"I can't do this!"

I'm sitting on Drayton's motorcycle, now wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a long sleeve top, seriously panicking because he expects me to know what the hell I'm doing after a few run throughs. He's explained all the basic instructions and I'm clear on what I'm supposed to do. But actually doing it is a completely different story.

"You can do it," he encourages from beside me. "Your street is quiet. I've explained what to do. You'll be fine."

"Dray, I could legitimately crash this thing and I can't afford to replace it!"

"I can." he shrugs with folded arms. "Think about how much you loved it last night and you weren't even driving."

His cavalier attitude is seriously concerning. I can't even reach the ground while I'm sitting on the bike, I'm just balancing while the stand is still down. He reaches forward and turns the key on and then explains what I need to do for the fifth time as he pulls the helmet over my head.

"I'm gonna kick the stand up now," he warns with raised brows. "When I kick it up, release the clutch" - he points to the left handlebar - "Slowly! Then give it some gas, but not too much. Just go around your street and come back."

"You can do it Dallas!" Spencer cheers me on from the front step where she's watching. I'm pretty sure she's just been sitting there drooling over Drayton the entire time though.

I try to steady my heartbeat as he kicks the stand up and I do as he instructed. Slowly releasing the clutch lever, the bike starts to roll forward. I give it a little gas by rolling the throttle on the right handlebar forward and the bike jolts, stalling before it starts to tip.

"Fuck," I squeal with panic.

It doesn't topple though. Drayton appears in front of me and lifts it back up, his toned arms flexing under the weight. "It's alright. It happens—"

"I'm going to wreck this thing!"

"You won't," he tells me, holding my thigh as he leans across and turns the engine back on. "Give it another go. It's normal to stall in the beginning."

So I take a deep breath and go through the steps, stalling a few more times. But on about the sixth attempt, much to my amazement it doesn't stall but starts to move.

"Yes!" Drayton cheers from behind me. "Don't forget to gear up. Listen to the engine."

I guide out of the driveway and on to the road, gaining a little more speed as I go, so I pull the clutch back in and release the throttle ever so slightly as I flick the gear lever down with my left foot. I feather the clutch out and increase the throttle again, picking up a little more speed as I travel down the street. The speed in no way matches what we'd been doing last night but the same sensation starts to pump through me.

The feeling of freedom and sense of presence and power. The exhilaration gives me confidence and I can't help but laugh loudly as I absorb the scenes that pass me by.

Feeling as though I've got the hang of it I speed up a little more and change gears again. Part of me wishes that I could do it without the helmet so that I can feel the wind rushing through my hair. But that would be incredibly stupid and dangerous so I don't bother considering it.

As I near the end of the street I slow down and glide around the dead-end, heading back in the direction I had just come from. On the last stretch home, I gear up and go the quickest I've gone so far, revelling in the control and purity of how it feels to fly through the wind.

I slow down as I approach the house and glide on to the driveway, tapping on the breaks with my right hand as Drayton grabs hold of the handlebars and flicks the stand down. As soon as he kills the engine I leap off the bike, remove my helmet and literally bounce up and down on the spot.

"Did you see that!" I squeal. "I actually did it. I can't believe I did it!"

"You're a natural cheer," Drayton grins. I hand him the helmet and he places it on the seat without taking his eyes off me. "A lot of people fuck it up on their first time. You did great."

Spencer appears beside me with an expression of total joy and admiration. "That was fucking awesome!" She claps her hands together with a beaming expression. "You looked like such a badass bitch driving this thing!"

"That was amazing," I exhale loudly as I nod my head. "Thanks Dray, that was - incredible."

"We don't have to be done yet." He slings his leg across the machine and scoots back, patting the space in front of him. "Take me for a ride, we'll go get an extra helmet and then go out to that abandoned road by Archwood cemetery?"

"Oh." My mouth slightly turns down as I look at Spencer. As usual the only expression she's adorning is one that makes me fear she's about to pass out from elation. "Spencer came over to hang out, so I can't rea-"

"Don't be stupid!" She quickly snaps, sending me a dismissive look. "I'm just gonna hang out inside. I'm sleeping over. I'll still be here when you get back."

Well the sleepover is news to me, but it doesn't surprise me either. She nods her head in encouragement and then turns around, slowly walking towards the front door. I shrug my shoulders and give Drayton a tight smile.

The gravity of what he's suggesting starts to weigh down and I begin to feel a lot more pressure than I had before. Considering he'll actually be on the bike while I'm driving and his life will essentially be in my hands, I contemplate following Spencer inside and abandoning this insane idea.

"This seems like a bad idea. I mean I'll have to drive in traffic flow," I explain with a hesitant voice. "I've driven once."

"Yeah and you did a fucking awesome job." He shrugs his shoulders. "I'll keep us up when we have to stop in traffic. Don't stress. Come on."

I hesitate a little longer, chewing my lip nervously as I do my best to think up an excuse as to why I can't go with him. But when I meet his eyes and see the confident look that he's giving me, it chases away the doubt. It doesn't completely settle the nerves but he makes me feel like I can do it and so I throw my leg over, but with him sitting in the way I don't have as much room to manoeuvre my way on like I usually do. So he grips my waist and lifts me on and that's when the real nerves start.

But they're nerves of a different kind because his crotch is flush against my back and his legs are touching mine. I don't know how he expects me to concentrate with such distracting surroundings. Then it just gets worse because he starts to brush my hair behind my back, his fingertips lightly grazing my neck before he slips the helmet over my head.

His arms reach around and completely encase me as he grips the handlebars and starts walking the bike backwards, turning it around so that we're facing the street before he turns the key on. I can feel his chest against my back, I can feel his breath fanning my neck, I can feel absolutely everything and it feels like I'm about to go into sensory overload.

"Ready?" he speaks loudly over the rumbling engine as he picks up my hands and places them on the handlebars. I snap out of my comatose state of delusion and nod my head.

As I take off the same way I had earlier, Drayton's hands grip on to my hips, almost completely encircling my waist with a gentle yet secure hold. All the while, I do my absolute best to concentrate on what I'm doing and not the boy behind me, who's touch is sending shivers down my spine.

• • •

After Drayton generously buys me a sleek black helmet of my own, we travel out to a road that's been closed for repairs since I was a kid. There's nothing wrong with it at all but the council has never gotten around to opening it again, so it's typically turned into a spot for people to bring their cars at night and race or do skids. Whatever they can't get away without on the open roads.

We spend hours driving up and down the straight. Sometimes Drayton stays on with me, sometimes he watches. But either way my confidence grows and after a while I've got the hang of what I'm supposed to do. Each time I need to stop without Dray on the bike, we have to time it so he can hold the handlebars up before it topples over because I'm entirely too short for it. But we make it work.

I don't realise how much time has passed until the sky starts to glow red and the sun starts to set. We decide to call it a day and Drayton drives us home, both of us now safely adorning helmets. I feel a little guilty about ditching Spencer for the entire day but I know she wouldn't have had it any other way so I'm not surprised when I see her head pop up at my window when Drayton pulls into the driveway.

"Thanks for today," I tell him after I've hopped off the bike and removed my helmet, tucking it under my arm as I stand beside him. He removes his as well and gives me a lazy smile. "I don't remember the last time I felt quite so - invigorated."

"I can help invigorate you with a ride anytime you like Dallas." He gives me a wink as his lips curl up in a devious grin and it only takes me a second to catch the dirty double meaning.

"Oh you would say something like that, wouldn't you!" I roll my eyes but laugh anyway; I can't help it, when he laughs, it ignites something within me and I have to join him. 

"So what are you doing with your Saturday night?" I ask out of idle curiosity.

"Gray and I will probably just chill out at home. I know Mom wants me back for dinner." He checks his cellphone and then rests his hand on his thigh after he's slipped it back in his pocket.

"How is Grayson..." I ask with a sheepish tone. "Did he seem annoyed this morning or like-"

"He likes you," Drayton tells me with a more sombre expression than he'd been wearing before. "He wasn't angry that you left last night. He just hopes he'll get a second chance with you."

"Oh." I drop my gaze, unable to handle the intensity behind Drayton's. "I'm sorry. You were right. I shouldn't have agreed to go out with him. And I should have at least sealed the deal last night considering I told him there'd be nothing mor-"

"Stop," Drayton snaps with knit brows. I'm afraid that he's about to say I told you so or spit insults at my lack of tact. But he doesn't. "You're not obligated to fuck him. Don't think like that. He'll get over it. Just - just don't go out with him again."

Of course I already knew that I wasn't obligated to sleep with him. But I still felt a little shitty for leading him on.

"Okay... I won't," I agree to his request because I know that he's right but I don't do second dates anyway. "I just hope he doesn't hate me."

"Introduce him to your friend." He nods to my window where Spencer's silhouette stands behind the nets in my room. I think she thinks that we can't see her but the light in my room casts a shadow and as Dray and I both stare at her she drops to the floor, disappearing out of sight.

How embarrassing for her soul.

"Introduce him to Spencer?" I question.

"Yeah, I reckon they'd hit it off. Might deflect his interest from you." He shrugs a shoulder. "Or it might not. It wouldn't for me but he and I have different tastes."

"Wait, what?" I stare at him with wide eyes as he pulls his helmet back on and starts revving the engine.

"I'll see you tomorrow for that ride I promised you," he shouts over the loud rumbling before he winks and flicks the helmet shield down. He takes off, speeding out of my driveway and down the road, disappearing in a matter of seconds.

I walk inside, my head in a different place as I think about his comment. Nathan clears his throat, bringing my attention to the couch where he lazily drapes across it with the remote in his hand.

"So uh, do you spend all day riding around on guys motorcycles that aren't your boyfriends. Or just his?"

"Nathan!" I snap, marching towards him, putting the helmet down on the love seat as I pass it. "Shut up. He was teaching me how to ride." I pick up a pillow and swat him across the head.

"I don't wanna hear what you guys do behind closed doors Dallas." Nathan winces as he shakes his head with a faux shudder of disgust.

"You're a dick head!" I swat him again but he grips the pillow and tosses it away.

"So you learnt how to ride a motorbike today huh?" He nods his head in approval. "That's pretty badass. Did you crash?"

"Nope!" I proudly declare. "I'm a natural."

"Nice." He holds his fist up and I bump it in return. I'd not expected to spend my Saturday afternoon learning how to ride a motorcycle with Drayton Lahey, but I'm not complaining. That's hands down the most fun I've had in a long time.

"I'm gonna order a couple pizzas. I'm staying in tonight. I'm guessing Spencer is staying?" Nathan hops up and strolls into the kitchen, grabbing a pen and paper before he hands it to me. "Write down what you guys want."

I scrawl down our order and then pick up my helmet before I dash up the hallway and into my bedroom where Spencer sits on the floor in front of my closet mirror, plucking her eyebrows with a pair of tweezers.

"Your own helmet?!" she beams, turning around and fixing me with enthralled eyes. "I want every detail!"

"Details I can do," I grin as I put the helmet on my chest of drawers, "but first I wanna hear your thoughts on something."

She stands up and walks towards me, folding her arms and fixing me with a curious stare. I'm already ninety-nine percent sure what her reaction will be to my next sentence.

"How would you feel about being introduced to Dray's hot best friend?"

• • •

"Alright girls," Emily barks. "Away game on Friday. You all know the drill. Permission slips returned, bus leaves on Friday morning. Home on Saturday morning. Yadeyadeya."

It's Monday after school and we have an extended cheer practice as we get ready for the first away game of the season. As promised, Dray had shown up in the morning and driven me to school on his motorcycle. I can't get enough of the feeling I get when I'm on that thing. It's not about the look or the idea of it. It's about how freeing and how exhilarating it is.

Of course I'd gone somewhat out of my comfort zone and received an abhorrent amount of attention when we'd pulled into the parking lot. It was bound to happen, I just hadn't considered how bad it would actually be. Still I held my head high and kept the suffering internal. But I hadn't missed the hushed whispers and speculation that started to circulate.

"Okay so we'll be working on the routine we started over the summer," Emily continues, marching up and down the line up like a damn dictator. "I want everyone on total form. I hate that St. Louis cheer team and I don't want to look stupid next to them."

I roll my eyes and bite my tongue. Willing the comment about how she doesn't need another cheer team to make her look stupid, not to leave my lips. She finishes off her motivating speech and dismisses everyone to the showers.

"Not you Dallas." She stops me before I can pick up my gym bag. "We need to talk."

I catch a few of the cautionary looks that flicker between the girls as they walk away and I start to wonder if I'm about to be brutally murdered and buried at the back of the school.

"About what?" I ask, refusing to be intimidated.

"What's going on with you and Drayton?" She folds her arms and fixes me with an ice-cold glare. I knew this is what it would be about.

"Nothing," I shrug indifferently, "we're friends."

"Hm," she smiles sarcastically and takes a step closer, "need I remind you that I'm the cheer captain. And I could destroy your California dreams" - she snaps her fingers - "like that. If something is happening, I will find out and I will kick you off the team. Would he be worth it Dallas?"

"I dunno, was his uncle worth it?" The words leave my mouth before I can physically stop them and I immediately regret it as her brows draw together and a look that scares even me a little, settles on her face.

"He told you about that huh?"

"No, well I mean it was an accident. He was really drunk and it just slipped out. He asked me not to tell anyone. He didn't want me to know so just forget about it."

"On the contrary," she barks. "I'll remember this. In fact" - she waves her finger - "if you tell anyone about what I did, I'll tell everyone his little secret. Which I bet even you don't know."

My face must give away the confusion because she lets out a shrill laugh.

"That's what I thought. He doesn't tell anyone. I mean he didn't even tell me. His mother did! When she thought I was a perfect little doting girlfriend," she sighs loudly and shrugs her shoulders. "I have a feeling that you'd rather not be responsible for everyone finding out his deepest darkest secret. So slip up Dallas, I dare you. I'll fucking ruin you."

I keep my mouth shut because opening it is what got me in this damn mess. I'm strong-willed and I don't like to be pushed around but Emily is starting to reach a level of crazy that I didn't even know she was capable of. She continues to burn me with an unwavering fury for a moment longer and then she smiles widely and pats my shoulder.

"Good chat Dallas."

As she skips away I start to panic. I've put myself in it but I dragged Drayton into it too. I'm furious with myself for bringing up his uncle. But a small part of me can't stop thinking about the 'deep dark secret' that Emily was referring to. Was it bad? Would it make me hate him? Should I be worried?

I don't know but the tidal wave of thoughts is bringing on a panic attack and I'm starting to regret every social encounter I've partaken in since school started, because it led me to this point.

• • •

What's the secret 😱
If you enjoyed this chapter please tap the star to vote. I appreciate the love you've all shown me so far.

Dray is fucking bae.

Much love. Until next time.