Lennon's Jinx (Lennon's Girls #1)

by Chris Myers

  Lennon gives me a weird look. “Are you okay?”

  I wave my arm at him, but it flops around like Plastic Man’s.

  “It’s late,” Rena says to me. “We should head back.”

  “I’ll take you home,” Ran says to me.

  “That’s not a good idea,” Lennon says.

  “Let’s go.” Rena taps my shoulder. “Iz and Gabby are ready to leave. We’re going back with these guys instead of taking the train.”

  My mind’s totally hazed, and Zach is watching Ran with contempt. This is all good. “I’m okay. I want to stay a little longer.”

  Lennon looks at Rena and shakes his head. He reaches for my arm, but Ran jerks me away.

  “Mind your own business,” he says.

  “No, buddy,” Lennon says. “That doesn’t work for me. She came with us.”

  “No, I didn’t.” The floor melts away from my feet. I’m falling until Lennon puts his hand under my armpit. Unlike Ran, Lennon saved me from eating the floor again.

  “She didn’t come with you.” Ran stands up to Lennon. “I met the girls on the train.”

  Lennon snags my arm now because I’m sinking into the tile. I try to jerk free, but I’m toast. Alcohol has never made me feel like this, so numb. Zach has left the girl he was with. Where did she go?

  “I don’t need a babysitter,” I say. My words sound garbled. I can’t even understand them.

  Rena takes my other arm. “We should go home, now.”

  Ran wraps his arms around my waist. “She’s not going with you. She wants to be with me.”

  I’m like a ragdoll they’re fighting over. I don’t want to go with Lennon, but I feel so…weird, like I’m slogging through quicksand.

  Ran shoves Lennon. It’s like pushing a bull because he doesn’t budge. Clive and Danny step in beside him while Zach works his way through the crowd toward us.

  “Hey, Jinx plays in our band,” Clive says in that sexy British tone. “She’s with us.”

  It’s really nice to be fought over and actually belong to a group of guys. Uh, oh. There goes the floor again. It’s moving and so is the ceiling.

  “I’m a big girl.” Are words even coming out of my mouth because I can’t hear them?

  “What did you give her?” Lennon says, his tone deep and sharp. You know, he is kind of hot. Maybe, Rena’s right.

  Ran has a tight grip on me. “She wants to go with me.”

  I’m not sure how, but Lennon loosens Ran’s grip and picks me up into his arms. I’m glad he didn’t throw me over his shoulder because I’m not feeling so good and I would’ve painted the back of his really soft shirt. It smells good, so I bury my nose into it.

  The bouncer hurries over. I pound my fists into Lennon’s chest to let him know he can’t treat me like one of his stable fillies. It’s like trying to swat an ox with a dandelion.

  “What are you doing?” the bouncer asks Lennon, his voice frantic.

  “It’s okay,” Rena says. “We’re just taking her home. She’s a little wasted.”

  “If she doesn’t want—” the bouncer starts.

  “Ran Holden roofied her.” Lennon’s voice is so chilly I shiver. How does he know this guy’s full name? He doped me? How? Oh yeah, the martini that I barely drank.

  The bouncer glares at Ran. “You, again. I thought we told you to stay out of here.”

  Ran darts away from us through the crowd. He disappears like Houdini.

  “Ran?” I call after him, but he’s gone.

  Lennon carries me out of the bar. His heart beats steady, and his body heat seeps into me. If I didn’t feel so weird, they’d comfort me.

  Everyone’s together now, surrounding me, the band and my friends and Zach. Zach followed me?

  “I can take Jinx home,” Zach says.

  I like that idea.

  Lennon laughs. “In their conditions, I’m taking the girls home.”

  Zach smiles at me. I still love him. “You think you can handle that many girls?” he asks.

  “Oh, I’m sure I can.” Lennon is such a cocky bastard.

  I smack his chest for good measure, but I can’t even feel my hands. They’re like disembodied spirits. I wave them around, watching the ghost trails they create.

  Zach shrugs and walks away. I call after him, “Wait,” but the words fizzle on my tongue. I’m not sure what Ran slipped me, but it’s bad, whatever it is.

  “Are you out of your mind?” Lennon says as he carries me out of Sammy’s. “You could’ve been raped.”

  It wouldn’t be the first time, though in that case, I egged Him on.

  “I don’t feel so good,” I say. “Put me down.”

  Lennon does. He steadies me, so I don’t face plant into the icy concrete. I retch into the snow piled up on the side of the street. I’m glad Zach isn’t here to see this. Lennon holds back my hair until I dry heave and nothing comes out because I haven’t eaten much all day. I was too nervous for my audition.

  This is so humiliating. The guys will probably kick me out of the band.

  “Jesus, Jinx,” Lennon says. “And they say you’re the smart one.”

  “Don’t give her a hard time,” Rena says. “She’s so out of it she doesn’t even know what you’re saying.”

  “Yes, she does,” Lennon says.

  Why does he have to act like some super hero in front of my friends? They don’t see the real Lennon. A guy who refuels with a different girl on every block.

  “Jinxy, still in there?” Clive flicks my nose. “It’s just a powerful muscle relaxer. She’ll feel like chit in the mornin’. Poor ole bird.”

  I go to slap him, but my arm flops to its side.

  “Can she die from this?” Rena asks, showing concern for me while Iz and Gabby hang onto Clive.

  Clive touches my left boob. “Heart’s still tickin’.”

  I want to smack him hard, not only for touching me but for having fun at my expense.

  Danny slides in next to me, grinning like a madman, while Iz snaps a photo of us on her phone. “Look, Jinx,” he says. “We already have memories.”

  Susan shakes her head, and she doesn’t look too happy. Her hand slips into Danny’s. They look cute together.

  Clive laughs. “Our mate has retched, had a bender, and acted like an arse in front of us.”

  “Jinx is one of us now,” Danny says. “Woo-hoo.”

  “My car’s around the corner,” Lennon says.

  “Are you sure we can all fit?” Rena asks.

  “I can sit on someone’s lap,” Gabby volunteers. She slides in close to Clive. He’s not only not complaining but also draping an arm around her.

  “It seats eight.” Lennon carries me the half block to his car. He opens it, and Rena helps him slide me into the third row seat.

  Rena scoots in beside me. “I’ll sit in the back with Jinx.”

  “Good.” Lennon scoops a plastic bag from the back. “Make sure she doesn’t puke in my car.”

  He belts me in and says, “And you give me a hard time.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  LENNON

  I’m tempted to call Jinx Friday morning when I roll out of bed at eight. She certainly tied one on after the lecture she gave me at her party. The nerve of that girl. She could’ve been seriously hurt, though I didn’t mind holding her. Until she puked, she smelled really good.

  Jinx put on a show for Zach, and he ate it up. For a moment, I thought he might take Ran Holden out. It would serve the asshole right. He’s banned from Kitchee’s Joint and several other clubs for dealing drugs.

  The kitchen is quiet this morning because Mom didn’t come home. Currie’s not here to get me up or tell me what I can and cannot eat, so I sneak into Mom’s personal stash of coffee. I grind beans from some exotic South American blend and put it into the Krups coffee maker. The smell is sheer heaven.

  At the bottom of the freezer is bacon. I fry it in a pan and scramble eggs in the grease for breakfast. It’s pure bliss not to have yogurt a
nd fruit for once.

  After I’ve read the paper, I call Rena to have her rouse Jinx out of bed. It’s hard to get reservations at the American Girl Place for lunch, and the girls will be disappointed if we don’t get there ahead of time to shop for the latest AG fashions.

  “Jinx doesn’t look so good. Can’t this wait?” Rena asks.

  “No.” It can, at least another hour, but why should I when I can harass Jinx while she’s suffering from a massive hangover. “I’ll be by around nine-thirty.”

  “By the way, thanks for what you did to Byron. He was so mad.”

  “No problem. You can do better than him. He’s worse than me when it comes to chasing girls.”

  “You’re not a bad guy. You just haven’t found the right woman. By the way, you’re a really great kisser.”

  I get told this a lot. Normally, I’d agree with her, but she’s hinting at something more, and I already pissed off Bailey. I can’t lose Rena as my math tutor. “Thanks, you’re really good yourself.”

  Rena is a great girl. She’s pretty and smart and too good for me. She doesn’t deserve me anymore than Byron, and I don’t really want to date or be dishonest with her. The “no hassles” relationships work well for me, and Rena is looking for something I can’t deliver.

  The rumbling of a Hemi pulls into our driveway. I look outside. Mom gets out of the familiar orange Charger.

  Good. She didn’t invite him inside.

  Heather glides in through the front door, dressed like she’s going to an audition. No one could tell she’s been out all night. Her face and clothes are perfect. “Why, Lennon, I didn’t think you’d be home. Where’s Currie?” She sips coffee from a steaming cup.

  “Where were you last night, Mom?”

  “Out. I don’t have to answer you.”

  “Currie had a recital. We’ve talked about this.” I can’t count how many times she’s cried over Mom not showing.

  Mom bats her hand. “She doesn’t need me there. There are plenty of other ones I can attend.”

  “You need to come every time, and no more strangers in my house. It’s too dangerous.”

  “I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me.”

  “I’m not worried about you. It’s Currie. She doesn’t need to see any of this.”

  “It’s no big deal. Look how well you turned out.”

  I grab Mom’s wrist. “You will stop this. Do you understand?”

  Mom tries to shake my hand off. “Let go. How dare you talk to me this way when you’re with a different girl every night. You’re no different than your dad.”

  Her words puncture holes into my chest. She knows how to get to me. “I’m sick of this. I had to clean up this guy’s puke, and he broke a lamp. This is my house. Get your own. I’m tired of these guys trashing my house.”

  “This house belongs to Jonathan. He paid for it.”

  “It’s under my name. Go make your own money.”

  “Why should I leave? Your dad will be back. What’s the point of going through all that trouble when he can support us all?”

  “What if he doesn’t? Child support for me runs out in another few months, and I’m not taking care of you anymore.”

  “Fuck you,” she spews. “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be here. Jonathan never wanted you. He only wants Currie.”

  Though her words crush me, I put on my game face. This gets to her. I learned a long time ago not to spill tears over the pain that’s dealt in this house every day. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  “Currie wants me here.”

  That’s true. “But I don’t. You need to get a job.” I’m hoping that will stop the parade of men.

  “Roger, who dropped me off, is an agent.”

  She says this all the time. “Lionel will take you back.” He’s her old agent and legit.

  Mom bites those perfect lips of hers. Her parents are both A-Listers. They gave up on her acting career when she married Jonathan. We rarely see them. “Your parents would help you get back into film.”

  Mom stares out the big picture window. “I can’t just give up on Jonathan. I’ll try to do better. He’ll want me again if I do that.”

  Jonathan has never been gone this long, so that may mean he’s never coming back. Heather lives in a dream world that I can’t help her crawl out of. “You should go see Dr. Fernandez.”

  “Can I take the car tonight?” she asks.

  It’s like she didn’t hear a word I said. “You know you can’t.” One of her stoner boyfriends wrecked the Hummer—my second vehicle.

  Mom throws the mug into the sink, breaking the cup into a few pieces, and walks down the hall. I don’t like the fact that we always hurt each other.

  After a shower and a shave, I go next door to get the girls. Mrs. Nowak answers the door. “They’re ready for a day of shopping. I let them stay up until eleven to watch movies. That’s okay?”

  “Okay?” I laugh. “You’re the best Mom I know. Why would I question anything you do?” She’s nothing like Heather. Even when Zoe was sick the last time, Mrs. Nowak came to the recitals for Currie.

  Mrs. Nowak’s expression seems lost. “Sometimes I wonder. I hope we’re doing the right thing with this new treatment.” She swallows, biting back emotion.

  “You’ve done a great job for what you’ve been through. I don’t know how you do it.” I really don’t. If it were Currie, I’d lose it.

  “Thanks.”

  The girls run up, dressed as if they’re ready for a fashion shoot, scarves, leggings, and colored rubber boots for the snow. Both carry their American Girl dolls. Currie has Molly McIntire, and Zoe cradles Cecile. I think between the two of them they have every doll and have read all the books. It’s sad that I’m a guy and know so much about these iconic characters.

  “My little fashionistas,” I say. “Ready for the challenge.”

  “Let’s go to Giovanni’s for dinner,” Zoe begs.

  “We haven’t even had lunch yet. Didn’t you get breakfast?”

  Zoe tugs my arm. “Yeah, but Currie usually picks the restaurant. It’s my turn.”

  “Your choice then today. Let’s go ladies.”

  Currie yawns. She rests her head against my waist.

  “You okay?” I ask.

  “We stayed up too late last night.”

  “You two can sleep in the car,” I say.

  They scoot into the backseat and buckle up. I fasten Molly and Cecile together in the middle seat. According to the girls, it’s not an option.

  “Where to James,” Currie says as if I’m her personal chauffer, which I am.

  “First, we get Jinx.”

  “You have a girlfriend,” Zoe chides. “Is she cute? What color of hair does she have?”

  I adjust the rearview mirror, so I can see them. “I don’t have a girlfriend. You two are my only loves.”

  Zoe clutches her heart. “Thou art so true.”

  “Did you watch Shakespeare last night?” I ask.

  “No,” Currie says. “Despicable Me and The Little Mermaid.”

  They’ve watched these movies over a hundred times. Even I have almost every line memorized.

  I drive to Rena’s to pick up Jinx. She crawls out of the house, coffee in one hand and a cigarette in the other. I hate smokers. Kissing one is like licking an ashtray.

  Before she gets into the car, I get out. I take the cigarette and flick it away into the snow. I realize now it’s marijuana and not tobacco. Just great.

  “What are you doing?” she says. “My head is killing me. It’s medicinal.”

  “No smoking anytime you’re with us, especially that stuff. Come on. I’ve got kids in the car.”

  “Oh my God, you’re a weed Nazi.” Her eyes are puffy and red either from crying or what’s she toking on.

  “You’re a hypocrite. Let’s go.”

  After her last attack on me, I let her get the door herself. She eases into the front seat, wincing like someone punched an icepic
k through her skull. I’ve had mornings like that, so I’m really enjoying watching her suffer. I also liked carrying her to the car. She weighs nothing, and the scent of tangerine in her hair drives me crazy.

  “Aren’t those girls a little young for you?” Jinx snarks when she sees them. “You don’t have any standards, do you?”

  I’d love to backhand her, but I don’t. “I’ve never had anyone slip me a roofy before.”

  “Is that what that was?” Jinx asks, holding her head and the bruise purpling her eye. She hasn’t had time to cover it with makeup.

  “Probably.”

  Zoe cranes her neck to see Jinx. “What are you talking about? You don’t look so good,” she says. “Are you on chemo?”

  Jinx turns around so slow she’s probably worried her head will unscrew if she moves too fast. “No.”

  Currie leans over and whispers to Zoe because she’s seen enough benders and their results to know what causes them.

  “Ooooh,” Zoe says. “I hear it’s fun until the next day. Was it fun last night?”

  Jinx slides down into the seat to disappear. She’s small enough she probably could. Instead of sleeping, the girls chatter the whole way, driving Jinx insane. She needs quiet to combat her demons right now, and she’s not getting any of that. Serves her right.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  JINX

  I’d like to gag the girls right now. They fastened their dolls down, like they could be hurt in an accident or something. I used to do that when I was little.

  Thank heaven, the dolls look nothing like the ones I’ve boxed up and keep at the top of my closet. I loved dolls when I was little, especially the porcelain ones Dad bought me. He also bought me Breyer horses. Iz, Gabby, Rena, and I all dreamt about having a real pony. Rena’s dad bought her one. We would go to the stables and ride until we all got tired of cleaning up poop.

  I’m glad Lennon picked me up at Rena’s instead of my house. Step-monster can be a handful when Mom’s not around. He does no wrong when she’s near, probably because she pays the bills. I sometimes think she married Step-monster to keep an eye on me while she’s traveling for work. When Dad was alive, she worked only part time.