Just Another Cliché

Chapter One – First Encounters Gone Wrong

I crossed my arms against my chest and started tapping my foot against the floor impatiently.

…

…

…

“Stop being such an idiot and give me my damn hair band back.”

“No.”

“Give. It. back!”

“Well, how ‘bout this: I give it back on one condition.”

Oh, don’t even go there. “And what will that be?” though I had a pretty good feeling that I already knew what he wanted.

“A kiss.” Cliché, anyone?

I glared at him, not really amused. “No, thank you very much. I think I’ll pass.”

“You know,” he went mother-of-factly, “any other head would give up their head for a kiss from me.”

Well, I couldn’t really argue with that. I knew from first hand experience what lengths girls would go to, just to get as much as a second glance from Travis. And to be honest, it’s disgusting.

I mean, sure, the guy’s good looking. I may be immune to his so-called charm, but I’m not blind. I can recognize a hot guy when I see one. But he’s not that hot. Well, not for me anyways.

Sure, his sandy blonde hair does look shiny, and I have thought about running my hand through it on countless occasions; wanting to check if it’s as soft as it looks. And his gray eyes are gorgeous. But looks aren’t everything, right?

Apparently, to the entire Welkins high population, it is.

But, I digress.

“Well, you better be saving those kisses for them, then.” I told him. “Wouldn’t want them loosing their heads go to waste, now do we?

“Travis,” Chris, my eldest brother, snapped. “Stop flirting with my sister and let’s go.”

Travis scowled at him and then started making childish faces once my brother’s back was turned.

Yep, that Travis to you.

‘’-‘’-‘’-‘’

“So,” Jake, my best friend, said once he and Jamie managed to catch up to me. “How was your weekend?”

I was just about to begin this extended, over zealous and detailed tale of my weekend when I remembered how Travis had been on my case all through it. I scowled.

Jake chuckled. “Travis slept over, didn’t he?” my scowl intensified, giving him the answer he’s been expecting.

Jamie, on the other hand, didn’t seem to find this as amusing as Jake did. She rolled her eyes and went, “I just don’t see where the problem is. I mean, I wouldn’t mind if the hottest guy slept over.” She then paused and adapted this dreamy look. “In fact, he can sleep over any day of the week.”

Jake scowled, and I would’ve laughed had I not been so irritated.

“You’re all deceived by his incredibly good looks.” I said solemnly. “While the truth of the matter is it’s just a veil. He uses his look goods to hide the self-centered, arrogant, annoying, jerk inside. He –”

Jamie grinned. “So you admit he’s hot?”

I glared at her. “No I don’t—I mean he’s not.”

“ ‘incredibly good looks’,” Jake quoted me with a smirk. I think he was trying to imitate my voice, if he was, he was doing a really bad job at it.

I heaved an exasperated sigh. “Well… I suppose he’s kinda cute.”

Jamie raised a brow. “Suppose.”

“Yeah,” I said. “But the fact that he’s an incredible pain in the ass makes him less cute. And the fact that he has an ego the size of Texas doesn’t help either.”

“But he’s still cute.”

By then we had reached the cafeteria, and I tried my best to hide behind my two best friends so that none of my brothers – or their friends – could spot me and drag me over to their table. The last thing I needed right now – or ever, really – was to sit with a bunch of hormone driven boys and watch them eat like the pigs they are – even if two of them are my brothers and the rest could just as well be my brothers.

“Where do you think you’re going?” came a familiar deep voice from behind me, a familiar deep voice that I was currently avoiding. I bit my lower lip and willed the floor to open up and swallow me, just until me brother went away. Needless to say, it didn’t work.

Chris heaved me up on his shoulder as if I was just a sack of potatoes and carried me over to the jocks table. The one the entire basketball player inhibited. Then he dropped me in the seat between Travis and my other brother, Kevin.

I pouted. “You know, I can –”

“Take care of yourself.” They all finished for me, not even bothering to look up from their food. Jerks.

“Yeah.”

“What ever.”

Travis leaned in and inquired, “How ‘bout my kiss now?”

I smiled sweetly to him, even though my thoughts were not even close to being sweet. “How ‘bout you kiss my ass?”

He grinned. “Gladly.”

I wasted no time. With a squeak, I was out of my place and running like my life depended on it. Travis, unfortunately, was right behind me.

‘’-‘’-‘’-‘’

I was strutting down the hall when I noticed him. Why he caught me attention? That I will never know. All I know is; he did. Catch my attention that is.

Maybe it was the fact that he stood out from the crowd. He wasn't doing anything, by all means. Just leaning against, what I assumed to be, his locker, with his hands crossed against his chest.

He was wearing dark gray jeans, a yellow band tee under a black hoodie and a cap that was mostly covered by the hood of the hoodie. His emo styled bangs were sticking out, that’s how I knew he had jet black hair. Something was shining on the upper left side of his face, slightly covered by his bangs; I assumed it to be an eyebrow ring.

He had his eyes closed – hence I couldn’t tell what color his eyes were – and was listening to his iPod. I don’t really know what drew me to him at the time. Maybe it was plain curiosity, or maybe it was something else. I couldn’t really tell.

Any normal person would’ve just kept on walking. But here’s the thing, I’m not any normal person. I kept staring at him, concentrating on the task of placing his face. But he didn’t look familiar.

I decided that my brothers and Travis could wait a couple of minutes. It’s not like they would actually notice. They’re too busy practicing, I was supposed to meet them in the basketball field. They had basketball practice everyday after school, and I was supposed to wait for them.

I slowly made my way to him. I stood right in front of him and waited patiently for him to acknowledge me. He didn’t.

With a sigh, I tapped his shoulder. And then I looked up at him, way up at him. He had to be at least a foot taller than my lousy 5’3”.

He opened his eyes slowly and lazily, took one look at me, and then slid back closed. But I did manage to catch the color of his eyes; they were hazel.

I sighed and tapped his shoulder again.

He opened his eyes again, but this time he looked annoyed.

“What do you want?” he snapped. I just kept blinking silently at him.

“What’s your name?” I asked. He gave me the ‘you have got to be kidding me’ look.

I raised my eyebrows. “What?”

“Get lost.”

I frowned. “Why are you so mean?”

His look that once was annoyed turned to amused. And then, just like that, he burst out laughing. I'm serious. Clutching-the-stomach, rolling-on-the-floor laughing. Literally. He was rolling on the floor. I swear! And I didn't even say anything funny. As Michelle from Full House would say: “How rude!”

I glared. “What are you laughing at?” He took one glance at my face and burst into another fit of laughter.

I let out an annoyed huff and scowled down at him. He just ignored me and went on laughing.

I kicked him in the stomach. “Idiot.”

That shut him up alright. Though just for a second.

He clutched his stomach again, but this time with pain, and scowled at me. But that scowl disappeared just as soon as it had appeared and was replaced by barks of laughter.

Deciding that I had had enough, I huffed one more time, and whirled around, making my way to the basketball field. At least in there no one can bug me. That is if Travis wasn't being his annoying self as usual. Which is highly unlikely. Knowing Travis, it's impossible for him not to be annoying. It just comes with the package.

I just can’t believe that I was actually interested in that scum bag. But I’m not one to make the same mistake twice.

‘’-‘’-‘’-‘’

“Stupid, arrogant, insolent little prick.”

“Whoa! Easy there, tiger.” Three guesses who that was. Two of them don’t really count.

It was the other jackass, otherwise known as Travis.

“What the hell do you want now?” I snapped. Again, it's not my fault that idiot- who I still don't know the name of, by the way- got on my nerves. I mean I wasbeing nice, and what does he do? He starts laughing at me.

The nerve of kids these days.

Instead of teasing me more, as I expected him to, Travis gave me a concerned look instead

“What’s wrong?” he asked. There was no trace of the earlier smugness that was in his voice. But I knew better than to believe him.

I maneuvered my way around him and headed to the bleachers. “None of your god damn business.”

“Alex, come on, what’s up?” he asked, following me up and taking the seat next to me.

I glared. “Nothing’s wrong. Now scramble away.”

“Alex,” he started in a warning tone. I glanced up at him, startled. His face was still edged with concern. Maybe he was being serious after all…

I smiled. A weak smile, but a smile nonetheless. “Nothing’s wrong.”

He hesitated.

“Go. We wouldn’t want you to be benched now do we? Imagine what will happen to the female population of Welkins high if you got benched.” I wiggled my brows suggestively at him. “They'd have a heart attack.”

“You sure you’re okay?” he asked one last time.

I rolled my eyes and pushed him hard. He doubled over and fell butt-first on the floor.

He got up and cast me a glare. His glare intensified as he started rubbing his – probably sore – butt. “Well forgive me for trying to help.”

I stuck my tongue out at him in reply.

Instead of glaring some more, he grinned and started walking away, casting one last wave in my direction.

‘’-‘’-‘’-‘’

“I’m tired.” I whined as I made my way towards my brothers and Travis.

They all chuckled as they went on walking ahead of me.

Travis gave me an amused look. “You didn’t even as much as move a muscle and you’re tired?”

I glared. “Shut it.”

“Are we stopping in the workshop to pick up your cars?” I asked. They nodded.

You're probably wondering how did they both manage to trash their cars in the same time, right? Well, it's quite simple really.

It all started two weeks ago when the guys decided to play baseball in the park. The guys meaning both my brothers, Chris and Kevin, Travis-of course- Tyler, Jess, Mark and Chad. Tyler, Jess, Mark, and Chad were a couple of my brothers’ friends. Aka the rest of the jokes.

Anywho, Kevin managed to somehow crash the windshield of Chris's car with the baseball bat. And instead of apologizing- like any normal person would- he burst out laughing. Which just added fuel to the fire.

So Chris decided to get even- you know how guys are with their ‘babies’- and in turn break Kevin's car windshield. And so he did.

And that's how, my friends, we ended with two wrecks for cars.

As soon as we were all settled in the car, I cleared my throat and looked at them innocently.

Travis and Kevin groaned. “Why do I have a feeling I’m not gunna like where this is going?”

“Jamie’s forcing me to go in another shopping trip. So…” I drawled. “Who’s up for some shopping?”

“Out!” They all yelled pushing me out of the car.

Jeez. I’m not that bad…