Derek grappled with the coffee cup he had gotten from the closest store that morning, cursing at the feeling of the scalding coffee sloshing over the sides and onto his hands. "Shit!"
The older boy in the car quickly got his friend a napkin from the second cup holder. "It's fine, man," he laughed, putting his hands back on the wheels.
"You got napkins in your car?" the darker teen questioned. "What are you, a girl?"
Aaron laughed at the sound in his friend's voice, slowing the car as he turned a corner. "I have them here for you, Derek. Every time you get in my car, something spills."
"Shut up, man!"
Stopping at the next sign they came to, the eldest of the two leaned back in his seat, his neck craning to look out the window.
"Oh," Derek laughed, sipping his coffee as carefully as he could. "This is why we came the long way."
"What are you talking about?"
Derek rolled his eyes at the older boy, looking out the window to where the other football player's eyes were directed. "Every other day you drive past the Prentiss house and just stare at the girl. When are you going to ask her out?"
Aaron just stared out his side window, watching the fifteen year old girl running through the massive front yard to get away from her siblings. The Prentiss girls, the five prettiest and most isolated girls in all of Roanake County, barely ever ventured out of their home except for school and the occasional sneak out of their parents monolithic mansion to escape the family's tension.
Emily was the middle child.
Adrianna was seventeen, Camille was sixteen, Emily was fifteen, Jordan was fourteen and the youngest was little Kylie, just thirteen years old.
Adrianna was the artsy one, always painting pictures and taking them of her sisters when they were in the right mood, and Camille wanted to follow in her uncle Jim's footsteps to become a lawyer.
The fourteen year old had always known she wanted to be a chef, but like Adrianna, Jordan didn't dare tell her ambassador parents about her aspirations. If she wasn't going into politics then they didn't want to hear it.
And little Kylie was the best at speaking in front of others, and she wanted to be a teacher.
Emily? She wasn't sure of anything in her life.
"Man, pay attention. We've gotta get to school!"
The football player watched as the fifteen year old's head spun at the angry words of her mother, and she along with her other sisters trudged over to the limo so they could be taken to school. "Yeah ok."
Derek grinned at the older teen's sullen look as they drove past the mansion. "Dude you're so whipped."
"Shut up."
"You know she tried to kill herself like three times," the darker boy told him seriously.
Aaron's head nodded jerkily at the statement, glancing into the rearview mirror to see the stretch limo pulling out through the mansion's entrance gates. "I know, all the girls did."
"Something's seriously wrong with that house, man."
Aaron pulled the car into the school's north parking lot and yanked the keys out of the ignition, throwing them into his backpack as he jumped out of the driver's seat. "They're good girls though, you know that. They're all on the dean's list over at Allen Prep."
Derek blinked, handing the coffee over to his friend when he saw his eyes grow serious. "I know you like her man, but none of those girls have friends. It's like against their religion or something."
A blond jumped up from her spot at the public school's fountain and immediately walked in stride with the two boys. "I'm pretty sure there's no religion where you're not allowed to have friends."
"Shut up JJ."
"Jeez," the sixteen year old complained. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Aaron smiled at the pair, leading them up the stairs into the school. "When is Derek not in a bad mood?"
"Shut up, man!"
"So did you go by the Prentiss house today?"
Aaron glared at the laughing boy at his side and punched him straight in his left peck. "Fuck you, bro. You fucking told JJ?"
"Relax," Derek commended, putting his hands up to shield himself from any more hits. "Everyone knows you like her, so who cares?"
The blond smiled up to her friend. "So are you gonna ask her out? Our prom is in like three months."
"I don't know," he sighed.
"I bet she'd say yes," JJ laughed, following her friends up the stairs to the second floor. "Emily Prentiss is the most shy, definitely. But she's super pretty and seems like the nicest."
Aaron nodded, walking into his United States history class just behind both of his friends. "I spoke to her once when I had the paper route three years ago. She was outside when I was putting the newspaper into their mailbox and asked if I went to her school. When I said no she looked kind of upset and then just went back to her book."
"Just ask her out."
Derek sat himself down in one of the back desks. "If you don't then I will."
"No you wouldn't," the other boy dismissed.
After giving a small pause, the darker teen shook his head. "You're right, I wouldn't. But you should."
Aaron sank back in his desk as their teacher started the class, his mind wandering to the beautiful brunette girl who was only two years younger than he. The entire town knew who the Prentiss' were, but because the parents were so strict, no one knew who the girls really were. He was the one who wanted to find out, and he was the one who wanted to break that beautiful girl out of her shell.