“Wow, even dropped the f-bomb. Who are you and what have you done with Madelaine Brown?” He grins like an idiot, and I shove him.
“I’ve always said f-The f-word.” I stop myself because I don’t like to just throw it around if it’s not meant to be said, you know?
“Hmm.” He muses, and I walk faster in front of him.
Riden joins us by scoffing, and then Allison tags along. Meanwhile, our parents are already 50 feet ahead, praising how good it is to get in touch with nature with no phones in sight.
“Hey.” Riden casually greets Allison in a moody, let-down tone.
“Hey.” Nowher tone, I don’t know if I detect pity or… Regret, maybe?
“Shoot, I think I dropped an earring back there. Can you help me look?”
“Real smooth.” West mutters while I drag his hand backwards, and we both crouch looking at the ground.
“You know I can see you have both earrings, right?”
She gives up on me, and she and Riden walk side by side. The interaction starts. At first, they’re awkward, and then, when theygain more momentum, she keeps turning her head away, and he looks like a smitten puppy, glancing at her.
“I can’t watch this. It’s too painful.” I cover my eyes, continuing to walk.
A good minute passes of me trying to sneak a peek between my fingers when suddenly I hear Jake saying, “You might want to see this.”
I take my hands off my eyes, and Allison and Riden are side-hugging. Kind of uneasy. But yay! I start to shake Jake’s arm with excitement, and then try to go to them, but Jake stops me with his arms.
“Oh no, you won’t.”
“Uh, yes, I will.” I say through gritted teeth.
“Brown, leave them alone. Let them breathe.” He says in a warning tone. He’s right, but who is he towarnme?
I take a step towards them while ironically smirking at Jake and begin to fasten my pace.
“Why are you so stubborn?” He teleports to my side — let’s be honest, I’m no runner and especially not a football player like him — gets down to waist-level, and picks me up, like I weigh nothing.
“Jake! I mean-West!” My brain is in panic mode because why am I liking this?!
“Hmm… I don’t think so. Oh, this is actually fun, I could take you everywhere.”
“Comeon, West.”
“You were going to interrupt them. Good stuff happens without meddling. So no, you will stay here with me.”
Urgh. He can be so agonizing. At least I don’t dislike him anymore. I stand him. That’s it. I neverhatedhim. Hate is a strong word, and not even Jake deserves it. Shit, not even Amanda deserves it. Maybe a little bit, but I don’t really care enough right now. But I definitely don’t like her.
As he carries me, I discreetly pull out hishidden secondphone. It’s actually good that he even picked me up because I don’t have to walk, and I can take photos of his butt and gorgeous selfies of me giving him the finger.
“Hey, Brown?”
“Yes?”I look good in this one…
“Why are you not complaining?”
“Uh…” He puts me down too quickly for me to react and looks at me. I try to put the phone in my pocket, but I’m too slow.
“Are you crazy?! Give me my phone.”
I grab the phone and manage to put it in my pocket, and start dodging him. He literally throws himself at me, and we both fall to the ground. He tries to turn me around, but I make my body dead weight so it’s harder for him to do so. He rolls to the side, and my face hits the ground. He gets up quickly, and when I get up again, he makes me start to run for my life. I can’t believe I’m running, but at least I’m pissing him off. He runs after me, and this time I’m really making an effort. I pass by our parents and continue the most tiring and deadly minutes of my life. It’s not until it passes a good minute that he finally catches me. I throw myself on top of him this time, because if I’m on his back, it’s more difficult for him to get the phone, and this time, neither of us falls. Instead, he’s giving me a piggyback ride against his own will. He starts to get out of breath, and I ask, amused, and trying not to wheeze, “Getting tired, West?”
