Today was exactly a week after her 18th birthday. Already, her friends had created a plan for her to buy weed.
Though it'd be perfectly legal, Natalie was worried about her parents' reaction. They wouldn’t in a million years expect this from their innocent child. But this was why she had to do something completely different. She needed to break from her shy, quiet mold before starting college.

So here she was, standing nervously in front of a weed store.
She took a step and — 

“Shit! Sorry, I didn’t s…” a voice trailed off.

Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

This, she hadn’t taken into account. She didn’t realize she would run across someone from school and to the popular football quarterback no less. 

“Natalie?” a deep, confused voice breaks out behind her.

She didn’t know how to respond, so she nodded.

“What are you doing here?” Jace tilted his head.

Again, she didn’t know how to answer, so she had to revert the attention to him. 

“What are you doing here?” Natalie asked accusingly, almost rudely. 

His eyebrows rose and he guffawed.  “You’re here to get weed? All-AP’s-and-bound-for-Ivies-Natalie uses weed?” 

He knows me?

She was surprised to find that Jace, a standout football player, knew who she was, and he was a lot nicer than she’d been led to believe. Today, it seems, was a day of revelations and enlightenment.

“Us nerds need to relax, too,” she couldn’t help but lie to show off. 

Maybe it was just her imagination, but Jace’s lips quirked up the slightest bit. His plump, yummy-pink lips twisted at the corners.

“Well, then, lead the way,” he turned to the store and gestured towards it. It was a small, inconspicuous store surrounded by many like it. If not for her friends, she’d never know this was a store selling drugs.

Natalie, unable to refuse, sashayed confidently towards the store.

~~~

“What can I get you?” a young, bored cashier asked.

Unlike her earlier outburst, she’d lost any bravado; now she had no idea what to say.

“Uhhh…’’ she tried to stall while quickly scanning the little display of the different names and piles of weed.

“Can I get 5 of those?” she pointed to a little pile of green, shrubby things. 

Is that a lot? Or just enough for Kelly and Min and me? She had a horrible perception of size–couldn’t at all tell how big or small was 5 piles of weed.

“5 what?” The cashier asked.

“Pieces?” 

Maybe, she should’ve done more research on how to order weed or gone with her friends. Or maybe, just maybe, she shouldn’t have gone through with the dumb plan—shouldn’t have fallen to peer pressure. But what wouldn’t she do for her friends.

Ugh. Why did I decide to do this? Why did I have to go alone?

“She’ll start with an edible for now,” Jace interrupted and handed a twenty.  ????? 

Oh, thank god.

Usually she hated people ordering for her, but today she was grateful Jace stepped in and saved her from more embarrassment.

She turned towards him.

Confidence exuding from him. He was leaned over the counter and this showed his lean physique nicely. His form fitting gray tee wasn’t helping, hinting at a firm six pack underneath. No one had looked hotter at buying something than he had at the moment—in contrast to her shorter and slouched form.

“Thanks,” she mumbled, having lost her confidence, and he hummed in return.

After the embarrassing incident, they decided to sit down on a nearby bench.

“So I take it this the first time you’ve bought weed?” Jace asked.

“So astute. I wonder how you figured that out, detective?”

Jace laughed again.

Damn, he even had a sexy laugh. A nice and deep baritone.

While it was nice to sit with Jace, Natalie had no idea how to talk to him. Someone she had previously thought of as separate and so unlike her and most of the high school students. He seemed friendly enough but unapproachable unless you were someone exceptional like the rest of his crew, who were all unusually attractive and rich and they knew it.

Their bizarre meeting, though, had shattered her of that ignorant worldview. He was not the perfect, cold, and stoic person that everyone made him out to be. Still, it was awkward having someone of the opposite gender who was too attractive to be her in proximity. Several minutes had already elapsed without a word passing between the two.

What to talk about?? Gahh. Min and Kelly would be so disappointed to find that I wasted this opportunity. 

“So….umm…’’ Natalie tried to grasp at straws, but alas failed miserably, ‘’how are you liking the weather?” her hasty voice abruptly stops the previously soft moment between the two.

What is wrong with me? Of all the topics I could’ve mentioned, I just had to bring up the most boring one.

Jace turned towards her, eyebrows raised, and eyes silently questioning her. But says, “it’s good, I guess.’’

A beat passes and the conversation slowly dies. Then Natalie notices the bright blue bus.

“Hey, thanks for the…’’ her voice trails off as she raises the brown bag to show her thanks, “but I have to go, my ride’s here.’’ She points towards the bus.

“I can take you home if you want. My car’s right there,’’ he counters and points to a black car. 

She was no car enthusiast, but his car was sleek and sexy as hell and just as expensive. And definitely much more comfortable than a stiff seat on the bus. It wasn’t a hardship to accept the offer.

Natalie asks, “seriously?” 

Jace, unfazed, says, “yeah, of course,’’ to which Natalie responds with a thanks.

He stands up and with one hand occupied with a baggie, offers his other to her. She takes it and he pulls her up to her feet. The brief, yet electrifying action sends shivers up her spine. The firmness of his hand and gentleness with which he pulled her was pleasant to say the least.

“Thanks again,’’ Natalie utters quietly.

God, I need to stop acting like a weirdo around good-looking people.