The Boy Next Door

ｔｅｎ

Rachel

I woke up to the chirping of my alarm. Today was the day I would have to face Luke again. Today was the first day of school. I changed into a pair of ripped dark skinny jean, an oversized pink hoodie and a pair of white shoes. I curled my hair, applied concealer to the imperfections on my face, and swiped some mascara onto my long lashes.

There wasn't much else to be done except gather my supplies.

I walked down the stairs to the smell of cinnamon.

My mom set out a plate of French toast down on the breakfast bar.

"Eat up. Today is a big day. You look pretty today." My mom said.

"Thanks mom." I said, stuffing a piece of food in my mouth.

When I finished eating, I ran up to my room to get my bag, my phone, and my keys.

"Mom! Where are my car keys? I thought my car was back from the shop."

"Dad had to take the car into the shop once again, it needed some additional repairs." She said.

"How am I supposed to get to school?"

"Katie can give you a ride, right?"

"She is grounded. I don't have a ride now." I explained.

Wyatt had already left to go back to college.

"Do you think Colton can give you a ride?" She said, putting the milk back into the refrigerator.

"I guess so. I can see if he can." I said before running outside with my bag and phone.

Colton was starting to pull out of the driveway. He stopped when he saw me running towards his car. He rolled the window down. "Need a ride, sweet pea?" He said, patting the passenger's seat.

I nodded while catching my breath. I climbed into the passenger's seat and fastened my seat belt.

"Thank you for stopping for me." I said, as he continued to pull out of the driveway.

"Are you going to need a ride every day?" He said.

"I have no idea, maybe. My car is in the shop right now." I looked out the window at the houses we were passing.

"Fine with me." He said.

I smiled to myself. I was really starting to enjoy his presence. His kiss didn't help that situation, either. The entire ride to school, I thought about it.

"You look beautiful today Rachel." He said out of the blue.

I blushed a little. "Thank you."

He pulled into a parking space and pulled the key out of the ignition.

"You ready?" He asked.

"Luke is going to be here. I'm not feeling very good about that."

"Rachel, don't worry. I will be with you the whole time. I won't let him touch you."

I nodded. He put his hand out like he wanted me to hold it. I place my hand in his and he gave it a gentle squeeze before getting out of the car.

We walked up to the front of the school and walked through the doors. The halls were already crowded with kids.

"What is your locker number?" He asked.

"263."

"I think that I really will be with you the whole time."

"What do you mean?"

"Mine is 262. Right next to yours. They must do it by address or something."

I was happy to hear him say that his locker was right next to mine. It made me feel a little better knowing that if Luke ever came near my locker, he would always be there. I didn't think Luke would try to do anything in a public area, but having to face him in person now was getting to me. We found our lockers and tried to open them. He got his open on the first try.