Come and Get It
My first instinct is to scream. Unfortunately, the boy is one step ahead of me. By the time I snap back to reality, he’s already darting out of the window. He doesn’t look back as he climbs nimbly over the frame, and my paralysis turns to pure confusion and rage.
“What the absolute hell do you think you are doing?”
I yank the covers back and swing my legs out of bed to chase him to the window. He gives me a single unreadable glance back before making the final leap towards the opposite ledge, landing so gracefully that a cat would be jealous. My bare legs tingle with goosebumps in the chilly night air, and I fold my arms across my chest as I turn to face the window. Inside the opposite room is a group of boys, all laughing uneasily as they stare at me. They’re barely recognisable in the dim lamplight, but I know who they are.
One of the boys approaches the window, the breeze in the frosty air ruffling his golden locks. Dylan Merrick. He’s in my grade at school, although I’ve never really spoken to him. He’s one of those effortlessly sociable types whom everybody adores. Dylan offers me a sheepish, reassuring grin which would usually melt any girl in a second, including myself, but this time my anger seems to have immunised me from that angel-carved expression.
“You must be really confused,” he says, taking in my mixed expressions.
“No shit, Sherlock,” I hiss. “Care to tell me what the hell you think you guys are doing?” I feel so uncomfortable knowing they have my tattered old bra in that room.
Dylan cringes slightly. “It was a stupid dare. We didn’t think you’d wake up.”
“He stole my freaking bra!” I cry, fisting my hands. “You thought you could break into my house in the middle of the night and steal my bra for some stupid dare? I don’t even know you!” I watch him wince at my crazed tone, and I’m suddenly aware of how loud my voice has grown. I have a right to be crazy, surely?
“Very nice bra by the way.” Joe Travis pops his head up beside Dylan, all scruffy hair and mischievous blue eyes. He’s one of the class clowns at Lindale High. He’s mostly popular for the amount of times he’s played pranks on the ex-principal – itching powder in the underarms of her cardigan, superglue on her chair and stuff like that. He hasn’t performed any tricks on the current principal, but I think he’s waiting for the right moment to attack. This guy is legendary in our school. He raises his eyebrows in faux sincerity. “I do appreciate a girl who loves Disney.”
“Dude.” Dylan gives him an almost pained look. “Shut up.”
My cheeks flame red. Of all the things, of all the bras in the world, this guy had to steal my freaking Disney bra. Not a pretty one. Not even a plain one. I mean, even I didn’t like my Minnie Mouse bra, but it was old and comfy and felt too familiar to let it go in the trash. Surprisingly, most of my anger has diminished by this point, leaving me embarrassed and a little bit overwhelmed.
A stupid dare.
“Were you at least planning on giving it back?”
Dylan looks uneasy and glances back at Neighbour Dude, who has remained strangely silent for this entire encounter.
“Are you serious?” I groan. I consider climbing over the gap, but another gust of chilly wind alerts my senses to my bare legs and Batman pyjama top. No retrieving it, then. My eyes narrow on my neighbour and I scowl.
“You. You’re the grasshole who took it. Give it back, now.”
“Grasshole?”
Chase Thatcher stands up from the corner with a grin on his face at my insult, and my attention shifts. He is possibly the most notorious ladies’ man of our school. I don’t know much about him, other than his string of dates and unquestionable charm, although I did hear one rumour that he doesn’t have the best home life. Three out of the four boys in that room are some of the most popular in my year – how has my neighbour managed to climb his way to the top of Lindale’s social ladder in less than a day?
“Y’know, I’d say Chase is more of a grasshole than Alec,” Dylan jokes.
Alec. His name is Alec.
“Be careful there, Merrick, or you might just hurt my feelings.”
“Nah, your ego is way too big for that.”
The boys clear away from the window, shoving each other playfully, and my eyes immediately settle onto the boy who stole my bra: Alec. My curious gaze turns icy. This boy doesn’t even know me and he’s already broken into my room to steal my underwear. Shouldn’t he be apologising and handing it back by now? I caught him in the act after all.
“Who has it?” My tone is demanding. At this point I just want to go back to bed, with my bra stuffed into the back of my drawer and my window firmly locked.
Chase glances at Alec, biting his knuckle to restrain his smile. Joe, spinning round on a desk chair, is looking sheepishly at his knees. I am left with a clear suspect, and unsurprisingly it’s the boy who committed the crime. I look to Alec for my answer, and sure enough I receive it . . . in the form of a smirk.
Of course. Was it ever likely to be anyone else?
“You have my bra, don’t you?” I ask him tiredly, running a hand through my bed hair.
“Yes.” His voice is smooth and confident. It irritates me already.
“Are you going to give it back or am I wasting my time?”
I’m unable to prevent the irritation from seeping into my voice. This situation is going on for so much longer than it should be, and I’m tired. If it wasn’t for sleep deprivation, there is no way I would be able to stand up and talk to these guys as easily as I have.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. The dare was to keep it.”
“What’s your name, Sleeping Beauty?” Chase interrupts.
“Riley Greene,” I reply suspiciously, fighting back my blush. My cheeks have a tendency to flush crimson at even the slightest compliment – it’s like my body just rejects the notion.
“You’re in our year, aren’t you?” Chase asks. “I don’t think I see you around much.”
I bite my lip slightly. Generally, I fly under the radar. I have a limited amount of friends and don’t draw much attention to myself aside from my occasional – and often unintentional – witty comments in class. I also took a lot of time off school last year, which meant that I unconsciously withdrew from the more social elements of my life. It should not surprise me that I’m not particularly memorable.
“Chase, stop flirting,” Alec scoffs. A casual grin settles on his lips, and his eyes flicker to me momentarily. My body stiffens in annoyance.
Joe laughs. “That’s like telling him to stop breathing.”
Chase scowls and pushes the desk chair round so that Joe is facing in the opposite direction. “Much better.”
“Look.” I turn to Alec, growing even more impatient. “I don’t know who you are, but I just want to go to bed. Can I have my damn bra back please so I can forget this ever happened?”
“My name is Alec Wilde,” he says smoothly, his lips twitching upwards at the corners into an annoyingly cute half smirk. “It’s nice to meet you, neighbour.”
“Shame about the circumstances,” I quip.
Alec’s eyebrows rise slightly, but he doesn’t look angry. He looks almost impressed. It’s difficult not to notice the silence of the other boys, absorbed in our conversation.
“Bullshit isn’t your colour,” he replies smoothly.
I huff with impatience. “Just give it to me.”
“Wow, you’re forward.” Alec laughs.
The boys shift uneasily as they watch the two of us.
Damn, I fell right into that one.
“You know that’s not what I meant. I don’t care about your stupid dare. Just give it back.”
Alec’s mouth drops open to reply, but no words come out.
I feel a slight tug on my pyjama sleeve.
Spinning round, I’m surprised to see my little brother standing behind me. He rubs his eyes as a yawn escapes his mouth.
“Riley, I’m trying to sleep,” he grumbles in a low voice. He stiffens a little bit as he notices the presence of the boys next door and his eyes widen. “You’re talking to boys?” He sounds flabbergasted, and I wince, wanting nothing more than to die of embarrassment in this very second. “Why are you talking to boys in the middle of the night, Riley? Does Mom know –”
I slap a hand over his mouth, pulling my hair over my face in an attempt to conceal my reddening cheeks. “Right, time for bed then, Jack!” I chime, feigning happiness. I usher him out of the room as quickly as possible, muttering profanities under my breath. It takes everything I have not to headbutt the door as I close it behind him.
With one glance at Alec’s smug expression, I slam the window shut and pull the drapes closed. I think I’ve had enough embarrassment for one night. I dive into the bedcovers, smothering my face in the pillow to release a muffled scream. It takes a while but eventually I begin to fade back into the land of dreams, one thing running through my mind as I drift off.
I’ll get that bra back.
“Come on.” My mom tugs on my arm, dragging me towards the porch. “It’s only polite to welcome the neighbours.”
She tries hard to conceal it, but there’s a small smile on her face; she’s excited about this, and that is possibly the only reason that I’m going along with it. I eye the house in front of us sceptically. Mom doesn’t know that I’ve actually met Alec already, nor the somewhat bizarre circumstances in which that meeting took place. I’m absolutely exhausted from last night, but I stretch on an elasticated friendly smile. Mom rings the doorbell, holding twelve of the cupcakes she made yesterday packaged neatly in a box. I clasp my brother’s hand for dear life. This is going to be horrific, but at least I can ask for my bra back.
“Riley, why are you holding my hand? I’m not five,” Jack grumbles beside me, trying desperately to retrieve his hand from my tight grip. Suddenly, the russet door of number nineteen swings open, revealing the woman we saw getting out of the red car yesterday. Her mouth bursts into a smile as she sees us. She’s even prettier up close.
“Welcome, welcome! I’m Marie Wilde; it’s a pleasure to meet you!”
She ushers us inside and a cinnamon smell hits me as we enter the hallway. Her dark curls hang wild around her porcelain face, the exact inky shade that Alec’s hair is. It’s quite obvious that he gets his appearance from his mom’s side, although his skin isn’t that pale.
The hallway is wide and airy, with a couple of boxes stacked neatly against the wall. My mom’s vitality fills the space as she gushes her introductions.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too! I’m Ruby, and these are my children, Riley and Jack.”
I smile at the sight of her happiness. It would be so good for her if she had a friend living next door, someone she could talk to. When my cousin Kaitlin died . . . well, we lost contact with all of Mom’s side of the family, especially my uncle Thomas. Mom never speaks about it, but I know exactly how lonely she is. She lost her niece and her brother in the short space of a year, and it’s taken a massive toll on all of us. Just the thought of the family I used to be so close with brings a lump to my throat, and my stomach twists.
“Hi there.” Marie smiles warmly. “You live next door right?” When we nod in reply, Marie continues, “I have two children as well. Millie is at a friend’s today so that we could keep unpacking, but Alec is home. He’s around your age, Riley. I’ll call him down in a second. Come on in and I’ll make some drinks.”
I trail behind my mother into the living room, settling daintily at the edge of a plump couch as I take in my surroundings. The house is cosy and warm, despite its lack of furnishings. Candles and dried flowers are set up on the mantelpiece, giving the fireplace a rosy glow. As for the layout, well it’s exactly like our house, but the opposite way around. A mirror image.
“Coffee? Do you take two sugars or one? Milk?” Marie says hurriedly, running a hand through her untamed curls, her bright eyes flickering between me and my mom.
“I’ll come and help if you’d like?” my mom offers, and the relief on Marie’s face is immediate, but is quickly masked with denial.
“Are you sure? You’re a guest, I –”
Mom interrupts her with a firm nod, and together they walk over to the kitchen, leaving me with my annoying little brother. I glance over at Jack to see that he’s playing on his iPad.
“Jack,” I hiss. “That’s rude! Put it away, now.”
“But she’s not even here!” Jack protests, his eyes still focused securely on the brightly lit screen. Jack lives on his gadgets – I guess his way of dealing with reality is by escaping into the virtual kingdoms. I can’t say it isn’t appealing. I gently press the iPad’s lock button.
“Jack. It’s rude.”
“Fine, I’ll put it away, Mom.”
As much as Jack and I do fight, he can be a cutie sometimes. Unfortunately for me, he inherited all the good genes. His scruffy brown hair and wide green eyes somewhat resemble my dad, whereas his faint scatter of freckles and snub nose are inherited from Mom. Even I admit that he’s adorable, but in my defence, he’s the devil incarnate behind that angelic face.
“Here you are, guys.” Marie places a plate of cookies on the coffee table and a large jug of lemonade. I thank her quickly, and she shrugs it off with a smile before calling Alec down from the foot of the stairs. Then she settles on the couch opposite us, next to Mom. “It’s just us three at the moment,” she explains. “My partner’s away with the army.”
“What is it, Mom?” I hear Alec groan loudly, before the patter of footsteps down the stairs catches my attention. My breath hitches as Alec enters the room, wearing some faded jeans and a black T-shirt which hugs his torso. His gaze locks onto mine, his eyes widening in recognition before becoming confused. “What are you doing here?”
“You two know each other?” my mom questions, looking between us.
“No!” I rush out, just as Alec claims the opposite.
“We met last night,” Alec explains, glancing at me. “Our windows are opposite each other.”
I look quickly to my mom to assess her reaction, but she doesn’t seem particularly fazed. Sat comfortably on an elegant mink-coloured couch next to Marie, she seems a little vacant from this discussion. I think she’s more focused on making a good impression.
“That’s nice!” Marie says chirpily. “Alec’s joining the high school on Monday, so it’ll be good for him to have another familiar face. Maybe you can even walk to school together.”
“I’ll be going on the bike, Ma,” Alec says quickly. “Unless Riley likes motorbikes.”
I feel eyes fall on me and I slowly shake my head, wincing slightly. I watch Jack reach for a cookie, a knowing smile on his face.
“I’m happy walking.”
Alec smirks. “I thought so.”
“Still,” Mom says. “It’s so nice for you both that you have someone your own age living so close. Especially if you’re taking any of the same classes – it could be handy.”
Alec takes a seat next to me and throws an arm around my shoulder.
“We can be as close as Mickey and Minnie,” he jokes.
He doesn’t look at me but I know that’s a dig about my bra. The bra is red and polka dotted, with a small version of both of those very characters on the left cup. My cheeks flame and I slowly adjust my elbow to press uncomfortably into the side of his ribs. I can’t believe he took it. Unluckily for him, he’s just reminded me about what I’m really here for. Marie and my mom begin to make small talk about careers, and he gradually removes his arm from my shoulder, pushing my elbow away. I see him smile, still not facing me.
“Where’s your bathroom?” I ask, nudging him in the rib again. I know where it is, based on my house. I just want to get him alone so he can give me back my bra.
“Would you like me to show you?” He turns. His face is close and his eyes glint with something closely resembling humour. He’s clearly picked up my motive.
Considering it for a second, I nod. Alec stands up, quickly grabs my hand and pulls me up from the couch. “I’m just going to show Riley where the restroom is.”
“Be good, kids,” Marie jokes, and Mom chuckles beside her.
I fight back the blush forming, but it’s no use. Alec pokes my cheek annoyingly as we head up the stairs together, dodging stray moving boxes. This guy knows no boundaries at all.
“Someone’s a little embarrassed.”
“Why would I be embarrassed?” I cough, turning my burning cheeks away.
“Oh of course, it’s not like I have your bra or anything.”
“Ever heard that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit?”
“Actually, sarcasm is the ability to insult idiots without them realising it,” Alec retorts.
“Are you calling me an idiot?”
“Of course not.” Alec grins adorably. Obviously, when I say adorably I mean annoyingly.
I purse my lips as we step into Alec’s bedroom. The walls are block navy and white, with a few posters scattered around. I recognise Metallica and some other heavy metal bands. Other than that, his room is eerily bare, still filled with cardboard boxes from yesterday’s move. Must have been quite a party in here last night. I notice the box of empty cider bottles.
“Right, where is it?” I cut straight to the chase, scanning around. I can’t see it anywhere. It must be hidden in his bureau or something. I march over and pull open a drawer. I’d feel uncomfortable doing this if it wasn’t for the fact that he invaded my privacy last night. If he tries to call me out on it, he’s a hypocrite. The top drawer is filled with boxers and quickly I grab a pair, flinging them at him. “Don’t tell me I have to take boxers in exchange for my bra.”
“Who says I have it?” he replies cautiously. He’s watching me with a completely vacant expression, too icy-cool for my liking. I know he has it. He admitted yesterday that his dare was to steal it, not borrow.
“Oh come on,” I groan, throwing my hands up a little. “I’m tired of this game now.”
“Maybe you should play.” He shrugs. “It’s pretty fun.”
“I’ll get my bra back.”
“You seem quite confident. It’s not in here, I’ll tell you that much.” He collapses down onto his bed, still watching me calmly. I bristle. I don’t know if he’s telling the truth.
“I’m not letting you just keep it; you’re a jerk for not giving it back straight away!”
“Jerk.” Alec repeats the word, tasting it in his mouth. He leans back against the wall. “Yeah that seems about right. Unfortunately, a dare is a dare. I have to follow the rules.” He closes his eyes, completely at ease.
“Whose dare was it?”
His eyes open. “Private information.”
“Screw you.”
“Is that an offer?” He smirks.
“I’ll get it back, and I’ll get you back, just wait and see.”
Alec’s dimples flash and his eyes close once more. “That’s more like it.”