by K. Walker
Fifteen minutes later I was walking down the beach, board in hand, in search of some sweet waves. I found them and waded out into the water. It was weird being out there all alone, without Rachel, or Chad, and my heart started to race as another panic attack began to set in.
I stopped, closed my eyes, and allowed the gentle lapping of the water to soothe me. I inhaled a lungful of the salty air and slowly exhaled. When my eyes opened again, I was a lot calmer. I started walking again, until I was on the board, paddling out.
And then I was standing and experiencing a high I had always loved and missed.
Time passed differently on the water, and by the time I waded back to shore, it had been three hours. And I was hungry.
I changed and got my purse before heading back to the Bar and Grill. For that awesome burger. One bite and I was twice in heaven. I was into my third bite, my jaw getting stiff from stuffing too much into my chewing, when I noticed Brody down the beach.
My mouth stopped moving and I groaned inwardly. I couldn’t totally escape all of them, could I?
I bit another piece of my sandwich and watched as he ducked behind a column. I was intrigued. I kept looking as that same Asian dude from Main Street walked behind the same column.
What the hell was Brody up to?
It had been obvious that one time that whatever business he had with the man was shady. And there he was, skipping school to do the same thing.
Not my problem, I thought and turned away.
But I couldn’t ignore it. I hated myself for being so concerned with people all the damned time. But I liked Brody, except for that one time he had grabbed me at Cody’s party.
He had been cool after Chad and I hooked up, and I knew he was getting himself in some kind of mess.
Call me stupid, but when I finished eating and he hadn’t surfaced, I felt an overwhelming need to go over. I grabbed my purse and walked slowly, all the way warring with myself to turn back, and that it wasn’t my problem.
They both emerged when I was about fifty feet away, and we both froze when our eyes locked.
He turned to the dude, who looked down the beach after and grinned. He walked quickly over to me with his hands shoved deep into jeans that fell way below his ass and he had to walk wide to keep them on his hips from falling to his ankles like some old school gangster.
“I know you,” he said and flashed yellow teeth at me again.
He reeked of trouble, and all of a sudden, I was really afraid for Brody. He had made a mistake with this one. I remembered what Chad had told me about him hustling sometimes to help out at home, but still…
“Good to know,” I said sarcastically and rolled my eyes. I didn’t want to be anywhere near to him much more to be having a conversation. “Brody?”
He glanced over at me and smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. “What are you doing out here?”
“Took the day off.”
“You sure you don’t want to spend it with me?” the Asian asked and sniffed, like he had just inhaled coke, and circled me.
I felt dirty just by being close to him, and when he touched my hand, I jumped and slapped it away. “Don’t touch me!”
“You got a mouth on you, huh?”
“Lin, just leave her alone. This has nothing to do with her.”
“I would say it does. Little lady doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut. I bet I can get that pretty mouth to do other things.”
I could feel him breathing on me, and I balled my fists and glowered at Brody, who skipped closer to me and took my arm. “Look man, I’ll hit you up later, all right?”
Lin sneered and wiped under his nose. “You better. Your boy won’t be able to save you next time.” He blew me a kiss as he walked away and I couldn’t help but shudder.
“Brody, what the hell?” I asked and shook him off after Lin had gone, and my heart rate had started to slow down.
He had a panicked look in his eyes. “Sophia, what the hell did you do that for?”
My eyes widened. “Me? What did I do?”
“You…he saw you…where were you going?”
“Last I checked this was a free beach,” I replied and folded my arms.
He rubbed his head and walked around in circles like someone in distress. “Listen,” he finally said and came back over to me. His gray eyes burned into mine, and he swept his blond mane backwards. “I don’t want Chad to know about this, okay? Don’t tell him you saw me here with Lin.”
“Why?” I asked and narrowed my eyes at him. Not that I was going to tell Chad shit. “And what was he talking about? Who bailed you out before? With what? Was that Chad?”
Brody shook his head. “You don’t need to worry about any of that.”
I wasn’t going to let up. About time I was a part of some of the shit that took place in this town. I might need to blackmail someone one day. I laughed aloud in my head at the thought. Yeah, right. You wish you were that kind of person. My inner self was right. Damn me for being so…so…ugh!
“You’re going to have to give me a little bit more than that if you want me to keep quiet,” I bargained, hoping that would loosen his lips.
He opened his mouth like he was about to tell me, and then his lips tightened, seconds before he started laughing. “What the hell am I saying? You’re not going to tell Chad. He doesn’t want anything to do with you.”
I could feel my face reddening. “I don’t have to be his girl to tell him where you are and what you’re doing,” I said and challenged him, taking out my phone.
“You wouldn’t…”
“You have ten seconds,” I warned as I unlocked the screen.
“Shit. Fine.” He wiped his hand down his face. “I owed Lin some money. Chad spotted me the cash and that’s it.”
I slapped him on the arm. “Brody, so why are you still dealing with him?”
“It’s more complicated than that, but it doesn’t matter,” he replied as he started backing away. “Just don’t say anything to him.”
I stood and watched as he walked away. I could understand not wanting to depend on anyone, and making your own money. But Brody was more than those drug dealers he associated with.
I was tempted to say something to Chad, if only to get him out of trouble. But that might land Chad into the same mess.
Chad: What game are you playing?
I groaned when I saw the message as my phone lit up in my hand. Maybe I should let him replace Brody with Lin and get him off my ass. I’d spent two weeks trying to get his attention, and he hadn’t given me the time of day. Now, he was blowing up my phone, checking up on what I might be doing with Wes.
I stuffed the phone back into my purse and walked off. I still had a couple of hours of free time left. I would get a mai tai and chill on one of the beach chairs.
And that’s exactly what I did.
Chapter 6
“How’s my makeup?” Callie asked Paris who was holding up a mirror for her. She was smacking her lips and turning her head from side to side while smoothing her long blond hair down her shoulders.
I groaned as I closed my locker and tried to walk away.
“What do we have here?” she asked when she wheeled around. I needed to see the principal about a locker change, or swap with someone else so she wouldn’t be one of the first persons I would see every morning.
I should have taken two days off. One just didn’t cut it.
“Callie, just do what you do best and fix your face, will you?” I turned and said. “Makeup is a nasty cover-up by the way. Does nothing for your…personality.” I grinned and winked as she grabbed the mirror from Paris and chucked it inside her locker.
It was surprising she didn’t have a special locker made just for her. I heard the locker door slam and I grinned even wider as I walked off.
“What’s gotten you in such a good mood?” Wes asked as he threw his arm around my shoulder outside the classroom like we had known each other our entire lives.
“Nothing,” I replied as I removed it and turned to face him.
“You going to Deven’s tomorrow?”
I didn’t get a chance to answer. Chad’s scowl as he appeared behind Wes like an apparition dampened the mood. “Could you two take it elsewhere?” he spat as he pushed past us and into the classroom.
I wanted to sail my purse and hit him upside the head. He left me – he didn’t have to be so mean afterward. And rude.
“What’s up with that? Bad breakup?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I replied and forced a smile. “I need to get in here.”
“But about the party…you’re going, right?”
I looked up, like Chad’s eyes were pulling me to look at him. His eyes narrowed like he was daring me to say yes. So I did. “You bet.” I smiled at Wes and he shook his fist excitedly and walked away.
The instant I sat and heard my phone buzzing I knew it was him.
Chad: You don’t know who you’re dealing with.
Sophia: What do you care? You dumped me.
I kept looking at the phone, but no other message came in. I didn’t dare look at him. I didn’t want to anyway. For the moment, I was satisfied at the fact this bothered him so much. And Wes seemed like a really nice person. He wasn’t any different than any of the boys in this class. Including Chad.
It was his problem if he and Wes couldn’t get along. It had nothing to do with me. And at the moment, I was looking forward to a party – I wasn’t going to crawl into my shell to avoid Chad Minor any longer.
My perky mood continued into Friday, and Liz was basically tripping over herself at the end of the day.
“What the hell am I going to wear?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Alexi told her. “Cody will have you out of it thirty minutes after you get there.”
She slapped Alexi on the arm as we belly-laughed.
“It’s true though, Liz,” I agreed as I wiped the tears from my eyes. “Every party you disappear. Like, you get there, and then you ditch us. Is it that good?”
“Girrrll,” Liz replied and rolled her tongue like Carly B. “It’s like Pringles…once you pop you can’t stop.”
I almost died. “Okay, I’m getting jealous. But as long as he treats you right, enjoy it, is my advice.”
“Yeah,” Stacey added.
“If you’re not going to be hooking up with Wes, I would like to have him,” Alexi said with a raise of her hand.
I laughed. “Be my guest. But girls, I don’t know what to wear either since I had no intentions of going to that party before this morning, so…”
“Yeah, I need an outfit. Better go digging around my closet.” Alexi groaned, too.
We separated for the evening, and I stood in front of my closet for the better part of an hour tossing tops and jeans and skirts and everything else onto the bed. I couldn’t find the perfect combination.
Not until I found my pair of black skinny jeans with a matching black top that fell off my shoulders and opened part-way down my back.
It seemed elegant enough without being over the top, or revealing too much. I was satisfied, and by seven, I was putting on the finishing touches of my makeup. I swept my long chocolate hair to the side and pinned it so it would stay put, letting most of it fall down my right shoulder.
I smiled at my reflection when I was done. “This should be a good night.”
I took up my phone and searched for Amanda.
Sophia: Leaving now, hun. Meet me there. I’m not going in alone.
Amanda: Yeah, we’ll meet up outside. I’m about to leave. Stacey and Liz are already ready. Alexi said she’ll come later…had to stop by work first.
Sophia: Okay. See you there.
I had to admit, I was a little nervous about going to Deven’s. I had never been there, but when I approached the address, the number of cars didn’t suggest it was an exclusive party.
I saw Amanda’s car as soon as I pulled into the driveway that seemed a half-mile long. It was a trademark for homes on that side of Madison Falls.
“Look at you,” Amanda said when she saw me. “Beautiful.”
“You too,” I said when I pulled back. She was wearing an emerald-green off the shoulder romper. Liz was dressed like a Barbie doll in a tiny jean skirt, a rainbow-colored top with a tie in the front, and slip on three inch heels.
“What?” she asked and giggled when I gave her the look. “I needed an outfit that was sexy and easy. Sue me.”
Stacey wore jeans, a spandex body blouse and leather jacket…always the one for comfort. “You all make me feel underdressed,” she complained.
“Nah, you look great. I’m sure there are some girls in there who’re naked,” I snickered and she laughed.
“You’re right. Any clothes are good clothes.”
We weaved our way through the haphazard cars, looking more like they’d been abandoned in a Zombie apocalypse than parked in a driveway. I could tell half of the people at the party were already drunk.
Manicured lawns were on either side of the estate that loomed ahead, like an old medieval castle. It only needed a moat and drawbridge to complete the look – very elegant and tasteful, and not resembling the boy I knew.
Inside was even more spectacular, with high ceilings, carvings in the walls on either side of the foyer, stone columns and a polished floor that made me feel like I had escaped into one of my literature novels.
The voices led us to the back of the estate, to an entertainment area, where boys and girls were strewn over each other, drinking and making out, and music blared from the speakers.
If not for the several cars outside, I wouldn’t have known there was a party there at all – the noise abatement was incredible.
“This is a really nice place.” Amanda echoed my sentiment as her eyes traveled all over the open space.
“I know, right?” Liz replied. ‘I’ve been here once, just to hang. It looks even better when no one is here.”
“Ladies, care for a drink?” Deven himself asked as he handed me and Liz a cup.
“Yeah, thanks,” I said and took it. “Nice place you have here.”
“Yeah,” he said humbly. “It is what it is.” Then he clapped his hands and rubbed them. “Anyway, I had only the two drinks, so enjoy yourselves. Hey, my man,” he shouted over our heads as he walked off in a different direction.
“Yep. That’s Deven,” Liz said as she sipped her drink. “Let’s get you guys wasted.”
I drank from my cup – spiked punch of course. My stomach instantly warmed and I started to move to the hip hop beat as we walked to the bar area where Stacey and Amanda got their drinks.
“This seems like a dope party,” Stacey said as she looked around.
“It’s Deven,” Liz said. “What did you expect?”
“It’s been a while since we had a party,” Stacey mused. “We should have one. I mean this is senior year. We have to do something crazy.”
“I’m sorry, I’m all out of crazy. Chad used up all of mine,” I replied.
Amanda sputtered on her drink. “Come on, it wasn’t that bad.”
I almost messed up my clothes when I felt arms slipping around my mid-section and heading toward more sensitive regions. I twisted my body and turned, only to see a grinning Wesley.
I wriggled out of his arms. “Wes, I told you to stop doing that.”
“Why? You have a boyfriend or something?”
“Very funny. That doesn’t give you the right to do what you want.”
He held his hands up. “My bad.” Then he stepped right up into my face I could taste the cologne he was wearing. “But you should give us a chance. I’m crazy about you,” he said in a seductive whisper, just before he trailed his hand down my hair.
“Wes, maybe we shouldn’t…” I cut off, allowing my eyes to trail from his thighs up to his eyes. He wore faded jeans that fit him like a glove and showed off his muscular thighs and a black tee that seemed like a second skin. His biceps were thic
k and I could see one tribal tattoo peeking out under his shirt on his right bicep. Damn he was hot with his dark hair all slicked back with a few tendrils loose around his forehead. I had to bite my lower lip and take a breath.
A moment later I was taken by surprise when he pressed his lips onto mine. I was immobilized with shock, for one, and how soft his lips were, for two. I didn’t get sucked into the kiss, but for the little time his lips were on mine, he tasted like cinnamon and I could feel the excitement stir in my belly.
“Damn,” Stacey exclaimed.
“Wow!” That was Amanda.
And I knew it was time to pull back. I cleared my throat as I felt the blush rising to my cheeks and the warmth spread throughout my body. I saw Wes looking past me, and I turned. Chad was right there, watching us. He must have seen the kiss, and as Wes stroked my cheek, I felt slutty.
“Maybe I…we should go do something,” I said nervously to the girls. I wasn’t even sure why I felt bad, like I had been caught cheating. I had seen the way Chad had clung to girls after me. Although, when I really thought about it, I hadn’t seen Chad making out with anyone. It didn’t matter. I was single. I wasn’t cheating at all. I was free to do what I wanted.
Not like before. Now he spent his time watching me.
“Wes! Over here!” Sean, one of his lacrosse buddies, called out.
“I’ll be back. Save a dance, or one more of those for me, will you?”
My cheeks were red hot by that time, and I turned slowly to face the girls. “What? I didn’t do anything.”
“You didn’t not do anything either,” Stacey pointed out.
“Thanks for that, Stacey,” I said.
“I think Chad saw you,” Liz said worriedly. “I don’t like this. Maybe you should back off of Wes for the time being. At least until you and Chad blow over. It’s only been a little over two weeks.”
“Yeah, I’m with Stacey on that one,” Amanda echoed.
“What did I miss?” Alexis asked as she came over to us.
“Sophia here just kissed Wes,” Stacey told her promptly, and I flashed her an evil look.
“I didn’t kiss him. He kissed me,” I retorted. “And what’s the big deal anyway?” The tables had swiftly turned – before they had wanted me to be with Wes and I had refused. Now, it was the other way around.
