With Dr. Harvey looking for me at Eastern High, and Graves on my dick at NCT, I was having a hard time relaxing in either spaces. School was quickly becoming more of an annoyance than anything. Ironically, one of the least stressful parts of my day was driving Layne home and listening to music. The more time I spent with her, the more I started to see her as a friend, and not a nuisance. But only marginally so. At the end of the day I grab my stuff and rush to my car, still in my uniform.

"Kaylie Jane!" Wren grabs onto me, linking our fingers together, "Hi!"

"What do you want?" I groan, becoming exceedingly  tired by her push and pull.

"Remember when you used to call me your 'caramel princess?'" she smiles, "I want to talk to that KJ."

"You killed that one after you stabbed her in the back," I reply, "So what do you want?"

"I need your help tonight," she asks, "Or really, I need your trucks help. My mom needs help moving some stuff and I said you'd do it."

I take my hand back, "You're just volunteering my time for stuff now?"

"Well you'll still help right?" she smiles at me and I know I agreed when she said "Hi!"

"Yeah," I exhale, "But I work tonight so I can't be until tomorrow, alright?"

"Yay!" she kisses my cheek, "You're the best!"

She skips away from me and Layne joins me at the car, "Wren's pretty friendly right?"

"Sure... In a serial killer type of way," I smile at my own joke.

She frowns, "Do you two like each other?"

Not any more. "As I've stated about two thousand times--- I'm not into girls. Which means I'm not into Wren," I clarify, "And guess what that means for you?"

"You're an asshole," she reprimands me, "Why are you so mean to me?"

"Because it's fucking fun," I smile at her and she turns, looking out the window.

"Stop it," she murmurs, "I'm trying to be mad at you but your dimples are adorable and it's making it hard."

"You're making just about every aspect of my life hard," I think to myself, "I guess we're even."

***

"My caramel princess," I grab her hand, "How's it going?"

She snatches her hand back, "Why are you touching me?"

"What?" I question in confusion. I notice her eyes focused on something else and turn to see what it is. Some of our other classmates, watching us from afar.

"I see how it is. Cool," I nod, walking away from her.

"Kaylie Jane," she whispers, stopping me.

"I'm not playing these games," I hiss, "What even are we doing?"

***

My alarm was slowly climbing it's way to the most hated sound in the world. I cut it off, sitting up in bed and giving myself a moment to get my bearings. I look down and see a fan of blonde hair spread out. I vaguely remember letting her in last night, but up until now, that had felt more like a dream.

"Layne," I hit her and yawn, "Get out my house."

She sits up as well, "What time is it?"

"Time for you to get out my house," I repeat.

She sits up, "Okay, God. See you later."

She climbs back out the same way she came in, and I yank off my shirt, more comfortable in just my sports bra. I go through my closet, pausing before just grabbing a t-shirt and jeans out. On one hand, do I want to look nice when I help Wren? But why would I want to look nice? For Wren?

I go with a flannel and jeans, not straying to far from what I normally look like anyway. Even dressed in this, Layne is somehow suspicious of me anyway.

"Why are you dressed like that?" she questions instantly.

"Like what?" I counter.

She pauses, "... Nice."

"You think I look nice?" after I ask, I realize I sound way too excited.

"Of course. I always think you look good," she blushes and I roll my eyes. If I didn't have my head up my ass, I'd probably think that was cute.

When we arrive at school, Wren grabs me, pulling me away from Layne, "Love the shirt. You're still coming over tonight?"

"Of course," I smile. I can't help it.

"Yay!" she hugs me before walking away.

"Of course," Layne mocks, as we head to our seats.

I shrug, to happy to notice anything else. I swear it.

***

"That's a bad idea..."

I could hear Layne's last words to me in head, warning me not to go.

Still, I pull into Wren's driveway, pausing before putting it in park. My phone rings and I stare at it, watching Layne's number flash across the screen my phone shaking in the cup holder. What does Layne even know? I decide to get out, knocking on her door. Her mother answers, appearing to be an older version of her daughter. Dark eyes, long brown hair, and only with lighter colored skin.

"Hi! Are you KJ?" she asks.

"Yeah," I offer my hand, "Nice to meet you Ms.--"

"You can call me Maria," she smiles warmly, "Um... Wren isn't home but you can help me move somethings okay?"

"Sure," I agree, "No problem."

She leads me to the backyard and shows me a pile of trash, "All of this needs to go to the dump," she hands me a pair of work gloves, "Can you handle it by yourself?"

Didn't you just say 'help'...

"Yes ma'am," I agree pulling on the gloves. I spend the better part of my evening hauling away trash. By the end of it, I feel disgusting, having sweated through both my shirt and flannel in the remaining sun. And it doesn't help knowing that I'll have to unload all of it at the dump.

My phone buzzes and I fish it out my back pocket.

NAPKIN GIRL: Can you come over? I need you

ME: I'm busy

NAPKIN GIRL: Too busy?

I leave her on read, slipping my phone back into my pocket.

I drive to the junkyard, irritated. The entire time I unload my truck, I try to figure out why I'm even doing this. Yeah Wren I'll help you clean out your entire backyard in the hot sun in a long sleeve shirt. Why? Fucking shit I don't know. Because you almost got me put out of school last year?

"Fuck!" I toss the last piece of trash from my truck before getting my phone back out.

ME: Do you still need me?

***

I stop at home and change shirts before heading to Layne's. I find the door open, and let myself in.

"Hi KJ!" Ms. Cassie's voice echos through the house.

I follow the sound to the kitchen where my nostrils are comforted by a barrage of delicious smells.  She stands over a stove, stirring a pot of something, "Are you hungry?"

"Actually yes," I respond, realizing that I'd worked up an appetite.

"Have a seat," she gestures to the kitchen table and I don't protest, gladly letting her feed me.

She places a plate of mac n cheese, meatloaf, and green beans in front of me and my mouth starts to water.

"Thank you," I dig in, proceeding to bash.

"I see you doing all that running," Ms. Cassie comments, "You've got an athletes appetite, huh?"

I shrug, "Something like that."

"Wow," Layne enters as I finish, "So I invite you over here and this is where I find you?"

I stand up, wiping my mouth with a paper towel, "Okay well in my defense, she got to me first," I turn to her mom, "Thank you for the meal."

"No problem, sweetheart," she smiles, "The pleasure is mine."

I follow Layne up to her room, "So how was your little date with Wren?"

"It wasn't a date," I correct her, "And she wasn't even there."

When we reach her room I throw myself onto her bed, kicking my shoes off. I fill her in, venting about what I've just spent the last  three hours of my life doing. Layne joins me on the bed and I instinctively make room for her to lay next to me.

"So she wasn't even there?" Layne curls around me, her head resting on my chest.

"Nope," I pop the 'p' when I say it, "Just me, sweaty and hot and alone with her mom."

"Sounds like a cheap porno," she laughs, "Did she also not have the money to pay you?"

"Shut up," I laugh.

"Why would you go over there anyway?"

"I don't even know," I exhale, a whiff of her scent making it to my nose.

"Is it your kink to be used for manual labor?"

"Are you kink shaming me, Sinclair?"

She bursts into laughter, her body shaking on top of mine.

"Yes. Laugh at my misery," I roll my eyes.

"I'm sorry," she calms down, "You're just so funny. It's shitty that you she did that to you though."

"That girl is poison..."

I grab my phone, not surprised at the name on the screen. THE SOCIOPATH.

"Is that your ringtone for her?" she laughs, "I don't even know why she isn't just blocked in your phone."

"It's complicated," I exhale.

"What happened?" she questions, "I mean you don't have to tell me but---"

"It's a long story," I pause, "But it ended with my name on the chopping block and her holding the knife."

"Oh." We sit in a mutual silence before she speaks again. "I wouldn't do that to you. If you liked girls--- I mean."

"You don't even know what she did," I chuckle. Nobody really knows what went down between us except well--- Us.

"She hurt you," Layne sits up, "I wouldn't do that." I sit up as well, seeing that she's very serious.

She leans in and I impulsively turn my head, her kiss landing on my cheek.

"Missed me," I laugh awkwardly, sliding away from her.

She pulls away as well, still smiling.

"What are you smiling like that for?" I question.

She rubs my shoulder, "Next time I won't miss."

"That's my queue to go," I slide off her bed, grabbing my bag and my shoes.

"Bye, Kaylie Jane!" she calls after me, but I'm already gone.