Bea & the Broken Record

Bea and I walked the sidewalks, clothes stiff from getting soaked in the shower at school. It was an interesting story to tell, though I didn't and probably never would tell anyone. I would never hear the end of it.

I smiled like the idiot I was as we walked out through the parking lot. The guys had already beat us to the car by the time we got there. Bea and I had ditched the classes we had after lunch and went out to the courtyard mostly due to the fact that we were soaked. We had to air dry our clothes.

"Where have you guys been?" Quentin asked suggestively. I rolled my eyes held onto Bea's hand tighter.

"No where special," Bea mumbled with a small smile. For a moment there I thought it was a real smile. It didn't reach her eyes. We halted by the car where all the guys were leaning against it.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Grayson smirked, ignoring the different look on Bea's face. She stepped closer to me and put my arm around her with our hands still together.

"Ready to get home so you guys can do some cooking?" Ben teased as he slid into the backseat of the car. I glanced at Bea and she had a playful smile on her face.

"We'll make something nasty just for you, Ben," Bea chuckled lightly.

Just as I slid into the car, Bea's phone went off and she jerked back, grabbing for her phone in her back pocket. She held up a finger to tell me to hold on a second as she turned her back to talk to whoever was on the other line. I glanced at Ben on the other side of me and saw he and Quentin were fooling around, not paying attention. Grayson sat in the passenger seat with his phone in his hands as he texted whatever girl he was talking to.

I looked back at Bea to see her running her hands through her hair and straining her voice as she talked. I furrowed my eyebrows, wondering what exactly was being said in that conversation. When she finally ended the call and shoved her phone back into her pocket, she pressed her palms to her head and stood there before turning and coming back to the car, sliding in beside me. The sun had been beating down on Bea's dark hair, making it warm as it laid against my neck. Bea rested her head on my shoulder and I grabbed her hand, comforting her. I was completely left in the dark.

"Can you guys take me home, please?"
Bea said. Quentin started the car and looked in the mirror at me. I shrugged my shoulders.

Quentin drove downtown towards Bea's house. It only took us fifteen minutes. Once there, Bea climbed out and I noticed her parents' cars weren't anywhere.

"Wait, Bea," I called as I jumped out of the car. I stopped and turned around to tell the guys to leave and go home - that we'd be there soon.

"You sure?" Quentin asked. I nodded my head and waved them off, chasing Bea up her front porch and into the house. It was empty, of course.

"Bea, wait," I repeated. She dropped her backpack on the floor right inside the door and I shut the door behind me. Bea made her way into the kitchen and grabbed a glass out of the above cabinets and turned the facet on, pouring cold water into the glass. She took a gulp and sat her glass down on the counter.

"Bea -"

"Asher."

I stared at her, waiting for an explanation.

"Where are your parents?" I asked, taking a seat on a barstool. Bea sighed and walked over to me, tapping her fingers on my leg. I grabbed her hand and played with her fingers. She smiled suddenly and I felt my heart warm up with electricity. My hand suddenly moved up to touch her cheek and trace the curves on her face. Her eyes were glossy from tears but her smile was real.