Heartstring Teaser Jan 14

Photo by Eliott Reyna on Unsplash

"I'll race you there," Mik says.

I want to kiss the cocky smile off his face so badly that I take a step back and curl my hands into fists on either side of me.

"That's an unfair race."

He shrugs. "Life isn't fair."

No, it isn't, I think. It's unfair that he has the blondest hair and lightest blue eyes I've ever seen.

It's unfair how my heart jolts every time I see him roll down the window of his parents' car when he picks me up for school.

Maybe his parents would think it's unfair that he makes their driver take a daily detour through the less up-and-coming areas just so we can ride to school together. But they don't know. His kind driver, Mr. Stevens, swore he'd never tell.

It would be unfair if he got fired over it.

The world is definitely an unfair place to be. But when I'm with Mik nothing else matters. Just us and the music we love making together.

"What are you thinking?" he asks.

That your light-blue polo shirt, jeans and sneakers make you look like an all-American boy next door, or a Swedish exchange student.

That I know you'd rather wear all black but your mom would go nuts.

That I can't stop thinking about your lips since I saw you chew on your pencil in Mrs. Roberts math class.

"How I'm going to dunk you in the pool until you're begging for mercy." I say instead of what I'm thinking as I grab his head in a choke hold under my arm.

"It'll never happen." He brings his arms around my waist and tickles me until I have to let go of him because it wouldn't be cool to get a boner for my best friend outside the school gates.

His face is flushed when I release him and for a moment we stand there staring at each other smiling.

"Just kiss already. The sexual tension is killing me," Bernadette, one of the girls in our class says as she walks past us.

"I'll kiss you," I tease, puckering my lips in her direction.

"Ew, no way."

When I look back at Mik his face is still flushed red but he's staring at the floor.

"We should go if we want to practice our songs after we swim," he says.

It's still early but he's right. I don't want to go home late anyway.

"Did you mean it?" he asks.

"Huh? Mean what?"

"You'd kiss her?"

I shake my head. "No fucking way. Bernadette?" I laugh.

"Why not? She's pretty."

Because I want to kiss you. "Because she's had her tongue down every guy in our class and my tonsils are a delicate instrument."

He rolls his eyes. "Tonsils aren't an instrument, dumbass."

I want to argue with him, even though I know he's right but it doesn't matter. I don't want to kiss anyone, and the scowl on his face went away when I said it.

Could he like me like I like him?

His driver waves at us as he picks a free parking spot. As usual I walk Mik to the car.

"Can I take you home, Tyler?" Mr. Stevens asks.

"Nah, it's okay. I like taking the bus." Then I turn to Mik. "I'll catch you later."

He smiles his straight, white smile that I only ever see directed at me. "Like I said. Race you there."

I roll my eyes. "You can't race me to your own place when I need to stop at mine to get my guitar and my swimming trunks first. It's not fair."

He shrugs again and gets in the car.

It only takes me two seconds to decide I'll forego the bus and run home instead. Even in this heat I'm sure I can beat my personal best and be home in less than twenty minutes.

I'm eager to get to Mik's place and jump in the pool so I keep running even when I see another bus I can easily jump into for the rest of the way.

When I turn the corner to my street I see my dad's car straight away. My legs burn from trying to outrun Mik's car. I'll get to his place after him but I'm damn well going to try my best to decrease my lateness.

Still, seeing my dad's car at home so early in the day isn't normal. He works two jobs to keep a roof over our heads so he's never home when I get back from school.

"Dad," I call, practically crashing into the hallway when I come in. I don't even bother taking off my sneakers. Just drop my school bag and look for him.

He's sat on the couch hunched forward with his elbows on his knees. He's holding what looks like a letter in thick paper. Must be something official.

The court date!

This is officially the first post in Ana's Attic - Between the sheets. Watch out for more in the coming days!

Please note these chapters aren't edited. They will also be removed prior to the release of the book but don't worry, if you're seeing this you'll get an ebook just to yourself so you won't even miss these random chapters.

Ana