Punk 57

by Penelope Douglas

The world isn’t always what’s right in front of you, you know? It’s below, it’s above, it’s out there somewhere. Every burn of every light inside every house I see when I look down from the rooftop has a story. Sometimes we just need to change our perspective.

“The next time he lays a hand on me, I’ll end him,” he warns, curling his lips in a smirk. “And then I’ll take his prom date.”

“She’s right here, Burrowes.” My voice is low so only Ryen can hear me as I run my hand across her stomach. “And she feels really good.”

“I never wanted to teach someone a lesson as badly as I wanted to teach you one just now.”

“I should’ve walked over, flipped up your skirt, and started going down on you right there, so they all know what you really like.”

“You don’t know what I like.” “I don’t think I’m going to disappoint.”

“Now do me a favor and go in the lunchroom and sit in Trey’s lap, would you? I wanna look while your fucking prom date has no clue that I just had that ass grinding my cock a minute ago.”

Making sure the girl who got out a few minutes ago is tucked back inside, down deep.

She knows how to work me. How to drive me insane, acting like I’m dirt under her shoe in public but like she can’t get enough of me in private.

Eventually we all have to weigh what we want more: wanting back what we had or wanting what could be. To stay or to risk everything to move forward.

“You’re not my business, huh?” I challenge. “You’re so wet around my fingers. That is my business.”

He takes a step closer, putting us chest to chest with both hands on the counter at my sides, caging me in. “And I don’t like him touching you.” He scowls down at me.

“I don’t want anyone else. I only think about you.”

And I know right then and there I want to be the only girl he ever looks at like that.

Anything to not need you, Anything to not fall for you, Anything to look at a girl who’s not you, But baby, there’s nothing but you.

“You belong to me more than you ever did to them.”

We kept writing because we needed each other, because we made the other one’s life better. But even after knowing her for years, it took no time for me to break what we had. We were perfect for each other. Until we met.

“You were the only thing that was real to me,”

I’m not going anywhere until she’s mine.

I roll my eyes. Will’s two friends, Michael Crist and Kai Mori, stand behind him, looking amused.

“If that was my girl, her ass would be red for a week.” “Yeah, I don’t physically threaten my girl, okay?” “And look where she was.”

She can be a nightmare, but this still feels better than any dream.

“We’re all ugly, Ryen. The only difference is, some hide it and some wear it.”

No one does you better than you. You can’t be replaced. Not everyone will see that, but only you need to.”

He hurt me, and I hurt him, but shit happens and love doesn’t change.

“Life is fifty wrong turns down a bumpy road. All you can hope is that you end up somewhere nice.”

Speak your mind, and you give others permission to do the same.