6. Liar
Chapter Six
LIAR
I didn’t have a class. I had an hour spent curled up in the back of my Camaro resting up for my next class.
I liked Nix, the brute, the champion. He wasn’t as self-absorbed as you’d expect someone that pretty to be.
I’d seen the nerd waiting for him, and the guy was a walking punching bag.
He needed some self-defense skills and confidence, and like a champion, Nix stepped in to save the day.
Not a lot of people had time for that. I’d expected Stina the Vile to derail him after class, but he had an appointment with a geek to get root beers and didn’t have time for a hayride.
Also, he was interested in me, but once I said no, he backed off like he really would just be friends with me if that’s what I wanted. I could count on one finger the other guys I’d met like that. I pulled out my phone and checked my messages. The last one was a week ago, a zombie emoji.
I texted Beastie.
First day of classes are a riot. Stina of the perfect breasts says hello. Also, I’m going to the bowl later if you want to show up.
I sent it and grabbed a bottle with particularly nice pills. I took two and then drank some water. He hadn’t gone boarding with me for so long. I mostly hadn’t gone, just played around the house when my aunt wasn’t around to tell me to take it outside.
He didn’t take long to respond. Maybe I will.
I sat up. Then I’d have to go. I texted quickly. It will be boring.
His response was almost immediate. Nothing with you is ever boring.
What was that supposed to mean? Did I want to pick a fight? Kind of, but he’d win. He always won, because he wasn’t dying, and I was. He had no problem pointing out that fact when I got too cocky. At least he was texting me. Thanks. What are you doing?
Texting. You?
Curling up in my back seat popping pills. You should join me, or your friend, Trevor, the addict. Do you think we’d all fit? Now that sounds like a party.
You should rest.
I scowled at that last text. That meant that he wasn’t going to text me anymore for a week. But if he was actually going to be at the bowl, then I should rest up for it. There was nothing better than boarding with Beastie.
I was a little bit unsteady when I showed up with my board, helmet and pads at the bowl, or the local skate park with its huge central divot.
On a Tuesday afternoon, it wasn’t packed, but there was a good crowd.
I’d already spent a lot of energy today, but life’s too short not to take some sweetness when you can, and skateboarding into the sunset was as sweet as it got.
“You made it!” Bea crowed, holding out her arms for a big hug.
Huggers were great, they just always left me bruised. “Yeah, I figured I should show up Bosky on his turf after he insulted me today.”
She grabbed me into a too-tight hug before pulling away.
“Did he insult you? It’s the push-up bra thing.
He’ll never forgive you for that bet you made, but it is one of my favorite memories, him skating around the block in your bra and singing that song.
Ah. Good times. I still have it as my phone’s home page. ”
I grinned at her. “It was pretty awesome. I can’t believe he actually did it.”
“He had to when you won the bet, or Beastie would have…” She trailed off and gave me an awkward smile.
“He’s not as scary as he looks.” That wasn’t exactly a lie because he was probably fifty times scarier than he looked. He didn’t look that scary.
“Sure. He’s sweet as pie as long as no one looks twice at his girl. I mean that in a totally platonic way, because everyone knows that the two of you are just friends, only friends, and nothing more than friends until the day you die.” She rolled her eyes and sighed heavily.
I adjusted my elbow pad. “See you on the other side. It’s fly or die time.
” I parked my board on the edge and then let go.
I forgot about everything when I was caught between that moment of lift and weight, and I never got tired of it.
With the whole crew there, Bosky acted cool, giving me nods when I landed a perfect trick like it was all him.
It was hilarious, or that may have been my meds.
I felt almost good until the very last loft in the sunset.
Not so good when I came down and my legs went out.
I recovered, but it was a sign that the fun was over. Too bad good things always had to end.
“I’m done,” I said, hauling myself and my board up the lip.
“You’re taking off already?” Bea asked, holding an arm out for a hug. Seriously. She was going to give me internal bleeding one of these days.
“You wanna get something to eat?” Bosky asked with a smile that was almost respectful. Weird.
“I wouldn’t want to cut your ride short. I’m going straight home, heat up some leftover pizza and get started on my essay.” Yeah right. I’d eat salad after I’d blended it with some fruit.
“Why don’t I keep you company on your ride home?” he asked with another smile like that, weird.
“Really? You’ll escort me home like a parole officer?”
He licked his lips, glanced back at the other skaters then shrugged and put down his board, gliding a few feet in the direction of my street. This was him not taking no for an answer, but it was only Bosky.
I sighed and headed after him. It wasn’t bad for two blocks, because he didn’t say anything, we just rode in companionable silence through the darkening streets with the lights coming on one by one.
“I haven’t seen your man around all summer. He didn’t come tonight, either.”
“He’s been working.” And he wasn’t my man, because I didn’t have or need one of those.
“You were on tonight, every landing tight, every lift perfect. Remind me why you don’t compete.”
“It takes the fun out of it. It’s not about other people, it’s about me. I guess I’m just selfish with my boarding. You placed this summer, right?”
“Sure. I get that you’re saving yourself for your Beastie boy, but I really don’t think he’s ever going to want more than friendship with you, and you deserve so much more.”
Mm hm. Here we go, the fun ride that you can’t ever get off.
“You can’t blame me. He is completely perfect.
” That usually helped derail the most boring conversation I’d ever heard over and over and over again.
It wasn’t true, though. Beastie was a psychopath, totally imperfect, but that suited me, well, perfectly.
“Yeah, I get the appeal, but maybe you can try getting with someone else. Maybe he’ll get jealous and really notice you that way.”
I laughed. That was funny. Beastie was protective of me, but not jealous.
He’d tried to set me up with every rich snob he was friends with, and they were all as messed up as him.
I didn’t like them as much, probably because we just didn’t have the history.
“That’s a great idea, but I don’t think it would work.
You know his temper. If he was jealous, I’d worry about the guy. ”
He slowed down and blocked my board so it bumped against his and I was left standing way too close to him.
He had a lot of really poorly doodled tattoos on his left arm, done by his truly.
I kind of liked it. It suited him. He wasn’t a bad guy, and maybe in another world where I wasn’t going to die, I’d totally fall for him.
We did have boarding in common, and if I didn’t have to always be careful not to collapse in the bowl with everyone watching, we could have had a lot of fun.
“You don’t have to worry about the guy. He can take care of himself.” He gently cupped my cheek and leaned in for a kiss. I was so shocked, I didn’t even move, at least not until the car jumped the curb and almost killed us.
I leapt back, and so did Bosko, leaving our boards to get crunched under the tires of the very expensive and ostentatious car. It was silvery blue, and it had run over one of my favorite boards.
“What the hell, man?” Bosco yelled, arms raised as he went back towards the car.
If this was my Beastie, I was going to give him the longest lecture he’d ever heard in his life.
I followed Bosco towards the driver’s side, then stopped abruptly when I saw the dark hair, slicked back above tan forehead, pointlessly expensive sunglasses over blue eyes that knew how to stare at you until your skin crawled.
I took a step away, glanced at my skateboard and then in the other direction, only to see two other cars, neither quite as ridiculous as Michael’s, pull up at the curb, almost like they were blocking my exit in that direction. There was still the park behind me. I was very good at climbing trees.
No, I was being ridiculous. Michael wasn’t going to chase me into a park with his goons and thugs.
“You smashed our boards,” I said, smiling sweetly. “I’m sure it was unintentional, but it leaves us without transportation. I guess you’ll just have to give us your car.”
Michael laughed and took off his sunglasses, coming towards me with arms outstretched. “It is yours, ma cheri, for the price of a kiss.”
“I have a boyfriend, and the car would be in exchange for my board. The kiss wouldn’t be worth it for you. Trust me on this.”
Bosko shot me a look. Was I going to pin the title of boyfriend on him and hope he ran with it? No. Bosko was a nice guy, and nice guys were not the kind you used as defense against psychopaths like Michael. That’s what other psychopaths were for. Where was Beastie? He’d said that he’d be here.
“You want me to trust you?” Michael looked at me for a long time, that deceptively charming smile playing on his perfect mouth. He knew that I was a liar, he just wasn’t sure about what.
“I want you to not have run over my board. What were you thinking?” I kept my voice light, teasing, but my heart was pounding.
“I was thinking that this person was about to kiss you. If he’s someone you’re interested in, then you don’t have another boyfriend, and are available to date me.”