Taking A Step (Austin)

Glancing up from the bleacher, Austin wondered why he hadn't seen Zaylia enter the gym as yet. He skipped hanging with his friends just to see her, Mr Whyte, his coach isn't in school today.

Moving to the bottom bleacher, Austin watched as Zaylia modelled her way into the gym. He smiled to himself watching her keenly until Mrs Shaw told him to leave the gym.

"Okay this might sound a little cliche proverb. Was Austin staring at you the whole time during gym class?" Natalia asked. Natalia sees everything while Kassidy hears everything.

"I don't know," Zaylia replied, walking into the locker room when Austin got a hold of her hand and stopped her.

"Can I talk to you alone," he said, pulling her away from her friends.

"Can you meet me after school please? I'll drop you off at home if anything and you need a ride," Austin pleaded.

"Why?" she asked.

"I want to show you something," he answered, moving in closer to her, having her in the corner where he could outstretched his hand above her head. So are you meeting me?

She shook her head biting on her bottom lips while holding in her breath. He stood there looking down on .

"Can I go?" she asked, staring at him.

"Hmmm," he replied, licking his lips while staring at hers.

She could hear Kassidy and Natalia running from the door when she was about to open it. Playing dumb she went in changing her clothes also ignoring their stares.

"Ahem," Kassidy said, clearing her throat. So what was that about?

"Don't try to play smart with me, I know you guys were eavesdropping," she frowned at them.

"Nevertheless where is he taking you?" Natalia asked.

"I don't know, maybe it's to discuss when we're going to start the shopping for the fundraiser Saturday. You guys till coming right?" she asked.

"Yes, stop straying away the argument, you know what we're gonna ask next," Natalia said sassing her.

"I want to know the same thing, I didn't expect him to have me in that position," she answered.

She was so happy they didn't ask any further questions. Getting her stuff from the locker for her last class which was two hours, her head started pounding. She hates chemistry with a passion.

And that bald head chem teacher was sitting in the class waiting on them.

"Get a life," she said under her breath passing his desk.

It didn't matter how hard she tried focusing, it had too many formulas and she wasn't in for it. She had biology and physics to worry about like her whole subjects in one. Mr. Brown had a habit of asking her questions, he must find it amusing to see her unable to answer the question, he knew she couldn't do it. They started off on the wrong foot, she despised him and she was one of his worst students.

The final bell rang, standing in the parking lot beside Austin's car. She was waiting on him for a good while and he still hadn't shown up. She was happy for a moment until he came out with Lena. They headed towards her, Lena was the type that behaved like she's the goddess in the school, her parents were the richest and she was the bitchiest girl on the compound. Seated in the front Zaylia went in the back behind the driver's seat. Lena kept looking around on her.

"What?" she asked, the last time she turned to look on her.

Lena didn't answer, Austin's best friend and Lena friend only glimpsed at her.

"Can you let me out please?" she asked Austin, but he ignored her.

After dropping off Lena he beckoned for her to come sit in the passenger seat, she ignored him and just looked through the window. His best friend listened to him begging Zaylia to come sit beside him and laughed.

"This ain't happening in front of me." Tray said.

"What?" Austin asked.

He just shook his head and Austin drove off. After stopping to grab some snacks, he checked his watch. It was 2:30, school dismisses an hour earlier on Wednesdays. Coming out of the car this time. He opened the door and demanded that she sit beside him. Without arguing she went and sat in the passenger seat.

"Why are you mad at me?" he asked.

She just shrugged him off and turned up the volume of the music playing in the car. Turning on a dirt road she observed him making two left turns before pulling up in front of a cabin. Tray went inside and left them by themselves in the car.

"Are you going to answer my question?" he asked, turning her face towards his, gently holding her chin.

"You did nothing wrong," she stared at his lip.

"Then why were you behaving like that?" he asked.

"Why am I here Austin?" she asked.

"Have you ever been on a yacht?" he asked, grabbing the snacks off the back seat.

"No, why?" she asked.

"Well, this is going to be your first. Don't worry it's just us Tray is staying inside," he told her, reading her face expression.

She smiled and followed him into the cabin where he extrange words with Tray for a portion of time and they left eastwards of the cabin. She was expecting to see a lake, but yacht don't normally be in lakes dumb girl. It's an Ocean but how, with a yacht tied to the dock.

"You don't get seasick do ya?" he asked.

"Nope," she replied, taking the hand he used to help her on the yacht. "Who does it belong to?"

"My parents, please sit," he responded, untangling the knots that kept the yacht from drifting away.

"Can you tell me why you brought me here?" she asked, when he started the yacht.

"For a get away, you're always busy either with track, homework or preparing for the fundraiser," he smiled at her, sailing off into the ocean.

After he reached a specific part in the ocean he let the yacht maneuver, showing her the beautiful island of 'Karbs" you could see it's beauty from a distance. Removing his T-shirt he dive into the water only in his pants and shirtless.

"What tha F.....!," she yelled, going to the edge to see him.

"Austin!," she began to call him panicking.

Seven minutes later he came back up grinning mischievously at her.

"What in hell do you think you're doing freaking me out like that," she screamed at him, upset and relieved.

"Calm down mamacita, I just wanted to see if you cared about me and you do" he smiled at her.

"You found it funny didn't you. Of course I care. I'm not heartless , besides how would I get back to land when I can't even drive a yacht," she pouts.

"Wait, what did you call me?" she asked, finally calming down.

"You heard me," she answered, swirling around in the water. Join me please.

"I don't have any change of clothes and the water looks freezing," she answered.

"You have your sweater, what about your gym clothes?" he asked.

"Yes I do have them" she answered.

"Please get in with me, you won't regret it," he begged.

Taking off her sweater and blouse she jumped into the water in her shorts and bra. They began to have an amazing time swimming and playing in the water.

"Do you come out here often," she asked when they were face to face.

"No, Tray isn't always available and him being my only close friend I just find something else fun to do," he replied, diving and pulling her under.

She was about to ask why he didn't bring Lena out here, but she didn't want to spoil the moment. Thirty- five minutes later she came out freezing cold. Grabbing a towel from the cabin inside the yacht, he wrapped it around her.

"You had a great time?" he asked, taking a seat beside her.

"Yes, I did," she answered.

They ate and watched as the sun set. After he turned the yacht around heading back to the mainland. After a ten minutes back to the Cabin she went to the bathroom to change.

"What?" Austin asked Tray, who was playing video games annoyed by the way he looked and smiled at him.

"When did it become a crime to smile," Tray smirk.

"Bro don't play dumb," Austin hissed.

"Why did you bring her out here to your favourite spot?" Tray asked, turning the video game off.

"To blow off steam," he replied frowning at his best friend.

"Is that so or do you li...," Tray said but he paused when Zaylia returned from the bathroom.

"Austin shot him a look that made him burst out in the room.

"Ready," Zaylia said, confused about what's happening.

Getting the rest of the snack off the counter she followed Tray out the door while Austin changed and locked up.

"Foody," he teased, getting beside her in the car.

Dropping her off first he asked her for her number. something he wouldn't ask any girl for in a million year. Corny right.

"Oh damn," Tray said in the back seat and laughed. He watched zaylia typed her number in Austin's phone then got out of the car.

"Bro, I'll knock your teeth out if you don't stop," Austin looked through the rearview mirror at him. Waiting until she was inside he then drove off.