Bully

by Sky Corgan

“Funny. She's usually a bitch.”

  He guffawed. “Really, now?”

  “Really,” I insisted.

  “Well, she was kind of demanding. I mean, she'd get upset when I wouldn't text her back right away. I think sometimes she forgot that we're in college and I can't always respond to her in the middle of class.”

  “I can definitely picture her being that way.” I nodded.

  He shifted his weight. “To be honest, I didn't really enjoy...dating.”

  “You mean, you didn't enjoy dating her.”

  “I wasn't really feeling it.” He scrunched up his face the best that he could. “I think that being in a long distance relationship for so long has given me commitment issues.”

  “That's kind of sad," I mused. "Maybe you just haven't found the right woman yet. There's someone for everyone, you know.” I shrugged.

  “That's what they say.” He paused. “And how about you? Are you dating anyone right now?”

  It was an odd question coming from him, and it reminded me of how removed our lives were from each other. Back in high school, we always knew what was going on with one another. Now, it was like we were strangers.

  The inflection in his wording was a bit off, too. I felt a tremor of hope that he was asking the question because he wanted me to be single. It was probably misplaced, though. I seemed to always be misreading him.

  “Nope. No one in my life right now.” I thought about the blond guy from last night whose name was still a mystery. “But there might be someone soon.” I grinned, squirming in my seat a bit.

  “Oh really? Anyone I know?” He sounded genuinely interested.

  “I'm not sure. He was at the party last night. We were talking before your fight cockblocked me,” I teased.

  He opened his mouth in offense. “Well excuse me for being a cockblock. I promise that wasn't my intentions.”

  “I know it wasn't.”

  I smiled at the waiter as he placed my food in front of me. Eggs, bacon, hash browns, and two buttermilk pancakes. It was highly unlikely that I'd finish it all, but at least I'd have leftovers for later.

  We spent the rest of the meal discussing our classes and other mundane topics. It was nice to catch up with Bobby, almost like old times. I couldn't help but wonder if we'd fall back into the way that things used to be.

  ***

  If the third time isn't a charm, does that mean the fourth time is? Even after all of my misfortune, I was willing to find out. Actually, the only reason I even wanted to go to the next frat party was to reconnect with Blond Mystery Man.

  I felt like Cinderella going to the ball to dance with Prince Charming as we walked into yet another college party. The vibe was different than before. Georgina had had some time to get over Bobby, so she was in a pretty decent mood. Actually, it hadn't taken her long to get over him at all. And he had texted me earlier in the day to let me know that he wouldn't be at this party, so there was no threat of him ruining it for anyone.

  We grabbed our beers as soon as we entered the party and then headed to the dance floor. It had become routine at this point. Get drinks. Dance our asses off. Deal with drama. Except for this time, there would be no drama.

  Minutes ticked by like hours as I waited for my blond hottie to come whisk me away to romance land. One beer turned into two turned into three, and I began to lose hope. I didn't let that spoil my mood, though. No siree. I was here to have fun, and I could have fun with or without some dude chasing my tail.

  Even seeing Dustin wasn't enough to bring me down. He walked into the room to talk to some friends, and I turned my back to him, refusing to give him my time of day, not that he even saw me in the first place.

  “We'll break the cycle!” I said randomly, lifting my glass to toast myself.

  The girls all looked at me like I was crazy.

  “I think you've had one beer too many,” Leonor laughed.

  “Nonsense. That's only her third one. The girl can drink more than that,” Georgina said with a smirk.

  “Damn skippy!” I beamed.

  “I certainly hope you can drink more than that,” a familiar male voice said from behind me, and I sighed happily as I turned to face blond hottie.

  “I was wondering if you were going to show up?” I swayed to the music.

  “Oh you were, were you?” He grinned from ear to ear. Damn, those teeth were perfect. His parents must have a great dental plan.

  “Nah.” I shook my head. “I wasn't looking forward to seeing you at all.”

  He took a step closer, and my heart fluttered in response as he leaned forward to whisper into my ear. “Well, that's a shame. Because I was looking forward to seeing you.”

  I felt like one of those carnival games where you hit a puck with a mallet to test your strength. The heat flushed up through me from the tips of my toes to the top of my head.

  “Oh, man. It got hot in here all of a sudden.” I fanned myself.

  “Would you like to go outside? We would have more privacy out there.” He glanced towards the backyard.

  “Yeah. That would be great.”

  "By the way. I got you a beer.” He handed the red Solo cup that he'd been holding over to me.

  “Thanks.” I took it from him before telling Leonor that we were going outside.

  She nodded and winked at me.

  “I never got your name,” I called to blond hottie over my shoulder as we walked towards the backyard.

  “It's Leroy. I usually go by Leo. What's yours?”

  “Brenna. Brenna Davis.”

  “Brenna. That's a beautiful name. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”

  I could hear the smile in his voice, and that only made the butterflies in my stomach take flight. He was so handsome and charming. I couldn't wait to get him alone—to get to know him better.

  We were almost outside when Dustin came out of left field and grabbed me by the arm. “Brenna, can I talk to you for a minute?”

  My gaze fell to his hand. I glanced back at Leo who suddenly looked a few shades paler.

  “Sure,” I replied hesitantly before turning to Leo. “I'll meet you outside. This should only take a minute.”

  “Alright.” Leo narrowed his eyes at Dustin, his tone dropping an octave. There was tension between then, and I couldn't tell why, but I knew it was there. They knew each other somehow, and I got the feeling that they didn't get along.

  Almost as soon as Leo was out the back door, Dustin was wrenching the beer from my hand. “You didn't drink any of this, did you?”

  “No.” I quirked an eyebrow at him.

  “Good. You need to stay away from that guy.” He glanced towards the door.

  I sighed, my shoulders slumping. “Really?”

  “Yes, really.”

  “What in the hell is your problem?”

  He pulled me aside so that no one else could hear us. “He's a bad guy, Brenna.”

  “Oh, that's bullshit.” I rolled my eyes at him. “He's been perfectly nice to me.”

  “I'm not joking.”

  “And neither am I. Can I have my beer back?” I reached out for it.

  “No.” He shook his head.

  “Why not?” I could feel my temperature rising, and it wasn't because I was swooning. Dustin was really starting to piss me off.

  “Because there's a 99% chance that there's date rape drug in it.” His eyes fell to the amber liquid in the cup.

  “You're lying.” My lips parted in disbelief from the accusation. Leo seemed like a perfectly nice guy. Besides, I was going with him willingly. There was no reason why he should feel the need to drug me.

  “I'm not lying,” he insisted. “That guy has a history.”

  “Whatever. I'll take my chances.” I leaned forward and snatched the cup back from him. Beer sloshed over the edge and fell onto his boots.

  His eyes flashed with frustration. “Whatever,” he huffed before turning and storming off.

  The fact that I had managed to get his shoe
s dirty again made me feel guilty. It seemed like I was Dustin's bad luck charm, just like Bobby was mine.

  I stared at the beer, wondering if there was any validity to what Dustin had said. I raised the cup to my nose and sniffed its contents. It smelled like regular beer. Of course, it would. Date rape drug is odorless.

  I was about to go outside when I remembered the test strips in my purse. Not wanting to look like some paranoid goody toe shoes, I whisked my beer away to the bathroom before digging in my purse for the test strips. Carefully, I set one of the strips on the counter and added a few drops of beer to the testing area. Sure enough, the damn thing changed colors.

  I cursed under my breath before falling away from the counter and pressing my back against the door.

  If Dustin hadn't come and stopped me from drinking the beer, I would have been...

  Just the thought made tears come to my eyes.

  I must have the worst luck of any college girl in the world. Could I not go to one freakin' party without something bad happening to me?

  I sat on the toilet, so upset that my hands were trembling. All of the bad was overwhelming me, and I wasn't sure how to process it. I didn't feel safe anymore, and I definitely wasn't having fun.

  It wasn't until someone knocked on the door that I finally pulled myself together. I poured the beer out into the sink and threw the cup away, then I washed the tears from my eyes and tried to regain my composure as I walked out of the bathroom.

  My night was officially over. I didn't want to dance anymore. Didn't want to drink. And I definitely didn't want to see Leo.

  In hindsight, I could see it in his eyes. He knew that Dustin was coming to warn me about him. That's why he had acted the way that he did. What if Dustin hadn't been there? Hadn't seen us together? I didn't even want to think about it.

  I wound my way through the house, searching for Dustin. It was time for me to grovel. I didn't care about pride anymore. I didn't even care that he was talking to a group of friends.

  I tugged on the sleeve of his shirt to get his attention. He turned to me with a glare that sliced right through my very soul.

  “I'm sorry. You were right.” I dropped my eyes to the floor, unable to handle the disapproval in his gaze.

  “I know I was right.”

  “I had test strips in my purse. I tested the drink. It was drugged.” I held my purse in front of me as if it would act as a shield against his judgment.

  He placed his hand on my shoulder, and a tingling sensation shot through my body, drawing my attention up to his face. He wasn't scowling like before. His voice was soft. “Next time, if I tell you that someone is bad news, listen to me. Okay?”

  “Okay.” I nodded sheepishly. He started to turn away to continue the conversation with his friends, but I stopped him. “Dustin.”

  “What?” He glanced back down at me.

  “Thanks for being so protective over me.” It was such a strange thing to say to him, especially after all of the harm he'd caused me in the past.

  “I'm protective over everyone here. It's my job as one of the frat brothers. You just seem to need a bit more protecting than everyone else.” He smirked, and my eyes zeroed in on his lips.

  I swallowed hard, wondering if I had accidentally ingested some of the drugged beer after all, though nothing from that cup had ever touched my mouth. Part of me desperately wanted to leave the party. But another part of me wanted to stay and talk to Dustin. He made me feel safe.

  “I'm sorry about your shoes.” I looked down at his boots. It appeared that the beer had already dried, and it thankfully hadn't stained.

  “Don't worry about it.”

  I could sense that he wanted to get back to his friends, so I decided not to linger. “Thanks again.” I waved to him as I walked backward into the crowd.

  Next stop: the dance floor. It was time to tell the girls that I was leaving and get the hell out of there.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  I was admittedly surprised when the girls decided to leave the party with me. It would still be an hour yet before it winded down, but once I told them what had happened with Leo, they seemed more interested in showing me their support than drinking and dancing the night away. Well, maybe not the drinking part. Leonor filled a water bottle with some whiskey from the kitchen before we took off. I was a little apprehensive to drink it, but after the three of them passed it around, I figured it was probably safe.

  The bottle made the rounds as we walked back to our dorm. There was no doubt we'd all have a hangover tomorrow, but none of us really cared.

  When we got back to our dorm room, Leonor and I threw ourselves across my bed while Holly, Georgina, and Melody curled up on hers.

  “Slumber party! Woohoo!” Leonor slurred.

  “Yeah. Slumber party!” I punched at the sky in approval.

  “I can't believe that guy tried to drug you,” Melody said. “Frat parties are scarier than I thought.”

  “There's aways uh bad apple in da bunch.” Leonor hiccuped. “Oh furk, I have da hiccups.”

  “It's cause you drank too much,” Georgina informed her as if it was news, her voice a bit too loud.

  “I'm drunk, Georgina. Not deaf. Fuck! Keep yer voice down.”

  “You curse a lot when you're drunk,” Holly noted.

  “I'd heard that guy was bad news.” Georgina pointed to the ceiling.

  “Then why didn't you say anything to me?” I lifted my head to glare at her.

  “I thought you knew. Everyone knows. At least, everyone has heard stories.” She gave me an innocent look.

  “I haven't. Obviously.” I rolled my eyes at her even though she couldn't see it.

  “Well, now you know.” Georgina gestured into the air absentmindedly.

  I wanted to call her a bitch, but I didn't want to deal with any more drama tonight. The thing with Leo was over. I wanted to discuss something else.

  “What all do you guys know about Dustin Nikoli?” My mind was stuck on those lips. For the first time ever, I wondered what it would be like to kiss them. He was so strong and dominant and...kind. Yes, there was a kindness about him too. Something I had never been able to see before.

  “Yer da wan who went to school wit him. You know more about him den we do.” Leonor rolled over onto her side and twisted open the water bottle full of booze.

  I quickly snatched it from her. “You don't need any more of that.”

  “Hey!”

  “Brenna is right,” Melody said.

  “We don't want to have to hold your hair back while you vomit later,” Georgina added.

  “Isn't that what friends are for?” Leonor fell back onto the bed, letting out a ghastly burp as her body hit the mattress.

  “I have a feeling we might have to do that anyway.” I cringed away from the smell.

  “Lord, I hope not.” Georgina raked her fingers through her hair.

  “So no one has any more info on Dustin Nikoli?” I glanced at the girls.

  “Why are you so interested in him all of a sudden?” Georgina looked at me like I had just become her competition. What was with this girl? Did she want to fuck everyone that I wanted to fuck by default?

  Oh my God! Did I just think that I want to fuck Dustin Nikoli?

  “No. No. No!” I shook my head.

  “What in da hell, Brenna?” Leonor asked.

  “I just had the most unpleasant thought.”

  “All I know is that boy is fine.” Georgina moaned. The sound of it made my skin crawl.

  They discussed other boys that they had crushes on. Bobby's name came up as Georgina talked about her regrets, the things she thought she had done that drove him away. I wasn't listening. I was too busy fixating on the anomaly that was Dustin Nikoli.

  It was just a passing fancy, something I was certain would be gone by morning.

  ***

  “Holy hot damn!” Leonor flung her arm out to stop us.

  If we weren't so far away, I might be embarrassed by the d
ramatic gesture. As it was, all I could do was gawk at what caught her attention.

  A week had passed since the frat party where I almost got a forced ride on the Leo wagon.

  Thoughts of Dustin were just a passing fancy, something to consume my mind while the alcohol had me feeling a bit randy. By the time I awoke the next morning, I had realized that he was the last person I should be fantasizing about.

  Now, I was second guessing myself.

  “Good lord, look at all of that man meat.” Melody stepped closer to the group, fanning herself as we stared at the guys in the parking lot.

  “I had forgotten about this,” Georgina said.

  “You knew about this, and you didn't tell us?” Leonor sounded appalled.

  “It's just a car wash.” She shrugged it off.

  “A shirtless car wash,” Holly pointed out.

  The setting sun kissed the tanned backs of the frat boys. My eyes were zeroed in on one in particular. Dustin Nikoli had abs for miles. He looked so cut that you could probably wash a shirt on his body. I imagined all of that glistening muscle, rock hard beneath my fingertips, and I felt a tremor of unwelcome longing that I quickly shook off by diverting my attention to the pavement.

  “Where are you parked?” Georgina scanned the parking lot for Leonor's car.

  “Over there.” Leonor gestured. Her pink Volkswagen Beetle was conveniently three cars over from where the action was happening. That meant we'd get a closer look at the boys. My heart sped up at the thought.

  If it was anyone else, I might not have cared. Sure, most of the guys were attractive. But I didn't know them. Not really.

  “I think my appetite just shifted.” Leonor wiggled her eyebrows at us before smoothing down the front of her blouse.

  That's right. We were leaving campus for an afternoon shopping spree at the mall before grabbing a bite to eat. Leonor wanted to pick up a new pair of earrings since she lost one at the party. The rest of us were just tagging along for the ride.

  “Just act normal, girls,” Leonor said in a funny tone as she led the way toward her car.

  There was a stiffness to the way she walked that I couldn't help but grin at. For telling us to act normal, she seemed like she had a stick up her ass. The rest of us were just fine. Well, maybe I was a little less than fine. I couldn't bring myself to look at the guys. My eyes were everywhere but on them. Georgina stared at them blatantly. Holly seemed the least affected by their presence.