The Heaven I Found In Hell

by Ashley Andrews

  Nathan smacked Anthony, his hand coming in contact with Anthony's head made a loud 'bam.' Riley and I laughed it off, before the female twin started to whine.

  "I am so getting a lot of numbers tonight." Riley said as a way to piss her brother off.

  "Geez Riles…" Nathan said in mock-annoyance. "You act like you've never been to a club before…"

  "Nah…" Anthony said casually, with a hand gesture. "Her self-esteem just rose."

  That made me laugh. I leaned in much closer to the front, nearer to the two guys, and started asking them about Riley's love life. This apparently caused Riley to redden in the cheeks. She slouched back on her seat unethically, as she let out a small groan.

  "Well…our dear Riles here…" Nathan said while ready to start humiliating his sister.

  "You guys are going to embarrass me…"

  "Let's just say she's not as adventurous…in bed…" Nathan said, with a small mischievous smile. The use of the word 'adventurous' made me laugh. It was such a not-so-usual description when it came to the topic of dating.

  "Look who's talking." Riley countered.

  Nathan turned his head, and looked at the back, to us. Riley stuck out her tongue at him, and he simply winked in return.

  "When was the last time you've had…you know…?" Riley asked her brother.

  I didn't need to wait for Nathan's answer since I already knew what it was without the need of him to tell me, and figured out that this debate was eventually going to be won by Nate. No offense to Riley, my best friend and roomie, but her brother was just at the top of everything, making him cocky, sometimes. And you know how cocky guys are...

  "I'll just save you from embarrassment, sis."

  "Shut up."

  "Just focus on your dressing problem for now." He teased. "Sex can come later."

  This caused all of us, Riley excluded, to laugh. I looked at my friend whose cheeks were like ripe tomatoes, and sent her a smile of mock-sympathy.

  "But she never has to worry again…" I said proudly to the guys. "She has me for a roommate!"

  This caused the two guys to smirk before they let out a laugh. "Just make sure Ralph or Tommy won't give you the same thing Cindy buys next time."

  Riley and I smacked both Nathan and Anthony.

  "You're talking more than usual, Anthony." I said, noticing a difference in him.

  Nathan shouldered his guy friend, and they looked at each other, in a way best friends would. You know, that 'I-know-exactly-what-you're-thinking' look.

  "Inspiration maybe." That was Nathan.

  I eyed Anthony who was looking at Riley, and a few seconds later, he turned to me, before he looked away.

  He liked someone…I just knew it.

  * * *

  Chapter 6: Committed to being Uncommitted

  * * *

  The moment Riley, Nathan, Anthony, and I got out of the car, a mob of photographers scrambled over to where we were and started taking pictures. The three of them, all of whom weren't really used to this kind of thing, got taken aback, and started questioning me as to what was happening.

  "Just smile." I said to them quickly. They did what I told them to do, and we entered the club briskly, not wanting any more pictures taken by the paparazzi. Since Nathan and the others knew the owner of the club, we went straight up to the V.I.P. section, and waited there until the rest, Blake and co., arrived.

  "Is your life really like that?" Riley asked in bewilderment. She plopped down on the loveseat beside me, and looked at me with an 'are-you-kidding-look'.

  "Yeah…why?" I asked, letting out a small laugh.

  "You mean whenever you go out…?"

  "Yes." I said, still laughing softly.

  "What’s more Nicole Richie or Britney…the tabloids have their eyes on them all the time?" She asked me, as the two guys sitting across from us snickered.

  "Unimaginable…" I said. "Just don't get surprised if you're going to see pictures of you in magazines."

  "I've always wanted to be in a magazine…" Riley said thoughtfully, resting her chin on her hands.

  What Riley said caused Nathan to laugh. "You wish." Her brother said with a smirk.

  I slapped him in the arm, and called him, "Mean."

  "What? How did I become mean?" Nathan asked in a baffled tone. He stretched his arms out, and rested them on the couch.

  "Riley can be in a magazine!"

  "You don't have to lie just to make her feel better!" Nathan countered, speaking in a voice that was a little too loud.

  Anthony who was smirking and grinning patted Nathan on the shoulder and told him to, "Calm down."

  "Huh…? Why isn't anyone siding with me?" Nathan asked all of us with a pout. I waved him off and told him that the pout wasn't cute at all, but honestly it was cuter than cute and hotter than hot. I just wasn't going to tell him that. Not giving up, he matched the pout with puppy-dog eyes and I was desperately resisting the urge to hug him. Good thing I had more self-control when it came to these things than to food. Riley was able to force me to eat a chip! Don't call me dramatic…I'm just trying to maintain the body that gives me a lot of money.

  "Because Nathan, you're a horrid brother."

  "That hurt." He said, placing his hand on the spot where his heart was for exaggeration. The cute pout and heart-melting eyes remained on his face, while I contemplated carefully about how I was going to return what he said.

  "Accept it. The truth hurts."

  I opened my mouth and was supposed to add more things to say, but a voice coming from the side of the door spoke up, and said, "Why? Did anything happen?"

  Cindy, Kendra, and Blake entered the room and sat on the empty spaces on the couches and chairs. We called a waiter and ordered a few drinks and some appetizers, before the conversation continued.

  "What hurts?" Kendra asked, as she crossed her legs, and rested her hands on her jean skirt.

  "That Nathan is a horrid brother." I answered, laughing softly. Kendra gave me a smirk, as she nodded continuously, eyeing Nathan in a mischievous way.

  "Yeah, I'd never want to have such an overprotective brother." Kendra added, causing Nathan to call her a, "Loser."

  "But he's a hot one, so I don't mind." Cindy said, with a playful laugh, which caused the guys to whistle, and the girls to make gagging faces.

  "That's incest for me, Cindy!" Riley said, looking at her in bewilderment.

  "Okay fine, fine…" She said, letting out a chuckle. "But I wouldn't mind having a hot sibling."

  "Kudos to that." Kendra said.

  I agreed and muttered out a, "Same here."

  "Me four, as long as it's not someone like Nate." Riley said with a grin. She went over to her brother and ruffled his already disheveled hair.

  Oh God…he looks even hotter now… Shut up, shut up you shitty brain! You're no good in sports, no better in school, and you really have low standards when it comes to defining 'hot'. Okay, fine…I'm fooling myself, but Nathan isn't that hot…

  Riley messing up Nathan's hair caused the whole of to us to let out 'Aww's in a brother-sister way of cuteness. She apparently left me alone, as she decided to sit beside her sibling, and I was left alone resting myself on the loveseat looking like a loner. This caused a few people to laugh.

  "Alex, you look so lonely…" Blake said with a light-hearted laugh. I went along with him, and patted the extra space beside me.

  "You want to make me not lonely?" I said, winking at him, just as a tease. He opened his mouth and widened his eyes and returned the wink I gave him.

  I caught Cindy's glare, and decided to discontinue flirting with Blake. I stood up from my seat, got a glass containing some kind of cocktail drink, and drank it like a shot.

  "I'll just go outside. I feel like dancing." I said casually, the alcohol not taking effect yet.

  "Do you want any of us to accompany you?" Nathan said in a brotherly tone. I pulled up one of my eyebrows at him, before I shook my head.

  "It's okay, Nathan. On
e sister's enough for you." I said, as I left the group, and went over to the dance floor.

  Thankfully, some stranger went over to where I was and started dancing with me. He had sandy blonde hair with a few black streaks complimenting greatly his tan-colored skin. He looked like a surfer, and I laughed at the thought. His physique was tall and his arms were well toned. After a few minutes of exchanging body heat those strong arms of his found their way to the lower part of my back, as his fingers started to draw invisible circles on my dress.

  After what seemed like a couple of hours, but was only really half of an hour, I found his lips pressing down on mine. I returned the kiss, and the make-out session continued as we stood on the dance floor. Our bodies were grinding as our tongues clashed, and I found myself deepening the kiss.

  I circled his neck with my arms, as his hands slowly trailed down an inch above my ass. The lustful kiss continued until I felt myself being pulled away from him. I felt arms encircle my shoulders, and I looked up to meet Anthony's worried face. Before I could even ask him why he cut the make-out session I was having short, he got a hold of my hand, and dragged me over to the bar. The worried look remained stamped on his face.

  "What were you doing?" He asked sounding a little frustrated. He ran a hand through his ebony-colored hair, before exhaling deeply.

  "Kissing. Why do you look mad?" I asked getting slightly annoyed myself. Ever since I had arrived in Ridgeway, all I've been doing was not understanding lessons, and being a humiliation during gym. I haven't even kissed a guy ever since I got here, and when I finally did, it had to be cut short.

  So sue me for being a hormone-driven teenager just like everybody else.

  "What was his name?"

  "Huh?"

  "Alex…" Anthony started getting aggravated with my denseness. "The guy you were kissing. Who was he?"

  "I don't know." I said, as I sat myself on the stool getting a little help from Anthony, before I leaned my back on the bar ledge.

  "You didn't even bother to ask his name?"

  I shook my head, and in that instant a tall figure emerged beside Anthony. "Did you get her?" Nathan asked worriedly.

  Anthony nodded, and immediately, Nathan turned his head to face me, a look of worry seen in his eyes.

  "What was his name? Are you drunk?" The brown-haired boy asked agitatedly.

  He took a step closer to me, and enveloped me into a comforting hug. I asked him what was going on. Sadly on my part, he ignored my question, and continued with the interrogation.

  "What's his name?" He asked again. "How many drinks have you had?"

  "I don't know, and no, I'm not drunk."

  He reacted the same way Anthony did. "You don't know his name?"

  "Why should I?" I asked in oblivion.

  The two guys that stood in front of me let out deep sighs in unison. Nathan wiped strands of his light brown hair away from his eyes, and started to explain why I should've known the stranger's name.

  "Because you guys were ogling each other like you two were in a private room. You were on the dance floor, mind you."

  "I don't get what you're trying to say…" I told the two of them. "It was just a kiss."

  And again, Nathan snubbed what I had to say.

  "Please don't tell me you got his number before even trying to know what his name was."

  "I didn't get his number and his name…" I said to them, getting annoyed.

  Gosh I didn't need a brother…two for that matter…I rolled my eyes at what I thought.

  "So what was that all about?" Anthony asked referring to the session I had a while ago.

  "Nothing."

  "Nothing?" Nathan asked in disbelief.

  He rested his hands on edge of the stool I sat on, and looked at me closely in the eye. I could feel his breath trickling down my neck, and if he weren't acting like a nuisance, I would've kissed him in that instant.

  "Nathan…" I mouthed out, sounding irritated already. "Anthony…"

  They eyed me closely.

  "That was absolutely nothing. I don't think I'm even going to see him ever again. It was just a one-time thing, and I won't be kissing him anymore…" I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "Do you guys understand?"

  "Do you treat all your relationships like this?"

  Were they trying to corner me…?

  I gave them both a raised brow and asked what they meant. They looked at each other and exchanged looks, before they turned back to me and burned me down with their gazes.

  "Alex, how many people have you gone out with?" Nathan asked, as he let out a deep sigh. He pulled his crossed arms up to his chest, and rested them there.

  "I didn't know you had to count the number of people you go on dates with…" I said with a hint of sarcasm I didn't mean to use. By the looks on their faces which were a mixture of worry and plain nothingness, they weren't amused, and I felt myself getting even more irritated by the way they were treating me.

  "Okay…how about the number of guys you've gone into a serious relationship with." Anthony said.

  "I guess that's an easier question." Nathan added.

  "Why should I?" I answered, but before they even opened their mouths, I continued with what I had to say.

  "I travel a lot…I go to different places…I meet a lot of hot, young guys from different countries…and those guys also travel a lot…they go to different places…and they meet a lot of hot, young girls from all over the world…" I said sounding more frustrated than solemn. "Now…give me a reason why I should be committed and serious?"

  "Alex…can you please think long-term? After a decade or so, you're going to look older, and there are going to be a lot more women who will look prettier and sexier than you. What you have now, your flawless face, your slender but curvy body, they're not going to look like that when you're 28 or so."

  "You're going to have to settle down…"

  "Are you telling me that I have to start looking for my future husband now?" I said in tone mixed of sarcasm and slight fury. I stood up from the stool and started to walk away from the two, but Nathan held a tight grasp on my shoulder, and wouldn't let go.

  "I'm not telling you to do that."

  "Can you please just fucking tell me what you're trying to say…just get straight to the point." I started as the anger inside me was about to reach its maximum. "Because as you might have guessed, I'm not as mentally inclined as I am academically."

  And there goes a hint of amusement that I didn't mean to use…again.

  "We're telling you to be serious. Because when you start looking for Mr. Right…"

  I cut him off.

  "Why is everyone telling me to think long term?" I seethed through gritted teeth.

  "It's just the two of us." Anthony offered, hoping to placate me.

  Apparently, the two of them realized that the bar wasn't really a good place to talk since people were starting to stare and listen to our heated conversation, so what they did was to drag me up back to the empty V.I.P. room (the rest might have been dancing), and continue the argument inside the private bathroom. I sat on the toilet bowl, with its cover down of course, while the two guys continued to smolder me with looks full of intensity. Looking from a few feet away, Anthony leaned his whole body on the tiled wall, while Nathan sat on the floor, right in front of me. I sitting down on the toilet bowl was looking down at him blandly, as he looked up at me with concern on his face.

  "You're going to thank us someday." Nathan said, gifting me with a forced smile.

  I pondered his words carefully, and couldn't help but snicker. Cocking an eyebrow up at me, he wondered and questioned the expression on my face. Anthony remained at the far part of the bathroom, listening to the conversation.

  "I'm going to be happy by not having fun?" I asked, and later on I added, "And I'm supposed to thank you guys for that?"

  "We're not telling you to stop having fun." Anthony said, speaking for the first time since we got to the comfort room, arms falling lazily
beside him.

  "Then tell me what you guys mean, because I don't want to waste my time pondering on something that is against my beliefs." I said, with a smug expression.

  I knew they were just trying to help, but the both of them acting like my mom and taking control over me is something too much. They've crossed the line and even after countless times of showing them that I wasn't amused with their help, they still continued, and wouldn't let go.