Ben leaned in and tried to kiss Sara.
“I don’t get why she’s here,” she said, turning away from him. “I hope you don’t think I’m automatically going to be nice to her. I don’t do charity.”
“I’m not asking you to.” He tried to steal another kiss.
“Eww, get away from me!” She jumped off the couch, sending an icy glare his way. Ben put his head in his hands in frustration. Riding his bike almost a mile in the snow when he was grounded to get to Sara’s place was beginning to look like a mistake.
“What’s your problem? Why do you care that she’s here?”
Sara stomped her foot. “Because people are going to feel bad for her and want to include her and stuff.”
“What’s wrong with that?” He threw up his arms in frustration. Sara was selfish by nature. He’d accepted that and tried to ignore it as often as possible, but this was a little much. He couldn’t understand why she was acting like such a brat.
Unarguably, she was gorgeous. Medium height, with a petite waistline and generous chest, she was treated like an icon by most of the other girls at school who secretly would have traded anything for the chance to get half the attention she received. Her lips were naturally pink, the color pink that most girls tried to achieve with make-up. Her skin was flawless, not even the slightest bump, blackhead, or open pore could be spotted. She was the daughter of two models, who had come together to create perfection, not seen in many fifteen year olds.
Sara had long, curly blond hair, which she kept highlighted year round. She was meticulous about her appearance. Ben had not seen her without makeup since fifth grade. He was convinced she even slept with it on. She checked her hair and face constantly with a mirror she kept in her Louis Vitton purse at all times. Every day of Sara’s life was a fashion show.
Sara’s mother had been killed in a car accident when she was only two. Her father worked a lot now as a lawyer and was often out of town overnight for extended periods of time working on national cases. vAs an only child she spent most of her time alone, with her nanny as the only responsible adult present. She had received little direction in right versus wrong. Instead, she had learned that she could usually get whatever she desired. Her credit card had no credit limit and was paid off every month. She had the friends she wanted. The freedom she wanted. She couldn’t even remember the last time anyone had told her “no”.
Many of the kids at school had speculated about how far she had really gone, wondering if her experience were just a front. With her solitude upbringing, Sara felt a constant need to be the center of attention. Sara always had a boyfriend. In the beginning of the school year, she had been dating a senior. Until about three months before, Ben hadn’t been interested in her, or in her best friends Kaylie and Stephanie, from whom she was virtually inseparable. Ben had a weakness for being coddled, and, more often than not, was interested in girls who gave him a lot of attention. Sara was about herself. And she liked attention being paid to her. She decided she needed a boyfriend in her own grade after learning she was not being talked about. Ben became her mission, because he was completely uninterested in anything Sara. One afternoon, she snuck into the boys’ locker room, shoved him against the locker, and planted an unforgettable kiss on his lips. It was all over. He was sucked into her world. And, like most fifteen-year-old boys, he intended to take it as far as possible.
Ben was standing now. Sara looked upset, and he didn’t want to do anything that might agitate her more than she already was. He’d have better luck jumping off a cliff and putting his broken bones back together than receiving forgiveness from Sara.
“I’m sorry,” he lied.
“Why?” Sara snapped back with an attitude.
“Because I don’t want to fight with you,” said Ben on his way back to redemption. “I want to make you as happy to be with me as I am with you.”
Sara let out another sigh. “I guess that’s good, Thompson.” She started to smile and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Okay. You’re back. And you may have earned my full attention for the rest of the afternoon.”
“I like that,” whispered Ben. He leaned in again to kiss her. This time she didn’t stop him. She pulled Ben toward the couch and pushed him down, laughing. Then she climbed into his lap, pinning him down, while she tousled her blond hair.
“If we’re going to be together,” Sara said as she kissed his neck, “you have to learn to support me. It’s the only way. I don’t want anything to come between us.”
He put his arms around her waist. “I will. I promise.”
His wandering hands were kept in check during the make-out session. She had trained him well, but now he wanted more. She was not about to let him have his way. His phone began vibrating.
“Shit!” He reached into his pocket, his fingers digging around for his cell phone. Sara stood up and pulled out her compact, disengaging from Ben. She started playing with her hair in the mirror. It was just like Sara to remove herself from the present to focus on her makeup. According to his caller ID, Gabe was trying to reach him.
“This isn’t a good time. What do you need?” Ben was shouting into the phone.
“Start pedaling,” whispered Gabe.
“What?”
“Dad’s looking for you.”
“Well, stall him.”
Gabe started laughing. “It’s too late, stupid. You’re already busted.”
Ben hung up and turned to Sara who was now sitting on the side of the couch looking annoyed. She had already applied a fresh coat of her frosted-pink lip gloss. “Rain check? I have to go.”
“Whatever,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Your loss. This could have been your lucky day.” Yeah, right, Ben thought to himself. She had used that line many times before, and it meant absolutely nothing. He smiled and kissed her good-bye, then ran out of the house as fast as he could.
CHAPTER 6