing and swaying to the songs that played. I was getting tired so I went back to the food stand Gryffin was sitting at slurping a cherry slushie and scrolling through his phone. I sat down next to him feeling a bit winded. I order a blueberry slushie and turned to Gryffin. "Did you see me?!" I asked like an excited kid asking their dad if he was watching them.
He looked at me confused still slurping his slushie before his eyes widened as he realized he was supposed to be watching me and nodded his head smiling.
"You were absolutely amazing!" he said in a convincing tone.
"Really what song was I just dancing to?"
"Fa..je..Passionfruit by Drake?"
"Omg, yeah!"
"Really?!"
"No!" I said laughing at him. "You're so dumb," I said while laughing. He rolled his eyes as he continued to scroll through his phone. "You've been looking at your phone this whole time that you didn't even notice the girl looking at you," I said nodding my head towards the girl near the gift shop stealing glances at him. He waved at her and turned back to me.
"Wanna know a secret?"
I looked at him confused but nodded my head. "I'm gay."
I started to choke on my blueberry slushies. "You're what?!"
"I'm gay. Please don't tell me you're a homophobe," he said groaning and rolling his eyes.
"No just shocked. Why didn't you tell me?!"
"I thought I was pretty obvious."
"Obviously not," I said.
He turned to me and laughing. "You totally almost just died choking on a slushie." I rolled my eyes and playfully hit his shoulder.
"Stop being a butt," I said.
He looked at me and said, "No Alayah. Say "ass" like a normal person. Come on say it with me now-"
I cut him off with my laughing and pleads for him to stop. I looked at my phone and it 6:30. "Hey, so I need to start going back home soon so you want to go to McDonald's before I go?" He said yeah and we start to walk back to the shoe rental booth and I handed in the skates and we left.
