Smooth Criminal
four.
Author's Note: Read chapter 3.5 before reading this. I'm stupid and messed up.
http://www.alltimelowfanfiction.com/Story/83329/Smooth-Criminal/16/
Amanda and I were sitting in our usual spot during lunch, under one of the circular tables under the trees in the field next to the cafeteria, talking about her boyfriend and all the trouble he’s been causing lately while Amanda discreetly smoked a cigarette.
“So you never told me how your homework date with Alexander the Great went,” Amanda smirked as she flicked some ash off her cigarette, smoking pouring out of her nose and mouth as she spoke. The memory of the awkward run-in with Alex after I got out of the shower filled my head and I looked down at the ground.
“It was alright. We did homework and Mom invited him to stay for dinner.” I shrugged at my friend and pushed my sunglasses higher up on the bridge of my nose.
“No steamy makeout session? No scandalous sex-capade?” Amanda nudged me with her cigarette-free hand. I shook my head and rolled my eyes under the safety of my shades.
“Dude, we’re partners for a project and that’s it. No funny business. I don’t have time in my life for a guy anyway,” I went on. “And I mean, even if I did like Alex, it’s not like my dad would let me go out with him.”
“Because your dad is ridiculous and won’t let you date boys,” Amanda chimed in. I nodded my head.
“Exactly. Especially this boy. Alex has a rep with the cops in this town… Him and his buddies always seem to be at the parties that get busted by my dad and his squad. My dad knows Alex and his family personally from the countless times he’s arrested the kid and taken him home drunk off his ass. He doesn’t stand a chance, Amanda.”
Amanda remained silent as she thought this all over and took a drag from her cigarette.
“I just don’t understand why your father keeps you locked away in this stupid little box of innocence,” Amanda starts to rant. I sigh, preparing myself for the speech I’ve heard over a thousand times. “Like, even if you don’t date Alex, what happens when you meet some guy you really like and he wants to take you out on a super nice date? You’re seventeen years old and you’ve never been out on a real date.”
“I’m not completely in the dark, though, Manda,” I fend for myself.
“Okay, kissing Logan Ryder in the janitor’s closet in the ninth grade doesn’t count for shit. I’m being serious here, Stells. We’re about to be seniors. And then we’ll be out in the real world and you’re going to be so lost… It’s my duty, as your best friend in the whole wide world, to make sure that you don’t get eaten alive out there. So maybe you should, I don’t know, take advantage of the fact that the school’s biggest heart throb is your English partner and get him to teach you a thing or two about boys…”
“You have officially lost your mind,” I say in a loud whisper. “I am not doing anything with Alexander Gaskarth. No way, Jose. Not happening.”
Amanda gave me a knowing smirk and put out her cigarette. “Because you’re scared you might actually fall for this kid.”
I rolled my eyes and stand up from the table. “No I am not. I don’t fall for players.”
“Never say never,” Amanda muses from the table. I take my shades off and give her a glare before walking back into the school.
Absolutely ridiculous, that girl is.
The house was quiet when Parker and I got home from school, even though my dad’s cruiser was parked in the driveway. I quickly shuffled upstairs and disappeared into my room before anyone could try and talk to me so that I could get some homework done before Alex came over again to work on the project again. I just had to tell my dad before Alex showed up…
“Daddy?” I said quietly, peeping my head through the small crack I made with his bedroom door. He motioned me to come on in from his spot on the large bed where he was reading. I took in a deep breath and turned to face him, making myself look into his eyes. “So my friend Alex is coming over soon. To work on our English project.” I laced my fingers together and cracked my knuckles, waiting for his response.
“Okay, that’s fine. As long as y’all stay downstairs and are quiet.”
I exhale and nod my head. “Yes, sir. That won’t be a problem at all.” I hustle off to my room and got to work on my calculus homework until Alex decided to show up.
Around five o’clock, Alex showed up and we started working on the project. For someone who doesn’t pay much attention in class, he sure did have a lot of ideas and comments about this project.
“I thought you didn’t read the book?” I mused at him as he was writing down his thesis statement for one of his points.
“I skimmed through the novel a bit over the last few days,” he shrugged nonchalantly. I smirked at the boy and shook my head, heading over to the fridge to get a cup of water.
“Are you staying for dinner again?” I asked him so that we could tell my mom when she came home. A few moments of silence passed before he finally responded.
“I have band practice at Rian’s place later.” His brow furrowed together in concentration as he finished up his thought on the rough draft paper. “We usually order pizza and dick around until it’s time to actually practice. You’re more than welcome to tag along.”
“We’ll see,” I replied, knowing full and well that my father would never agree to letting me go with him. “I think we’ve done a lot today. You ready to call it quits?” I stretched out my back as I spoke.
Alex shrugged at me and began putting everything back into his backpack. “Sure thing, chicken wing.” I rolled my eyes and tried to hide my smile caused by his cheesy expression. “I’m gonna head out now, so speak now or forever hold your peace.”
I gave a pondering glance towards the stairs, knowing if I asked, Dad would immediately say no. I could always just leave and pay the consequences later… But then I’d be grounded for God knows how long.
“I’m good. I’m just gonna hang here and finish some homework. Maybe next time?”
The expression of disappointment was difficult for Alex to hide, but after a few seconds he regained composure and shrugged once again. “Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow in class.”
I walked him to the door and locked it once he was gone.
I sat down on the couch and let out a massive sigh, thinking about what Amanda mentioned during lunch today. My dad controls every aspect of my life and because of that, I don’t even have a life. I don’t ever get to hang out with my friends, I don’t ever get to do anything on the weekends, I don’t have a car so I can’t get a job… I’m seventeen years old and I’m expected to act like an adult, yet I’m treated as if I’m a toddler. None of this makes any sense to me, and quite frankly, I’m sick of it. What am I going to do when I go off to college and I’m supposed to function without my father there to dictate every move I make? I’m not going to be able to do anything because I’m not going to know how. And Amanda won’t be there to guide me through the way.
I ran a frustrated hand through my blonde locks and chewed on my bottom lip.
Fuck it. I’m done being held prisoner in my own home; in my own body. From this moment on, I’m going to be a normal teenager and I’m going to start living my life before it gets away from me.
http://www.alltimelowfanfiction.com/Story/83329/Smooth-Criminal/16/
Amanda and I were sitting in our usual spot during lunch, under one of the circular tables under the trees in the field next to the cafeteria, talking about her boyfriend and all the trouble he’s been causing lately while Amanda discreetly smoked a cigarette.
“So you never told me how your homework date with Alexander the Great went,” Amanda smirked as she flicked some ash off her cigarette, smoking pouring out of her nose and mouth as she spoke. The memory of the awkward run-in with Alex after I got out of the shower filled my head and I looked down at the ground.
“It was alright. We did homework and Mom invited him to stay for dinner.” I shrugged at my friend and pushed my sunglasses higher up on the bridge of my nose.
“No steamy makeout session? No scandalous sex-capade?” Amanda nudged me with her cigarette-free hand. I shook my head and rolled my eyes under the safety of my shades.
“Dude, we’re partners for a project and that’s it. No funny business. I don’t have time in my life for a guy anyway,” I went on. “And I mean, even if I did like Alex, it’s not like my dad would let me go out with him.”
“Because your dad is ridiculous and won’t let you date boys,” Amanda chimed in. I nodded my head.
“Exactly. Especially this boy. Alex has a rep with the cops in this town… Him and his buddies always seem to be at the parties that get busted by my dad and his squad. My dad knows Alex and his family personally from the countless times he’s arrested the kid and taken him home drunk off his ass. He doesn’t stand a chance, Amanda.”
Amanda remained silent as she thought this all over and took a drag from her cigarette.
“I just don’t understand why your father keeps you locked away in this stupid little box of innocence,” Amanda starts to rant. I sigh, preparing myself for the speech I’ve heard over a thousand times. “Like, even if you don’t date Alex, what happens when you meet some guy you really like and he wants to take you out on a super nice date? You’re seventeen years old and you’ve never been out on a real date.”
“I’m not completely in the dark, though, Manda,” I fend for myself.
“Okay, kissing Logan Ryder in the janitor’s closet in the ninth grade doesn’t count for shit. I’m being serious here, Stells. We’re about to be seniors. And then we’ll be out in the real world and you’re going to be so lost… It’s my duty, as your best friend in the whole wide world, to make sure that you don’t get eaten alive out there. So maybe you should, I don’t know, take advantage of the fact that the school’s biggest heart throb is your English partner and get him to teach you a thing or two about boys…”
“You have officially lost your mind,” I say in a loud whisper. “I am not doing anything with Alexander Gaskarth. No way, Jose. Not happening.”
Amanda gave me a knowing smirk and put out her cigarette. “Because you’re scared you might actually fall for this kid.”
I rolled my eyes and stand up from the table. “No I am not. I don’t fall for players.”
“Never say never,” Amanda muses from the table. I take my shades off and give her a glare before walking back into the school.
Absolutely ridiculous, that girl is.
The house was quiet when Parker and I got home from school, even though my dad’s cruiser was parked in the driveway. I quickly shuffled upstairs and disappeared into my room before anyone could try and talk to me so that I could get some homework done before Alex came over again to work on the project again. I just had to tell my dad before Alex showed up…
“Daddy?” I said quietly, peeping my head through the small crack I made with his bedroom door. He motioned me to come on in from his spot on the large bed where he was reading. I took in a deep breath and turned to face him, making myself look into his eyes. “So my friend Alex is coming over soon. To work on our English project.” I laced my fingers together and cracked my knuckles, waiting for his response.
“Okay, that’s fine. As long as y’all stay downstairs and are quiet.”
I exhale and nod my head. “Yes, sir. That won’t be a problem at all.” I hustle off to my room and got to work on my calculus homework until Alex decided to show up.
Around five o’clock, Alex showed up and we started working on the project. For someone who doesn’t pay much attention in class, he sure did have a lot of ideas and comments about this project.
“I thought you didn’t read the book?” I mused at him as he was writing down his thesis statement for one of his points.
“I skimmed through the novel a bit over the last few days,” he shrugged nonchalantly. I smirked at the boy and shook my head, heading over to the fridge to get a cup of water.
“Are you staying for dinner again?” I asked him so that we could tell my mom when she came home. A few moments of silence passed before he finally responded.
“I have band practice at Rian’s place later.” His brow furrowed together in concentration as he finished up his thought on the rough draft paper. “We usually order pizza and dick around until it’s time to actually practice. You’re more than welcome to tag along.”
“We’ll see,” I replied, knowing full and well that my father would never agree to letting me go with him. “I think we’ve done a lot today. You ready to call it quits?” I stretched out my back as I spoke.
Alex shrugged at me and began putting everything back into his backpack. “Sure thing, chicken wing.” I rolled my eyes and tried to hide my smile caused by his cheesy expression. “I’m gonna head out now, so speak now or forever hold your peace.”
I gave a pondering glance towards the stairs, knowing if I asked, Dad would immediately say no. I could always just leave and pay the consequences later… But then I’d be grounded for God knows how long.
“I’m good. I’m just gonna hang here and finish some homework. Maybe next time?”
The expression of disappointment was difficult for Alex to hide, but after a few seconds he regained composure and shrugged once again. “Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow in class.”
I walked him to the door and locked it once he was gone.
I sat down on the couch and let out a massive sigh, thinking about what Amanda mentioned during lunch today. My dad controls every aspect of my life and because of that, I don’t even have a life. I don’t ever get to hang out with my friends, I don’t ever get to do anything on the weekends, I don’t have a car so I can’t get a job… I’m seventeen years old and I’m expected to act like an adult, yet I’m treated as if I’m a toddler. None of this makes any sense to me, and quite frankly, I’m sick of it. What am I going to do when I go off to college and I’m supposed to function without my father there to dictate every move I make? I’m not going to be able to do anything because I’m not going to know how. And Amanda won’t be there to guide me through the way.
I ran a frustrated hand through my blonde locks and chewed on my bottom lip.
Fuck it. I’m done being held prisoner in my own home; in my own body. From this moment on, I’m going to be a normal teenager and I’m going to start living my life before it gets away from me.
Notes
I've literally been writing this all day and I'm so far ahead in this story, so I'm just posting the first 4 chapters out of pure excitement. I'm so excited for y'all to see where this is going. Ahhh!Next chapter might come out tomorrow or some time this weekend. I'm cranking these out relatively fast, and I'm way too eager for y'all to read what's coming. I really just need to chill. Okay. Enjoy.
This was one of my absolute favorite stories. I am very curious to know if you are going to continue with this? Because I have to know what happens next.
6/14/21