Page 46 of Five Summers

My face bursts into a wide smile. Had someone told me a month ago that I would end up befriending Poppy Reeves, and desperately want to fuck her, I would have told them to give me some of the good shit they were smoking. But here we are. My dick’s already curious with want, wondering how good it will feel when I finally get to sink into her. But then I remember she's a virgin and that's not my scene.

Screw this shit. I stand up, grab my bag from the ground, and slip my phone into my pocket. Leaving all those fuckheads behind, I head over to where Poppy is leaning against the wall. Her large sunglasses shield her eyes, making it impossible to gauge her reaction to my approach.

I casually toss my bag onto the ground and take a seat beside her, paying no attention to the curious onlookers. It has always puzzled me why people feel the need to watch me. Maybe they can sense the vulnerability I carry as a child from a broken home. Regardless, I’ve become skilled at protecting that part of my life.

There are only two people I’ve ever confided in and who truly understand the challenges I face in my life: Ace and the girl sitting beside me. Lately, I found the strength to open up to her, revealing things that I have kept hidden from everyone, even from Ace. It was something I thought I had to do, considering she had bravely shared her own experiences with her father. She never judged me or looked at me differently that night when I told her. She had been vulnerable in her words so I thought I might as well do the same.

When she spilled all that about her dad, I didn't know what to do with what she told me. I think because the pain she felt resonated deeply within me, as I had gone through similar feelings for years following the loss of my mother. And then I tried to distract myself from the intense emotions she evoked when I heard her story. That's why I asked her to play that song she wrote with her dad. But I fucked up with it too, because I almost did something completely unexpected - I almost kissed her… again.

When she sang that same night, I felt myself losing control. Her vulnerability in her singing, the rawness of it all, made my walls come down. Thank fuck, Ace’s text brought me back to reality, preventing me from making a foolish mistake. I've never had a girlfriend and I'm not interested in having one. That's why I don't kiss, I don't want a girl thinking I'm theirs. That night, I almost messed up big time by giving in to temptation and kissing her again. Instead of having a conversation with her and letting her know we can only be friends, I just ran away. It scared me. She scares me. Whenever I'm with her, she makes me feel things I shouldn't. Emotions I've never felt before. No way I'm gonna let anyone, especially not some chick, come before me, and my dream. And then, the next night she completely ignored me.

Normally, I couldn’t give a shit, but that night felt different. She displayed strength and showed that she deserved betterthan what I had done. That’s what I truly admire about Poppy. She’s strong and incredibly stubborn. She stands up for herself. So, as a token of appreciation for her honesty with me, I opened up and shared my story about my mom.

“People will see you,” Poppy says, staring straight ahead.

“So let them. I don’t fucking care.”

“I feel terrible,” she says.

“Well, I did warn you to take it easy last night, but you didn’t listen. What did you have for breakfast this morning?”

“Nothing.”

“Well, that's the fucking problem.”

“My mom flipped when she found me on the couch.”

“Come on,” I say, standing up, I hold my hand out towards her. “Let’s go.”

She grabs my hand and I help her get to her feet.

“Where are we going?” she asks, looking up at me from behind those ridiculous oversized sunglasses.

“You need a greasy burger to help with the hangover.”

“Ugh, I really don’t think I can handle a greasy burger.”

“Trust me, Princess, it’ll fix it. Ace gave me twenty bucks this morning, so it’ll be my treat for once.”

“No, I’ll pay. You might need to save the money.”

“What the fuck have I said about pitying me,” I retort sharply. “I already told you to stop with that shit. I’m paying.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I see your lips moving, but all I hear is blah, blah, blah,” she says,adjusting her sunglasses and retrieving her bag from off the ground.

I can’t help but smirk at her response. While most girls seek my approval, Poppy consistently challenges me and refuses to conform.

Poppy leads the way, walking a bit ahead of me, as we make our way towards the school car park. I can't help but stare at her, checking her out, as she walks to her crappy green car.

Chapter sixteen

Xander

The car stereo blares “Zombie” by the Cranberries. Despite this old shit box only having a tape deck, it’s still going strong. It’s surprising to discover that Poppy is into alternative rock - who would have guessed? It makes me curious if her dad was the owner of the tape. I wish I had the chance to meet him; it would have been amazing.

“Take a right up ahead,” I say, motioning towards the street up ahead.

As my phone lights up, I quickly glance down to see a text from Ace.

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