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AFTER class, I head over to the car park and wait for Dean to take us home. Parker walks over and sits next to me. Her blonde hair is flowing in the breeze. Dakota’s words float around in my head. They float together with his scents and the tingly feeling I felt up my arm when he touched me.
‘Where were you at lunch?’ she nudges my shoulder, breaking my Dakota-trance.
I shrug one shoulder. ‘I had to finish something for Ms Tate.’
‘Jess ... was all over the new guy.’ Great, now Jess thinks she has Dakota, and she thinks this after Dakota has practically said he’s interested in me.
I wriggle my nose. ‘Didn’t take her long.’ I mutter.
‘I know.’ Parker rolls her eyes. ‘Your bruises don’t look as bad.’ She looks at my arm, that have the red indents where Dakota’s fingers held my arm.
‘As long as the school hasn't noticed them. I won’t.’
I cross my legs over the other.
‘Oh, God. Does she have to wait with us?’ Parker scoffs.
I look over Parker’s shoulder to see who she is talking about. Raybaby struts over to Dean’s SUV. Her skirt flips with the sway of her hips. Raybaby folds her arms and does her bitch stance.
‘Peta.’ Her squeaky voice spits out venom as she purposely mispronounces Parker’s name. ‘Why do you need a ride? Isn’t your dad like the chief of police in Butler? Maybe if he didn’t fucking chase my dad around all the time, he would be here to pick you up,’ she continues.
Parker winces, as she stands up and starts walking in the direction of home, Butler.
‘Ray, you fucking squeaky-ass bitch.’ I stand as Dean comes over and throws his bag into the car. ‘Keep your girlfriend on a leash. I swear to God if she does that again, my fist will meet her face,’ I yell at Dean.
He looks at Raychelle who is wearing that innocent look.
I have to run to catch up with Parker, sometimes her strides seem longer than mine.
‘Hey, Parker, wait up,’ I yell.
She doesn’t slow down. She is already out of the school grounds and down the road.
‘Parker!’
‘I hate her,’ she yells. Her voice sounds thick and full. There are tears streaming down her face.
‘Park, don’t listen to her.’
‘Does she know how my dad is— mean?’ Parker sobs.
‘No, I don’t think she does.’ I grab onto her shoulder and pull her into a hug. She sobs. The sound of a car approaching gets louder, and then car doors open. Sienna and Jess have both gotten out of the car.
‘Parker,’ Jess and Sienna both say at the same time. They have both come over to see if she is okay. I nod my head at them and they both sigh their relief.
‘So, why are y’all walking?’ asks Sienna.
‘We need the exercise,’ I say. They roll their eyes. ‘I think it would be best if we catch the bus from now on.’
‘No, fuckin’ way,’ says Jess. ‘What did that skank say?’
‘Nothing,’ Parker says as she wipes her face with the bottom of her shirt.
‘Whatever,’ Jess replies. ‘Get in the car.’ Jess holds the door open for us to climb back in. Parker walks towards the car and gets into the back. She doesn’t make eye contact with anyone and sits with her head down. Her blonde hair hangs over her eyes.
Jess looks back at Parker and then to the front. She crosses her arms and narrows her eyes; her lips purse. She reaches forward and pulls on Raychelle’s hair.
‘Find your own fuckin way home bitch.’ Jess yanks hard.
‘Aaarrrgggghh!’ Raychelle screams.
‘Jess, what the fuck,’ Dean yells, and the car swerves.
‘Tell your bitch-face of a girlfriend to get out of this car.’
Dean regains control of the car.
‘No, way! You get out.’ He stops ten kilometres from the Butler boundary. Jess gets out and we all follow.
‘Fuck you Dean. Wait ‘till Mum hears about this.’ She slams the door shut, and Raybaby has a stupid smug look on her face. Dean steps on the accelerator and speeds off, flicking rocks up.
‘What a jerk!’ Jess flings her middle finger up at the car speeding away.
We all walk towards the thick forest. The path leads around the huge lake that borders the invisible line, between both towns to the cliff edge, and follow the trail that leads to Donny’s Rock. I pull my phone out and snap a few pictures of the breath taking lake. The sun glistens off the water like the typical movie mirage of a pool of water in the middle of the desert. Jess is still pissed at her brother, and Parker looks like her heart has been shattered in two. The last time I felt that way, was when my dad didn’t come home from work. We had had only just been living with Sam for a month.
Sienna is looking at Google Maps to pin point our exact location. She does that all the time even though we know the road home.
I hear howls, yelling, laughing and whistling. I notice that the girls hear it too. My head sweeps from side to side, up and around looking for the sounds. The howls get louder as we get closer. Normally, when boys howl, it's a deep echo throughout the forest. These howls sound almost like animals.
We step through the thick gum trees. Some hang over the cliff edge, while others show roots at the cliff face. We stop in our tracks. Six or seven bare-chested guys without shirts on, standing on the cliff edge at Dredgers Point, are looking down at the ocean. No-one has jumped off at this very spot of the cliff in over a decade, not since that boy jumped and never emerged. We hide behind the bushes and watch as the shirtless boys throw themselves into parkour, tumbling from tree to tree. They look like those divers you watch in the Olympics. Graceful, fluid movements with long strides, all the muscles in their bodies contract and expand. Even their eight packs grow longer.
I notice Dakota standing to the side, with shorts that hang dangerously low. His body is filled out to the max. He and Dash are the biggest out of the group. Dakota has the lean muscular look and Dash is built like a bear. Dakota’s brown shaggy hair sits in the sexy way he wears it and Dash’s silk black hair is brushed back in a slick way.
‘I have died and gone to heaven,’ Jess says.
‘Is this for real?’ Parker pipes up.
‘Can somebody pinch me?’ asks Sienna.
I am still too wrapped up in the world of Dakota’s smoking-hot body, that I don’t see the girls walk towards them like they are in a trance of some sort.
‘Hey, wait up,’ I whisper.
Why, am I whispering? I roll my eyes.
Dakota snaps his head in our direction as the cool breeze whirls past us towards the half-naked men. He smirks and those stupid dimples pop out.
Damn it.
All of the guys stand there watching us make our way over. It’s overcast, and here they are doing Parkour without shirts on. Don’t they feel the chill in the air? It’s enough to make you wanna sit by the fire, rug up and drink soup made by Jane of course.
Jess naturally takes the lead, and we follow. Her sights are set on Dash. Sienna follows the direction of her head, and a scowl creeps across Sienna’s face. Dakota is flashing those stupid dimples again.
Gah!
Really, why does he do that?
Jess wraps herself around Dash. Like, she climbs up all over him 'cause he is six feet something and towers over her. He holds Jess, but watches Sienna, who can’t tear her eyes away from them. Sienna takes a step closer with clenched fists. She gives Dash and Jess a pinched expression.
‘What are you up to later?’ Dakota asks as he walks next to me.
I lick my lips.
‘Not, sure,’ I say as I stare at his chest.
‘Hey, there’s a party at Pickett's if you wanna go?’
I look into his eyes that appear yellow with green flecks. Pickett’s, is a big barn next to the cornfields and the Avalon Forest.
‘Yeah, I might go.’
‘Cool, so what time shall I pick you up?’ he asks.
‘What ... I didn’t—’
He puts his fingers on my lips, a warm fuzzy feeling floats through my veins.
‘Come on Ava. Just think of it as friends going together.’
‘Um, we usually all travel together.’ I point to my friends.
‘Dash ... has a licence. We can all pick you up.’
‘Huh!’
‘I mean, we can pick you all up.’
I nod my head.
His hands thread around my waist. He lifts me gently, but he’s laughing as we twirl in a circle together. I squeal with excitement. His woodsy smell is intoxicating. And his arms feel safe and warm around my body.
‘Yeah, okay um, can I have your phone so I can put my number in it?’
Dakota puts me down again, reaches into his back pocket and hands me his phone. I type in my digits and hand the phone back to him. My hand brushes with his, and that same tingling feeling creeps up my arm.
‘So um, I guess I will see you later.’ I untie my hair and tie it back up. It’s a reflex of mine when things feel awkward.
‘Sure,’ he says.
I walk away.
‘Hey, wait up,’ both Parker and Sienna say at the same time.
‘So, you and Dakota?’ Sienna asks.
‘It’s nothing. Just friends,’ I say. She nods her head but I can see the questioning look in her chocolate eyes.
‘Where’s, Jess?’ I knew before I even asked the question—. Hot guy around, and she swoops in.
‘I’m right here,’ Jess says from out of nowhere. ‘So, Pickett's tonight girls— you game?’
‘Yeah, I guess,’ Parker says.
‘You my friend, need to get laid,’ Jess tells her.
‘No way, am I giving my V card to just anyone. It has to be special.’
‘Keep dreaming baby,’ Jess tells Parker. ‘What about you, Sienna?’
Sienna shrugs; she looks at me, and then back to Jess.
‘Sure, why not.’ Sienna pulls her phone out and starts texting. ‘Lisa’s in and so is James,’ she says after her phone pings.
‘Awesome— so Ava. You and the new guy seem pretty close,’ Jess probes.
At least I wasn’t hanging onto him with my death grip.
And the new guy has a name.
Say it! DA KO TA.
Say it.
‘Nothing going on there,’ I tell her; because I know she is snooping. This girl loves any kind of dirt just so she can dish it out when she feels like it. Don’t get me wrong, I love Jess, I really do, but this thing between me and Dakota is my business.
‘You and Dash seem pretty cosy too,’ I say, just to get her off my back. Hell, if she knew that Dakota and I have a few classes together, she would drill me some more.
‘Jess, can I, get ready at yours?’ I ask her, and she beams like, as she were a Christmas tree lighting up on Christmas night.
‘Sure.’ Jess smiles.
The walk home isn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. Sure, when I got some eye candy and made arrangements for the party tonight. Who could resist a shirtless guy’s invitations asking you out?
Okay, so tonight is not a date. I mentally want to roll my eyes.
Sheesh! Why am I, all twisted up over the guy with the goddamn dimples?
That’s it. It’s the dimples that make me feel giddy.
Stupid damned dimples.
Walking into my house, I find the people who were there this morning have vanished, but they have left their mess behind. God knows where Sam is. Should I clean up and then go to the party? Or just find something to wear and head out the door? I walk to my room, and the floorboards creak underneath me.
‘What the fuck!’ I have people sleeping in my bed. ‘Get the fuck out,’ I yell.
‘Oh, Sam said it was okay,’ blonde girl whines.
‘Like fuck it’s okay. Do I look happy?’ I tell the blonde, who looks like she is not ready to move. ‘I said, get out now!’ I yell.
‘You heard her,’ says the rough voice I have become familiar with.
Dakota’s footstep behind me makes the floorboard creak. I close my eyes and lean against the doorjamb.
He does not need to see this.
Oh God, what does he think of the hellhole I live in?
Shit.
I open them to find blonde girl and dude get up and walk out in nothing but underwear.
‘Oh my God, I’m gonna have to burn my mattress and sheets— everything.’
Dakota walks up and wraps his arms around me. I immediately feel calm in his arms. His woodsy smell with a hint of sweat engulfs me.
‘Well, it would do wonders for the bonfire tonight at Pickett’s Barn.’ He chuckles as he rubs the stubble on his face, and I can’t help but laugh too.
‘Oh God, I can’t believe that they slept in my bed,’ I say. ‘Um, why are you even here?’ I ask.
‘I was running, and heard you yelling from the street.’ He shrugs.
‘Oh.’
‘So ... is this how you normally live?’ He gestures towards the living room and kitchen, where all the mess is.
I nod my head because I am embarrassed that he has seen this.
‘It wasn’t always like this.’ I say as I step out of his warm arms and start picking things up.
‘Your parents?’ he asks as he starts helping me.
‘Leave it Dakota,’ I say, both for the cleaning and prying.
He nods his head, but keeps cleaning.
‘Well, the other bed looks good. Do you need me to throw this one out?’ he asks. I walk over and try to grab the heavy mattress, but it doesn’t budge.
‘Yeah, thanks,’ I say. He heaves it up and walks out like it's a bag of oranges.
I watch him as he walks back into the house.
Dakota leans in close enough that his breath in on my face, and I can’t help but inhale at that exact moment. He smells like honey and a warm summer breeze. His breath is beautiful. Can you have beautiful breath? I will have to Google that one.
His nose touches mine as we inhale each other's air. Every fibre in my being lights up and comes to life. My lips part as I close my eyes. His kiss would be even more dangerous.
I pull back and walk into my room. I start rifling through my drawers slinging things over my shoulder.
‘Nice, panties.’ He says.
I spot the red lace one and its matching bra lying on the ground. I snatch them up.
‘Sorry, I forgot you were still here. Um, you can go now.’ I thought he walked out the front door.
‘I’m not leaving, after I saw two strangers leave your bedroom.’
Shit, I really don’t need the reminder.
‘Okay, I guess you could just wait in the living room.’
‘Honey, we just cleaned this shit hole and not to mention some of the things we picked up. This place needs to be sterilised.’ Dakota crosses his arms.
I raise a brow at him and fold my arms across my chest.
‘Sorry, we don’t have bleach, but if you would like to volunteer and sterilise the shit, go ahead. Be my guest.’ I didn’t mean for it to come out bitchy, but this is my home. As much as I hate this place and the owner, I still live under this roof.
‘Sorry, it came out wrong.’
Dakota walks down the hall, and by the sound of his footsteps, he walked out the backdoor.
I lean my arms on the chest of drawers.
Damn it.
I follow him out to the back.
Dakota is standing next what used to be a swing set, until Sam burnt all the equipment on it. She claims she was high at the time, but I know better. Em was about four when Sam was coming down from a big drug bender. She couldn’t get anymore drugs because the police had only just done a big drug bust in Butler. Parker got a lot of flak for that. It was her dad that ordered the bust. So, because Em and I spent a lot of time out the back on that swing set, she set it alight. She even wore an evil smile. Em cried for days, but then Jane bought a new one for her backyard. She said that we could use it whenever we wanted.
‘I don’t mean to be harsh, but welcome to my world,’ I say.
‘You’re beautiful, with your white-blonde hair and grey eyes. It’s hard to think that this is your life.’ Dakota waves an arm back towards the house.
‘You’re not going to hand me a book, with all my past events in it,’ I joke.
‘See, how you can turn this darkness that you live into light.’
‘Huh?’ I feel my lip curl and my eyebrows knit together.
‘You can joke about this stuff. It comes naturally to you. Yet, I have a hard time getting used to the fact that you’re abandoned.’ Dakota rubs his eyebrow.
‘Um, I’m not on my own.’
‘Then, tell me where are your parents?’ He puts his hands on his hips.
I shrug; it’s hard for me to talk about them.
‘We live with Sam.’
‘Sam, is that it?’
‘Yep— now if you will excuse me, I have a party to get ready for.’
‘Can ... I wait with you until you’re done?’ he pleads.
I roll my eyes.
‘Okay.’ I sigh and walk back inside.