The Bond That Built Us

by KK Bauer

  9

  Aubrey

  So out of the blue Kellan decides to flip a switch and charm the shit out of me. I’m not complaining, but where was this the last three days? After New Year’s I was practically a walking hormone, just waiting to finish what he started on the dance floor. Granted, I’m still a little like that, but now I can at least control myself.

  I don’t know if we were both waiting for the other to act on it or not, but I knew there was no way I was going to make the first move. I was hoping for the impassive approach, since normally girls throw themselves at him. I thought if I was different then he would pursue me with vengeance but he hasn’t.

  But today he has pulled out all the stops. The pterodactyls are back in action and pissing me off royally. Will they ever go away?

  We decide to stay in tonight. We drank a little too much during the day and we are down-spiraling into some nasty hangovers. I think we would have been fine if the neighbors didn’t come over and demand we take Jager bomb shots with them. I can still taste the black licorice every time I swallow. MJ is passing out on the couch and Cara is complaining about how she hasn’t gotten any in a week and it’s making her have a headache.

  “I don’t think it’s the lack of sex that is giving you the headache,” I say, lying across a chair so my head and feet hanging over each side.

  “Nobody asked you, loser,” Cara snaps. “Plus what do you know?”

  “Because then she’d have a headache all the time,” Josh jokes and I flip him off.

  “But not for long,” MJ sings into her arm that is slung over her face. I pretend I don’t hear her and thankfully nobody responds.

  “This is bullshit. I want to go out. This is soooo boring,” Cara whines, irritating me.

  “Just give me a couple more minutes, Car, and I’ll go with you,” MJ mumbles. She tries to move her arm off of her face but the weight of it causes it to drop back with a smack.

  “No, we aren’t going anywhere. I hate to be the boring party pooper again but seriously, we’ve drank enough this week to wipe out a liquor store. One night off isn’t going to hurt you,” Josh says. “We haven’t even had dinner yet. Let’s at least get through that before we argue about it, okay?”

  “Ugh, whatever! MJ, we have to go. Maybe just a girl’s night. I heard Thursday nights are karaoke nights at that one bar we went to a few days ago.”

  “That does sound like fun,” MJ says, trying her hardest to not sound like death. She lifts her head but it falls back onto Josh’s lap.

  Josh sighs loudly and stands, holding MJ’s head and gently setting it back down on the couch. He shuffles into the kitchen and comes back with a few bottles of water. I guzzle mine quickly and wish I had another.

  When dinnertime rolls around, our stomachs are still a little touchy. Josh claims to feel better than the rest of us, so he starts making dinner. In about ten minutes, five grilled cheese sandwiches are sitting on a platter on the dining room table along with five paper plates and five water bottles. We surround the table and grab the gooey cheesy goodness and throw them on our plates.

  I stare down at mine and the Jager taste comes at full force. I pick up the wedge and lick a drip of cheese off of the side then wait to see how my stomach will react. Everyone around the table is watching me, prepping to dart out of my projection if the vomiting commences. After a few seconds, I blow out a breath in relief and take a bite.

  A collective sigh is heard throughout the table, and everyone else starts to slowly nibble on their own sandwiches. On my second wedge, I feel a lot better. The water is long gone so I reach into the fridge for five more. I’m pretty sure we went through a twenty four pack of water already today.

  We all migrate back into the living room and sit in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Cara speaks up. “Maybe going out isn’t a good idea.” She cups her hand over her mouth and bites back nausea. She runs to the hall bathroom and slams the door. When she comes out a couple minutes later, she is smiling.

  “I should have done that a long time ago, I feel better. You guys should try it.”

  “Sorry, bulimia isn’t my style,” Josh retorts. Cara flips him off.

  “Well, I don’t think I can do that, but a shower might help,” I say. I shuffle over to my bag and pull out some fresh underwear. I don’t want anyone to see them so I wad them up into my fist and keep my hand tightly at my side, away from them, and veer around the group until I am at the staircase. From there I bolt up the steps and once at the top, I have to grip the railing. Horrible idea to run up stairs while nursing a hangover- got it.

  Kellan’s iPod is sitting on the counter when I enter the bathroom, next to a speaker dock. I pull down the toilet seat and set the towels on top of the lid and eye the iPod like it’s going to sprout legs any moment. My hands itch to grab it and look through his music, maybe even play it during my shower. I always play music while I’m showering, at least when I was at home.

  I reach into the tub and turn the handle halfway from cold to hot. I still haven’t figured out the settings yet, so I have to play around with the temperature for a while. I touch the water stream with my fingertips, feeling the water slowly turn hotter as I position the handle more.

  I can’t take it anymore. I wipe my wet hand off on my towel and grab the iPod. I give a silent thanks up above that there isn’t a passcode to get in. I fly through the screens and prompts and see Kel’s sexy playlist. I giggle to myself and wish I had the balls to blare it through the speakers.

  I decide on just hitting shuffle instead of a playlist. The first song I don’t know so I hit next. The next one is a really annoying, dirty rap song that makes me want to curl up into a ball and hide from all men when I listen to the lyrics. Um, next.

  A song by Mumford and Sons comes on and I smile in relief. I touch the up button for the volume and let the music consume the small space. I slip into the shower and sing along with the lead singer, blending harmonies.

  When that song begins to end, I am afraid of what is going to pop up next. As I hear the familiar guitar riff, I am happy yet irritated. I went through a huge classic rock phase in high school and I am still burnt out on it, three years later. It reminds me of MJ and Cara going behind my back. I think I used rock as a coping mechanism since the both of them hate it, but clearly it didn’t work.

  Suddenly the music pauses and I freeze under the stream. I peek my head out of the curtain and see Kellan holding his iPod and scrolling through it.

  “Sorry, it was sitting there and I love listening to music when I shower. I won’t touch it again, I promise,” I apologize. I’m holding my loofah in my hand and suds are dripping down my forearm.

  “I don’t mind. I heard you singing the last song so I’m trying to find more like it. How about… this?” Suddenly Of Monsters and Men blasts through the speakers and I give him an appreciative smile.

  “I approve. You have quite the eclectic music taste, Kellan. I’m pleasantly surprised.”

  “Oh, yeah?” A devious smile transforms his face. “There are other ways I can surprise you, if you’ll let me.”

  My smile slowly fades and I hastily dart my head back into the shower. My stupid stomach flips its shit when he says things like that and it makes me uneasy. Guys flirt with girls all the time, and sometimes they aren’t even interested in the girl. It’s like a game to them, to see how many chicks they can make grovel at their feet in one night.

  After I rinse my hair out, the song ends and another good one begins. I poke my head back out but Kellan is gone. I finish up my shower, making sure to shave my legs extra well, and shut off the water. I stand in the shower for a second and shake like a dog. Then I grab one towel and dry off my body, wrapping it around me, and picking up the next towel to squeeze the excess water out of my hair. I dawdle a little too long because I know once I leave the bathroom I have to hang out with Cara again. I slowly put on my clothes and blow dry my hair and give my legs another once-over for any unwanted stubble I missed. />
  I finally pick up the iPod off the deck to turn it off. I do a double take of the screen, seeing Aubrey’s playlistis added. I melt. I literally fucking melt. How adorable is that? I scroll through the songs and every single one is perfect. There are a few I don’t recognize and I have a big desire to sit here and listen to them. But I’m sure others need to shower so I leave it on the counter where I found it and creep down the stairs to find Kellan.

  10

  Kellan

  When I hear Aubrey upstairs in the bathroom listening to my iPod I can’t help but smile. I can faintly hear her singing to it, so I sneak upstairs to hear her better. Then a Metallica song comes on and I hear her groan. I slip into the room and press stop.

  When her head jolts out from behind the curtain and I see her hair covered in conditioner and water droplets gliding down her tanned skin, I resist the urge to jump in there with her.

  I remember her telling me on the plane what kind of music she listens to, and as she is singing along to one of her favorites, I conjure up a playlist of songs I know she will like. I quietly sneak out of the room and plop down to lay on the couch in a great fucking mood. Cara is in her room, I can hear MJ and Josh in their shower, and I have the living room all to myself. My eyes droop closed and I slowly fall asleep.

  I sluggishly gain consciousness when I feel somebody straddle me. She leans forward slightly and grazes her lips against my neck. I smile and keep my eyes closed, appreciating the feel of her against my skin. Her fingers trail up my shirt and lift it so her mouth can continue down my chest and abs. I chuckle a little as she finds a ticklish spot near my hip. I pry my sleepy eyes open but it is dark so the only thing I can see is the slight glow of the clock on the cable box. It’s already after nine.

  I must still be asleep because Aubrey doing this to me has only happened in my dreams. One of her hands makes a path down the front of me and down inside my boxers. I groan a little and keep my eyes closed so all I can do is feel her. Her fingers gently undo the button and zipper on my khaki shorts and she wiggles them down just slightly.

  When she pulls me out from the opening of my boxers and licks from base to tip, a louder groan escapes me. I’m so fucking hard I know she isn’t going to need to do much, or for a long period of time. As her mouth covers me and she begins pleasuring me, I grasp the back of her head and gently push her head so I’m deeper down her throat.

  Her hair feels different, but it must be from the shower. She rolls her tongue around the tip and I growl, “Fuck, Aubrey.”

  She stills for a second or two, but picks up where she left off.

  I curse again, only this time for a different reason when I hear someone clear their throat from behind me. A lamp flicks on and time stops.

  “Um, no, I’m right here,” Aubrey says, who is clearly not the girl sucking me off right now. My eyes shoot open and I look down to see Cara smiling up at me. I wrench my body up off the couch, effectively knocking Cara off and on her ass.

  “Hey!” She yells.

  “What the hell, Cara?” I yell back.

  “What’s the problem? You seemed to enjoy it before Loser over here walked in.” She nods her head over to Aubrey, who is still standing there near the stairs wearing cut off jean shorts and a red Cardinals tank top. I pivot toward her and see her face. Her expression keeps bouncing back and forth from pissed off to devastated. I hate both expressions.

  “Aubrey,” I whisper, afraid if I raise my voice she will run.

  “Please, don’t let me stop you,” she sneers and turns to run back up the stairs. I leap after her and in two strides I grab her arm and pull her to me. “Let me go!”

  “No. Aubrey, please stop. I thought it was you doing it.”

  “That’s rich, Kellan. Whether that is true or not, it’s still disgusting.” She writhes in my grasp but my firm grip on her is keeping her with me. I hold her to me closer, hoping my body does weird things to her like hers does to me. But she continues to fight.

  “I think it’s more than fair. I had to watch him with you on New Year’s Eve, so we are even,” Cara says simply.

  “Stay out of this, you filthy skank!” Aubrey snaps. She stops fighting enough for me to get a better grip on her. She notices and tries to pry her arms away but to no avail. She comes back at full force and shoves and kicks and screams until she tires quickly, then gives up. She is panting against me with her forehead on my chest. Then after a minute or two she lifts her head and gazes up at me. The hurt in her eyes crushes me. I want to be the one to make her smile, not the opposite.

  “I’m so sorry, baby,” I murmur, and rub my hand against her back.

  “I’m not your baby. Don’t fucking touch me,” she whispers back. I reluctantly let her go as she moves back two steps. She eyes me over, my t-shirt is wrinkled and my shorts are still unbuttoned and unzipped, barely hanging on my hips. I quickly fix it and run my hands over my shirt to stretch out the creases.

  “Baby?! Did you really just call her baby? HA, HA, OH MY GOD!” Cara starts laughing like a damn hyena and for the first time I want to punch a girl. “Wow, who knew the Loser could whip someone like Kel. Never thought I’d see the day. I’ll leave you two ex-lovebirds alone and I’ll be in my room… if you need me to finish for you, Kel, you know where to find me.” She saunters up the stairs and I wait for her room door to click shut before I speak again.

  “Listen, Aubrey. I know it looks bad, but I really thought she was you. Honest.”

  She crosses her arms over her chest and looks down at my feet. “I know, I believe you. But it still doesn’t hurt any less. I thought we… I was hoping… ugh, I don’t know!” She throws her hands up and thrusts her fingers through her hair, clearly frustrated.

  “What? Just tell me,” I plead. I want her to say what she is thinking. I need her to say it. I’ve been waiting for something – anything - for days now.

  “You drive me crazy! One minute you are sweet and nice, then you’re all sexy and flirty, and now you’re being a man-whore jerk!”

  “I told you I didn’t know it was her!” We are both yelling again. She is being totally unreasonable. If we were in a different situation and I was MJ, Aubrey would have just shrugged and let it slide off of her shoulders. But for some reason, with me, her emotions get the best of her.

  “I don’t care! It still happened!” She shrieks.

  “Why does it bother you so much, huh?” I know I got her when all she can do is blink at me. “It shouldn’t matter what I do, or what you do. We’re friends, right? If you want me then you need to tell me, Aubrey. I’m not a fucking mind reader. As far as I know, I’m still single so I can do whatever the fuck I want!”

  She just stands there, stunned out of any movement. Her mouth is agape slightly and her eyes are wide. Even in our enraged states, I want to pull her close and kiss her right now. I step toward her and she twitches back to life.

  She maneuvers her way around me and runs to the front door, grabbing her flip flops that are thrown askew by the door with MJ and Cara’s. She slams the door behind her and I thrust my fingers into my hair and pull.

  “God dammit!” I yell. I don’t know what to do. She puts me on edge so much that I don’t even know what I want. I thought I was fine being single and being with different girls if I wanted. But I know I would always think about Aubrey. We fit so well together that it seems inevitable that we be together. But is that what I fucking want? I’ve never really wanted that before and if it’s going to be this damn difficult then I should definitely reconsider.

  I pace around the living room for about thirty seconds until I realize what I just let happen. I let her leave, alone. I look out the window and only see darkness. The glow of artificial light from the city just barely highlights everything. Shit!

  I run outside to follow her, not even stopping to grab my own shoes. I run to the end of the walkway and look left then right down the street. I faintly see her nearing the corner to my right. I tear after her, just as she disappears
from behind a building.

  “Aubrey!” I yell, but she is a good block away and the sound of the party going on diagonal from the corner she is at is drowning any noise I make. When I get to the corner I am a little out of breath but keep going to where I saw her turn. I stop in my tracks when I see two guys jump out of a van and sneak up behind her. I sprint as fast as I can to her, hoping I’m not too late. She is right below a street light and the yellowish glow gives an ominous feel to the situation. Or it could be the two men approaching her.

  She turns to face them and even from my distance I can see the panic in her eyes. “Run, Aubrey!” I scream. Her eyes flutter to me for an instant, and I know she heard me. She bolts across the street, barely escaping a motorcycle that is speeding dangerously down the street. I cut the corner, hoping to catch up to her before they do.

  But I’m too far away. By the time I weave across the street, one of the guys grabs hold of her hair and yanks hard so her feet fly out from underneath her and she crashes to the ground. I hear her cry out in pain and I will my legs to go faster. The second guy reaches her and hits her hard in the face and picks her up once she is limp.

  I cry out again and dart across the street once again to get to their van. I get there before they do and I stand there, huffing as adrenaline and rage consume me. One has Aubrey hauled over his shoulder and the other walks slowly up to me.

  He starts speaking in Spanish, and I don’t know what he is saying but his tone is venomous. He steps closer to me and repeats what he said only more forceful. His dark eyes pierce into me, trying to intimidate me.

  I don’t budge.

  Then as the guy reaches into his pocket, he pulls out a small but menacing knife. I inhale quickly, and immediately regret not listening to my dad when he suggested taking karate lessons. Even so, I am quite the fighter. No classes needed- just some scumbags in school who can’t keep their mouths shut and some instincts.