"Alright, listen up," Stack said, lowering his voice to that conspiratorial, locker-room tone that made everyone lean in a little closer. He looked around the group, making sure he had our full attention, then continued, "Every cooze got a little button on it… towards the top."
Josh and I exchanged a glance but didn't dare interrupt. Stack was older, a legend on the courts not because of his game but because his "wisdom" was the kind you couldn't find in any book.
"If you wanna keep a woman… you find it and LICK that," Stack said, nodding sagely. "Not too hard. Not too slow, either. Like it's ice cream you're licking. Same pressure you put on that."
He mimed licking an invisible cone, and a couple of the other guys snickered, but Josh and I just nodded, dead serious, soaking up the advice.
"Lick like it tastes good but you don't want it gone too quickly, you understand?"
"Yeah, man," Josh said, trying to sound casual but clearly taking mental notes.
"Got it," I replied, straight-faced, though inside I promised myself to definitely try it next time. Stack's advice was crude, but there was something almost… brotherly about it. You didn't get this in health class, that was for sure.
We were just chilling after playing basketball for a few hours. I definitely held back today—just rebounds and dunks, no direct shooting, even though that was my best skill level-wise. I didn't want to show off too much, otherwise it gets boring beating these schmucks that hard.
It was Sunday, and the first thing I did after waking up was drive to Josh's house in my new car to show it off. He saw me put my head outside the window and call him down. He was hyped, running out in his socks the moment he heard the engine revving outside. "No way! Dude, you got a Mustang?" he yelled, circling the car like it was a spaceship. He quickly got his shoes and then he jumped in, grinning, and we peeled off to the court.
"Bro, you gotta let me borrow this if I ever get a date," Josh said as we parked.
"Deal," I laughed. "I will kill you if you get any stains on the seats."
He snorted. "No promises, man."
I even noticed a couple new skills pop up in my mind: [Driving handling 13 → 14]. I promised myself I'd be better than Baby from 'Baby Driver' before New Year's.
After a few games, I checked the time. "Alright, Josh, gotta go home. Got a date today," I said, tossing him the basketball one last time.
"Don't forget what Stack said!" Josh called after me, winking.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll remember," I shot back, waving to the guys as I headed out.
I drove home, the Mustang purring under me, and felt a surge of pride. I washed up, changed into my best shirt and jeans, and baked a cake to celebrate my victory yesterday. I even cut a special piece for the Dunphys—figured it couldn't hurt to win over the family with dessert. As I was icing the cake, Mom poked her head in.
"So, when do we get to meet her?" she asked, arms crossed but smiling.
I tried to dodge but I knew she wouldn't budge without an answer that she wants. "Soon, Mom."
She just grinned, satisfied she'd gotten a promise, and left me alone.
I packed up the cake, grabbed my guitar—figured I'd impress Alex a bit—and headed to the driveway and looked at the beauty. I still couldn't believe I had my own car. I put everything in the backseat and texted Alex, "I'll be there in 5 minutes."
Before heading out, I stopped at the pharmacy. Buying condoms for the first time was… awkward. I grabbed a pack, tried to act casual at the checkout, but the cashier just smirked. "Big plans today?" she teased.
I just mumbled, "Something like that," and hurried out.
When I got to Alex's house, she was already waiting outside, looking up the street sidewalk waiting for me. She was clearly not expecting me to roll up in a Mustang. I pulled up, the tinted windows hiding me, and she frowned, probably thinking I was some random creep. I rolled down the window and grinned. "Wassup, babe?"
Her face lit up, maybe from the relief of not dealing with a creep or from actual happiness after seeing me. I hoped it was the latter. I got out, walked over, and hugged her tight, lifting her off her feet for a second.
"So this was the surprise, huh?" she said, looking at the car, then at me.
"Yup. And we're driving this thing all day," I said, tossing her the keys for a second, just to see her reaction.
She laughed, handing them back. "Btw, do I look okay?" She glanced down at her jeans and shirt, suddenly self-conscious.
I took my time, letting my eyes travel over her whole body, making it obvious I liked what I saw. "You look sexy and cute at the same time," I said, dropping my voice a little.
She blushed hard, biting her lip. For a second, I leaned in, about to kiss her, when—
"Honey, Lucas is here! Hey, Lucas, come on inside, kiddo!" Phil called from the doorway, waving at me like I was already part of the family. Claire appeared behind him, arms crossed but smiling and judging me at the same time.
Alex stepped back, a little embarrassed, but I just smiled and grabbed the cake from the backseat. "We will continue that later," I whispered to her. She blushed but was happy inside.
We walked inside, and I greeted everyone. "Hey, Mr. Dunphy, Mrs. Dunphy, Luke—I brought cake."
Phil beamed. "You bake and you have a cool car. I would have married you if I was a girl your age." Phil was unfiltered like that. Clearly not thinking about saying things others would find gay or offensive. He clearly didn't see how Alex blushed after him saying that but Claire definitely noticed.
Claire raised an eyebrow, she raised her voice a little, "Honey!!!"
Luke just eyed the cake. "Is that chocolate?"
"Triple chocolate," I said, winking at him.
Phil leaned in, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. "Lucas, I gotta tell you, Flappy Bird is a masterpiece. I can't stop playing it. Claire says I'm obsessed, but I say I'm just honing my reflexes for… you know, emergencies."
Claire rolled her eyes but smiled. "He's been playing it at the dinner table, Lucas."
"Thanks, Mr. Dunphy. I'll try to make the next one even better," I replied, grinning.
Phil gave me a thumbs up. "Can't wait! You let me know if you need a beta tester, alright?"
"Deal," I said, laughing.
After a little more small talk, I turned to Alex. "You promised to show me your cello, Alex." I wanted to be alone with her.
"It's in my room. Let's go there," she said, leading the way. We headed upstairs, but when we opened her door, Haley was already there, sprawled on the bed, chatting on her phone.
Alex groaned. "Get out, Haley."
Haley just waved her off, barely glancing up. "I'm busy, nerd." she was annoying.
Alex rolled her eyes. I leaned in and whispered, "Alex, pick up your cello. We're going somewhere quiet."
Alex nodded, and we headed back down. She got permission from her parents to go out with me—Claire made sure to get my number, and I happily gave it to her, surprised at how she didn't object is going out together.
I carried the cello case to the car, feeling like a proper gentleman, and we loaded up. "It's really a nice ride, Lucas," Alex said, running her hand over the dash as we settled in.
"Thanks to you, it got nicer," I smiled, and she laughed.
We drove around aimlessly for a while, music playing, windows down, just enjoying the day. I offered to let Alex drive, but she shook her head, wide-eyed. "No way. I'd crash this thing in five seconds."
After a while, we stopped for lunch at a cozy little restaurant. Alex was more relaxed now, talking a mile a minute once she got comfortable. We joked about school, gossiped about teachers, and she promised to help me catch up on what I'd missed the last two days. I teased her about being the best teacher I'd ever had, and she blushed, swatting my arm. We decided to go to my house since according to her, her family was annoying.
After lunch, I took her home—my home. Luckily, only Dad was there; Mom was out running errands.
"Dad, this is Alex," I said as we walked in.
"Hello," Alex said, giving a shy wave.
"We're going to study in my room," I told him, grabbing Alex's hand and dragging her upstairs before he could say anything else.
Dad just grinned and called after us, "Study hard!"
Alex blushed, clearly remembering the last time she was in my room. We sat on my bed, and I grinned. "Do you want to continue what we started at your house?" I asked, waggling my eyebrows.
She laughed, swatting my arm. "Maybe later, Casanova. Let's actually study first."
We cracked open our books, and Alex started explaining the lecture notes I'd missed. I barely listened to the content—her face was so animated, her eyes sparkling as she talked. I found myself watching her lips, her hands, the way she scrunched her nose when she concentrated. A few hours passed in what felt like minutes and she was eventually sitting on my lap and kissing me and I was returning the favor.
At some point, Dad knocked on the door to hand us drinks. Alex quickly adjusted herself. I opened the door with a straight face and he gave me a look—half warning, half amused—but didn't say anything. Alex was too embarrassed to continue our earlier flirting, so we actually got some studying done.
Just as I was starting to think about making another move, I heard Mom's car pull into the driveway. I knew there was no escape now—Alex was about to meet my mom. "Alex let's get out of the house" and Alex nodded since we completed whatever homework I had. We made our way downstairs where Mom was in kitchen, putting things inside the refrigerator .
She spotted us and gave Alex a warm smile. "You must be Alex! I've heard so much about you."
Alex stood up, a little nervous but smiling. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Reed."
Mom shook her hand, then hugged her, surprising both of us. "Any girl who can get my son to bake is welcome here anytime."
Alex laughed, relaxing. "He's a pretty good baker, actually."
Mom winked at me. "He gets it from me."
We all laughed, and I felt a wave of relief. I was afraid that she won't like Alex and consider me too good for Alex. I could see my mom actually do it in my imagination. So I was happy with this development.
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AN: I recently watched 'The sinners' movie and I loved it. Horror-musical kind of genre is so unique. Any recommendations?
Power stones, pretty pleazzzz.....
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