by Jaye Cox
"Isabella! Over here,” Tammie yells over the music. I feel self-conscious as I make my way to her. I can feel one of the guys she’s with undressing me with his eyes.
"Isabella, this is Blade and this is Wyatt." She must be here with Blade because Wyatt is the one who’s undressing me with his eyes.
"Nice to meet you, Isabella," Wyatt says, “Can I buy the beautiful lady a drink?"
One drink won’t hurt if I’m going to be here for a few hours.
"A Jack and Coke in a tall glass."
Tammie and Blade go and get a table while I wait with Wyatt for my drink.
"So, what brings you here tonight?" he asks.
"Valentine’s Day and a stupid man who doesn't care about anything except himself."
"Stupid guy if he can’t see what I see - I can’t believe he let you out of his sight." We get our drinks and walk over to the table where Tammie has shots lined up, "Hey, do a shot with me,” she says. Of course she’s drunk already.
"I have to drive."
"You can catch a cab. Don't be a party pooper." She’s right. I came to have fun and a couple of drinks won’t hurt, a couple turn into a couple more and a lot of dancing, but it worked; I start to forget about Rayne and the more I drink, the more I think Tammie isn't so bad after all. She yells something out about this song being her jam and we’re all out on the dance floor again. I start to dance with Tammie and Wyatt comes up behind me, pulling me into his body. I’m so drunk I really don't care. I move with him and he runs his hands up my waist, sending chills up my spine, and not the good kind. "I’ll give you two seconds to get your fucking hands off my girl." It’s Rayne. Now he shows up, just when I started to forget how much of an ass he was today.
"Your girl? That’s funny because I remember you leaving this morning with a different girl," I say, still dancing up against Wyatt.
"This is the douche that ditched his beautiful girl on Valentine’s Day?"
"You're so fucking lucky," Rayne says to Wyatt and by the way his fist is clenched at his side, he means he’s lucky he doesn't beat him to a pulp. "Let’s go, Tiny Dancer."
"No, I’m dancing." He doesn’t give me a choice, he just picks me up and throws me over his shoulder, walking us off the dance floor. Like a magician, he magically pulls out a bottle of water.
"Here, drink some of this," he says, trying to hand me the bottle once he sits me down on a chair. I ignore him, but now that I’m not dancing, it’s feels like all the alcohol I’ve drank has finally caught up to me. "I thought you didn’t like big crowds and getting drunk."
"I didn't until I met you - now do all sorts of crazy shit. Look at me out drinking at a club with my arch ener enim..."
"She means enemy," Tammie helpfully says.
"Yeah, what she said. No offense, Tammie, but I really do hate you."
"It’s ok, the feeling is mutual. I'm off so I’ll see you around."
"Hope not," I say as she walks away laughing.
“You scared me when I came home and no one knew where you were. I texted Tommy said he thought you went out dancing, I’ve been to every club between home and here."
“I scared you? That’s funny because if you cared about me, you would have stayed with me today and I wouldn't have been here, in this stupid dress and these heels that have given me blisters on my blisters, just to forget how much of an asshole my boyfriend is."
"I’m sorry, Tiny Dancer. If it wasn't important, I wouldn't have left."
"If what wasn't important?"
"Just leave it and trust me."
I take off the heels and walk away. Trust him my ass.
"I said I’m sorry. What more do you want from me?" he says as he follows me outside.
"I want a boyfriend who remembers it’s Valentine’s Day, not leave with another woman. If what you had to do was so important, you could have sent me flowers. Tommy managed to send me a gift."
"Of course he did."
"What is that supposed to mean?" He doesn't get a chance to respond before I throw up everywhere. Lucky no one was outside to see it.
"Let’s get you home and talk about this tomorrow," he says. I make it back without throwing up again. As we walk in the door, everyone is in the lounge room waiting to witness my drunken walk of shame.
"Holy shit. What are you wearing," Sam asks.
"I think she lost half her dress, “Romeo says.
"Apparently, Rayne likes slutty women," I say as I storm off to his room. When I open the door to his room, I see he’s put glow in the dark stars all over the ceiling and flower petals all over the bed.
"I felt so bad I had to leave, so when I came home, I thought you must have gone to Tommy’s, so I set this up for you. When it got late and no one knew where you had gone it scared me. I can't believe how much of an inconsiderate bastard I was today."
"I would say you were an inconsiderate dick face."
"Ok, I’m an inconsiderate dick face, but I’m so, so fucking sorry."
"Sorry is just a word, Rayne."
"I know. I promise next year I’ll make it up to you and we’ll blow Valentine’s Day out of the water. We’ll make every woman jealous and men everywhere will hate me," he says. He leans into my neck and whispers, "I promise."
"You better," I say. I can’t resist him and he knows how to make me not want to be angry with him. He pulls out a gorgeous necklace and puts it around my neck. It’s a guitar pick on a silver chain.
"This was my first ever pick. Music was the only thing in the world that made my life make sense. It helped me in the darkest periods of my life, I want you to have it because I now have you and whenever you're around and you light up my life so that darkness disappears. Now you’re the one who makes my life make sense." I'm lost for words. I put my arms around him and hug him tight.
"Thank you," he says.
"For what? My gift was lame compared to this."
"I love my photo frame. I opened it when I didn't know where you were."
"Then what are you thanking me for?"
"For being the light to my darkness. You light up my life, Tiny Dancer."
We lay in bed and I look at the stars on the ceiling. Most of today was horrible, but Rayne managed to redeem himself and make me feel special and loved, and that’s all I wanted, to be his Valentine.
CHAPTER NINE
Today is just going to be one of those days. I woke up extra late and I’m supposed to meet Tommy at two and it’s already one thirty. I’m running around looking for my keys, which could be anywhere. I’m hopping around, trying to put one of my shoes on and reaching for the other. I get on my hands and knees and look under the couch; you would think Dex and Romeo would move, but they think it’s amusing watching me get flustered. "Rayne, have you seen my keys?” I shout out. He comes walking out and every time he enters a room, it’s always the same. It’s like all the air is being squeezed out of my lungs. His pants ride really low on his hips and he has the best bed head - He looks so totally fuckable.
"No idea."
"Hey, are you coming out with us tonight? We’re going to that bar, Lucky Joes," Romeo asks.
"I guess since I don’t have to work tonight I can, but I’ll have to meet you there. I’m going to see my father after I have coffee with Tommy."
Sam walks in dangling my keys, "You looking for these?”
"Yes. Thank God you found them; you're a life saver."
I walk over to Rayne since he’s still standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. I know he’s still pissed about Tommy hitting him, so I put my arms around his neck and stand on my tippy toes to reach his ear, "Please don’t be mad, I’ll meet you at Lucky Joes. I’ll text you when I’m leaving." I kiss him goodbye and he doesn’t kiss me back straight away, so I pull away and look at him, "I love you, but I won’t cut my life long best friend out of my life and you need to accept that."
"You want me to accept that my girlfriend keeps running off to meet up with another
man?"
"It’s not like that and you know it, so I’m going now and I’ll see you tonight." He doesn’t say anything and walks back to his room, I knew being with him would be hard at times, but he can just have a tantrum this time. I take a deep breath so no one can see how much his moods affect me. "See you guys tonight,” I say as I walk out the door. Dex and Romeo give me wave as I leave.
I head out to meet Tommy at the Uni cafe again, but I beat him this time and order us both a coffee and Tommy a BLT as I see him walking up and wave. After Tommy and Rayne’s fight a few weeks ago, I haven’t seen him. He takes a seat opposite me as the waitress brings out our order. I look over at Tommy and he’s looking at me like I have something on my face.
"What, do I have something on my face?"
"Just the opposite, actually. I don’t think I’ve seen you without makeup in at least five years, and the hair? It’s weird, Bells. You just look different - he’s changed you.
"Please don’t, ok. He hasn’t changed anything about me. I love the new me, so let’s talk about something else, like how you want to come to dinner with me and my father tonight.” He just laughs at me.
"I have stuff to do tonight. You’re on your own with all that," he says, pointing at me. We chat for a while and he tells me he met a girl named Natalie a few weeks ago and he wants me to meet her. I’m actually excited he’s met someone; he might simmer down on the whole ‘I don’t think you should be with Rayne’ parade. Rayne might be a mess, but he’s my mess.
After we finish catching up, I leave and go get my roster from Paulie’s and get my nails done before I have dinner with my father. His reaction to my make-over might not go well. "I’m home," I call out as I walk inside.
"I’m out the back," he answers and of course, he’s cooking on the barbeque. I walk out onto the back patio and first I see Alice, Tommy’s mum, sitting at the outdoor setting, drinking red wine with a girl my age that I don’t know. Maybe she’s a nurse at the hospital.
"Wow, Isabella, you look so different,” Alice says. I notice my father and Tommy standing at the barbeque and Tommy has the biggest, shit-eating grin on his face. I think my father is in shock because he hasn’t said anything, but he won’t in front of company, so I’m glad for the distraction. I’ve avoided my father for weeks now because I knew he would hate my change in hair colour. I walk up to Tommy, grab him by the arm and pull him toward the house, "Tommy is going to help me get drinks,” I say as I walk past Alice. Once we’re inside, I let loose, "You’re not funny!” “Stop laughing. You could have told me you and your mum would be here. I’ve been crapping myself all afternoon."
"Did you see Richard’s face when he saw you? It was hilarious―well worth bringing Natalie here, that’s for sure," he says while trying to keep a straight face.
"That’s Natalie? What’s my father playing at? He didn’t extend an invite to Rayne, but Natalie gets to be here?"
"Don’t be like that. It was last minute, and mum likes Natalie." I march outside, right up to my father and whisper a bit harsher than I have ever spoken to him before, "How come Tommy gets to bring a date but you didn’t invite Rayne?"
"This is neither the time, nor place to discuss this, Isabella,” he whispers back.
"I think it is; you haven’t even bothered to give Rayne a chance. You have just judged him by the way he looks."
"Because I know guys like that are no good, Isabella. I don’t need to give him a chance, and the first time I met him was enough. Who sleeps with someone the first night they meet?"
"That’s what this is all about? You think I fucked him? That’s your problem with him too, isn’t it Tommy," I say, since they can all hear me anyway.
"Watch your language,” my father scolds me.
"Well how about you all listen. I’m nineteen and I can sleep with whomever I want. Rayne and I have been together for two months, and I’m still a virgin. He’s waiting until I’m ready, so this guy you’ve all labeled the bad guy, isn’t as bad as you’ve made him out to be after all."
"I’m sorry. I thought he would have rushed you into something you weren’t ready for. You’re not one to usually stand up for yourself," Tommy announces.
"What happened to the ‘just do it, Bells” speech, Tommy?"
"Not with him."
"Don’t kid yourselves, I love Rayne and it will happen, but let’s drop the Isabella’s a virgin talk. I see poor Natalie sitting and looking a little uncomfortable so I introduce myself, "Please forgive us for all this. Hi, I’m Isabella, Tommy’s best friend and virgin."
She smiles at me, "Hello, Isabella. I’m Natalie and it’s nice to finally meet you." Everything seems to go back to normal, just dinner talk and no more talk of my virginity, but Tommy hasn’t heard the end of this. I think he knows this, but it’s not something I want to talk about in front of his new girlfriend, again. I’m sure now she knows Tommy’s best "girl" friend is a virgin, makes things a lot easier for her. Not many girls are ok with their boyfriend having a female best friend. It’s nearing eight thirty and I say goodbye to my father so I can go meet up with everyone at Lucky Joes. I ask Tommy and Natalie if they want to come with me. Natalie says she has to go home to study and Tommy says he may make a late appearance for my sake since he’s still pissed at Rayne. Whatever their issues are, even if it is me, I hope they work it out as I don't want to lose either of them.
Finding a parking space at Lucky Joes I don’t see Morris’s 4wd, but I'm a little early, anyway. I go inside and it’s not overly crowded, yet it’s kind of cozy with a few pool tables off to one side of the bar and a few tables on the other side. There’s a smoking area out the front and a stage in the corner with a DJ booth above it. I go order a drink, deciding I can just leave my car here and come back for it tomorrow. "What can I get for you," the bartender asks.
"Jack and Coke please, with ice. “The bartender gets my drink and asks to see my ID. I show him my license and take a seat at the table next to the bar and wait for Rayne. It gets noisy when a bunch of guys walk in. I think I know them from somewhere but I can’t be sure. I decide to call Rayne but it just rings, so I text him that I’m here waiting. "Isabella?" I hear someone say and I look up.
"Yes?"
“Hey. It’s Brantley? My band plays at Paulie’s."
“Yesterday’s Rejects," I say when I recognize his face.
"Yep, that’s us. We were gonna get a game of pool started if you’d like to join us.”
"I’m waiting on my boyfriend and some friends."
"I’m sure they’ll find you at the pool tables." I check my phone and he hasn’t texted back, so I decide one game won’t hurt while I wait, "I’m warning you. I’m terrible at pool."
He smiles and says, "Well lucky for you, I’m a good teacher." We walk over to the pool tables and he introduces me to Syd and JJ, the other two guys’ he’s with.
"Ok, those two vs. us," Brantley says. We play a few games of pool and I’ve had a couple of drinks, I look at my phone and it’s already ten. I try calling Rayne again and he doesn’t answer and I know I can’t call Sam because she’ll still be at work. Maybe they all stopped by so Morris could see Sam before her shift ended. "I don’t think your boyfriend’s coming,” Brantley says.
"Neither do I. I’m just going to get a cab home."
"Don’t leave yet. We can kick these two butt heads asses."
"Fine, just one more game though."
"Ok,” he agrees. We’re actually winning but I think they’re going easy on me. It’s my turn and the one ball we have left, besides the eight ball, is behind one of theirs, so I look at Brantley for help.
"Um... how do I hit that?” He comes around behind me and leans over me, showing me how to hit it around the other ball, until I’m suddenly jolted backwards. I turn just in time to see Rayne punch Brantley right in the jaw and then see Romeo and Morris pull Rayne off Brantley while Syd and JJ hold Brantley back.
"Keep your fucking hands off my girl,” Rayne yells.
&nb
sp; "Maybe if you showed up on time I wouldn't have been the one having to entertain her,” Brantley tells him.
"Crap. Are you ok?" Dex asks me when he comes up from behind me to help me up. At least someone noticed I had been knocked over.
"I’m fine, thank you."
Rayne and Brantley are still arguing over me, and it’s all so ridiculous. "Just stop, will you?" I yell over the two of them, "This is ridiculous. You're both causing a scene.” "You,” I say pointing to Brantley, "Don’t make out it was more than what is was. We were playing pool and nothing more. I made it clear I had a boyfriend." Then I turn around and give it to Rayne. "And you; how dare you come in here acting all caveman. I don’t belong to you I’m your girlfriend, whom was waiting here for well over an hour and tried to call you before I went to have a few games of pool, because you never answered.”
"My girlfriend? The one who lets other men touch her when I’m not around," he yells out for everyone to hear.
I feel the tears coming but I won’t cry in front of him. "I don’t need this shit," I say as I grab my bag.
