Tessa finally joined the three of us. By the time she did, Connor had already raided her food pantry and popped us some popcorn. Rocky started the movie Tessa rented and the three of us sat there and laughed like a bunch of hyenas.
Tessa stood directly in front of Connor and pouted. “Why didn’t you wait for me?”
Connor looked up at her and pulled her onto his lap. “Sorry, babe. We didn’t know what the hell happened to you.”
“You could’ve come and looked for me,” Tessa said as she rested her head on Connor’s shoulder.
Connor was sidetracked by a funny part in the movie and chortled. Unfortunately, unlike the rest of us, Tessa was not amused.
She stood. “Stop watching that, Connor!” she demanded.
“What?! Why?”
I could see Tessa thinking. She softened. “’Cause I want to show you that new thing I bought that’s upstairs in my room.”
Tessa now had Connor’s undivided attention. Connor sprang up and looked her in the eyes. “Show me.”
Tessa took his hand and they walked away.
I was quite embarrassed because I could just imagine where they were going and what they would be doing once they got there. I looked over toward Rocky who rested easily on the sofa as he ate popcorn and sipped a soda. He was really into the movie and kept laughing all by himself.
I was still thirsty so I got up and went into the kitchen. I opened the fridge and searched for something to drink. I didn’t want another soda, so I settled on a water bottle. As I closed the fridge and turned around, I bumped right into Rocky, actually into his hard, muscular chest.
He was much taller than I, so I had to look up at him.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
I showed him the water. “Just getting a drink.”
“Why’d you leave me?”
I was confused and didn’t understand what he meant. “Leave you? You were watching the movie and I was thirsty.”
Rocky put both his hands on my waist and whispered. “You’re cute. You know that?”
Nervously I looked around the kitchen, hoping that somebody, anybody would walk into the room and interrupt the awkward moment. I even said a quick prayer that Jaques would suddenly appear.
No one came. Rocky closed his eyes and bent forward to kiss me. Before his lips could reach mine, I ducked and briskly walked away from him, straight into the family room.
I sat on the couch and remained rigid, hoping that Rocky would take a hint and not sit anywhere near me. He sauntered in and did exactly what I dreaded. Not only did Rocky sit next to me, he practically sat on top of me. I stared at the TV and pretended he wasn’t there. Pretending didn’t help for very long as Rocky’s hand crept onto my thigh and started rubbing it.
“Hey. What’s wrong? I just wanted to kiss you.”
My heart started beating so rapidly, I thought it would pop out of my chest. I wasn’t high anymore and didn’t know how to respond.
“Uh, uh,” I stuttered as I continued watching TV. “I’m flattered, but—“
“Yum!” someone shouted. “Something smells good out here.”
Rocky and I turned to the left and saw Jaques entering from the hallway where he spent most of his time hibernating.
“You guys got any left?”
Jaques stopped near Rocky and me and waved. “Hey, man. What’s up? I’m Tessa’s brother, Jaques. And you?”
Rocky stuck out his hand to shake, thankfully the same hand that had been rubbing my leg. “I’m Rocky.”
The guys shook. “Cool,” Jaques said and stared at me as if waiting for my name, too.
“We’ve already met,” I said. “A couple of times actually.”
Except for the pupils, Jaques’s eyes were completely red. He was as high as a kite and I wasn’t surprised. He smiled as he remembered. “Yeah, that’s right. Holly, right? Your name is Holly?”
Rocky chuckled next to me. I couldn’t help myself and giggled, too. I put on my most serious face and smiled up at Tessa’s baked brother. “Yes, you’re right. My name is Holly.”
• • •
I wasn’t insulted that Jaques didn’t remember my name. At least my prayers were answered when he came in and he stopped Rocky from making any more moves on me.
I couldn’t believe I actually thwarted “The God’s” attempt at seducing me. The hottest boy in school wanted to kiss me and I actually stopped him dead in his tracks. I’m sure he was flabbergasted that a little ole sophomore like me didn’t want to get to first base with a big, manly senior like himself.
A part of me almost wished that I was still on speaking terms with Erica and Taylor. Their heads would spin with this latest tale. I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t believe a word of it.
Jaques ate the rest of the popcorn and watched the movie with Rocky and me. Jaques laughed at every joke, even the ones that weren’t funny. But, because he was there, Rocky didn’t try to get to any base with me. I never thought I’d be so happy to be in the presence of crazy Jaques, but I was.
The movie was almost over when Tessa and Connor decided to come back downstairs and join us. Connor was disheveled.
“Come on, guys,” she said. “Connor and I wanna go to the store to get some beer.”
Jaques stood up and fished for his wallet. “Hey, can you dudes bring me back some if I pay for all of it?”
Connor’s green eyes got big. “Sure!”
Jaques handed Connor a wad of bills.
“Thanks, man,” Connor said.
“No, thank you,” Jaques said before he bowed to Connor, as if he were addressing royalty.
Tessa rolled her eyes. Rocky and I stood and followed her and Connor into the hallway and toward the foyer.
When we reached the front door, Rocky leaned over and whispered to me, “Her brother is the weirdest dude I’ve ever met.”
I looked up at him and smiled. “Tell me about it!”
• • •
Connor drove us in his parents’ Lexus to the same convenience store where I had caught Brian, or his identical twin brother, earlier in a compromising situation with another woman. I did realize, though, that I’d have to investigate further before I could make any accusations against him.
Tessa sat in the front with Connor, Rocky and I in the back. Rocky ran inside to buy the beer, even though both he and Connor had fake IDs.
Rocky came out with two twenty packs of beer.
“Who the heck’s gonna drink all that?” I asked.
“You don’t know these two,” Tessa said as she turned toward Connor and ran her fingers through his hair.
“Plus, we gotta bring some back to Jaques,” Connor added.
Rocky climbed in back with the beer, ripped open the cardboard and handed one to Connor. He popped open a can for himself and asked Tessa and me if we wanted one.
“No thanks,” we both said in unison.
Tessa leaned over to Connor. “Let’s take a drive. I don’t want to go back to my house right away.”
“Doesn’t Jaques want his beer? He did pay for it.”
Tessa got annoyed. “Did my brother look like he needed beer? He’s probably passed out by now.”
“Where do you wanna go then?” Connor asked.
“I don’t care.” Tessa turned to Rocky and me. “Do you guys have any suggestions?”
I shook my head.
“Where’s there to go?” Rocky asked.
With no real purpose or direction, we headed south on Webster Avenue. I was concerned because Connor started on his second beer as he drove. That’s one thing I wasn’t cool with, drinking and driving, but I didn’t want to seem like a total geek by saying so. Instead, I kept my eyes peeled to the darkened road in front of us in case Connor became impaired.
Finally we slowed and pulled into a parking lot. At first I didn’t recognize where we were, but then realized we were at the only elementary school on the island, my brother’s, called Orchard, where my mother just happened to wor
k. Connor killed the headlights.
“Why are we here?” Tessa wanted to know.
Connor shrugged. “Where else can we go? It’s freezing.”
“Again, so why are we here, if we’re not going to play outside on the swings?” I could hear the annoyance in Tessa’s tone.
Connor turned toward Tessa and the two of us in back. He sipped his beer. “I happen to know a way to get into the school, even though it’s locked.”
Rocky finished his beer, crushed the aluminum can in his hand and threw it on the floor. “Didn’t you and some other guys do this a few years ago and get busted?”
Connor smiled. “Yeah, but I was stupid back then and have learned never to make the same mistake twice.”
“I’m game. Let’s go,” Rocky said as he opened his door, grabbed the case of beer and climbed out. Connor addressed Tessa and me. “You two gonna come?”
Tessa looked at me and shrugged. “Sure. What the hell else are we gonna do besides freeze our asses off out here?”
Connor got out and Tessa followed. I sat there for a moment, frozen, not from the cold, harsh temperatures that now permeated the car, but from the fear of what we were about to do. I just knew in my gut that nothing good would come of it.
As I sat there and contemplated my next move, I could see their three shadowy figures off in the distance, getting smaller and less visible. I was scared to go, but even more scared to stay alone in the car, in the middle of the dark and desolate parking lot.
Against my better judgment, I left the safety of the car and followed them into the night and into the worst decision of my life.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-ONE
In the Middle of Nowhere (Willow's Journey #1) Page 30
