(1) Talk Me Down: An All Time Low Fanfiction Romance

Chapter 38: Golfing

        I would have thought that after the conversation with Rian in the car the night we had dinner with his parents, that he would have been distant, or somewhat reluctant to see me. We both knew that we had a friendship that was a secret, and a relationship that would never happen. By the way Rian answered me in the car, we both knew our feelings and what couldn't occur between us.

        Rian continued to text me, even more than before, actually. He even called me on the phone two nights ago, just beause he wanted to. No one has ever done that, called me because they just wanted to sit on the phone with me, not even Nolan.

        Now I was stepping out of Rian's car, watching the world turn dark over the trees somewhere in Baltimore. We pulled into a parking lot that had a 7-11, laundry matt, and a liquor store in it. It was off on an intersection, but by the shape of the lot and lack of cars, it was either near closing time or it rarely got business.

        "What are we doing here?" I asked Rian, looking over the top of his car to see his head appear. It was close to eight-thirty. By the looks of service in all three stores, the shops were closing. No one seemed to notice as Rian, and Alex stuck their cars around back. Rian didn't answer me, only smiling and shrugging once like he didn't know himself.

        "Zack, your turn to carry the bucket," Rian called out as Jack and Zack got out of Alex's beat up old Subaru. Zack's face turned sour, rolling his eyes at the thought while Jack skipped giddily to the trunk. Alex shoved his keys into it, twisting and letting it pop open. Rian shut the door, waiting patiently for me as I made my way around, hooking his fingers through mine without having to think twice.

        Even if things were too complicated for us to daye, I didn't deny his hand searching for mine, tensing in a light squeeze when he found my fingers. My heart sped up immensely, and I couldn't wipe the smirk off my face. I took a step closer to Rian's side, not minding the closeness.

        "What I'd give to hit Mr. Gannon in the head with one of these," Alelx sighed at the thought. I rolled my eye as he pulled out a golf club. My eyebrows knit together instantly, squinting in the darkness to the trunk of ratty clubs and a bucket of golf balls.

        Golfing, in the back of a store?

        "What are we doing?" I finally asked, peering past Rian's shoulder, leaning my weight on him. He looked over his shoulder at me, a beautifully white smile visible on his mouth.

        "Golfing," Jack said. I raised my eyebrow at him while he passed me an old golf club. I took it with my free hand, looking it over quietly. "Now that you and Rian are doing it, you're one of us."

        I felt my cheeks turn a shade of red, ducking my head on Rian's shoulder in embarrassment. I felt Rian's body shift, a small thud, and Jack whining in protest. "Don't be a douche, jackass." I couldn't help but laugh lightly into Rian's sweatshirt, taking in the sweet scent lingering on it.

        I couldn't help but like the way it sounded for me to be a part of their group, to be one of them. I tried to shake the feeling from my head. I didn't want to get too attached. Veronica and the girls could find out in a second and it would ruin everything I have with them.

        "Yeah, Jack we all know Rian doesn't have the skill to get a girl as hot as Kara in bed already," Alex laughed while passing Rian a club after shifting a few of the extras. I cringed at the thought, rolling my eyes at Alex once again.

        "I'm sorry," Rian's breath was in my ear, cheek touching mine softly. I shrugged once, trying to swallow the spit in my mouth while realizing how close we were again. Rian's lips brushed my temple, and an electric shock ran through all the way to my fingertips. If elt like a middle school girl with her first crush. I'm never nervous around boys like this.

        Alex shut the trunk of his car, and I decided  not to ask any more questions. I watched Zack lift the bucket of balls, walking over to the side of the building, mostly under the 7-11, next to a large dumpster that reached up 2/3's of the old brick wall. Zack placed the bucket on top of the trash can before scaling it with ease, liftin ghis body over the side of the building.

        I felt my eyes go wide while watching Jack and Alex both follow with ease. I stood still at Rian's side after approaching the building, trying to mentally prepare myself for this. I didn't question what they were doing, because for some reason, this seemed normal for a group of guys like them.

        So instead, Rian took our clubs before proceeding to hop up onto the dumpster with such ease that I was sure I would never be able to look that graceful. Before I even attempted, Rian was holding his hands down for me, waiting with a small smile. I smirked up to him, taking his hands and allowing him to pull me up the side of the container. Our bodies were close together because of his arms around me, making sure I wouldn't fall backwards. His breath was on my forehead, and I couldn't help but turn my head to the side, cheeks flaming.

        This continued to the top of the building, when he pulled me up again, fingers tingling against my hipbones. He allowed them to linger for a moment before pulling away slowly, reaching to the ground and handing me my club. I smiled at him slightly, watching him give me a half smile before turning towards the boys who were already setting up five balls on the ledge of the building. It only took an idiot idiot to not realize what they were doing.

        "Have you guys gotten in trouble before?" I felt the cold air niping at my neck, finally noticing how cold it was. I never seemed to notice when Rian was close to me, I always felt like I was on fire.

        "Nope, the owner already took off," Zack answered with ease, taking a swing at the ball in front of him. It took off into the parking lot, lost without a trace. He let out a deep breath, like he was in pain before he finally got to hit that ball.

        "Come on, it feels good," Rian murmured at my side, walking over to the empty spaces with two balls. Jack set up for his swing, missing the first time. He let out a small hiss before mumbling quietly.

        "That's what she said."

        I rolled my eyes at him, smiling lightly while Rian stood to my left, Alex to my right, then Jack and Zack on the end. The dim lights in the parking lot were crappy, and didn't help spotting where the ball went.

        "I really fucking hate school," Alex groaned, taking a swing at his ball, watching it soar into the air and out of sight. I watched them closely, not bothering to hit my ball because of how interesting it was to understand what they were doing up here.

        "I really just need to get laid," Jack pulled back, and smashed the black ball into the abyss. Then I understood, it was venting. This is where they'd complain about all their problems. I blew on my hands, hoping to keep their warm.

        "I wish I didn't have to go to Towson," Zack said quckly, hitting another ball.

        "I wish things weren't so fucking complicated," Rian muttered quietly, and I felt my gaze shift to him, wondering if that was intended for me or not. I bit my lip, turning back to the ball, unsure if it was a good or bad thing if it was related to me. I shook the feeling, not wanting to think about it anymore.

        I finally set up my stance, remembering the golfing lessons that my grandfather paid for for Brenda and I to take when we were younger. I let out a breath, closing my eyes and thinking about something to really complain about, something eating at my insides.

        "I'm scared of what Veronica says about me behind my back," I said softly, letting my shoulder drop, letting the ball sail smoothly into the dark pavement. And for once, I felt better. I felt like my lungs were as tight, my heart wasn't as constriced. No one questioned what I was feeling, the boys continuing to hit around me, moaning about grades, girls that wouldn't stop texting them, and teachers that didn't understand anything.

        The pent up anger in my body diminished within the next half an hour of smacking the golf balls into the parking lot of the beat up old plaza. It didn't bother me so much, the grip on my club was a little looser, I was less rigid.

        My eyes wandered over my shoulder to Rian, who I could faintly see, giving a large, brilliant smile. I felt my cheeks turn warm again, turning back to hitting the ball freely, breathing deeper, mind clear. I couldn't help but realize that Rian helped me feel better in one hour together than Veronica had in an almost an entire lifetime of being friends.