Fed up, my voice rose, "Yes, I want a ride!"
"That's all you had to say," Javier said simply.
He and Paxton led me to their bikes, and I followed them. Not wanting to have to wrap my arms around Javier, I walked over to Paxton’s motorcycle. Paxton was the lesser of two evils.
Before I could get onto the bike, he put his hand out and hit me in the head in the process.
"Ah, ah, ah," Paxton waved his finger in my face. "You have to ride with Javier."
"Why?" I asked.
"I never agreed to drive you home."
I looked at Javier with confusion. He was standing right there when Paxton asked me if I needed a ride home, which obviously suggested that I ride on his motorcycle. Javier shrugged at me.
"But you–" I tried to speak but Javier interrupted.
"C'mon Elias. Your house is on my way, but it's not on Paxton's." Javier told me as he patted the seat behind him, holding his helmet in his other hand. I begrudgingly moved away from and toward Javier’s. He handed me his helmet after I climbed onto the seat.
"Since when do you have a motorcycle?" I mumbled as I wrapped my arms around his waist.
"Since my sixteenth birthday."
"You got a caranda motorcycle on your sixteenth birthday?" I asked, shocked. "How come I've never seen it before?"
Javier started the bike, the sound of the engine turning on loud in my ears. "Probably because we aren’t friends."
I knew that I shouldn't have felt offended by his words, but I still did for some inexplicable reason. Yes, we weren't friends, but it only was okay if I said it. Not if he said it.
"Still, I feel like I would know it by now."
Ignoring my question, he said, "Hold on tight."
I was about to ask him what helmet he was going to use since he was giving me his, but once the bike took off, I decided against unnecessary conversation.
Four
Eli
It did not take long to arrive at my house.
I had to admit, that ride was pretty cool. I had only dreamed of riding a motorcycle and it was way more fun than I imagined it to be. Though, as fun as it was, I had been holding on for dear life.
"Uh, Elias?"
Javier's voice broke me out of my thoughts. "Yeah?"
"You can let go now," he said, and I could hear him trying to stifle a laugh.
I quickly let go of him and hopped off the bike. Meanwhile, Javier fell into laughter with that same stupid smile that showed his dimples. Even at night I could see them.
I shook my head as I took off the helmet. I then silently handed it to Javier.
"This is your house, right?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I'm surprised you remember it."
Javier had been to my house once before. Three years ago–our freshman year–Javier and I were assigned a project together. We ended up working on it at my house despite my protests because at the time his house was being renovated. Luckily, my aunt was away on a cruise that week and my siblingswanted to be anywhere that wasn't near me. So, we had the house to ourselves.
