troubles - l.r.h

two

▼Luke▼

My phone rings later that night as I am sitting on my bed, strumming on my old guitar - one of my very few dear childhood gifts. I pick it up and slide my finger across the screen to answer it. The caller ID reads 'Trouble'.

"Bond, everyone's waiting for you. We're in the parking lot." She tells me through the phone. I look at the time. 10:59.

"Uhm.." I let out, not knowing how to answer her. "Alright, i'm on my way."

At 11:16, I get to the student parking lot. It took me a fair amount of time to get there since, unfortunately, the labyrinth of a dorm circle didn't come with a map. I got lost a couple times, but here I am, at last. I spot Trouble from across the parking lot, surrounded by a group of people, and I awkwardly make my way over to them. I probably look like a creep or some kind of weird ass stalker approaching them, but none of them seem to notice me until Trouble's eyes focus on me.

"Bond, you made it." She smiles lightly at as she lights another a cigarette, her pretty green eyes looking into mine. "We're leaving a bit earlier tonight because we're going to make a stop on the way."

"Alright."

Eventually, everyone gets into a small and scratced up green car that I hope belongs to someone in the group, and I follow inside. I sit myself down next to a boy with scrunched up black hair in a grey tank top. He looks quite friendly, big, brown eyes and all, so I guess I'm in the right place. A guy with cotton candy hair and finger tattoos gets in after me, plopping down in the seat in the middle of the car. Lastly, a guy with a bandana around his head climbs in and shuts the door behind him with a loud thud. There isn't much space with four large guys in the backseat, and I feel a bit anxious sitting here. The smoke of Troubles' cigarette that fills up the limited amount of fresh air inside the car sure doesn't make things better.

"Who's the new guy?" The pink haired lad asks loudly, looking at me.

"That's Bond." Trouble replies from the front seat as she puffs out smoke from her mouth. God, she looks amazing when she sits there, her head leaned back and her legs kicked up by the car window with her messy blonde hair falling over her shoulders. She looks incredibly hot when she smokes, but it bothers me. Especially watching her. I hate having to look at Trouble while she inhales the smoke, aware of how she is slowly killing herself. No one should do that to themselves, but I guess i'm not the one to tell her to stop.

"My name's Luke, actually." I say, but no one hears me, so my voice trails off.

"He's new around here, so that's why were taking him with us." She flicks off the ashes of her cigarette into the cup holder as she speaks before quickly turning around to face everyone in the backseat. "Australia, is it?"

"Yup." I nod. "Sydney."

"Oh! Me and my girlfriend went there one time for a vacation with our families one time. It was awesome." The guy next to me with the black hair and beanie says.

"Not so awesome now that she has dumped you, dumbass. Dude, get over her, it's been four months." The pink haired lad scolds him as he reaches over and slaps the back of the black haired's head. I keep quiet. Trouble speaks up.

"So, I figure you'd like to know everyone's names around here?" Trouble asks, her voice soft and calm, but before I manage to even part my lips, she continues, pointing at the guy with cotton candy hair next to me. "Michael. Hair dye obsessed. Eighteen. Always double knots his shoelaces-"

"You always have to make a comment about my shoelaces, huh?" Michael interrupts her, but she doesn't quiet down. Michael sighs loudly, crossing his arms over his chest. My eyes automatically travel to Michael's shoelaces. Yup, they are double knotted as Trouble stated.