Chapter 10

After the confession in church, Darcy and I complete the little walk to the grocery store. Her mum asked her to get some little things and I completely forgot to ask Ma if she needed anything from the store. I forgot we were coming here after.

I'm forgetting a lot of things lately.

"Apples or Banana?" Darcy asks, holding both fruits in hand as if she was weighing them. Her scarf was now around her neck with her dirty blond hair flying freely.

"Um," I thought about it hard. I'm not someone who had favorite fruit or something. But I guess if forced to choose, "Apples seem like fruit to each for a particular mood or state of mind. Bananas however, all time favorite?" I don't know what I'm saying.

Darcy nods, "so banana then?"

I open my mouth to speak but someone beats me to it. "Of course," I hear his voice and my heart sparks like a cut electric circuit. Sky comes into view, his grey eyes blinking at me. "Who chooses Apples over Banana?"

Darcy and I stay speechless just looking at him and he smirks, peeling off a banana and taking a bite out of it. It's then, my senses snap back.

"Sky," I breathe out.

He winks at me, "welcome back, handsome."

My body reacts strangely to that one word; handsome. And I'm at loss for words. Darcy turns to me in askance and I bite my lip uncomfortable.

"What are you doing here?" I stupidly ask and face palm right after.

"Well I guess I'm shopping like every other person but," he shrugs a mischievous look in his eyes. "Depends on how you see it, right."

"Sorry, that was stupid to ask." I apogized and he smiled. I remember Darcy is still here and I launch into introduction, "this is my friend Darcy. Darcy, meet Sky."

"Darcy," Sky extends a hand for a shake. "Pleasure to meet you."

Darcy barely takes his hand before she pulls back again. "Same," she couldn't quite look at him and I knew something was off. "We have to go Israel."

I don't even move before Sky's arm goes over shoulder, holding me in place. Darcy's eyes go to him and she looks kinda terrified. Sky smiles charmingly at her, "Darcy, do you mind me borrowing Israel for a minute or two. I'd love to talk to him, it's been a while."

"We talked yesterday," I point out, strangely comfortable under his hold.

"That's not nearly enough, Israel." Sky clears, returning his eyes to Darcy.

Her eyes move between Sky and I and she looks at me as if wanting me to say something to rescue her from the spotlight but I didn't know what to say and I wanted to hear what Sky would say to me, whatever it was. I'm probably a douche for ditching her here but then Sky... I would love to talk even though I just keep embarrassing myself. Finally Darcy shrugs.

"Sure, Israel I'd meet you back at the register." I nod and she gives a look before walking away pushing the shopping cart that I was originally pushing by herself.

"Was that a date?" Sky asks as soon as Darcy turns a corner and I move out of his hold in surprise.

"A date? Darcy?" I shake my head, "no. We went to church and I decided to help her get some things." Why I was explaining myself, I had no clue.

He nods, hands in his pockets looking at his shoes. Then he looks up with a smile, a completely different look than a second ago. "Fancy meeting you here, didn't know you are domestic."

I scoff, "I should be saying that to you." He chuckles, "shouldn't you be nursing a hangover?"

"Hangover?" He thinks, "oh, no, I didn't drink at the party. I didn't want to do anything stupid."

"Anything stupid like?"

"Coming over to your house to see you in your matching pajamas." He had a teasing smile on.

I literally face palmed, my groan muffled by my hands. "Oh God, I didn't have matching pajamas on."

I'm certain people turned at the sound of Sky's laughter even though I couldn't see because my eyes were shut with my hands over it. I slowly opened my eyes trying to glare at him but his laugh was sickeningly contagious. "You already apologized for that, you meanie."

"Fine, I'm sorry." He slowly stopped laughing. "I don't mean that in an annoying way though, you're just so cute, I can't help it."

I fold my arms and stick my tongue out to him, knowing that made me look childish but not caring at that moment. Sky smirks and put his hands around, then immediately retracted. I frown at him and he gulps. "Sorry, I didn't ask if that was okay by you."

I didn't understand for a second before it clicked; the restroom panic attack. I blush and drag my toe on the floor, mumbling out an, "it's okay." Admitting that felt weird but I chalked it up to wanting him to be free around me.

Sky smiles and puts his arm around me again, drawing me flush against his t-shirt and starts walking slowly around. "Let's hang out."

"Hang out?"

I feel him nod. "We could go to the park or the creepy woods or the town's center, where that big clock is at. You can't say no to hanging out twice, right?"

I shake my head, a bit amused. "Um, Sky, you seem to forget that we're practically strangers. I know nothing about you to make us hang out."

"Practically strangers?" He repeats, "aren't you exaggerating there?"

"Nope," I turn to look at him and again he has that weird paying attention look on. "I don't know you Sky. All I know about you is that you have a truck and are friends with some shady mechanic. And then some other things I asked about."

His eyes are concentrated on me, before his lips twitch like some reflex action. "You asked about me?"

Oops.

I nod, biting on my lip. "After we met, I asked Jamal about you and he told me some stuff."

"What stuff?"

My pulse was starting to rise and I exhale, calming myself down and playing it cool. "Stuff that I barely remember because only the one that comes from you truly matter."

Sky has his scrutinizing look on again like he wants to see through me and separate me parts by parts until he truly knows what was a lie and the truth about me. It was slightly uncomfortable. He smiles — a different smile that I once saw in the yogurt shop, genuine with a touch of incredulity — and looks away from me. "You make me want to—"

"Israel?" I turn around to see Darcy beckoning me over. I had forgotten all about her even and she apparently has finished her shopping.

Regrettably, I turn to Sky. "I have to go."

He stops me before I turn to leave, jumping in front of me and blocking my path. "Okay, we're strangers but the point of hanging out is to get to know each other. I'd like that."

"I can't Sky," I said even though I wanted to. I couldn't because something in me is telling me to stay away, that Sky is like the scissors that'll cut my entire circuit and make me burn out, and yes it sounds appealing but it shouldn't be. And also, where do I tell my parents I'm at?

"Come on Israel, give me a chance to be your friend." He all but pleaded.

I want to hang out. Seeing his eyes look at me it seemed like they held the answers to all the questions I had. Like those cat eyes were the calm to my storm and held the secrets of the world between. His smirk and smile, all like a forbidden fruit that had an invisible pulling string during me closer and closer. I looked away from him, glancing at Darcy who was impatiently waiting for me. I got an idea and turned to Sky with a smile.

"Okay then, I'll meet you at the creepy woods in an hour or less." I said, "I have to walk Darcy to her house."

He smiles, "creepy woods it is."

His eyes flirt around my face and I feel the need to tell him not to go in until I come.

"Scared?"

I frown at him, "just don't go in."

"I'll be waiting."

"Bye." I quickly walked to Darcy, apologizing and using all my will power fighting a smile.

I'm meeting Sky at the woods! That's so crazy, I couldn't believe it was actually going to happen. I was going after dropping Darcy so I don't get to face my parents. Ma knows I left with Darcy so she wouldn't ask where I've been. They'd think I'm still with her and Darcy is good company anyway, I won't be called at all. It's the perfect moment.

"Israel," Darcy starts speaking for the first time since we left the store. "I didn't know you knew Sky Hunt."

I shrug, "I've just known him this week. How do you know him?"

"He's in some of my advanced classes," she says and I nod. "You guys are friends now?"

I shake my head, "no. I don't even him much."

"It's no wonder then," Darcy says nodding to herself.

I frown, "how do you mean?"

She's louder now, probably more comfortable now that she knows we're not friends. "Well, I don't know him too, we've only talked today but he's completely bad company."

"Darcy—"

"I'm serious Israel, one of the worst in town." She point out. "He barely attends school. He's a complete no gooder, he sold drugs once and almost got expelled. He's..." She looked like she was thinking of the word. "... Immoral."

My jaw hanged open, not completely because of the things she said about Sky but because they were coming out her mouth.

"I even heard once, when we still lived in our former house. It was a street away from Sky's," she leaned in closer to me. "I heard he killed his cousin."

"Darcy!" I yelled not believing my ears.

"What? Everything I say is exactly it or exactly what I've heard." She rolls her eyes looking away.

"What happened to not judging?"

"This isn't judging okay, this is me telling you things so you'd be careful and cautious with your new friends." She grabs my hand pulling me with her. "Sky Hunt is bad news."

I sigh, "you don't even know him Darcy." Someone with a smile like that can't be bad news.

"Israel, who truly knows who these days? Huh. Just know, there's no smoke without fire."

First Jamal, the Darcy. Although Darcy is way more cruel. Rumors mostly, no one knows Sky. It's like everything Darcy said just went in one ear and came out the other because I was still one hundred percent going to hang out with Sky after this. Or the things she said just fueled my fascination more. Can someone as beautiful as that be everything they say? And if he's misjudged which I highly think so, then I shall be the only in town to know him for sure and chase his demons.

Get a grip Issy.

Darcy keeps talking, although not about Sky anymore. She talks about the store and the old lady she met after I abandoned her for Sky. I mostly listen but I tune out more and by the time I've said goodbye to her by her door, and watched it close shut, I removed my Jacket and broke into a run.

I was going to hang out with Sky.

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Do you think the things Darcy said are true? What do you think about the hangout?

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