6. Oakley

6

OAKLEY

One thing I love most about Arizona is the weather. It's hot, but it's not muggy. You can almost always count on a nice day, especially as we move toward winter.

It's Sunday and I'm heading to the coffee shop to meet Jason. The week is always a little too busy for me to commit to plans. I've always made weekdays dedicated to schoolwork, so I can enjoy the weekend. For the record, Friday night is not considered a weekend for me unless I have all my work for next week completed.

Jason tried to convince me just this once to come out with him on Friday, and really didn't like taking no for an answer. The way he kept saying he wanted to spend time with me and get to know me and how he loved how shy I was and my smile—not going to lie, I almost gave in.

Except Honey Bee took my phone and flat-out texted back, ‘No. I have homework.' then kept my phone from me until I finished it.

She doesn't truly care about when I get my work done. She doesn't share the same homework schedule I do. But Honey Bee knows I haven't broken this routine for anyone, and she didn't appreciate someone trying to convince me otherwise.

"I'm questioning whether this guy is a good idea if he's trying to change you," she says.

"He's not trying to change me," I argue, rolling my eyes. "He just wants to spend time together."

She's not convinced.

The thing is, I'm not sure she'd truly understand. Honey Bee is beautiful. She gets a lot of attention. She's always complimented, and goes on lots of dates.

I… do not. I have never experienced that kind of attention. I've never had someone truly show an interest in wanting to spend time with me, never mind try to get to know me.

When I leave the house, I stare at the one across the road where two men moved in yesterday. Strangely enough, Briar reported last night that there are actually four men who live there. He'd seen them all sitting outside on the deck. He's convinced that they're brothers.

Maybe we can make friends with the neighbors and learn if the house is haunted. If anyone makes friends with them, it's going to be Honey Bee. We've all bet on how long it'll take one of them to come around and ask out Honey Bee.

My bet is three days. Especially since she's always wearing these adorable little sundresses with a flower in her hair. She looks like a Puerto Rican Barbie and I'm totally here for it. Buying her presents is always a blast because she loves clothes and fashion and will literally make anything we give her a stunning work of art.

When we were in high school, we used to challenge her and hand over the ugliest article of clothing we could find to see if she could make it stunning. Somehow, she always ended up with a date.

Turning my attention back to the sidewalk, I head down the road. I'm feeling a little more self-conscious than usual because I let Honey Bee dress me for my date. She might not like Jason so far, but she will always do her thing and make us look hot when we ask.

Not that I feel hot. I feel… exposed.

Absently, I reach up to my hair to tug it down but abort and stick my hand in my pocket. I'm wearing tan pants that desperately need a belt and a loose shirt that fit better in high school. Putting it on made me realize how much mass I've lost. Maybe I should see if Levis will teach me aikido or something.

Jason is waiting outside with a smile. He hands me a pretty flower and leans in to kiss my cheek, causing my skin to heat.

"Right on time," he says and leads me to his car with his hand on my lower back. He even opens the door for me and waits for me to climb in.

When he joins me, he says, "I was far too excited to finally see you. I've been here for ten minutes."

I smile. "I'm pretty much always just on time. My friends say it's a superpower."

He smiles. "You said you moved here with your friends, right?"

We've talked about them in passing through text, but not in detail. I nod. "Yep. There are six of us."

"Ah. You live together? Do you share rooms?"

"Yes, we live together and no, we don't share rooms," I say, laughing. "Actually, we love living together. This is the first time we've been able to."

"Mmm," he says. "I think living alone is better. You have privacy and the freedom to see whoever you want without judgment."

"My friends aren't like that. We give each other privacy and we have the freedom to see whoever we want without judgment. I'm not sure they'd be good friends otherwise."

"I'm glad your friends are cool. I would have liked to meet them."

Jason wanted to pick me up at home. Honey Bee said he was being pushy about it, but I thought he just wanted to be a gentleman. However, that was one of our rules. This is our house together. We never wanted anyone to feel uncomfortable with a stranger in the house, so we agreed that unless we all invited someone over, then we wouldn't be bringing people home.

I try to explain this to him. "We just don't let anyone come over. Not even to pick us up. It's just a boundary we made."

"Seems a little constricting and controlling. You don't think so?"

I shake my head. "No. Or I wouldn't have agreed to it."

"I can't imagine being around the same people all the time. Day in and day out. Don't you fight?"

"Not at all. What would we fight about?"

Jason shrugs. I'm not sure why, but his fixation on my living situation feels weird. Frowning, I turn my attention out the window and watch as we drive through the city. It isn't long before we're pulling into the fairground parking lot. It's packed, but I'm not surprised. The signs tell me it's the last day of the fair.

He takes my hand as we walk toward the gate. I was sure to bring cash, just in case, and of course, I have my card on my phone. But Jason pays for our tickets, smiling at me as he leads me inside.

"I asked you out. My treat," he says.

Something about the way he says it makes my stomach flip. Not necessarily in a good way.

We play a couple games at first, once more Jason pays. Even when I play the game. He's kind of insistent about it. I try not to think much of it when he's always following it up with he wants me to have a good time. He loves to see me smile and wants to spoil me today.

But his tone feels like he's leaving something unsaid. Like there's a second part to that sentence.

"Here you go, sweetheart," the guy behind the booth says, handing me a little narwhal.

I grin and cuddle it to my chest for a minute. "Thank you."

Jason guides me away with his hand on my back. "You must get that a lot."

Glancing at him, I have no idea what he's talking about, but he's frowning. "What?"

"Random guys hitting on you. Flirting."

Looking over my shoulder at the booth we just left, the guy is talking to the customers. He doesn't spare me a glance. "I don't think he was."

"Of course he was. You're beautiful, Oakley."

That no longer sounds like the compliment he makes it out to be.

"I hate that. It's one of my biggest pet peeves."

"What is?"

"When someone flirts with my date, when I'm standing right here. It's so rude." He looks at me. "And you let him."

"Right," I say, dropping my hands to my sides. "Sorry."

He smiles. "Don't be. Honestly, I can't blame them. You really are just precious. It's your smile, I think. And your pretty hair."

Jason steers us away from the games and toward the rides. He's sure to sit close when he can, his arm wrapped around my shoulders or my waist. Almost like he's making sure that everyone around him knows that we're here together.

It makes me feel uncomfortable and I try to put a little distance between us. Jason either doesn't notice and follows or simply refuses to let me. I'm not sure which. He's pretending that the weird vibe he gave me over the game attendant didn't happen. He's acting like he doesn't notice that I'm definitely feeling awkward and embarrassed by his behavior.

For a while, he's nothing but flattering and sweet. So I try to tell myself it was nothing. Earlier was just… maybe insecurity from a past experience. It happens.

I'm starting to relax and have a good time when Jason asks, "That guy's hot, isn't he?"

I glance his way, unsure who he's looking at. "Who?"

"The one who let us on the last ride. He was checking out your ass."

Somehow, I find that really hard to believe. I have no ass to speak of. These pants do not even give the illusion of having one.

"Uh… sure," I say. "I guess I didn't notice."

"How could you not? He was ogling you. Practically drooling."

My shoulders are tensing again as he continues to carry on about this imagined staring. With every word he says, a sour taste gets stronger in my mouth. His hand around mine tightens uncomfortably, to the point where it's almost painful.

"I hate that so much. It's so fucking rude. I literally have your hand in mine and he's checking you out like a piece of meat. And you don't even say anything. You just pretend like you don't notice. Is that how you always are, Oakley?"

I just stare at him. …what??

"I'm going to need you to be more aware of those around you, honey. Don't let people sexualize you, okay?"

…WHAT?! I don't even know what he's talking about.

"I need to use the bathroom," I blurt. It's time to send out a Mayday.

"Sure," he says, smiling. His hand is still painfully tight around mine. "Looks like they're just porta potties. I'll wait outside the door, so no one bothers you."

"That's unnecessary," I insist. "Just stay here."

He frowns. "I'm just trying to protect you."

Right. "Just… stay here. I can pee on my own."

"Of course you can, sweetheart. Want me to hold your phone? Don't want to drop that in there." He laughs as he holds his hand out.

"I'll take my chances. I've yet to lose a phone in a toilet. You can hold this though, thanks." Thrusting the narwhal into his hands, I follow the line down the row of porta potties before he can answer, thankful that the closest open one is a dozen away from the line. Locking myself inside, I pull out my phone and dial Honey Bee.

"Hey, you okay?" she asks.

"I need you to get here now ," I hiss into the phone. " Please . Like, as fast as you can. This guy is just… a huge red flag, and he's creeping me out." I'm feeling slightly panicky at this point.

"Turn on the app, Oak. We're on our way. Stay in the masses, okay?"

I nod. "Hurry."

When I hang up, I turn on the app. When shit started going down with Haze's father and Oren, we decided to be proactive and keep tabs on each other. Especially as Jessup and then Frankie started going off the deep end.

We all installed this tracker app and connected our six phones. While we'd meant it only to make sure Haze was safe when he'd had to go home for the night, I think we all found comfort in being able to see exactly where each other was at all times during that month or so.

Stuffing my phone back in my pocket, I open the door. Jason is right there, walking toward me. He smiles and I suddenly don't find it charming at all. He reaches for me, but I pull my hands away. "I need to wash my hands."

There's no way to avoid the big station where people are gathered around. I take my time using soap and water first and then drying them. Then covering them in hand sanitizer. That buys me an extra minute or so while I swing my hands to dry.

"What would you like to do now?" he asks.

"Can we just walk around?" I ask. "It's been a long time since I've been to a fair and I'd just like to check out the stalls and stuff."

"Of course," he says.

Once again, he must know that he was being a creep because he's now reverted to his previous behavior. Complimentary. Spoiling. But still, his grip on my hand is super tight.

Minutes tick by and my anxiety increases. While I try not to make it obvious that I'm looking for my friends, I stare into the crowd. Jason notices and accuses me of looking for someone. I don't even answer. His hand tightens.

I almost cry when I see Honey Bee stomping her way through the crowd. I recognize that look. Even so, I nearly jump when my petite friend gets between us and forcefully makes Jason release my hand.

"What?" Jason stammers, trying not to lose his grip on me. "What the fuck? Who are you? What're you doing?"

"Let go of him and learn to read some fucking body language," Honey Bee hisses. "Don't make me knee you in the balls."

Jason releases me, and Honey Bee shoves me behind her into our friends' waiting arms. I'm sandwiched between Levis and Brek, with Briar and Haze blocking me from Jason.

"Seriously, I question your ability to read social cues," Honey Bee says. "This date is over. Do not contact Oakley again."

"Oakley?" Jason asks, and I can see him through the small space between Haze and Briar's shoulders. He looks all innocent and confused. "Who is this? What happened—I thought we were having a good time?"

I'd love to say I'm quick with words under pressure and with attention on me. I'm not. So I turn my face away.

"This is kind of a rude ending to a date. After all I've paid?—"

Briar thrusts a $50 at his chest. "You're even. Go away."

I'm sure he doesn't move. It's my friends that move. They keep me pressed between them as we make our way through the crowd.

"I'm sorry," I say. "I should have listened to your concerns. He's one giant red flag and not in a sexy book boyfriend way."

Levis wraps an arm around my shoulders. "I think we recently realized that you're not used to hearing someone compliment you because you turned blind to what was right in front of you. I'm sorry we didn't try harder to protect you."

"For the record, you're a fucking catch, Oakley," Haze insists, his hands on my hips as he nuzzles into the back of my hair. "Please, please don't think otherwise. Don't let creeps like that get close because you like their words."

I sigh, feeling smaller than I have in a while.

"We're not trying to lecture you or put you on the spot," Levis says. "I'm sorry we just did that too."

"No," I whisper, shaking my head. "Thank you for coming to rescue me."

"Always," Honey Bee says. "We have each other's backs, no matter what. No matter how long we're friends or where life takes us. We will always come running when someone gives the word."

This is exactly why we're as close as we are.

"Want to stay and enjoy the fair or want to go home and eat ice cream and speculate about the haunted house that's now being lived in?" Brek asks.

I laugh. "Let's stay for a bit. Unless we see Jason around, then I'd rather go home."

They're right. I let compliments make me stupid. There were red flags from the very beginning. I mean, who seriously likes the name Oakley besides my parents?! I'm named after sunglasses!

He was manipulating my emotions from the moment we met, wasn't he? I wrap my arm around my stomach and grip my opposite elbow. Fuck, I feel stupid.