Maybe I'm the One You Like

“WAKE UP, ALEX.”

I groaned and rolled over in my bed, pulling the blanket up over my head in attempt to block out the sunlight, my mother’s screaming, and the alarm I had inevitably been ignoring the past three times I had hit snooze. I was determined the cling to the last remnants I still had, as well as being in denial that the summer was actually over and I was now forced to wake up early for school. I opened my eyes a fraction of an inch and check the checked the time. Six thirty.

“Alexander, you better get your ass down here or you’ll be late!”

“I’m UP,” I yelled back, groaning as I pulled myself out of bed and stumbled over to my closet, throwing on the first shirt and jeans I could find. It was my last year of high school, and I was no longer interested in making a first impression. I was more excited to get out of this town.

“Good morning, sweetie,” my mom said pleasantly as I entered the kitchen and grabbed a banana off the counter. I grunted in return and opened the refridgerator, hoping there was something of substance inside instead of the green smoothies my parents insisted on drinking every morning. There wasn’t.

“What don’t you start the year off with a good attitude?”

She was determined, but my mother should have also known by now that I was definitely not a morning person. “Whatever,” I grumbled as I rolled my eyes.

“I’m serious, Alex, you are done goofing off this year. This is your last chance to show colleges what you’re capable of, and I, as well as they, will not accept anything less that your best.” I sat down at the table across from her and put my head in my hands. If she wanted to talk, I may as well get comfortable. “I know that you friends and your band are your priorities but please, don’t slack off again? And who knows, maybe your newfound motivation will land you a new girl!” she winked and I jumped up from the table. Conversation, over.

“MOM,” I exclaimed as I tossed the banana peel away. “I’ll be good, I promise. I’m leaving now before you can embarrass me even more.”

“Bye, sweetie!” she called as I threw my backpack over my shoulder and headed out the to the car.

I drove to my best friend Jack’s house to pick him up, since he lived a couple streets down and it wasn’t costing me any extra gas money. Besides, we had band practice after school and if I brought him, I could make sure he wouldn’t be late.

My band was what mattered most to me. Music was the most important thing in my life, and no matter what anyone did it would always stay that way. I was in a band with my three best friends, Jack, Rian, and Zack, and that was my main priority. Not school, not family, not even girls-well, girls are a close second. But still. I put my heart and soul into our lyrics. All Time Low was what mattered. All Time Low was my life.

Jack was waiting in his driveway when I pulled up, and he quickly got in and told me to drive before I could even say hello. “Rough morning?” I smirked, and he simply shook his head.
“Bro, she gave me a sex talk. ANOTHER sex talk. With EXAMPLES,” Jack grumbled. “I can’t believe that first of all, my mother thinks that I’m still oblivious to all this, and second, that I haven’t already nailed Megan multiple times…” I snorted.

“She honestly thinks that you and Megan are like, Amish?”

“Shut up, you’re no better,” Jack shot back, and I shrugged, because that was true. I wasn’t exactly the perfect little boy my mom thought I was either.

“True. But if we were in a contest to see how many we could get, I’ve got you beat by far.”

“Fuck you, you’re gross. And I have a girlfriend.,” was Jack’s response.

Jack and Megan had been together since last summer. They were literally the text book definition of a high school couple. They held hands in the hall, they fought, they made up, they made out, they went to parties together, they hooked up at parties, so on and so forth. That’s where Jack and I differed. He was the kind of guy that lives for that. I admired his loyalty and desire for that, despite what he thought.
Me, I just don’t like relationships. Where’s the fun in sticking to one person? How much fun is a party if you’re not looking for someone new to bring upstairs and then see if there is anyone new to meet after? Sure, my friends and band mates think it’s ridiculous. But I’m not looking to get married. I just want to have fun.

I pulled into the student parking lot and parked, then Jack and I got out and joined Rian, our drummer, and Zack, or bassist, at our usual spot in the courtyard. “Hey guys,” Rian said when he saw us. “Senior year already, huh.”
“Crazy shit, man,” Jack agreed. “Remember when we were that tall and looked like that?” he pointed to a couple of freshmen wearing giant backpacks, walking toward the school looking terrified. That was totally me when I was younger.
“Yeah,” I sighed. “And now, I can’t wait to get out of here.”

Suddenly there was a crash, and we looked back toward where the buses were unloading to see a girl whom I didn’t know picking up her backpack and all its spilled contents. She was short, probably about 5’3”, with long, dark brown hair that fell into her face as she bent down to pick up her keys, which had also fallen on the ground. Her lips formed the word fuck and I watched as she picked up her backpack and started toward the school. “Hey,” I said, nudging Zack. “Who is that?”

Zack followed my gaze and shrugged. “I don’t know man, but she’s hot.”

“Dibs,” I said immediately as I watched her walk into school. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and I shook my head. “That is one hot new girl right there.”

“You disgust me,” Jack scoffed, leaning against the wall. “I’ll see you guys later, I’m going to meet Megan. You coming inside?”

I shrugged and followed my friends into the building, but I couldn’t shake the image of the mysterious girl out of my head. Who was she? Where did she come from? How the hell does something looking like that show up here?

Remember when I said music was my top priority? Yeah, I lied.

Notes

I wrote this story five-ish years ago for Quizilla, then started to edit it again for Mibba. I'm hoping that this time I can actually finish it. Enjoy.