Trust

by Kylie Scott

  Inside the car, she started the engine and put on her seat belt before giving the eight cartons of eggs sitting on the backseat a speculative glance. "That's a lot of eggs."

  "Justice is about to be served sunny-side up."

  Carrie and Sophia had been to a party at the creep's house a few years back. It would be an understatement to say they'd been happy to provide us with the address. Actually, they'd been sad-faced about not being included. The more people attending, however, the more likely it was we'd get caught. In and out with a simple two-woman team would work best. At least, it seemed safest. We'd both worn black; no big deal for me of course. Black jeans and T-shirt, my hair braided. Hang had gone for shorts and a top with ruffles down the front, her hair also tied back. Stealth with style.

  An upbeat song by The 1975 played on the radio. Not the theme from Mission Impossible, but it would do. I'd considered asking John to drive, but he'd already paid his dues with this guy. Plus, this was women's business.

  It wasn't far to the house, a nice two-story stucco with a big old willow tree filling the front yard. It was located on a quiet street. Lights were on in the place upstairs and down; people were definitely home. A couple of cars were parked in the wide driveway. Tonight, our target was the black SUV with a bull bar so large it had to be compensating for something.

  Dick size, possibly. Manners, definitely. And intellect probably also belonged on the list.

  "I'll keep the engine running," said Hang, headlights switched off and the music turned down. She was a natural at this. "Leave the door open on your side. First sign of anyone, run."

  I nodded. Though honestly, the thought of getting caught didn't bother me at all. It was even kind of thrilling. Thinking of how the asshole had grabbed me, like it was no big deal, like he had the right because what did I matter anyway . . . I smiled. "I'm going to enjoy this."

  Boxes of eggs cradled in my arms, I crept up the concrete drive. Hopefully there'd be no security lighting. It would be a pity if I were disturbed before my work was finished.

  First I went for the windshield. The shells made a gratifying cracking sound as they hit their target. And I might not have been too keen on sports, but pitching eggs came quite naturally to me. Golden yolks slid down the glass; more splattered across the hood. I paid particular attention to the driver's-side door. It got extra-great coverage due to its importance.

  Fighting back was exhilarating.

  I stood beneath the silver cloud-covered sky, grinning like a loon, circling the SUV, peppering it with eggy goodness. A trail of empty cartons lay strewn behind me. I honestly didn't even hear the yapping of the dog or the voices calling it back. Hang's shouting didn't reach me either, at first. When she lay on the horn, though . . . I snapped to attention, blinking like I'd just woken from a dream. A happy one. The outside light flicked on, shining bright in my eyes.

  "Hey! What the fuck?" yelled a pissed-off male voice from inside. Keys jangled as he battled with the security lock on the front door. At his feet, the pint-size terror of a dog yapped on. Once the door opened, it was going to go straight on the attack. But there was still time; there had to be.

  "Hurry, hurry, hurry!" shouted Hang, revving the engine. "Now!"

  Just one second. I tore open the lid of my remaining carton and smashed the contents up against the side of his big SUV.

  "Take that, you asshole," I whispered. Then I ran.

  Hang took off before I'd even shut the car door, my hatchback surging forward with more force than I'd have thought capable. Heart pounding, breathing hard, I wrestled with the seat belt. Slimy hands were slippery.

  "Holy shit," said Hang, looking in the rear mirror.

  "We did it."

  "No one's following." Her gaze flitted between the mirror and the road, fingers wrapped so tight around the wheel her knuckles stood out. "Except for a small pissed-off dog. Sorry, pup. See you later."

  I huffed out a laugh. "Oh, that was so good."

  "God. You nearly gave me a heart attack."

  "Sorry."

  "I was yelling for you to run and you were just standing there, staring at the car." She shook her head, slowing down and turning on the headlights now that we'd covered a suitable distance. "It was like you were in a trance or something."

  "Just admiring my work."

  "And you just had to use up the last carton, didn't you? Shit, Edie."

  "I was so close to finishing."

  "He nearly caught us!" She laughed. It sounded more incredulous/hysterical than happy. The whites of her eyes had never seemed so huge. "You're insane. I could kind of kill you right now. Let's not do that again anytime soon, okay?"

  Slumped back in the passenger seat, I smiled. "That was awesome, though."

  "You got him good."

  "We got him good."

  "Yeah, we did." Reluctantly, she smiled. "Asshole."

  Anders threw a party Saturday night at his house, which turned out to be not that far from mine. It was his eighteenth birthday.

  His dad remained on the scene, playing fantasy basketball with his friends in the den. So long as no major laws or furniture were broken, that's where they'd stay. While his father had been cool with the party, his mom apparently had reservations. As per the usual, there was the keg of beer, though this time it stayed concealed in a small pool house surrounded by a garden. Lots of bikinis and loud music, with people sneaking in and out of the structure holding red Solo cups, ensued.

  Still no sign of John.

  "And here is a variety of nutritious juices. Lots of vitamins and nutrients," said Anders, giving Hang, Sophia, Carrie, and me a tour of the party. The flashing tiara on his head left little doubt as to in whose honor the event was being held. "Very healthy. You'll be able to dance all night on that natural energy."

  "Looks delicious," said Carrie. "And there's the dance floor. See you guys later!"

  Soph laughed and off they went, hand in hand.

  "Yes, lots of fruit and water. Some sodas, too. But be careful--they have a lot of sugar in them and that's no good for your teeth." Anders carefully pushed aside the sober items to get to the individual bottles of juice-and-vodka mixers below. He popped the lid on one and handed it to Hang, then did the same for me. "Nothing alcoholic, sorry, because Mom is afraid of God smiting us. So, just the good kid stuff tonight."

  "What about the keg?"

  "You're imagining it, along with that alcoholic beverage in your hand. I wouldn't dare go against my mother's wishes." Anders smiled. "When do I get my birthday kiss?"

  Her chin went up. "Who said I was giving you one?"

  "Well, what if I just quickly felt you up, then? Over the top of your swimsuit. That would be a nice gift."

  "Ha!" Hang headed for the pool. "Dream on."

  "What if you felt me up, then? That would be great too. It could be like my gift to you."

  "Not happening."

  "How about we play spin the bottle, later. Just you and me." He followed behind her like a very large and overeager puppy. "Can't have a party without party games, right?"

  Beside a fire pit, John Cole sat surrounded by some of the school's finest. Sports stars, rich ones, and various cool types, all of them laughing and chatting and drinking. Erika had seated herself on a new guy's lap. Not that it mattered. No way would I wander over and say hi to John. He might fit in with those types, but I didn't. I'd stick with my friends and head for the dance floor. Time to burn off some of my pent-up frustration, and other equally unwelcome emotions, with Carrie and Soph.

  We took turns fetching drinks. Some were water, some weren't. After an hour or two, I had a nice buzz going, my body drenched in sweat and a broad smile on my face. My friend Marie from Bio had even joined us for a while.

  "Pool?" asked Soph, panting.

  "Pool," Carrie and I agreed.

  They both had bathing suits on under their clothes, but I just toed off my flats. Good enough. In we went, denim shorts and tank top and all, making an almighty splash. C
ool water closed over my head and the muted bass of the music thumped on, before I resurfaced to the summertime smell of chlorine. Man, it felt good.

  Sophia and Carrie started floating around, kissing. Meanwhile, Anders and Hang appeared to be having a deep and meaningful conversation over by the steps. I was on my own. All good. I climbed out, going in search of first, a towel, and second, food. Turned out John had the first one already covered.

  "Hey," he said, wrapping me up in a monster-size towel. Shades of green and yellow decorated his face, the bruises slowly fading. His knuckles seemed a little better too.

  "Hi. Thanks."

  I wrung out my hair. Only about a gallon of water came out. My wet clothes had the towel saturated in under a minute. This was the problem with going in fully clothed. Oh, well.

  "Damn." He smiled. "We need another one just for your hair--come on."

  I followed him around the side of the house to another door leading into a laundry room. Guess he'd spent a lot of time here over the years. For certain, he knew his way around. He had two fresh towels out of the closet in no time. One got exchanged for the drenched thing wrapped around me, but the second he kept hold of, using it to gently pat my hair dry.

  "I can do that," I said.

  "I got it." His voice dropped low, sending a strange thrill down my spine. Given we were platonic, he was certainly being very handsy. No. John was just a friend. Just a . . . hell, not even I could quite believe that one anymore. "How was the water?"

  "Nice. Cooling." And this was strange. Very strange.

  Once my clothes reached the point of damp as opposed to dripping, little more could be done. I put the wet towel on top of the washing machine, ready to be hung out once John got done with my hair. Only, work on my head stalled at that point, his gaze flickering from my face to the wet T-shirt competition happening below.

  Oh man, my nipples. How pointedly embarrassing.

  I crossed my arms over my chest. "So, what have you been up to? I haven't seen you since detention."

  "Yeah." He licked his lips. "I've been busy."

  "Avoiding me."

  "Possibly."

  I laughed. "Definitely. Don't worry, I no longer wish to lecture you on the evils of getting into trouble at school. Especially when it's because of me."

  "No?" His expression eased. "Good."

  "Though it's totally hypocritical of you to avoid me like that."

  He bit back a smile. "Heard someone had their car egged the other day. You know, I think it was that asshole who grabbed you."

  "Wow, what a coincidence. And such a shocking attack on private property."

  "Mm."

  I kept my face blank. Innocent as a lamb. Baa.

  "You wouldn't know anything about it then?" he asked.

  "Absolutely not."

  "Uh-huh." Brows scrunched up, he was obviously unconvinced. "Next time, when you're not doing things like that, let me know so I can watch your back. Okay?"

  I just smiled.

  "I'm serious, Edie."

  "I heard you, but my back was covered."

  "Anders would have been pissed if you'd gotten Hang into trouble," he said.

  "Hang's a big girl; she can make her own choices."

  For a moment, he just looked at me. "Can't believe you egged his car."

  "I admit to nothing."

  He gave me a lopsided smile and it actually made me feel a little light-headed. God, everything this boy did got to me. Either that, or I'd had more to drink than I realized. Whatever. Emergency escape time. I had to get out of here before I did something stupid. "I'm going to head home."

  He stopped. "What? You're leaving already?"

  "Yeah, I need a change of clothes," I said. "Plus, I've danced, I've drunk, I've swum. Work was actually pretty busy today, so . . . time for bed."

  "How'd you get here?"

  "Hang's dad dropped us off. I'll just walk home."

  "Okay," he said. "I'll walk with you."

  "You don't have to do that."

  "You're always telling me what I don't have to do for you." He shook his head, smiling faintly. "I know what's right and wrong, and I know what I want. You're not walking home alone at night, Edie. I'd drive you, but I've had a few drinks myself."

  "All right. No need to get feisty."

  He just laughed and threw the towel aside. "C'mon, let's go."

  I fetched my bag, and as per protocol, texted the girls good-bye. The breeze was chilly. Summer had officially come to an end. John took off the button-down shirt he had on over his T-shirt and handed it to me without a word.

  Happily, it also took care of the nipple issue. "Thanks."

  "I was watching you dance. You're good."

  "Years of playing 'Just Dance' in the family room, and I never did reach the high scores."

  "I'm serious."

  I groaned. "You're making me self-conscious."

  "Don't be."

  "Right," I said, laughing a little too loud. "I'll flick off that switch because you said so."

  He just smiled and shook his head. Seemed he was doing that a lot tonight.

  "Thanks," I eventually mumbled.

  "Why can't girls ever take a compliment? They've always got to act embarrassed for some reason."

  I harrumphed. "Like you do any better."

  "What do I do?" He tipped his chin. "Hmm?"

  "You ignore them outright. Just pretend like I never spoke."

  A small shake of the head. "No, I don't."

  "Yeah, you do."

  "Hit me with one," he demanded.

  "Um. I don't know." He was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, his body a dream. He was sweet and loyal and honest and kind and strong and smart and he made me feel safe, something I didn't think would ever happen again anywhere with anyone. "You're a good driver. Very safe."

  "Thank you, Edie."

  "You're welcome, John."

  "You're damn good at pool. Whipped my ass."

  "Thanks," I said.

  Up high, clouds covered the sky. No moon to gaze at, no stars to wish upon. Though really, what would I wish for? John was walking beside me and it seemed harsh to burden a distant sun with my desire for world peace. It probably had its own problems.

  "When are we playing again?" he asked. "I need a chance to beat you, get back my dignity."

  "Can't handle being beaten by a girl?"

  The side of his mouth turned up. "No. Just don't like losing in general."

  "Fair enough. We can play again whenever you like."

  "Good."

  He stopped, kicking at a stone on the road. We were at my house already. It really hadn't been far. The porch light was on, the driveway empty. Mom said she had another thing going on with her friends; God knows what time she'd be home. She was out a hell of a lot lately. But since it benefited me, I'd decided not to complain.

  "Thanks for walking me," I said, arms crossed over my chest again to hide my nerves. And why I was nervous, I had no idea. "Want to come in?"

  The look he gave me, I couldn't read. It was guarded by fences, doors, walls, probably even mines, and a moat.

  "Just to hang out," I said. "You know."

  "Nah." He looked back the way we'd come. "I, ah, better get back."

  "See you later then."

  A nod.

  "Don't get into any more fights," I said. "Please."

  He just smiled. "'Night."

  While I unlocked the door, he waited at the curb, watching. He stood with his hands in his pockets, the wind whipping his loose hair about his face. I waved and went inside, locking the door behind me. It felt like a part of me was still out there with him, though. As if I'd been cut in two.

  Crazy.

  A shower washed the chlorine out of my hair, I'd blow-dried it, and put on my favorite black-and-white polka-dot pajamas. I opened my curtains and pushed up my window, searching the night sky. Only a little of the cloud cover had moved, allowing a couple of stars to shine through.

 
After a bowl of Cheerios, my stomach was happy. Book in hand, I settled down to read and actually started to get somewhere. Now that the buzz from the drinks had dimmed, it felt good to be home. I'd gone out and socialized with little to no awkwardness. Go, me.

  The couple in the book wouldn't get their act together. So very annoying.

  A voice at the window said my name.

  "John?"

  Without waiting for an invitation, he climbed right on in. I shuffled back to give him room on my bed. Converse tucked beneath him and hands on his knees, he sat, looking down at me. Studying me. Given my usual patience levels, I could only take about ten seconds of his silence.

  "What's wrong?" I asked, setting my book aside.

  "Nothing. Nothing's wrong."

  "Then why are you looking at me like that?"

  He swallowed hard. "I did want to come in and hang out with you earlier, but . . ."

  "But what? Why didn't you then?"

  Instead of speaking, he kissed me.

  Of course, I kissed him back. Of course I did.

  Holy shit. Our mouths moved against each other, his hands cradling my face. This was what I'd needed, what I'd been waiting for without even really knowing. His skin on mine, his breath on my face. I couldn't get close enough, no matter how I tried. Eyes hazy and lips wet, he kissed me slow and sweet. It seemed endless, as necessary to life as breathing.

  Then, faces only inches apart, we just stared at each other.

  I had nothing. No words at all.

  Fingertips slid over my cheek, along my jaw. He swallowed hard. "Hey."

  "Hi."

  "I was going to head back to Anders's place."

  I nodded. "You said."

  "Couldn't bring myself to go."

  "You've been out there this whole time?"

  His expression seemed bewildered and yet amused. Amazed even. The light in his eyes like he was almost laughing. "Must have looked like a goddamn stalker."

  "Are you drunk or high?"

  "No. I had a few beers earlier, but they've pretty much worn off now."

  Huh. "You stared at my house, then climbed in the window and kissed me?"

  "Yeah."

  "Why?"

  His brows rose. "I don't know. 'Cause it was the only thing that made sense. I just, I keep thinking about that night with you at my place."

  "You do?"

  "It's like I can't get it out of my head."

  "I think about it too," I said. "Maybe we both need lobotomies."

  "The sex wasn't even that good," he said somewhat bluntly. "'Specially not for you."

  "That's not true."