[Paul, my optimistic sweetheart]

FOUR:: when you enter his residence.

"I'm calling my brother, you want a ride home or something?" Pete asked as he grabbed his bag from his locker before fifth period let out, we'd spent lunch and fifth period in the boys' restroom after the incident beforehand and he gave the idea that we didn't need to spend anymore time in Hell than needed.

And Callum was my ride home.

I thought about it and then my fists voluntarily clenched tightly. I couldn't stop the curse that was spewing from my mouth, "Shit." My jaw was aching less and it didn't hurt to talk anymore but I couldn't move my nose or touch my own face without feeling like I was being punched in it. Again.

Pete shut his locker, "What?"

"Well, you see my house isn't really the place I want to be at the moment." I said, nonchalantly as I thought about who I could stay with at the moment. I could've stayed with a friend of mine but they weren't all more Calum's friends than mine. I thought of Jade's boyfriend and then I thought of the fact that he most likely heard about her cheating on him and wouldn't want any connection with her or me.

Pete nodded, his face a mixture of understanding and amusement, "Ah, parents are homophobic?"

"More like my mom, my dad doesn't give a shit."

"Oh," he whistled, swinging his bag over his shoulder, "Well, hey I was just gonna go hang out at Paul's place for a little while, wanna come? I'm sure he won't mind."

I had soccer practice that day but knowing that Calum would be there made me even more anxious to leave. The real question was: did I want to see more heterosexual human beings today?

"Sure," I guess I did because later I found myself sitting in the backseat of a red rusted pickup as a jittery 15 year old boy drove himself, his brother, and I to our death.

Okay, not really death but his driving skills were mediocre at best.

And by mediocre I mean he didn't hit a tree yet.

Paul pulled at the collar of his button up long-sleeve shirt, grabbing the handle above the passenger side window as he breathed in and let out a nervous laugh, other hand on his thigh, "Pete, chill out before we crash."

Apparently Pete had recently got his permit and considering the fact that Paul was over eighteen, he begged to drive, "Paul, live life on the edge every once and a- oh shit, that's a squirrel!" And the near heart attack explained why he hadn't been so lenient with handing over the keys.

"Fucking hell!" Paul yelled as we swerved out of the way, almost bumping the curb as he gripped his seatbelt in his free hand, "are you insane?" He was yelling now, veins popping out of his neck as he threw wide eyes at his scarred brother.

He was hot when he was pissed, his fists clenched and shoulders squared as he glared holes in the side of his brother's cheek.

Pete, however looked sicker than Jade when her hangover popped up, "I almost took the poor little guy's life!"

We'd slowed down as Paul gritted his teeth, "Pull over."

Pete shook his head, black curls moving with him as he pushed his boxy glasses further up his nose. My eyes widened when he accelerated, "I got this."

Shaking his head, Paul ran a hand over his face, "Peter, you weren't ready to drive and I gave you a chance that's my fault and I'm telling you to pull over, now. I can't afford a ticket."

"Just give me a chance-"

"Pete, pull the damn car over or I swear to God you'll be stuffed in the trunk."

: : :

After nearly shoving Pete out of the front seat, he climbed into the passenger seat. And after about five minutes, he was shoved out of there too.

"You're so annoying, I swear," Paul was rolling his eyes as Pete played with the radio, constantly switching back and forth from a Miley Cyrus song and Beyoncé.

"I'm not the one who hits innocent kids!" Pete yelled as Paul's hand came flying to the back of his head yet again. And then Pete settled on a radio station, "My anaconda don't! My anaconda don't! My anaconda don't want none unless you got buns hun!"

That was how I ended up in the frontseat, Pete's legs crushed in the back as he sat angrily with his arms crossed and kicking Paul's seat every two seconds as we winded down roads, passing unfamiliar grounds. For some reason, it felt kind of normal to be in a car with Paul, although he was just short of a stranger.

"What're you looking at?" I heard his distinguishable voice ask; Paul just had that voice that couldn't be put into words or described. It sounded like he'd never smoked, drank, or so much as tried a substance that would change it. His voice was exactly how you expected him to sound, he had a voice made for laughing.

That was clear when he'd laughed at me that afternoon for staring at him too long as he said. I wasn't aware of the fact that I was staring at his tattooed hand on the steering wheel, the way the red lines of the map stuck out amongst the tan complexion of his long lean fingers that curled expertly around it, his other hand tapping on the other side.

I shrugged, a hand running down my face, forgetting the bruising there and wincing harshly as my nose throbbed painfully. I almost screamed at the feeling, my hands curling and gripping the dashboard. Squeezing my eyes tightly I waited for the pain to subside before looking out the window beside me when the car had stopped, "Nothing."

You could hear Paul's smile, "I think you were staring at me."

My eyes widened as I shook my head feeling the heat creeping up to my ears. No doubt they were scarlet red. I briefly heard Pete mutter an 'I'm going to be sick' before he exited the car when Paul flicked my ear, being sure to keep away from the bruises that coated my face.

"You're cute when you're flustered," he said, me hearing the smile in his voice as he took the keys out the ignition. Looking over, I caught sight of his lean arm flexing as he opened the door and his lanky form exiting the car, wind ruffling through his hair.

I watched as his paint-splattered-jean clad legs made their way up towards an apartment building before turning around as if realizing that I wasn't following. I'd noticed the corners of his lips pulling upwards as he motioned for me to come to him.

It was then when I realized that I was still sitting in the front seat of his truck, still buckled in my seatbelt. My eyes widened while I fumbled with the door handle, attempting to get out the car when the seatbelt harshly yanked me back. My stomach feeling on fire as the belt jabbed into the spots where Calum had slammed me.

Paul's laugh reverberated through the air as my ears burned red once again with embarrassment. Quickly unbuckling myself, I rubbed at the side of my neck where it was surely turning red, a bruise most likely forming causing to to match the rest of my face and part of my body.

Trying to stop the redness from creeping onto my skin, I stepped out of the car, closing it and playing with the sleeve of my shirt as Paul invited me in. He lent a hand, wrapping my arm around his shoulder when he'd seen me limp slightly as I resisted not to clutch my stomach, "There should be an ice pack in the freezer, your nose does not look good."

: : :

"Rilee! Paul almost killed me!.. In real life, not the game!" Pete screamed when the front door had opened later on. We'd been hanging out on the couch, Paul languidly spread out once again like a starfish as he pressed various buttons on his controller. Pete had been playing and loosing miserably to Paul at a game of Call-Of-Duty as I pressed an ice pack to my very much swollen nose, sipping from a bottled water -that Paul suggested would ease the headache- accompanied by pain killers.

Paul's laugh pierced the air as he answered back to his brother, "Yeah cause I've been kicking your ass the entire time..." Then he must've realized the accusation, "Wait, I did not!"

Pete's voice rang out through the small apartment as he walked in the door followed by a familiar redhead that I'd seen at the mall. The younger boy dropped down on the couch beside me, "Did too!"

"I don't really give a flying fu- did you guys really pick up another stray?" she abruptly cut herself off as she came further into the room, her light laugh floating in the air as she smiled to indicate that she was only kidding, "who's this?"

"Paul's boyfriend." And thus I almost choked on my water.

The redhead, raised her eyebrow before smirking, her eyes raking me down before they turned over to Paul's and she let out a whistle, "Hot damn, Picasso, you know how to pick em."

Hitting the back of his brother's head, Paul motioned to the girl who was basically undressing me in her head, "Julian meet Rilee, the pain in my ass. Rilee meet Julian and he's not my boyfriend."

Pete scoffed, "Oh please, you've been whining about not getting his number and that smile on your face when I brought him to the car-"

"I'll strangle you, don't try me."

Was he gay?

You can't just assume guys are gay.

I heard a deep voice boom through the house as it neared, a tall brunette entering the doorway shirtless, a six-pack forming slightly on his chest as he entered the room clad in blue boxers, "Ri! What's for dinner?"

She quirked an eyebrow before falling back onto the couch in between Pete and I, her head resting back on the couch, feet prop pinup on the makeshift coffee table, "I don't know, eat whatever you pull out of your asshole!"

The boy looked suggestively at her before making himself comfortable on the floor, grabbing the remote from Pete who let out a protest which was cut off by Rilee shoving chips in his mouth. I heard Paul chuckle before the boy spoke up again, "I'd rather eat the booty but alright- who dat, who dat?" He asked as he noticed me.

Pete swallowed his food before stuffing his hand in the bag of chips that lay on the table, opening his mouth, "I-G-G-"

"Why?" I heard another male voice, a guy who looked exactly like the guy that just walked out, pouting as he plopped down in a chair, ukelele in his hand, "Why is there a hot guy in the apartment and I'm just finding out?" He asked loudly to no one in particular.

Rilee rolled her brown eyes, digging in the bag of chips that somehow landed on Pete's lap, "Because you're straighter than a pole, Lanny."

Lanny stopped strumming as his foot stopped tapping and he gave her a mock-insulted face, "I am my own man!" His loud voice carried throughout the small area as Pete chuckled.

The clone of 'Lanny' rolled his eyes, snorting as he struggled with shoving a different game in the Playstation that sat on the floor, "A dumb man but a man nonetheless."

"Oh, shut up, you absolute fucking grapefruit-"

You absolute fucking grapefruit.

Rilee sighed, "I'm living with idiots. Turn the game the other way before you break something!" She yelled, "I wanna play Fifa!"

Paul leaned over to me, chuckling slightly as Rilee was pelted in the face with a pillow and flicked off at the same time. I felt his arm brush against mine as his lips rested an inch or so away from my ear. I felt the vibration of his chest as he let out a little laugh, "Meet my friends."

A/N:
I'm really not sure how long this is to be honest and I haven't edited so... yeah, that's a thing. And I planned on having this out a week ago but...

I'm going to see 'The Duff' this weekend which is basically making my entire existence.
I watched 'Project Almanac' two weeks ago and it slayed my life, you guys have to watch it.

Onto other news... Apparently I named one of my characters Miles Teller which is coincidentally the name of one of my favorite actors... oops.
Oh well.

Updated: Thursday, Feb. 19