Chapter 3
The only form of lighting in the house are the rope lights lining the floors and walkways. Regular light bulbs are replaced with black lights and there are various strobe lights throughout the house which gives it a club feel. Even the patio is blacked out with the same lighting; four fog machines hidden by rose bushes transform the gardened area into a hazy wonderland. The house is completely packed and thank God I can’t see any messes being made because the guilt alone would ruin the night for me and I so didn’t want to be lame and start picking up any trash I saw littering the house. I’d worry about that tomorrow.
“This is awesome!” Kammie swirls around me as we dance to the music. I can’t help but think of Melissa as we twerk like little vixens.
I smile, “yeah Kim is the coolest!” I let out a squeal, “she really knows how to throw things together.”
Kammie’s face falls at her name and I don’t have to ask what she’s thinking because I already know, “let’s find us an adult beverage.” I grab her hand and we stumble around people, or at least I think it’s people, it’s hard to tell in the lighting. We make our way to the kitchen. I spot Evan over at the kegs, “there’s Evan!” I walk over to him and drag Kammie behind me. Evan’s manning the keg it seems, he’s handing out drinks to a group of people, “are you the beer bitch?” I ask.
Evan pops a brow and points the nozzle in my direction like a gun. I squeal and hold up my hands, “I’ll show you!” He lunges at me and wraps his hands around my waste. I’m giggling and screaming for him to stop because I’m ticklish when Kammie helps Evan pin me to the counter. A couple of guys do cat calls and some girls grumble for more beer, if Evan hears them he doesn’t care, “take it back or I’ll soak you.”
I giggle, “I take it back, I take it back!” Evan looks at Kammie and asks her if she thinks I sound sincere. It takes me threatening Kammie before she nods her head. Evan lets go of me and backs away, “this is the job you get stuck with when you lose a bet on the soccer team. Beer?” so he plays soccer with Trev; good to know I make a vow to not dress down for his games anymore.
I scrunch up my nose, “didn’t I hear something about hooch?”
Evan makes a face, “bringing out the big guns huh? You know this stuff will knock you off your ass right?”
I cross my hands over my chest and shrug trying to look as badass as I could manage, “we want the good shit.” Kammie giggles like she always does when I curse because she says it sounds so unnatural coming from my mouth because I always say them really fast and soft, almost as if I’m afraid someone will hear me.
Evan chuckles and hands us solo cups full of hooch. She eyes me wearily before she takes it out of his hand. Evan stares at me, and I won’t give him the satisfaction of hesitation so I turn the solo cup up and chug it down gulp after gulp not allowing myself to taste or feel the burn. Surprisingly, the burn never comes; I keep drinking greedily because it tastes like skittles. I slam the cup down and wipe the left over off of my upper lip and stare Evan down daring him to say something. The fruity taste lingers for a bit and then I kind of start to feel a tingling in the back of my throat. Tears prick the backs of my eyes, but I don’t let them fall and I fight off a grimace as I get the full taste of the alcohol now that the fruitiness has worn off.
Evan chuckles and slaps my back, “Damn! Little trucker!”
My eyes narrow, “did Blake tell you to call me that?!” I say his name venomously. Kammie’s smile slips from her face and she sloshes her drink around in her cup but she still hasn’t taken a sip, I step closer to Evan until his back presses against the counter.
The edge of his mouth quirks up, “He says you eat like a mother trucker.”
I nod and slam the solo cup at his chest, “Another please, and I will show you a mother trucker.”
Evan nods and I step out of his way, allowing him space to replenish my cup. I look at Kammie and wave my hand in her direction, “are you going to babysit it or drink it?” I can hear the bitchiness in my tone and realize it’s not her fault that Blake is talking bad about me to other guys, “sorry.” She smiles at me and slams the drink back in tribute to me. I giggle and when Evan hands me the drink I snatch it out of his hand and chug it down. He backs me against the counter and drapes an arm around my waste. Something hits me in the stomach, and then clatters at my feet. A solo cup. I hear Evan curse at someone, but I don’t let that deter me one iota. I throw the cup in the floor and punctuate it with a belch. I wipe the hooch from my face and see Blake staring at me. I’m guessing he threw the cup at me, why in the hell would he do that? I don’t know and I definitely don’t care, I take a step towards him, “I hear you’re telling everyone I’m a mother trucker.” He looks guilty but doesn’t deny it. I shake my head, “what have I ever done to you?” I step past him and take another solo cup of hooch with me, I don’t stop to see if Kammie is still behind me or not. I decide it’s a little hot in here so I step onto the patio. I figured everyone would be out here, but other than some couple making out on top of a picnic table there’s only me. I walk around the patio; tendrils of smoke wrap around my legs and trail behind me in my wake. I don’t stop walking until I reach the ladder of Melissa’s pontoon. I scale the ladder and climb aboard. I plop down on a seat and prop my feet on the wheel. I sip on my hooch and look up at the stars scattered across the sky.
“Nice night,” I groan at the sound of Blake’s voice, I was hoping the footsteps I heard were Kammie’s but I guess I couldn’t be so lucky. Then I decide that this is a good time to have a heart to heart with the guy, especially if he’s going to be around me. He sits in the other seat next to me. I down about half of the cup and my head starts to swim. I close my eyes to make my world stop spinning and my stomach stop rocking; with the way I feel I’m not so sure the pontoon isn’t on land anymore.
I twist to face him and almost fall on my face, but his hands reach out; he straightens me. We choose that moment to look up at the same time and fall into each other’s eyes. My body starts to float and I feel light as a feather, every part of my body feels like flowing liquid and all the sudden I seem so relaxed and happy. I give him a sloppy grin. He gulps but doesn’t say anything, and even though I’m back on balance he doesn’t let go of my waist and I like the way I feel when his arms are wrapped around me. In fact, I like it a lot and then I remember I shouldn’t like it so much. I lick my lips, “Why do you hate me?” I ask, needing the answer more than I needed anything else.
His eyes are locked onto mine, “I don’t. I really don’t hate you.” I nod my head and lean back and when I do, he falls forward on top of me. The back of my head bumps the side of the boat, and though I don’t’ feel a thing, I know tomorrow I will. He readjusts his feet and scoots closer to me.
“You don’t hate me but you tell everyone I’m ugly.” I’m looking down at him, there’s a frown etched across his pretty face.
“I’ve never said that.” He pushes himself off of me and sits back in the seat. I sit up so I can take a drink and he shakes his head, “you shouldn’t be dressed like this.”
I laugh, “because I’m a fat trucker?” I glare at him and any tingles I felt for him dissolve in an instant.
He looks at me like I’m crazy, “No, because every guy in here can’t take their eyes off of you,” he puffs out his chest and his anger ups a notch or two, “including me.” He whispers gruffly.
I can’t wrap my mind around anything. I try but I just can’t, “but you said I ate like a trucker and you told Evan I was a mother trucker.”
“Well yeah because I thought it was cool! And because if I talked to you like a guy Trevor wouldn’t make me stay away from you.” I couldn’t stop the smile from breaking my face. Hearing all of this was making me so happy. I let out a squeal and before I could think better of it I jumped on top of Blake, piling on his lap. I wrap my legs and arms around him, while still holding my drink. Some of the hooch trickles down my arm and sloshes on his neck.
A conversa
tion wafts from below us, I can’t help but notice when I hear Kammie’s name, “I don’t know what that girl’s deal is, she had better be as cool as Lexi,” Kim was talking to a couple of her girls, “I don’t think she really wants me as an enemy.”
There’s laughter exchanged, “anyways maybe she isn’t after Trevor, maybe she’s just close with him where she’s Lexi’s best friend.” Someone says.
Kim mutters something and they all laugh, “if she knows what’s good for her she better rethink how she acts around him.”
They all murmur in agreement and another girl says something about how Trevor probably sees her as a child. Then they disperse and most likely rejoin the party. My blood runs cold, I tried to tell Kammie to stop going after Trevor. Now she didn’t have a choice. I slide out of Blake’s lap and give him a sad grin, now I remember why I’m not suppose to think Blake is hot, Kammie is suppose to be like talking to him or whatever. I lean back in my seat and finish my drink. A couple of minutes pass when I hear Kammie and Trevor calling out my name.
Blake stands in the boat and waves them over in our direction. Trevor steadies a drunken Kammie on the ladder, they both sway like a flag in the wind as they make their way on deck, make that a drunk Trevor as well. Kammie is giggling and wobbling in her stilettos. She plops in the floor at my feet and hands me a drink I didn’t see her holding. I grab it from her and take a sip. Kammie wipes a ringlet from her eyes. Trevor crashes down on top of Kammie and pulls at the spike of her heel, “why do girls even wear these?”
I raise a leg in the air and shove it in his face, “they’re sexy.” Trevor growls at me, he tells me I’m never allowed to be sexy. Blake pulls Trevor off of Kammie so she can sit up, she leans her back on my legs. Thank God Blake moved Trevor because Kim’s head pops up as she hoists herself over the boat, followed by Evan. Kim wraps herself around Trevor and shoves her tongue down his throat. Trevor pulls away enough to reveal a smile. I roll my eyes at the two making spectacles of themselves.
Kim shoots Kammie a bitchy look. Kammie chooses this moment to tackle Blake and attach her mouth to his. At first I think he’s going to resist, but then his hands lower to her hips and he doesn’t do a thing. My heart sinks to my stomach. I know this was the plan all along and I know I was about to tell Kammie she needed to for real forget Trev and for real go for Blake but it doesn’t look like I needed to do a thing. It all fell into place; Kammie saved herself from social suicide while ripping my heart in two. I finish off the drink and look away because I can’t stand to watch Kammie have her first kiss that should totally be my first kiss.
I go to stand when my legs buckle beneath me and I collapse back into the seat banging my shin on something metal. Again the only thing I feel is kind of heart sick but even that seems kind of distant. An arm slips under my legs and around my waist and the next thing I know I’m flying into the stars. I close my eyes and smile, I love the feel of the wind on my face. Chills run down my spine when I feel lips on my ears, “hi.” I bury my cheek into a muscled shoulder and smile. My eyes flutter open and my smile falters when I see Evan looking down at me. He walks over to the edge of the boat and my heart beats faster, “you feel lucky?” I smile to cover the disappointment I feel when I realize it’s not Blake who’s holding me.
I give him a look and look down at the ground and then back at him, “I don’t think you can carry me down the ladder. You kind of need arms.” I say.
Evan twirls me around and steps one foot on the edge of the boat with the other anchored to the floor of the deck, “anyone think I can fly?”
Everyone yells for him to put me down, all except my best friend in the whole world. She claps her hands and yells for Evan to fly. That’s all Evan needs to hear, he leaps off the boat with me in his arms and we’re both tumbling in the air, falling into the night. Both our screams are tangled together and only break when we crash to the ground. He lands on his back and I’m sprawled on top of him. I rise to punch him in the stomach. I roll off of him gasping for air and clutching my chest. After I catch my breath I notice he hasn’t moved from his spot in the grass; he hasn’t said a word either. Panic swells in my throat, I crawl towards him and lean over his face, “Are you okay?”
His eyes are closed and I’m about to yell for 9-1-1 when he grabs me and clutches me to his chest and starts to laugh. I struggle to get away from him until someone rips me out of his arms. I look up and see Kim and Blake looking really pissed off. Blake demands for Evan to stand up like a man and Kim just pulls me into a hug making sure I’m okay. Kim yells for Trevor to stay on the boat because he’s so drunk and she’s afraid he’ll break his neck. Kim and I exchange a look because we know he won’t listen so we go help him off the ladder. He kisses both our cheeks and we attempt to drag him, but he’s too heavy for us and we all fall to the ground. Kammie peeks at us from the boat, she smiles at me. I shake my head at her, to let her know she can’t come down without help. “Evan is so lucky Trev is dunk because he’d totally kick his ass for doing that.” Kim groans.
I nod, “yeah, pretty lucky,” I focus on Blake punching Evan in the face. Evan just gets back up and laughs. Kammie is still on the boat holding out her hands and whining for someone to get her.
Kim calls out to Blake, “Looks like your girlfriend is calling for you.” Blake looks confused and then he looks helplessly at me. All I can do is look away. It seems as if Kammie has chosen Blake and there’s nothing I can do now. I mean didn’t I tell Kammie she needed to go for Blake? So could I really fault her for taking my advice? I mean all she knew was I thought he was cute but didn’t I tell Kammie that a lot of guys were good looking? It’s not her fault I didn’t tell her I actually liked him. I needed to put on my big girl panties and let it all go.
Evan walks over to me and holds out his hand. Kim smacks it away, “you’re a dick!” Evan gives me puppy eyes, I still think he’s kind of immature but I take his hand anyway.
He pulls me close to his side and leaves his arm wrapped around my waist, “you’re so tiny,” he laughs and I roll my eyes at him, because I’m still annoyed. I mean he could have killed, or seriously injured us. I try to push those thoughts away because if I don’t they’re going to put me in a bad mood. Somehow Kim must have gotten Trevor up because they’re walking next to us. Trevor seems to be in a dark place; his face is all twisted and marred with nasty thoughts. Kim asks him if he wants to wait for Kammie and Blake. Trevor says something like it’s lame to watch people be all over each other. She agrees and the four of us leave them behind. I don’t even bother to look over my shoulder and see what he’s talking about, some things are better left unseen. So I walk away from the unknowing with a sinking in my stomach and an aching in my chest.
After I drink a couple of more drinks, I feel like I’m on cloud nine. I feel free as I dance like a ribbon in the wind. Evan has his hands all over me and I like the way it feels to be held. My stomach flutters when his lips graze my ears so I can hear what he’s saying. I decide that Evan taking me for a fly was kind of cute; everything worked out in our favor no broken bones and all. Evan picks me up and twirls me around edging me up the stairs. I’m standing on the bottom step and he’s got a hand propped on the banister. Blake slams into his back causing Evan to topple into me. I fall back and sit on a step. Blake looks like he’s three sheets to the win, “hey Trev is sending everyone home and our party continues with a party of six.” His words are a little slurred and he’s drinking from a bottle of whisky.
Evan spreads my legs and lies between them, propping an elbow on my leg, Blake growls but Evan doesn’t seem to notice, “you might want to get up because we’re taking the party up top.” At that Blake grabs the back of Evan’s shirt and forces him to his feet. Evan laughs and helps me up. I stop at the head of the stairs, “Whose room?”
Kim yells from the bottom of the stairs with an empty bottle in hand, and waves it above her head, “Your room!”