Always Yours

I felt sick.

I hadn’t been able to concentrate at all. I got in trouble twice and ended up with a detention after school. My first ever detention. My mom was going to freak out.

I was freaking out.

I had never been in trouble before.

This was all Franko’s fault.

I grit my teeth as I snapped the pencil I was holding. I let him get inside my head and now I was getting myself into trouble. And yet I still couldn’t stop thinking about him.

His smile.

The way he smelled.

His big brown eyes.

A groan fell from my lips.

I was doomed.

“Aubrey”. Alice whispered from her seat behind me.

I ignored her. I didn’t need to get myself another detention. A sigh fell from my lips as the bell went signalling it was lunch.

I needed fresh air.

“Miss Taylor”.

I snapped my head up, my eyes landing on Mr Laird.

“Yes sir?”.

“I would like a moment before you leave my class”.

My mouth became dry. I was wracking my brain for anything I may have done wrong but came up with nothing. Mr Laird was a hard ass but I never had any issues with him.

I packed my bag quickly and made my way to the front of the class. I couldn’t afford to get into any more trouble. My parents would kill me, literally. All they asked is that I get good grades and I stay out of trouble.

This wasn’t staying out of trouble.

“Is-… have I done something wrong?”. Even my voice was shaky.

“Calm down Miss Stone. I want to praise you on your latest paper”.

My shoulders relaxed as I let out a deep breath. “Thank you I’m glad you enjoyed it”.

“Keep doing work like that and you’ll go far”.

I grinned. It was always nice being praised for my work. Especially when I worked so hard at keeping my grades good.

“Thanks sir”. I left the classroom; Alice was waiting by the door.

“I’m starving”. She looped her arm through mine. “What was that all about?”.

“Just my work”. We entered the cafeteria; I tried my hardest not to look for him. I shouldn’t even be thinking about him. “I’ll get us lunch; you find a seat”.

I should have known.

She found us a seat alight.

A seat with the person I was trying to avoid.

The table was packed full of people like always. There was no room for me to sit anywhere. A sigh fell from my lips as I stood awkwardly in the middle of the cafeteria staring like a weirdo.

“You can sit with me if you like?”.

I turned my head my eyes landing on Ben. He was in my maths class and quarterback for the football team. I don’t think I’ve ever spoken two words to him. Our paths never really crossed and I wasn’t much of a football fan.

I smiled. “Thank you but I have to take this”. I lifted the lunch tray. “To Alice”.

“That’s cool. The offers always open if you change your mind”.

He seemed nice enough. He was probably someone my parents would approve of. Someone I could probably take home and he not be chucked out of my house.

A good guy.

Walking the short distance to where Alice was, I placed the tray on the table in front of her. Still no available seats and I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable.

Franko wasn’t here.

“Thanks Aubrey”.

“Aubrey, you sit there”. Tommy pulled Alice from her chair and placed her on his lap. Her eyes widened, her face turning red. I wasn’t sure if I should say anything. I wasn’t even sure if she was breathing.

She had become totally besotted by him within a matter of days.

I kept my mouth shut and sat down. I was hungry and had already wasted some of my lunch break. I zoned out. The minute they started talking about parting and sex I grabbed my book from my bag and focused on that.

This wasn’t my scene. These people were nothing like me. I didn’t party, didn’t drink or smoke and sex, I hadn’t even thought about having sex. I had just turned sixteen a month ago. Sex had never crossed my mind.

“So, Aubrey”.

I lifted my head my eyes landing on the girl from the other night, the one from the diner. Cass, I think her name was but I wasn’t sure. I knew one thing though; she didn’t like me and she didn’t like that Franko was talking to me that night.

“Yeah?”. I frowned.

“Can I ask you something?”.

“I guess”. What could she possibly want to know? I was irrelevant to her and if this was about Franko, I would shoot her down. She was welcome to him.

“Have you fucked Franko yet?”.

The full table grew quiet and I grew extremely uncomfortable. What sort of question is that to ask someone you don’t know? What exactly was she up to? She liked Franko and had probably been with him but I was no threat to her.

I would never be with Franko in anyway.

“Of course, you haven’t”. She laughed. “You’re not his type”.

I was confused and had no idea where she was going with this. Was she expecting me to be annoyed with what she just said?

“Okay”. I made a face before diverting my attention back to my book.

I wasn’t sure what that was all about.

“We’re together just so you know”.

I shrugged. “Good for you”.

“He’s mine”.

A sigh fell from my lips as I closed my book and put it away. She wasn’t getting that I wasn’t interested. I got to my feet lifting my book bag. Maybe next time I will sit with Ben and his friends.

I’ll sit by myself if it means I don’t have to listen to this again.

“Stay away from him”.

“Oh, for god’s sake I’m not interested in him”. She was obsessed.

“Good”. She smirked. “Bye”.

I needed some air and to get away from that crazy girl.

I found myself sitting on the bleachers for the rest of lunch. Alice didn’t bother to follow, still too wrapped up in Tommy. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to see much of her anymore.

She had a boyfriend now. She didn’t care much for anything else. I guess your first boyfriend was a big thing. Not that I would know, not that I cared right enough. I wasn’t really interested in boys right now.

My main focus was finishing school and getting the hell out of here. I wanted to see the world and do big things. I wanted to make something of myself.

“Hey”.

Ben, again.

“Hi”. I smiled.

“Haven’t seen you here before”. He took a seat on the bench above me.

I shrugged. “Needed some air”.

“Do you want to come to the game on Friday?”. He asked.

Football didn’t interest me in the slightest but I guess it was better than sitting in the house by myself. Wait, was he asking me out on a date? I had never been on a date before.

Maybe it wasn’t a date.

“Aubrey?”.

“Like a date?”. I wanted the ground to swallow me up as soon as the words fell from my lips. That was meant to be an inside thought.

A chuckle fell from his lips. “Yes, a date”.

I chewed the inside of my cheek. There was nothing stopping me from saying yes and yet my head was screaming no.

“I’d like that”. I smiled.

“I’ll pick you up around 6 on Friday?”.

“You know where I live?”. I frowned.

He scratched the back of his head, looking anywhere but my face. “We live on the same street”.

We did?

“We do?”. I felt so embarrassed. How did I not know that?

“Have done for the last 4 years”.

Well shit.

“I have to go; I’ll see you Friday”.

“See you Friday”.

I still couldn’t believe we lived on the same street. How had I never noticed him before?

..

The rest of the day dragged. Biology was my last class; I love biology it was one of my favourite classes but today I couldn’t seem to concentrate. I had other things on my mind.

My first ever date and of course Franko.

He still popped around in there.

I hadn’t seen him since lunch and I couldn’t help but wonder where he was. Why did he skip the rest of school?

The bell signalled and I jumped. Too wrapped up in my head to notice it was home time. I had been zooned out most of the day.

“I believe you have to report to Mr Tennant?”. Mrs Kerr asked as I began to pack away my things.

Oh yeah. Detention. I forgot about that.

“You’re a straight A student Aubrey. How did you manage detention?”. She asked.

“I wasn’t listening”.

“And he gave you detention?”. She frowned.

“I may not have been listening for the majority of his class”. I chewed my bottom lip.

“That’s not like you at all. Are you okay?”.

“Just having an off day”. I shrugged.

Mr Tennant made me write an essay on how important it is to listen. A freaking essay. I wrote the biggest load of crap I could think off and I wouldn’t be surprised if it got me another detention tomorrow.

I had fifteen minutes left before I finally got to go home. It would probably take me longer to get home considering I had to take the bus.

“Times up”.

He was letting me leave early?

“You’re one of my top students Aubrey. I don’t want to see you in here again”.

He wasn’t going to. I fell of my game this morning and that wasn’t going to happen again.

“It won’t happen again sir”. I placed the essay on his desk only for him to take it and rip it up.

Seriously?

He grinned. “I hope not”.

I had never been in the school after hours before. It was weird to see the halls empty and everywhere so quiet. I pushed the double doors open and headed for the bus stop.

I never really thought this through.

I had never had to get the public bus before so I wasn’t sure what one to get on or what time it came at. I waited for over half an hour and no bus turned up. It was almost 5 o’clock and I had no idea how long it was going to take for me to walk home.

I needed a car and fast.

I crossed the road and began my journey home.

..

My shoes were killing my feet. I had been walking for what felt like hours. I had never had to walk home before either, it was taking me longer because I was distracted by everything around me.

The blast of a horn caught my attention.

It was a black truck I didn’t recognise. Maybe it wasn’t honking at me. As I started walking the truck turned around and was now on the same side as me.

My heartbeat quickened and just as I was about to run the horn went again.

“Aubrey”. The truck slowed down coming to a stop.

I had no idea who this man was.

Shades covered his eyes, heavily tattooed arms.

Big arms.

“You’re Aubrey, right?”.

I swallowed the lump that appeared in my throat. I couldn’t form any words. I’m pretty sure I had started shaking and I may or may not have just pee’d myself.

“Don’t be scared sweetheart. I’m Blue, you needing a ride?”.

Franko’s dad.

How did he know who I was?

“N-no I’m okay”.

“This ain’t really a neighbourhood you should be walking around in sweetheart. Let me take you home”.

It was then that I really looked around myself and noticed how run-down the area really was. Houses boarded up, rubbish everywhere. Graffiti covered walls. Maybe it was better if I let him take me home.

“Okay”.

I felt on edge and the silence was killing me but I was too scared to speak. I also didn’t know what to say.

“How the fuck did you end up out this way?”. He asked.

“I-… I had detention”.

“Shouldn’t be walking these streets darling. It’s not safe”.

“Okay”. That was noted.

“You mind if I stop by the clubhouse first before I drop you off?”.

The famous clubhouse.

“Okay”. It’s not like I could say no.

“Is that all you say?”. He chuckled.

“N-no”. I stuttered.

Another chuckle. “What’s going on between you and my boy?”.

“Nothing”.

My heart was racing. Why would he think something was going on with Franko and I? How did he even know who I was?

Did Franko talk about me with his family?

“We don’t even like each other”. I winced, those words weren’t meant to leave my mouth. “I mean-…”.

He laughed as the truck came to a stop. “Come inside darling, I won’t be long”.

Again it’s not as if I could say no.

Nobody was around except a few women. They all looked around my moms age, a few younger. I couldn’t help but take in everything around me.

They had a bar.

Pictures covered the walls, a juke box sat in the corner. Surprisingly it was really clean. I didn’t expect it to be clean inside.

“Damn they’re starting them young”.

Was she talking to me?

“How old are you sweetheart?”.

“Leave her be Ange she’s not a club girl”. Another lady stepped in front of me. Right away I knew she was Franko’s mom. They had the same eyes.

“I’m Maria sweetheart, you’re Aubrey?”. She pulled me in for a hug.

I froze.

I wasn’t expecting that.

She pulled back but didn’t let go, instead she placed her hands on my shoulders and just stared at me.

It was like her eyes were staring into my soul.

“I’m Franko’s mom”.

“Oh, is this Franko’s girl?”. Ange grinned. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you sweetheart. You can call me big Ange”.

What in the hell was going on?

How did I get myself into this mess?

I had to get home.

I was starting to feel overwhelmed. My aim was to avoid Franko, not meet his mom. Who by the way seemed lovely. But still I couldn’t be here, I couldn’t be around this.

I was definitely going to be grounded for life.

“I-… I have to get home”.

..

True to his word Blue dropped me home safe and sound. I couldn’t wait to shower and go to bed. I was exhausted. Today had been an interesting day to say the least.

I was glad my parents decided to work late tonight. I could only imagine what would have happened if they didn’t. I showered and changed quickly before collapsing onto my bed. Food could wait, I wanted to nap.

I napped alright. When I woke it was dark outside. Rubbing at my eyes a groan fell from my lips when I glanced at my alarm clock. It was eleven o’clock. I was going to regret that nap tomorrow.

Tap

Tap

I frowned. What was that?

Tap

I pushed my covers off and got out of bed. Pushing back my curtain I peeked out my blind, my face fell. He couldn’t be here. Not now, not ever and especially not at this time of night.

Another tap.

Was he throwing stones at my window?

Being as quiet as I could so as not to wake my parents, I made my way downstairs. I unlocked the door and stepped outside. If I got caught, I was done for.

“What are you doing here?”. I whispered.

“The fuck happened to our date?”.

“Shhh”. I hissed. “Go home”. I wasn’t in the mood for him right now and I certainly wasn’t going to stand on my doorstep arguing with him.

“You’re a real bitch, you know that”.

My face fell. Why did his words hurt me? Why did I even care? This was the perfect opportunity for him to leave me alone. That’s what I wanted, for him to leave me alone.

“I fell asleep”.

“Yeah right”.

“It’s the truth. I got detention so I missed my ride home. Waited for the bus but it didn’t show”. I don’t know why I was telling him this or why I felt the need to explain myself.

“You got detention?”. He smirked.

“Yes because of fucking you”. I glared.

“Oh, she swears. What else does little Aubrey do?”.

I hated his snugness and I wanted to wipe it from his face. Why was I entertaining this? I wonder if he knows I met his mom and his dad gave me a ride home or that I had been in the clubhouse?

“You need to leave”.

“Not till you let me take you out”.

“Franko” …

“One date specs”.

“No now goodnight”.

I wouldn’t give in. Not now, not ever.