Chapter 3

Briar's perspective.

Chapter 3: Briar

Lunch. Probably the best part of school, mainly because we get off-campus lunch, so we get to get away from the prison. But lunch is better today, or should I say surprising, because not only did I just find out that Aaron goes to school with me, but he also just invited to lunch with him. Of course, I said yes, and now we’re walking to his car�"well, truck.

But something isn’t right. There are three guys standing right there, and there is also a girl who is making out with one of the guys. Oh jeez. Well, I don’t have anything against them, but I’m just a little… nervous, if that’s the right word.

“Sorry,” says Aaron as we get near the truck, “I forgot to tell you that my friends are also coming with.”

“Oh, don’t be sorry,” I say, “It’s all good. It’s fine. I’m sure it’d be a pleasure to meet them.”

I look at him and he smiles. His lips are the perfect color, and they look so smooth. His eyes look just like they did at Baskin Robbins, which is a good thing because they’re just so perfect, unlike mine. Well, personally, I’ve always liked blue eyes. They’re my top favorite besides green. I just don’t like my eyes�"I think they’re too plain and unappealing.

“Aye, fools!” Aaron shouts when we finally get to his black truck. “My friend Briar is coming with us.”

“Who’s Briar?” one of the guys responds. That guy doesn’t have long hair; in fact, I would mistake him for bald if I hadn’t already seen his fade haircut. He has tan skin and broad arms.

“This is Briar, fool,” Aaron touches my shoulder. Oh God.

“What’s up, Briar?” the guy says. I just smile and simply say, “Hi.” God, why am I such an idiot? I don’t even fit with this people. I’m more like an outcast. However, I really don’t mind that because I’m already an outcast anyway. I don’t really have friends, and I hardly talk to anyone. So I’m pretty much used to this.

Afterwards, we get into the truck and finally leave. I’m quiet for most of the time. I’m also cramped up in the backseat with the guy and the girl, and that other guy (not the one who greeted me, he has shotgun.)

We arrive to this restaurant I’ve never been to. The place is called Stomach Filler. What an original name. We get off the truck, wait for a while in line which isn’t that long, surprisingly, and once Aaron and everybody else has paid for their meal, I’m the only one left. But something else happens, something I honestly didn’t expect. Aaron comes back and pays for my meal! He just paid for my freaking meal! What the heck?! No, now I feel bad. Ugh. He bought me ice cream three days ago, and now he’s paying for me food.

“Aaron,” I say when we start walking to our table, “You really didn’t have to do that.”

“But I did,” he says, “And I didn’t do it to please you or anything. I did it because I’m a good friend.”

I realize that he has called me his “friend” twice today. I’m not sure if I should be excited or confused. Maybe both? But either way, I’m thankful because at least I know that he’s my friend, sort of�"if not a friend, an acquaintance.

~

“That’s why I hate that b***h,” the girl says, the girl who’s with the guy. Her name turned out to be Brenda, and the guy’s name is Pablo. They’re so… sexual together, even in public! I mean, I’m not trying to complain but that’s the good part of staying quiet. You get to see people’s character better, and you get to know them mentally.

“Man, you hate everyone though,” the other guy�"Kris is his name�"says as he takes a bite out of his burrito.

“Shut up,” Brenda says, “I can judge whoever I want. It’s called freedom, right?”

Sometimes I have the urge to speak up and let some people know how I truly feel about them or feel about whatever situation they’re talking about, but then I realize that it’s best to keep my mouth shut. It’s for the better.

“You’re always right, Babe,” Pablo says as he plants a kiss on Brenda. God, they should really go somewhere and get some privacy, because I can even hear their sloppy and wet kiss.

“So Aaron,” Kris says, “Where the b*****s at?”

That’s when I stop eating and don’t make any movement. Kris is actually sitting next to me. He’s in the middle and Aaron is across from him. The table is rectangle with four seats on each side.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Aaron says�"this is the first time I’ve heard him cuss.

“Who’s your b***h of the week?” Kris goes on. By the look on Aaron’s face, I can tell that he’s hiding something. I can tell that maybe he’s trying too hard on something that he’s trying to cover up, or maybe trying to change something. I have no idea.

“I don’t have b*****s,” he says, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“N***a, shut ‘yo b***h a*s up,” Kris says, “That’s all you ever talk about.”

“Why don’t you just shut the f**k up?” Aaron says with kind of a scary tone. We exchange glances before he says, “Let’s go.”

Nobody says anything but we all get out of the restaurant and into his truck. Not one person says a word; besides, he has the music on full blast. I look at Kris (he’s next to me) and I’m afraid he’ll hurt me by just staring at him. His expression just looks demonic. I know I’m over-exaggerating.

When we get back to school, we still have twenty minutes of lunch. Everyone else gets out but Paul and, weirdly, me.

“Dude,” Paul says. He’s still in the passenger’s seat. “What the hell was that at the restaurant?”

“Well f**k, he f*****g pisses the s**t out of me,” Aaron says. I feel like he’s cussing too much, but I don’t blame him.

“Well, isn’t it true though?” Paul says and that’s when Aaron is fed up by the way he says, “Get the f**k out now!”

Paul just shakes his head and doesn’t hesitate to get off, but before he can slam the door, he says, “Quit being such a t***y-baby,” and then he slams the door. Aaron startles me when he slams his head on the stirring wheel. I quickly get out of the truck and go back in but on the passenger’s seat. Something is telling me that I should just leave and give him some alone time. But at the same time, something else is telling me that he probably needs me right now.

“What are you still doing here?” he says, his face still against the wheel.

“Oh I’m sorry, I’ll leave,” I say, only for him to nicely grab my arm before I get out.

“Wait, I didn’t mean it that way,” he says, “Stay with me?”

After a moment, I nod and shut the door. God, it’s hot, but I don’t mind. I notice that we always have these awkward silences, and despite the fact that they’re uncomfortable, I sort of like them. Ugh, I’m being too forward.

“Again, I didn’t mean it that way, so don’t take it the wrong way,” he starts speaking again. His face is finally off the stirring wheel but now he has his head leaned back against the seat. His Adam’s apple pops out and moves a little. “I meant: why are you still here? Didn’t I scare you?”

“No,” I say, still looking at his Adam’s apple. Jeez, he looks so cute in this position.

He looks at me and says, “But I was cussing my dumbass mouth off. See, there I did it again.”

“I-I don’t mind,” I say even though it wasn’t fully the truth.

“Briar, we both know you don’t hang out with people like me,” he says, “You’re all this and that, and I’m just… I’m just a jackass.”

“No, you’re not,” I say, “If anything, you’re the opposite of that. I mean, I’m the lonely girl and you’re the cute�"I mean, cool guy with all the friends and stuff.”

He looks at me again. “What? Briar, you don’t have any friends?”

I think I just turned him off. Well, ha, he wasn’t even turned on by me anyway so I’m worrying about nothing here.

“No,” I quietly say and look down. Perhaps that was my opening, because as I keep looking down, I feel his soft hand nicely grabbing my chin, lifting my head up. Oh God, oh God. I look up and his face is right in front of me. Our eyes are connected and his look ever better from close-up. I bite my lip as I look at his lips, and he also has the perfect jawline… Man, God sure did create such a beautiful young man.

Again, there’s another moment of silence before he finishes the conversation saying, “You can have me in your life.”

Author's Note

Third chapter. Please leave any comments:)