One night.
That's all it took for August's life to turn from the girl everybody wanted to be, into the pile of shit dog owners refuse to pick up.
She had the perfect life.
Dating her best friend since childhood.
Straight A student, guaranteeing her...
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"I look like shit." I deadpan, looking at myself in the sun visor.
My hair falls flat against my head and my makeup looks like a three year old had too much fun drawing with a crayon. A completely different girl was staring back at me from the one that stood next to Aliyah earlier today.
And don't even get me started on the shirt.
She would kill me if she could see it right now, wet and covered in stains.
"Not gonna lie," he says looking me over, his eyes twinkling with mischief, "you do look pretty awful."
"I thought you said I looked cute?" I ask, fluttering my eyelashes, while giving him my best pageant winning smile.
"When you're mad," he corrected, giving me a cheeky grin. "Right now you look awful."
"Didn't you say you were gonna be a gentleman?" I huff, putting the sun-visor away, while trying to hide the smile creeping onto my face.
I had to admit to myself that he wasn't completely terrible company.
He was, without a freaking doubt, an incredibly good looking guy. I mean, if the rugged tattooed look didn't lure you in, his smile definitely would.
And the two dimples that tied everything together.
Ugh, why did he have to be HER brother?
Are there any attractive guys out here who aren't, in some way, affiliated to her, or does she feel the need to take them all?
Because, in my opinion, that's just fucking selfish.
"One second," he says, while stopping at a red light. He reaches to the back seat, the sound of a zipper joining the music from the radio, only for him to pull out a folded towel. "Is this chivalrous enough for you?"
"It's a start," I say, taking the fluffy towel in my hands. I pass it through my hair and jeans, trying to soak up as much of the water as possible, but fail miserably. "So, how does it feel picking up a stranger from the side of the road?"
"How does it feel accepting a ride from one?"
"A lot better than walking," I answer truthfully, earning a soft chuckle from him. "Are you ever gonna tell me your name, or are you gonna make me guess?" I ask, looking in his direction. "And, trust me, my guesses aren't typically nice."
His lip quirks up, but takes a moment to reply.
"Ian" He looks over to me as we stop at another red light. "You really don't remember me, huh."
I can feel his eyes analyzing me as he waits for my answer, making me feel warm in spite of my wet clothes.
I like to think that I'm good with faces, but, for some reason, his I couldn't place. "Nope. Am I suppose to?"
He laughs showing his full set of teeth, making me even more confused. Had we been best friends in an alternate universe?
Or am I replacing Rachel McAdams in a spin off of the Vow.
"We've only been backyard neighbors for the past six years, excluding this past year, of course," he adds.
I vaguely remember a boy with shaggy hair, but what I do clearly remember is how said boy liked to feed my barbie dolls to his canine beast.
I can't even count the times I ran inside crying when a new doll would 'disappear'. It wasn't until I looked over the fence that I noticed my chewed up barbie tied to a large stick that I knew who the culprit had been.
"You're Sid?" I asked, my eyes practically bugging out of my face, while watching his face turn into the one of confusion.
"What?" he asks, amused over my reaction.
"You know..." I trial off hoping I don't have to explain my nickname for him. "Sid, the kid from Toy Story. He takes the toys and messes with them..."
"Out of everything, that's who I reminded you of?" he laughs, pulling forward when the light turns green. "Well, at least you got the number of letters right."
"You owe me so many dolls," I laugh, shaking my head. "I, uh, never noticed any girls running around your backyard." I say, after a couple of seconds of silence.
"Emily moved in with us last year." He says, knowing what I was asking. "When our parents split, she chose to go with our mom and I chose to stay with our dad."
"Oh." I say, for a lack of a better word. Way to make things awkward, August. "Have we been going to the same schools?" I ask, trying to switch the topic back to a safer zone. "I don't remember having any classes with you."
There's a long pause, making me wonder if he heard me, or maybe he was just enjoying watching me squirm.
"You were a bit preoccupied."
He's obviously referring to Aiden, but I still can't get over the fact I might have passed him on a daily and never took a second look. "But you noticed me?"
"You're kind of had to miss."
My cheeks flash red and I have to look towards the blurring shops outside to window, to regain some of my composure. "You're making me regret the fact that you're not a serial killer."
He shakes his head at my sarcasm, a ghost of a smile still lining his lips.
Out of all the different things this night could have turned into, this has to be the most unpredictable.
Me.
In a car.
With her brother.
And blushing for goodness sake.
Everything coming together to make me wish I had listened to my gut about spending my night with Ben and Jerry or maybe some good Chinese takeout.
Instead of my current state.
Cold, tired, and hungry.
I don't know what possessed me to go out tonight.
Well, I do... my mom.
"Are you hungry?" he asks, as if reading my mind.
"Starving, actually," I sigh, thankful for the change in subject, "but I'm not exactly dressed for food right now," I say, gesturing towards the droplets still traveling down my hair.
"I didn't peg you as the type to care about a little bit of water," he smirks, challenging me to take the bait.
A huge warning sign flashes in the back of my mind, spelling out 'Don't do it' in big neon letters, but I can't help but feel the need to shove them even further back.
