When we never even tried

We never even talked

Chapter 03 ~ Sunburn

Scar Patterson

To sum it all up, I'd say day one of Carnival Week went extremely well.

As I slid my thumbs over the edges of the dollar bills I'd received for that day, a huge grin spread across my face. Maybe I was completely breaking the rules and being utterly selfish for not donating the money to a charity, but I needed the money more than anyone else.

Not only did we need money for new uniforms, it wouldn't hurt to have some extra cash to spend on car repairs. I've been spending the last year trying to push my Pop's piece of shit car through its limits and it would help to have a sweet ride to impress my friends. In addition to that, being Francesca's boyfriend came with a price and pretty soon, I'll be going into debt.

Once I finished counting the money, I stuffed it back into the collection box and shoved it inside of my gym bag. Pulling the strap over my shoulder and giving Trey a slight nod, we began to walk alongside each other towards the exit marked by a tall gate. "Hey, where's Frankie?"

Trey gave me a sideways smile. "Funny how you think I know where your girlfriend is."

My brows knitted together as I glanced down to the green grass, stubbing my feet deeper with every step. "Huh," I huffed in a disapproving manner. "Ten bucks says she's hooking up with Tanner from the lacrosse team."

Trey's dark eyes narrowed. "What makes you say that?"

"He sent me a death threat," I said simply, shrugging my shoulders to show it wasn't a big deal. "And he's probably the only guy she hasn't hooked up with."

He thought it over for a moment. "I'd bet you, but you don't need any more money. I saw that fifty in the box. Who was so generous to donate that much money to a worthy cause?" A coy smile curved his lips as he used a mocking tone to tease me.

I rolled my eyes deep into my sockets and let a slight groan escape my lips. I didn't want to be reminded of that weird kid who insisted that I kissed him. Sure, he left a great tip, but he annoyed me and I didn't even know the kid. He claimed to not be gay, but there was no way a dude would want to kiss another dude unless they enjoyed taking it up the ass. "It was some girl," I lied easily. "She was a cute blonde."

Trey responded with a big grin that showed he approved, but didn't say much after that. Instead, we both walked out of the carnival gates in silence and headed towards my old beat-up Jeep. The paint had chipped severely and looked more like a nasty brown than the bright orange it was supposed to be. There were several dents along the bumper and hood from previous run-ins with other cars and the leather seats were torn from the heat.

It wasn't the sexiest of cars but it was my dad's car before he died and Mom thought it'd be suiting if I drove it, considering the fact that she wasn't going to buy me a car of my own.

As I circled around the Jeep to get to the driver's side, my eyes caught the stare of a familiar blond-haired boy who had his leg propped up against a shiny, black Mustang. As soon as we made eye contact, his lips stretched into a menacing grin.

I tried to hide the fact that my heart probably stopped beating at that second and scrambled into the driver's seat, turning the car on and feeling the engine roar beneath my feet. There was something about that boy - something undeniably weird. "Trey," I said after clearing my throat and looking over the passenger side where he was just settling in. "Do you know that guy?"

Trey's eyes followed mine to the mustang where the blonde still stood with a teasing grin. Only this time, he was thumbing a lighter through his long slender fingers and holding up a cigarette to his mouth with his free hand.

A loud cackle erupted from Trey as he sunk back into his seat. "Oh, him? The dude's the creepiest guy you will ever meet. He was my partner once for some project and I had to convince the teacher to let me switch partners."

That caught my attention. I didn't plan on telling Trey that I had kissed another guy out of blackmail, but if he happened to have a similar secret then I wouldn't mind sharing. "What did he do?"

He shook his head while chortling loudly and fiddling with the dials on my stereo system. "I guess he didn't really do anything. He just made me feel uncomfortable. He'd always be around, you know. Like he was following me or something."

I sat back in my seat and thought about what he just said. "Was he?"

He shrugged. "It could have just been a coincidence. Why? He do something to you?" His eyes grew wide and hopeful, letting me know that I could tell him anything and that was the truth. Trey and I have been playing football together since we were in little league and he was practically my brother. But I couldn't tell him about this and risk being laughed at for the rest of my life.

"No," I dismissed the subject with a simple wave of my hand and returned my attention to the road. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as I released a heavy, frustrated sigh and began to back out of my parking space. I just hoped that whatever this was would go away soon.

**

The rest of the ride was silent on my behalf. Trey went on and on about a girl he met and I simply smiled and nodded. Trust me, I wanted to engage my friend in more conversation but my mind was too consumed with the thoughts of the mysterious blond boy. I didn't want him to bother me anymore but by the looks of it, he probably would.

Then what would I do?

He knew that I wasn't donating the kissing booth money to charity and he threatened to out me if I didn't cooperate. And losing my football scholarship wasn't worth the torment of a creepy, gay guy.

After I dropped Trey off, I headed to my own house which was just a few blocks away. My mom's car wasn't in the driveway, which led me to believe she was out at the bar again. Ever since Dad died, she's been a mess and I guess I could say the same for all of us.

I was greeted by Amy as soon as I stepped foot inside the house. Her face was very still, and in that moment she looked furious, more furious than she usually did. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she sat down carefully on the nearby couch.

I gave her a curious look as I stepped farther into the house and closed the front door. "Can I help you?"

She pursed her pink lips and tossed her bouncy, brown curls over her shoulder. "Mom told you to take me to the carnival." Her wintry eyes lost their color as she attempted to put on her patronizing face. "And you left without me."

I looked quizzically at her for a moment or two, then shrugged. We both knew I left without her on purpose. I could try to pass it off as an accident, but that would only anger her more. "You were taking too long," I said simply, pushing past her and moving down the main foyer to the staircase.

I could practically hear Amy's heavy steps drag behind me. "You are seriously the biggest jerk ever!"

I whipped around and flashed her a toothy grin. "Wow, thanks Amy! That's probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me. Now why don't you raid the fridge like you always do." I watched as the words sunk in and her jaw dropped, obviously offended by my words.

Smiling triumphantly, I jogged up the stairs and into my bedroom, slamming the door shut behind me. Groaning in complete and utter frustration, I threw the gym bag filled with money onto the floor and fell backwards onto my bed.

I sighed in frustration as I ran both hands through my short, brown hair and squeezed my eyes shut. I rolled onto my side and stared blankly at the family photograph on my bedside table. It was taken a few years ago, back when Amy was skinny, Mom smiled, and Dad was alive.

Even though I tried so hard to hide it, I missed him and the thought of losing him made me angry. It made me act out towards my family, friends and everyone else. He was my rock ... and without him, I was nothing.

My cell phone vibrated in my back pocket, and I reached for it. "Hello?" I said just as I pressed the phone to my ear. I prayed it was Trey calling to tell me a stupid joke, but I was disappointed to hear Francesca's feathery voice on the other end.

"Hey, baby," she cooed in my ear.

I sighed. "Hey."

"Sorry I couldn't meet up after the carnival. I had a few errands to run."

My lips tugged into a weak smile, knowing exactly what she meant by errands. "Really?" I asked her. "Who was it?"

There was a brief pause. "Scar, you worry too much."

I hummed softly. "You always give me a reason to."

"What are you talking about, Scar? We agreed that we were allowed to see other people," she graciously pointed out. "I never had a problem with you blowing other girls' brains out."

She would never understand even if I spelled it out for her. I let her see other guys because it made her happy, and I'd do anything to make her happy. But after a while, sharing didn't seem so caring. "We should take a break," I said after working up the courage.

"What?" she questioned. "Why?"

"I don't want to have to worry about your whereabouts or who you've been rolling around in bed with," I admitted honestly. "I have enough to deal with already, so I don't need the added pressure. I don't want you to think I hate you. It's the opposite, actually, I just want-ˮ

"I didn't know you were so sentimental, Patterson," Francesca interrupted while slightly giggling to herself. "You and I both know I don't do emotions. So, you want a break? Fine." Without even saying as much as a goodbye, the line went dead.

My fingers enclosed themselves around my iPhone and with all of my anger and rage powering me, I threw it against the nearest wall. As I waited for my heart rate to slow down, I fell back onto my bed and let the soft, plush mattress take me into a blissful state of oblivion.

**

The next day at school, I avoided Francesca like the plague.

It wasn't that I didn't want to see her, I just wasn't sure if I'd be able to stand the sight of her. She bluntly accepted my proposal for a break without hesitation, which led me to believe that she didn't really like me at all. Well, not in the way I liked her.

But I shouldn't be letting her take a toll on me. After all, I was perfectly capable of finding another girlfriend in record time. Hell, I was known for it.

Twisting the combination into my locker, I clicked it open and grabbed a few books from the top shelf. My eyes caught a glimpse of the photo strips of me and Francesca taped on the inside of my locker, and I sighed. I ripped them out of their secured position and stuffed them into my pocket, where I'd be sure to throw them away later.

I let out a slight groan and closed my locker, but only to be met with a pair of ice blue eyes and lips that spread into a Cheshire smile. He was propped up against the locker adjacent to mine and picking at his fingernails. "Heard the news," he said casually while running his free hand through his messy blond hair. "I'm really sorry about your breakup."

I rolled my eyes. "Are you?"

He scoffed. "Nope, not really."

Rolling my eyes once more, I began to walk off but he caught up to me, showing that he wasn't planning on leaving me alone anytime soon. "The name's Jamie by the way," he introduced himself, holding out a welcoming hand.

I stared blankly at his hand. "Get lost, queer."

Jamie chuckled lightly as he walked alongside me, keeping a steady pace. "You really don't like me, do you?"

"What gave it away?" I snapped back.

"Well, Patterson, it looks like you don't have a choice," he sang lightly. "You're going to have to learn to like me, or well, your dreams of being a future pro-football player goes down the toilet. Your pick."

I stopped in my tracks and whipped around to face him, burning holes into his head with my deadly glare. "You want to out my secret? Fine, go ahead! There's no way in hell I'm letting some fag take advantage of me. You're messing with the wrong guy."

Jamie stood with a perplexed look on his face, but the corners of his lips were still upturned into a mocking smirk. "Quit bluffing, it's definitely not a good look on you."

I jabbed an accusing finger into his chest, making him stumble backwards. "Leave me alone or I swear to God, I'll crush you like an empty soda can." I seethed through gritted teeth.

His eyes widened in shock as he slowly removed my finger from his chest. "Oh, I'm so scared! Although we both know you wouldn't do that."

"Oh, yeah?" I challenged him, taking a step closer. "Try me."

"You're acting like you don't give a damn but I know you're nothing but a softy. I have Francesca to confirm that."

I froze. "Francesca told you that?"

Jamie nodded slowly. "She's telling everyone that you're a sappy lovesick fag."

I shook my head, refusing to believe that Francesca would do something like that. In the back of my mind, I knew she was capable of spreading rumors about me but I didn't want to believe that she would. "Wow," I said to myself. I could sense Jamie's eyes studying me and when I looked up at him, that stupid grin was back on his face. "What?"

He smiled even wider. "I can help you get her back."

That peaked my interest. "How?"

He raised his hands in defense. "I can't reveal all my tricks and secrets, Patterson. But I promise I can get you back with your slutty girlfriend in no time."

I grimaced at the deragatory term, but decided not to argue against it. "And what do you want in return?" I raised a skeptical brow.

Jamie's brows furrowed in confusion as he placed a hand on his chest and let his mouth fall open. "Why do you think I want something?" He countered with a slightly offended look.

Growing irritated, I snaked my hand around his bony arm and pulled him closer to me. "What do you want," I spat as a demand, rather than a question.

"Okay, okay," he gave in as he squeezed out of my grasp. "I want half of the proceeds you get from the kissing booth."

I was half expecting it to be a crazy demand, like be his boyfriend or make out with him more. Knowing he only wanted money made me beyond relieved. "What do you plan to do with the money?"

A teasing smile curved his lips. "That's not really important," he countered. "Is it a deal or not?"

I thought it over for a moment. I didn't really know what led me to believe that Jamie had the ability to get Francesca and I back together, but I believed him.

I took his hand in mine and shook on it. "Deal."

**

A/N: Um, yeah. Jamie is definitely cunning and drool-worthy and is probably my favorite character.

So .... what do you think of this deal? And what do you think about Scar?

I hoped y'all enjoyed this chapter, and if you did ... please vote and comment. Like that'd be amazing. And I do this thing where random commenters get dedications, so ... you should probably do that.

Until next time,

~lara <3