by Bonde, Ava
The Slut
By Ava Bonde
Copyright 2013 Ava Bonde
All Rights Reserved
Chapter 1: Sometime
I’M A SLUT. So says my short skirt, my dyed hair, and my makeup. Drink up dudes, because this is just me walking the walk. YOLO, have your fun now because the clock is running out, right?
Course, I barely even kissed a boy.
Sean under the bleachers, we did the tongue dance, but it didn’t stop him from telling EVERYBODY I went straight to home plate. They believed it too, why would the girl with purple hair not be the slut? I swore off so much as kissing anyone else as long as I was in this stupid high school. Besides, at this point I was 18 and almost ready to graduate. They were all beneath me.
I might need to reconsider though. It’s not so bad, making out, not with the right guy. And maybe I was having that thought because I was staring right at lips I wanted to kiss. That’s what a slut would do. He was watching too, he knew, he had to know. I smiled, looking at his uniform.
I glanced up again at the boy sitting across from me. I don’t know why but I did that thing I always do, twirling my hair a little, smiling. Slutty stuff, you know, letting my legs open a little bit too far. I touched my neck, and I looked at his buzz cut and how his hair was so perfect and straight. He was dark skinned and in full uniform, one of the ROTC students. More importantly, he was hot hot HOT. They had their own little portable buildings on campus where they learned to be good little air force kid soldiers. Gotta start the brainwashing early.
“You don’t have to do that, you know.”
I snapped my eyes up, catching his.“Do what?”
“You’re a pretty girl. You don’t have to act like that to get attention.”
I snapped my legs shut, trying to turn away. My eyes stayed on him though, taking in his tan uniform, his perfectly shined boots, and the nametag on his chest. Jake Stone. He didn’t know me, but I’d heard of him. 18 years old, senior, top in class. He was probably there for some goodie two shoes bullshit. That’s not why I was outside the Principals room.
“Pppppfffffftttt”I replied, letting the sound sputter out of my pink lips. Stupid boy, just like all the others. Unfortunately, I was rudely interrupted twenty seconds into my epic blowoff when Principal Clark popped his head out.“Get in here right now Katie.”
“Another time then, Katie.”The boy said from the other side of the hall, grinning wide. I wanted to wipe his smile right off his face, but I had other music to face. I flipped him the bird instead and walked into the big room.
“This time we’re expelling you. One week, and you’ll be lucky if we let you back in.”The Principal started in.
I knew exactly what he was talking about. Stupid Meg and her stupid boyfriend and her stupid big mouth. I snuck in one drink, one little bottle of Malibu rum stolen from my stepdad’s cabinet. That’s what the slut would do, she’d do things like that and nobody would care. Tried to share, but Meg went straight to the teacher about it. She’s probably some bitter little ice queen and I bet her boyfriend wishes he could date the slut instead. They ratted me out so fast I barely had a buzz. Like she was any better, I’d seen her smoke with the boys behind the gym. Put a cross on and now she’s Jesus.
“Get out of my office, wait outside, I’m calling your mother.”
Like mom cared. She hadn’t cared in seventeen years and she wouldn’t care now. I was back in the chair and staring back at Jake in no time flat, blowing my cheeks out like a chipmunk.
“I knew you couldn’t stay away.”He said, grinning.
“Shouldn’t you be off playing with your joystick?”
He shrugged.“Is that all you think about?”
“Nope. Sometimes I sleep.”
“Beauty rest, right?”
“You think I wake up looking like this?”I said giggling.
“I actually do.”
A long uncomfortable silence built up between us. I finally broke it.“You’re nice.”
“And I bet you’re bad, huh?”Jake replied, teeth flashing.
“Bad for you.”
“You’re good at pretending. Ever thought about joining drama club?”The grin was only widening.
“Blow me.”I said, my tongue out.
“What else are you good at?”He asked, cocking his head to the side.
A slut has to keep up appearances, even one who only ever kissed a boy.
“Sex.”
“Is that all?”
“Piano…”I said, looking down at the floor. Dad used to play piano with me, back before…
“I play guitar, and bass.”Jake said.
“What, no trumpet?”
“Thought that was your thing.”Jake said grinning.
“Don’t get any ideas…”I said, smiling back.
“I can see right through you.”
The words shook me. He could see through my facade…I turned away, trying not to lock eyes again. Principal Clark popped back out of his office.“She’ll be here in a few minutes, if I were you Katie, I’d think about how you’re going to explain yourself. Mr. Stone, please, come in.”
Mr. Clark disappeared back into the door. Jake took a moment shuffling in his bag before standing up and walking past. His foot kicked my chair lightly, hand flicking a small piece of paper toward my lap.
“Call me sometime.”Jake said quietly, still in motion.
“Sometime is a stupid name.”I replied, listening to his chuckle as the door clicked shut behind him.
Chapter 2: Soon
The look on my mother’s face could have turned a lesser girl to stone. She wasn’t happy, and especially hated the fact I’d stolen liquor from my stepdad. Screw him though, he was a stupid alcoholic. Didn’t stop her from grounding me for the whole week. She didn’t take away my phone, thank god. I didn’t have many minutes left to talk, but I sure could text.
Oh boy could I could text.
“You up Sometime?”
I hit send, my finger tingling as I hit the button. I hadn’t felt this way in a long time. Not since Sean, maybe not since even before that. Jake wasn’t like everyone else, he seemed to see right through me.
“Sure. What’s up?”
“Still stuck in my room. Save me?”
“Sure, let me get my don’t shoot me hoodie.”
I giggled. We’d been at this for days, just chatting back and forth. Jake was my almost-boyfriend.
“You get the mp3s?”I asked. He was quick to reply.“Yeah, listen with me?”
It wasn’t long before my room throbbed quietly with the sounds of Massive Attack’s Mezzanine. We’d been sharing music back and forth for days, trying out each other’s favorites. I imagined him across town listening to the same tracks, letting the sound move him like it was moving me. This had always been one of my favorites, it set a mood, it was sexy, it was slut music.
“Got a surprise for you. Look out the window.”
I stared at the phone, the throb of music pulsing through me. Out the window? What in the hell? My fingers pierced the blinds, giving me a view of the street below. Bathed in the streetlights was a dark colored mustang convertible, and Jake was in the driver’s seat, waving.
“You coming?”My phone asked, the light glowing in the darkness. I glanced over at the clock. 11:22 PM, mom would kill me if she found out. My fingers didn’t hesitate, lifting the window open and popping out the screen. Quietly I scampered out onto the lawn, making my way out to the street and jumping into the car. What mom didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.
“My hero…”I said, smiling.
“Anything for m’lady.”Jake said, leaning back and throwing the car into first gear, laun
ching us down the cul-de-sac.
“This is a pretty awesome surprise.”I whispered, trying to put on my seatbelt as we barreled around a corner.
“This isn’t the surprise yet. I got something special.”
“I can’t be gone long.”I whispered, thinking about how many ways mom would punish me if she caught on…
“We won’t. Trust me.”
I did trust him.
I trusted him as we drifted along the quiet highway 87 North out of Mesa, and I trusted him as we found ourselves on a dirt road into the desert.
“Where are we going?”I finally asked, bouncing in my seat. This little mustang wasn’t meant for offroad duty.
“You’ll see, I told you, it’s a surprise.”
There wasn’t a whole lot to look at. The moon wasn’t out and the dark desert stretched off forever. I strained my eyes against the ink but in the end it was best just to look out at the sliver illuminated by the headlights.
“Almost there.”Jake whispered, his hand landing on me. It was the first time he’d touched me. Sure, we’d been flirting for days, but this was…Nice. I was still in my nightie, a little pink silk dress, and his skin felt good on my bare thigh just below the lacy edge. I let out a little sigh.
Jake came to a slow stop, flipping the lights off and shutting down the engine. Silence filled the car as he opened the convertible top. The dry cool air of the open desert filled my lungs as I stared up at the sky. Jake leaned his seat back and I took my cue, leaning my seat back a bit as well. Jake’s hand was still on my thigh making my insides burn. Did he know how he made me feel? Could he? Maybe I really was the slut.
“You wanted to show me stars?”I said, giggling. There weren’t many stars over Phoenix, the city lights drowned them out, and we weren’t far enough away from town to get away from that problem. Even here the sky glowed faintly.
“No, better. Just wait.”Jake replied, giving my thigh a little squeeze. I reached across, putting my hand on his thigh and matching his squeeze. It felt good, two friends staring at the sky, maybe even something more…
“What’s that?”I whispered.
A low sound was moving in, almost like the growl of a tiger. It was constant and menacing.
“You’ll see…”
I looked over at Jake’s smiling face, waiting as the growl grew fiercer. It was as if a huge animal was approaching. I’d never heard anything like this before in my life. My whole body was vibrating as the sound grew, the thumping growl turning into a frightening roar of sound. I shivered, my fingertips gripping Jake’s jeans tightly as the car shook, and suddenly, the beast was on us.
“A helicopter?”I said incredulously as the green beast sailed straight over the car, skimming close to the ground.
“Apache Longbow, they build em out here and test fly at night. Shh, another one’e coming.”
My whole body shook as the second Apache flew over so close I could almost reach out and touch it. My belly tingled and vibrated to the pulse of the rotors, and I could feel something pleasant a little lower. A puff of downdraft blew my hair over my face, leaving me flushed red.
“Should be four more.”Jake said as the growl faded.
I leaned over, pressing into Jake’s chest, listening to the pounding of his heart and the thrumming of the approaching Apaches. My fingertips held his thigh tightly, and I looked up, his face barely illuminated in the darkness as the shudders of sound washed over us again.
And I kissed him.
And it felt like the first real kiss of my life.
Sure, I’d kissed Sean under the bleachers but this was different. My whole body shuddered as my lips explored his. I didn’t know what I was doing but his tongue seemed to figure it out, sliding its way into my mouth. I wasn’t trying to go this far, not yet, but my lips were winning the battle against my mind.Feels good down here, don’t stop now…My fingers had their own ideas, tracing up his muscular leg, going higher, and higher, and…
Jake pushed me off.
Everything vibrated, every single inch of me. My heart beat louder than the blades of the Apaches blasting past our little convertible.
“I didn’t bring you out here to make out.”
“You’re doing a bad job of it.”I said, smiling and leaping forward again, locking lips before he pressed be back into my seat once more.
“It’s ok Jake, I want to…”
I tried to lean back in, my hands grasping, but he pushed me away for a final time.“We have all the time in the world for that…I promised I’d have you home before they noticed you were gone.”
The last Apache roared above us, rolling past at speed. I pouted. What was wrong with him? Didn’t he like me? I’d just experienced the best couple minutes of my life and Jake had pushed me away…
It wasn’t long before we were creeping back up the cul-de-sac I lived on with the lights out. I stepped out of the car shakily, looking back at Jake as he smiled.“Will I see you again, Sometime?”I asked, laughing quietly.
“Soon.”He replied.
Chapter 3: Late
What is hisproblem? I practically threw myself at Jake and he shut me down hard. My week of expulsion ended and I spent my time stomping around home and school like a tornado as days ticked off the calendar. Jake hadn’t called, and I hadn’t run into him at school either.
He must be gay or something. I thought to myself, very annoyed. Of course, it was just about then that I realized I was acting EXACTLY like the kind of girl people assumed I was......
“Hey slut, where you been?”
Sean stepped into the way, standing there with a big shit eating grin. Rumor spreader, jackass, big dumb stupid face.
“Go away Sean.”I said angrily, trying to get past him. The period bell would ring any minute.
“C’mon babe, I just want a little bit.”He said, sweeping in to grab me. The hall had emptied, students off in classes as the bell rang singsong notes. Sean groped me hard as I tried to shout, his hand coming over hard on my face, blocking my mouth.
“What’s the matter, no love for your boyfriend you slut? Still think it was ok to turn me down?”He said.
I had to do something, anything. I opened my mouth slightly, then bit down HARD.
“You stupid bitch!”Sean said, tackling me to the ground. Shouting and hollering brought out the teachers, and sure enough, my math teacher was there again to see the whole thing. The slut and a boy rolling around on the floor between classes. He didn’t even give me a chance to speak as he sent Sean off to his class and dragged me down to the principal’s office once again. Nobody cared what I had to say. I was the slut, and it must be my fault.
Mom didn’t care either. I’d been caught trying to have sex in a hallway to hear her tell it. Totally expelled. No coming back this time. Nobody wanted“the slut”around. I’d be lucky if I could get into an online high school at this point. It wasn’t fair. Worse yet, the one person in the world I knew would believe me wasn’t answering the phone!
Soon wasn’t soon enough.
Impatience gave way to anger, then sadness, and just when I was about to write the jerk off forever, the phone rang.
“Where the hell have you been?!?”I practically shouted.
“I’m sorry…”The voice came back, smooth and quiet.“I’m out of state for a funeral.”
“Oh god…”I whispered, all the anger caught in my throat.
“My grandmother, she was something special.”
I was silent, everything I wanted to say disappearing. Sure, things had been bad, but this was on a whole other level.
“I heard about what happened at school, Katie.”
“It’s not what you think!”I said, practically shouting into the phone.
“I know exactly what it is. Did he hurt you?”
Oh god, he knows…He believes in me…
I sobbed. I was embarrassed, upset, broken, and yet, he believed in me. To one person in the world, I wasn’t the slut. I was more…
I was Jake�
��s girlfriend.
“He didn’t hurt me…I’m ok. Just, come back soon. I need to see you.”
Jake was quiet, but I could almost hear his smile.
“I’ll be back soon buttercup, you just hang in there. I have another surprise for you…”
“Another surprise? How are you supposed to do better than kisses in the desert under military attack helicopters?”I said, giggling, my happiness returning.
“You’ll see soon enough. Wait for me.”
Chapter 4: Waiting
Waiting is the worst. It’s like being in the middle of a dark room hoping somebody will turn the lights on. Days passed. My time with Jake had only intensified the teasing at school. Everyone was buzzing about me again, someone had seen me hanging out with the“black guy”, and now there was joke after joke about how a slut has no problems going back.
And I didn’t care.
Teens never knew when to quit, they just had to keep on picking. I didn’t care because I had someone who really cared about me. Someone who didn’t listen to all the bullshit. I stormed through the halls going from class to class without looking anyone in the eyes. To hell with all of them. I didn’t need anyone. All I needed was...
“Katie?”
I knew the voice, but I couldn’t have expected my body’s reaction. I spun, my knees buckling as he caught me, tears welling up in my eyes. It was the end of the day, the only thing left was to walk outside to my crappy car and go home. Now, the whole world had stopped. I didn’t care how long I stood there or how many people were snickering as they walked by. Jake held me, stronger than anyone ever had. I was complete.
“About that surprise.”Jake said. I looked up at his dark smiling face, pressing myself into him harder.“Are you ready to go?”He whispered.
“Take me...”I replied breathlessly.
We walked to his car, my weight leaning into him. I barely even got inside the mustang before I attacked him, leaning over the console to pull his lips to my own. He tasted like heaven, our tongues dancing. I knew the scene was drawing a crowd in the parking lot but nothing mattered outside of this car. Jake reached up and gripped my hair with both hands, pulling me into the kiss even harder, pain tingling from my scalp as we made out for what felt like hours. Jake wanted me, I wanted him. I needed him...
