Under Locke

by Mariana Zapata

Hot men went on my list of people who made me nervous and, therefore, had me acting like more of an idiot than usual.

Life was hard sometimes, and there was no book or movie that could prepare you for how harsh it could be.

Oh my God. The first person in my life who I had the urge to punch in the face was a six-foot-three-ish biker that I assumed beat the living crap out of someone and went to jail for it.

Sometimes strings of letters were meaningless in comparison to actions. Actions held the power of a choir versus the strength of a solitary singer. My bones recognized that this was all I would get, this one-person a cappella.

“No. I like to eat, and that’ll make guys think I like to give hugs with my mouth, you know what I mean?” I stated, matter-of-factly.

"Don't even think about it, Ritz," Dex grumbled from his spot. He wasn't paying attention to the screen anymore. He had his gaze locked on me, his eyes intense. "You walk out, and I'll go get you."

you have to fight through some shitty-ass days to get to the best days of your life.

"Baby, just cuz you're cute doesn't mean I wasn't bein' serious about spankin' your tight little ass for doin' dumb shit. You do it again, and you're gonna get it."

“Baby, there’s nothing wrong with my judgment. I know exactly what I’m doin’, and I know damn well that if I ever see you smile at somebody like you did at Trey today, I’ll kill the poor bastard.”

He was like aloe vera, rough and prickly on the outside, but the inside held all the gooey goodness.

I should have just given up living after that. Living, fighting, existing. All of it.

"I hope you forget to put sunscreen on the next time you spend any time outside," I deadpanned.

"You've gotta be the best thing I never knew I wanted."

Did I want to officially break the news on the side of the road with chunks of puke possibly still on my face? Nah. So I went with the truth. "I have it all planned out in my head. I already ordered the cutest little toy motorcycle to tell you, so don't ruin it."