A Few Little Scars

by Casey McMillin

  Molly blinked at the screen wondering who he was talking about when he said we. She typed out a text to him, glancing down at the screen sporadically so she wouldn't run off the road.

  Molly: "Who's we?"

  Zeke: "Chris and Kade are coming with me."

  Molly felt slightly annoyed until she remembered she had never mentioned anything about wanting him to come alone.

  Molly: "Don't forget to tell them about wearing blue."

  Zeke: "I told them, but no promises."

  Molly: "Are you?"

  Zeke: "Am I what? Wearing blue?"

  Molly: "Yeah."

  Zeke: "I'll try."

  Molly wondered what that meant. Zeke had seemed put off by the idea of being told what to wear to a party from the first time Molly mentioned it. She knew Jason well enough to know that if he said it was a blue party and you had to be wearing blue to get in, he meant it, and that if Zeke and his friends showed up without the proper attire, they wouldn't be allowed to enter. She also knew that being asked to wear a certain color to a party wasn't that big of a deal, especially on Halloween.

  She figured that Zeke was just the type who didn't like to be told what to do, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She smiled, thinking it was cute that he was a rebellious rocker, but hoping he would at least put something blue in the truck to change into just in case. She knew she wouldn't see him that evening if he was too stubborn to wear what the invitation indicated. She was looking forward to seeing him, and wasn't gonna drop it without one last warning.

  Molly: "See you tonight. Seriously, wear or bring blue or you guys won't get in." She also text him a link to Jason's address on Google maps.

  Zeke sent back a text that simply said "10-4".

  Molly made it to Jason's house at 6PM even though the party didn't start till eight. Hannah answered the door when she got there. She looked entirely at home in the beautiful, Brentwood mansion, and Molly smiled from ear to ear at the giddy feeling she got seeing her girl living such a fairytale.

  "Aw, You look so awesome!" Hannah said when she answered the door and saw Molly. "I knew you were gonna wear that dress."

  It was a short, high-waisted dress with a full skirt that bubbled out. It was something she wore on a fairly regular basis, referring to it affectionately as the blueberry. It was short enough to require tights. Usually, Molly wore plain colored tights and accessories with it since the blue dress was statement enough, but tonight, Molly had on some tights she bought especially for the party. They were baby blue with darker blue dots, and they matched the dress so perfectly that it looked like they might have come as a set.

  Her hair was put up in two messy buns at the nape of her neck, and she'd arranged her hair around a wide headband that was a blue floral print. She was blue from head to toe, and Hannah thought her friend looked entirely too cute and was so glad she'd gotten into the theme.

  Hannah wasn't so bad herself. She had on a turquoise pantsuit with white pinstripes that fit her like a glove. It was beautiful and oh so flattering on her, and Molly knew without a doubt that it was expensive.

  "That birthday suit looks amazing on you," she said.

  Hannah smiled as she turned to let Molly inspect it. "We're so blue," she said.

  "I know. It's cool. Do you think everyone will dress up?" Molly asked.

  Hannah looked at her, wondering if she was serious. When Molly didn't play it off as a joke, Hannah answered. "Of course they will. You have to be wearing blue to get in."

  "Oh, I just didn't know if they were hardcore about enforcing it."

  "It's not really an option," Hannah said. "Jason said their friends have had theme parties over the years, and if you show up at one, you know to play along."

  Molly wondered what Zeke would decide to do and how all that would play out, but she didn't mention it to Hannah. She did mention the fact that Zeke was bringing friends, however. That little piece of information mattered since there was a guest list at the door.

  "He's bringing a couple of guys with him," she said.

  "Really?" Hannah asked. She gave Molly an incredulous look.

  "Is that okay?" Molly asked.

  "Is it okay with you? I thought you guys were supposed to be hanging out tonight."

  "We can still hang out even if he brings a couple of guys," Molly said.

  "I'm fine with it," Hannah said, shrugging. "You just need to add their names to the list."

  "Are you guys gonna have someone at the door being all strict?"

  Hannah smiled and shrugged a bit sheepishly. It seemed a little lavish when you thought of it as someone guarding the door, but Jason told her about how fast word spread about parties with an open bar.

  "Their name has to be on the list and they have to wear blue. Those are the only two rules," Hannah said.

  Chapter 7

  Molly ended up giving Hannah her birthday present before any of the guests arrived. It was a set of bath bombs from Lush—something Hannah loved, but rarely splurged on for herself. She thanked Molly profusely for going to all the trouble since she knew it wasn't something she could just pick up in Sparta.

  Hannah had begged Jason to keep the party simple, but he refused to give her any details about what he was planning. The only saving grace was that she had seen the invitation, and knew it only talked about it being a Halloween party and hadn't mentioned anything about her birthday. The fact that Jason was having it catered made it obvious that he was expecting more than a few friends. Not knowing how many people would be there or what type of people they were made Molly somewhat anxious about how Zeke and his friends would fit in.

  Jason hired their friend Taylor to do the catering. For the briefest of seconds, she considered not taking the job so she could just attend the party like a regular guest for once, but she knew that getting a chance at jobs like that one early in her career was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. Even though Taylor and Hannah had become good friends and talked almost daily, Taylor was sworn to secrecy when it came to party details.

  Molly thought about Nick at least a hundred times, wondering whether or not he'd be there that evening. She figured there was a good chance he would, since he and Jason were apparently super tight. She had no idea what she would say to him if she saw him. Her plan was to act like nothing had ever happened between them and hope for as little awkwardness as possible.

  "What are you thinking about?" Hannah asked, sensing Molly's distraction.

  "Nick. Zeke. I meant Zeke. I always get those names mixed up for some reason."

  Hannah cocked her head at Molly.

  "I did wonder earlier if Jason's friends would be here," she said, trying to cover. "I sort of figured Cam and Nick would be since they were the regulars."

  "Cam's on tour," Hannah said.

  "He's gone for the next six weeks straight besides a weekend for the CMA's and a few days for Thanksgiving."

  Cam wasn't really the one she wanted an update on, but she left it at that. Hannah took Molly to find the infamous list so she could add Zeke's friends Chris and Kade to it.

  "Both of them are his roommates but one of them also plays bass in the band." Molly said as she wrote + 2 next to Zeke Driskill in the notebook. There were only five or six names on the list, and Molly couldn't help but notice that Nick wasn't one of them. She looked at Hannah, a bit confused at the lack of guests.

  "These are just the ones who don't have an invitation," Hannah said.

  "I was wondering."

  Taylor got there soon after Molly did, and because it was a relatively low maintenance catering situation and she had a couple others there to help her, she was able to go upstairs to let Molly mess with her hair for a few minutes. Molly curled, sprayed, and pined Taylor and Hannah's hair before turning her attention to her own. She adjusted her headband around her messy buns and the fly away pieces in the front.

  It was eight o'clock before she knew it, and the party guests started to arrive. Jason hired a DJ who was set up in the
living room. He was playing mostly rap music since that was the one thing Hannah and Jason could agree on.

  Molly was nervous, and found that it helped to stay distracted while the party got underway. She found little jobs to do helping Taylor out. Hannah was busy playing hostess, and while she would have been perfectly content with Molly hanging around, it was something Molly would rather avoid—especially at the beginning of the night when Hannah was expected to greet everyone.

  Molly was going out the back to get a pair of pants from Taylor's car for someone who had spilled something on theirs. When she reached out to grab the door handle, it moved and opened in front of her. Nick Logan stood there, looking a bit like the Madhatter in a vintage blue velvet jacket and top hat.

  She wanted to laugh or make fun of him or something, but he looked so freaky and beautiful in it, that she couldn't do anything but stare at him.

  "What's up, buttercup," he said, smiling. "Or should I call you blueberry?"

  She was taken aback that he guessed the name of her dress, and gave him an awkward little wave and smile. She moved to duck around him and out the door, but he stood in front of her, stopping her from leaving.

  "I'm just headed outside to get something out of Taylor's car," she said.

  Molly found that she was having a little difficulty speaking in coherent sentences. She blamed the memory of his tongue in her mouth. She was so much jumpier than Nick, and she wondered how he stayed so calm.

  "How'd you get in this way?" she asked. She didn't know what else to say, but she figured she should say something since she couldn't make herself stop staring at him.

  He narrowed his eyes at her. "Jay's my boy," he said. "You don't think I'd know all the codes by now?"

  Her heart was racing, and it was all she could do to keep it together. She faked a smile as she moved to skirt around him again.

  "You wanna go smoke a bowl?" he asked.

  She laughed like he must surely be joking, and Nick raised an eyebrow at her.

  "Come on. You're dressed like you smoke bowls. You must want to, right?"

  "You're dressed like you smoke bowls too," she said, teasing him.

  "I do. That's why I asked you if you wanted to join me. I was gonna see if Jason wanted to come, but he's probably too busy anyway."

  She stared into his eyes with an expression that begged for him to tell the truth because she was fairly gullible and sometimes took people seriously even when they were joking.

  "Are you being serious?" she asked.

  His dark eyes widened. "Yes. It's actually not a bowl—it's a joint. I just like saying smoke a bowl."

  "And you want me to go smoke it with you?" Molly should have known better, but smoking a little pot seemed like the obvious thing to do to calm her nerves before Zeke got there.

  Nick didn't bother answering her question. He just spun around and pushed her out the door. He took a few steps onto the patio before turning to make sure she was following him.

  She was standing still. "I have to go get those pants," she said.

  He stared back at her for a second, looking like he was deciding what to say. "Hurry. I'll wait here until you get back."

  Molly wasn't sure why, but she took off at a good clip so he wouldn't have to wait. It's funny how things never go your way when you're in a hurry. It took her almost ten minutes to find Taylor's car, and by the time she got back, Nick wasn't standing on the porch anymore. She wasn't necessarily surprised that he got impatient and left, but that didn't stop her from being a little disappointed.

  Zeke had text her a few minutes before saying that it would be closer to ten when he got there, and Molly was looking forward to smoking a joint while she waited, but wasn't sure if it would work out since Nick was MIA.

  Gina was the one who needed the pants, and she was standing in the little hallway that led to the kitchen when Molly opened the door. "Thank you so much," she said, reaching for the pants.

  Molly smiled. "No problem. I'm sorry it took so long."

  "Nick Logan gave me a message for you," Gina said. She raised her eyebrows suggestively.

  "Really?" Molly asked. "What'd he say?"

  "He just told me that if you came in this door to tell you he had to take a phone call, but he'd be right back and he wanted you to wait here," Gina said. She lifted the pants into the air slightly. "I'm gonna go change. Thanks again."

  "You're very welcome," Molly said. She smiled, but she was distracted. She wanted to ask Gina to tell her exactly what Nick said, but knew that would seem desperate. Molly leaned against the wall in the hallway. Nick had told her to wait for him. A surge of happiness hit her at the thought, and she closed her eyes thinking about how ridiculous it was that he had the power to make her stomach feel like it was tied in knots. She reminded herself for the tenth time that night that she was there to meet Zeke and she was really excited about that too.

  "Good, you're here," his deep voice said as he turned the corner.

  She had just been thinking about him, and his sudden appearance made her jump. He laughed at how startled she was before reaching out to run a comforting hand up and down her arm. The contact made her shiver.

  "You want my jacket?" he asked.

  "I couldn't take your jacket," she said. "That's the crown jewel of your outfit. It's really not that cold. I think I'm okay as long as we don't stay out there all night or anything."

  He grabbed her by the hand and turned to start walking. He opened the door for her and stepped aside to let her walk out.

  "You should be fine since we'll be in my truck, but let me know if you change your mind about the jacket."

  Molly was glad to hear that they'd be in the truck since she wasn't comfortable smoking right out in the open. Nick drove a black Range Rover. It was far and away the nicest vehicle Molly had ever sat in, but she did her best to act unimpressed.

  Nick started the ignition long enough to open the moon roof. Other than that, the windows were up. They were so darkly tented that Molly knew nobody could see them, and she settled comfortably into the plush, leather seat. It was dark except for the light coming in through the moon roof, which wasn't a lot.

  "I love your little dress, Princess Blueberry," he said.

  Nick had taken off his top hat when he got in the truck, and Molly stared at his dark hair as he looked down. He dug in the console and came up with a neatly rolled joint and a Bic lighter. He handed them both to her.

  "You should start it," she said, handing it back to him.

  He smiled and pushed it back in her direction. "You go ahead," he said.

  She put the slim, white stick into her mouth, being careful not to get any spit on the paper. That was something her brother had taught her. "You never bogart a joint," he told her one time when she licked her lips before she smoked. "Nobody wants to be passed a wet joint." She smiled thinking about her big brother as she lit the thing and took the first pull off of it. She inhaled deeply before holding it out for Nick. He smiled and took it from her. Nick took his time, taking two hits off of it before handing it back to her. The smoke rose slowly out of his mouth and out the moon roof. She watched him, mesmerized by the way he looked—and that wasn't even the pot talking.

  He held the white paper stick for her to grab, and she took it and pulled from it again. It was about the third time she repeated that process that she started to feel like maybe she wasn't as sober as she once was. Her senses started to change. She felt and heard things differently. She was tweaked. There was no doubt about it. Tweaked. Not normal. Stoned. High. Lifted. Baked. Blazed.

  "Here," he said. He was saying it like it wasn't the first time, and she looked over the console to see him holding out the mostly-smoked joint.

  She put a hand up. "I'm good," she said. She winked at him, and he smiled before taking one last deep pull off of it. He opened the door and disposed of the cherry somehow, because when he brought the joint back into the truck it was no longer lit. He stashed the rest of it in an Altoids conta
iner that he pulled out of the console.

  He looked over at Molly with a smile that made her want to forget about everything and spend the rest of the night in the truck.

  "I guess we need to be getting back," she said. She mostly said it because it was exactly the opposite of what she wanted to be doing, and knew she should go against her instincts when it came to Nick Logan.

  "You sure you don't want to just stay in here and kiss me again?" he asked.

  She felt a gut-wrenching stab of desire at the question. Yes! She did want to just stay in there and kiss him. She wasn't about to tell him that, though. Instead she laughed and said, "I’m afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

  He gave her a dubious stare. "Don't act like you haven't thought about them."

  She looked confused. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

  "I'm talking about you kissing me at The Pit, and then again at Jason's."

  "Oh, so it was me who kissed you, now?" she asked, laughing.

  He caught a glimpse of her scar, but tried not to stare at it. "You kissed me back," he said.

  "Maybe before I woke up!" She laughed again, like the whole conversation was one big light-hearted joke. She didn't even mention the first time at The Pit, which was obviously an accident. "I really should be getting back in there," she said. "My boyfriend's gonna be here in a little bit." She knew it would be a while before Zeke got there, and didn't even know how he'd feel about being referred to as her boyfriend, but if she stayed in that truck with Nick much longer, she would end up making all sorts of mistakes.

  Chapter 8

  Molly followed Nick back into Jason's house feeling as if the cool night air was hitting her skin differently. She knew that feeling was a result of the pot she smoked. Although, being in the presence of Nick gave her its own set of physical symptoms.

  She walked into the party feeling paranoid—like she had a sign on her forehead that said, "I'm high, and I think Nick's hot." By the time they got back into the living room, the crowd had thickened considerably. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, though. There were so many people that she took comfort in it, liking the idea of blending into the crowd. She followed a step behind Nick, thankful for the way he didn't seem to be short of breath or nervous like her.