The Perfect Distraction (Volume 1)

by Melissa Rolka

  The Perfect Distraction

  By Melissa Rolka

  Copyright ©2013 by Melissa Rolka

  All Rights Reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in whole or in part by any means.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events portrayed in this book are the product of the author’s imagination or are either fictitious or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Editor: Jenn Scranton

  Cover photo: Brooke Groelle/BEG Photography

  Cover Design: Heather J. Schuler

  Dedication

  For my loving husband and our beautiful, kind, talented and every changing children, Carter and Caroline. My life would not be fulfilled and meaningful without you and your love.

  The earlier you know yourself the easier life will be. After that distraction is gone and you can focus on everything else.

  ~ Unknown ~

  Prelude – Kyle

  I dribble the ball to the left and side step around Johnny to make a basket. Working up a sweat I pull my shirt up and rub my face. My hair is longer than usual and the strands that fall dripping with sweat into my eyes have me squinting. Johnny gets the ball and makes way towards the hoop and I quickly rip my shirt over my head. Blocking his shot I grab the ball and make my way to the hoop to dunk it.

  “Show off,” Johnny says with a playful smirk on his face.

  “Can’t help it if I’m that good,” I throw out over my shoulder as I grab my sport drink.

  We both sit down in the grass at the side of the driveway breathing heavily. I lay back and stretch out with the grass sticking to my back. I just got back from my first year away at college a couple weeks ago for summer break and already it’s creeping up into the nineties with humidity.

  “Wanna grab some lunch?” Johnny asks and I contemplate my answer before I tell him.

  “Nah, I’m going to eat here and then try to stop by Kate’s.” I know Johnny’s going to lay into me about being whipped any second now.

  “Shit, you still can’t shake her, can you? You’re whipped dude.” Yep there it is.

  “Fuck off, Johnny.” I shake my head because if he only knew that I have tried to shake Kate off. It’s damn near impossible.

  “What happened to that hot chick from the sorority house next to yours? Shit, that would make me forget Kate.”

  I huff out and laugh a little knowing that Johnny has always had a little thing for Kate, but not enough to stop himself with any other girls. Not that he even has a chance in hell. I’d have to kill him before I’d let him get close enough to her. God, the thought of Kate with anyone else at all has me grinding my teeth. I know this last school year she only kissed two other guys and I really can’t blame her considering how I left her. Fuck, the thought of those two pricks touching her causes my blood pressure to rise.

  “Same as all of them. Nothing there but a nice ass,” I say as I think of the girls I tried to mess around with or even date during this past year, my freshman year away at college. I really thought going away single was the way to do it. I thought I’d feel tied down if I stayed with Kate. I thought it would be better to play around. Boy, did I get that wrong. I can’t lie and say that I didn’t have fun messing around, but all throughout I knew I was missing something. That something is Kate.

  “Yea, well you really fucked up with Kate so you might as well keep hitting that. Plus, maybe I have a chance with Kate.” He raises his eyebrows at me. “Nobody has a better rack than her.”

  “Watch it, Johnny.” I punch him hard enough in the arm that he rubs it out.

  “Chill out, I’m just messin’ with ya.” I know he is, but I can’t stand anyone to talk about Kate’s chest or any other body parts, but me. Closing my eyes shut for a minute I remember the way her breasts felt under my hands. God damn, she has the best rack I’ve seen yet.

  “Yea, well don’t. Not about Kate. I can’t get her to even talk to me yet and I-I’m about to lose it.”

  “You’re just used to pushin’ her around and getting your way. Maybe she’s smartened up some and found someone else to fill her.” As he says this he gets up and moves up out of my way towards his car laughing with his hands up. “Just sayin’ dude.”

  “Swear to God, Johnny. You’ve got a death wish.” I stand up, but don’t bother to make my way towards him. I head over to the side door back into my house, but before I head in I hear Johnny.

  “Tonight? Nine? I’ll pick you up. Let’s find some tail dude. You need to get Kate off your mind.” Fat chance of that happening… but it’s worth a shot.

  “Yep,” I yell back over my shoulder before heading in the house.

  Quickly I eat some lunch and then jump in the shower. I scrub myself clean, fix my hair up and make sure that my breath and body smell just like she will remember … hopefully irresistible. I need her to melt in my hands like she used to. I don’t care if it takes me all summer. I already know I am going to have to be persistent mostly because I don’t think I’ll ever be able to shake Kate.

  Part I Freshman Year

  Chapter 1 - Kate

  I watch through the passenger mirror my childhood home slowly disappearing behind me. Brushing a strand of my hair off my cheek I blink back the stinging in my eyes. The summer has ended and I am headed up to Milwaukee to move into my dorm. I’ve never really been away from home other than for family vacations. It’s a strange feeling knowing that it will be a long stretch before I sleep in my bed again. Excitement, fear, and reservations run rapid through my body. I’m relieved that it is only about an hour and a half drive away. Growing up in the North Shore area outside of Chicago, I spent a lot of time at Lake Michigan and knowing that I will just be a little further north along the lake slows my pulse. I blink my eyes remembering this summer and an intense moment along the lake...

  It had been eight nights now since my brother and I had gone to bed with only our dad to say goodnight to us. My chest was tight and heavy each night as I lay in bed feeling anxious, worried and lonely. A piece of me felt far away. Tears leaked from my eyes, but I didn’t bother to wipe them. My pillow was wet night after night, never fully drying by the time the next night arrived.

  On the ninth day, though, I pushed the sadness back a little further and busied myself with anything and everything. I made dinners, helped Daniel with homework, did laundry and made sure the house stayed clean. Dad was weary and sorrow etched across his face permanently in those first days. He tried to cut back on his hours at work as much as he could. He was present, but mostly quiet at first.

  Time moved on and I graduated from high school. Dad insisted on a celebration even though I did not want to celebrate. The tension grew in our house. It felt like not even a sharp blade could slice through it. Then in midsummer, dad came home earlier than usual and took Daniel and me out to the lake. We walked for a long stretch with barely any words spoken. My dad could be quiet and reserved at times, but never in all my years had I seen him like this. He stopped walking, rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, and then ran his hands up through his hair. Daniel was kicking a rock relentlessly between his feet not really paying attention, but I looked up at my dad’s face and saw the moisture in the creases at his eyes. I swallowed hard and held my breath for a moment. Pushing back the swell I felt growing in my throat I straightened myself and reached out to hold my dad’s hand. He pulled Daniel to us and hugged us both tightly. The next several minutes, or maybe it was an hour, blurred by. I heard without really hearing. My dad assured us things would be okay and that our lives would not stop. En
couragingly he reminded me that I especially had a big year coming up. I vaguely remember interrupting him to tell him that I wouldn’t go away this year. Throughout the summer I told him I wanted to stay home, but he wouldn’t hear of it, and when the time came I couldn’t deny that I was partly excited and ready to start a new chapter of my life.

  That day at the lake changed the atmosphere in our house. The three of us became a team. Dad opened up tremendously and was more involved in our lives than before if that was even possible. He tried to get me to open up, but I didn’t, I just couldn’t. He never forced me to though. Instead I took to increasing my running and tennis time. I kept our focus on getting me ready for college avoiding what was deeply rooted in the back of my mind.

  I had always enjoyed running, but tennis was really my thing. After the loneliness set in tennis became crucial. I’d play every chance I could get, but now I added running into my mix. It is a different level of intensity, and the relief it provides me proves to be therapeutic. I love my time running along Lake Michigan and knowing the lake will be waiting for me up at college causes a small smile to stretch across my lips.

  My dad pats my leg interrupting my memory and smiles at me in an assuring way. He glances up at the rearview mirror to see Daniel engrossed in his iPod with his headphones on. Daniel turned twelve over the summer and that makes me feel a little better about going. He doesn’t need as much supervision and dad has added some responsibilities for him to handle. It feels strange and foreign to be happy about going to school. Part of me still feels guilty about going. Dad does his best on his pep talk, but I know he will miss me around, too. A lot has changed for our family and it’s hard for me to hide my sorrow … and anger, but I do and I do it well. I know exactly how to keep myself distracted. I’m good at avoiding and pushing these feelings to the back of my mind. I bite down on the bottom corner of my lip and quickly shift my mind to thoughts of life at college.

  I am relieved that I have at least one friend that I met while on the campus tour with my dad this summer. Maggie Wilson is paler with deep green eyes and long wavy hair that is almost black. Her curves fit her short figure proportionally. Her lips are naturally pouty with a tint of redness to them. There is no question as to why several eyes shift to peek at Maggie. Aside from her good looks, she has a strong personality that shows confidence. She is not afraid to say it like it is, but this does not take away from her genuine sweetness. She is still unsure of her major, but is thinking about education. After the tour we exchanged all our information and kept in contact all summer long. I never opened up to her about my reservations about going away because of my current family situation, but I get the sense that she is trustworthy and will be my closest friend. Knowing we are moving in the same day, we agreed to meet up later after unpacking. Unfortunately, we are not in the same dormitory.

  In comparison, I, Katherine Rose Monroe, am tall and have a boyish figure, although I was blessed with a solid C cup. My legs are long and lean, which has made it difficult to find the right jeans at times. My height came in early and my breasts developed late, which made for an awkward time. My eyes are brown with a tint of yellow lining throughout them and my hair is long, straight and blond. My skin is pretty flawless with an olive complexion. I was unnoticed by the boys until my sophomore year in high school. My dad was always grateful for this and honestly it didn’t bother me. The difference between Maggie and me is like night and day. When I’m next to Maggie I’m never quite sure if I’ve had some glances my way too. I wouldn’t say I carry a confidence like Maggie, but I try to remember that I am responsible for how life turns out because I make my own decisions… whether they are bad or good. My mom taught me this, as well as that I always have the ability to change the bad into good. Recently those words of wisdom do not hold as heavily as they used to. My outlook on life has changed. Knowingly, I haven’t figured out how to process the recent changes with my family other than keeping myself busy, distracted. One thing is certain though… it has changed me. Time will tell. I cringe remembering the countless times my mom would say time will tell, honey.

  I tend to be more reserved and shy, especially with boys. It’s not that I haven’t had a boyfriend before; in fact, I was in a serious relationship that I thought was the love of my life for almost two years. I would say that my physical experience is limited and has been more on the safe side. I have had sex, but I waited twenty months and two days. That relationship left me brokenhearted and it felt like almost too much to bear since I had slept with him. Kyle, Kyle Ross, the star basketball player, was a year older than me and had decided he wanted to go away to college without a girlfriend. Having had enough distance from the relationship I made a decision that I want to start my freshman year single. I want to start new and that means not having a boyfriend. Maybe even have fun dating around. This does not mean sleeping around though.

  I’m not sure I’ve ever really gotten over Kyle and I’m still learning how to deal with things ending. The same goes for my mom leaving. I shut down in a way and as I think of this I wonder if I learned this from my mom. Maybe that is what happened to her. I don’t like to confront the big issues and in turn find ways to keep myself distracted. I’m good at keeping myself busy and use it as a form of therapy. Between tennis, running, helping out at my dad’s offices and reading, I feel I keep myself level headed… and avoid dealing with my emotions.

  Once we arrive at my dorm we load everything up to my room. One half of the room is already in order. Dad offers for him and Daniel to stay and help me unpack, but I want to do it on my own. I can tell my dad is hesitant to leave me, but I feel confident. I have always been close with my dad, but since my mom left things are stronger between us. More to assure him than me I tell him that I am eager to get settled and make friends. This causes a grin to land on his sophisticated face and relaxes his shoulders. I tell him that I will be fine and will call him later. Dad and I hug, but Daniel shrugs my hug off with a carefree smirk on his face, which actually makes the goodbye much easier on me. After shutting the door I move to the box with my bedding and start unpacking.

  ******

  After I am all settled in my dorm room I sit on my bed and throw my legs up. Leaning back I smile with satisfaction at this independent milestone. I decide to text Maggie eager to meet up with her.

  Hi, have u settled in yet? Kate

  Yep, I’m just about done. Some of us from my floor are headed to Angie’s on Main for pizza @ 630. Can u meet me there? Mags

  Sounds good! I’ll see u in a few. Kate

  I sit at my desk and realize I haven’t had a chance to meet anyone else on my floor yet except a brief encounter with my roommate, Quinn Danner. She is a petite brown haired mousy looking girl. She really is cute as a button. She definitely looks and sounds like she may have been captain of the cheerleading squad and Homecoming Queen. I’m not sure she would have been my first choice for a roommate, but it could be a lot worse.

  Quinn walks back in our room from the hall and sits at her desk across from me. She begins looking at herself in the oval shaped mirror at her desk. Playing with her hair she turns to me, “So what do you want to do tonight? I met some of the others on the floor and a couple of the guys down the hall want us to all go out. They were super-hot, too!”

  I smile at her with my head tilted to the side because I am amused at how fast she can talk. “Well, I actually just made plans with a girl I met at orientation to meet up for pizza at 6:30.” Just to be courteous I add, “If you want to come with, you could.”

  “I’m going to stick around here, but you better come find me after. I’m telling you, there are some real hotties here! Wait, do you have a boyfriend?”

  “Nope, single.”

  “Phew, good thing because if we just get a little more makeup on you and add some curl to your hair, we could be quite the package deal around here.”

  All I can do is laugh at her and shake my head. I am not looking to draw any extra attention or more importan
tly, a reputation. I realize quickly that this is probably not the case for Quinn. In high school I was more reserved and shy. I didn’t really have a strong group of friends until my senior year. This was because I was with Kyle for pretty much all of my sophomore and junior year. Kyle took up most of my time and he really didn’t like me to go out without him anyway.

  Before I head out to meet up with Maggie, I make an appearance in the hall. Quinn makes a point to introduce me to several people. I notice she says a lot of “Oh my God’s”, “No waaays” and “likes” as she flips her hair. She also isn’t afraid to cozy up to the boys with as much physical contact as possible. I slip away towards the elevators without her even noticing.

  Once in the elevator, I pull out my phone and send my dad a quick text letting him know that I’m unpacked and I am headed out for pizza. He quickly replies and tells me he misses me already. Another text comes through.

  How did the move go? Thinking of you. Kyle

  I decide to ignore the text for now. It’s my first day here and I don’t want to think about Kyle. Come to think of it I’ve barely thought of Kyle all day until now. It’s a nice change.

  Chapter 2

  I arrive at Angie’s Pizza a few minutes early and wait in the entrance way. Angie’s is in an all brick building and the tables have the red and white checkered tablecloths on them. I search around inside, but don’t see her. Just as I am about to sit down on a bench to wait, I see a group approaching and immediately see Maggie’s smile. Once she enters with the group the noise level increases with laughter and conversations. Maggie gives me a big hug and says, “Kate this is great, I can’t believe we’re here!”

  “I know me neither! Is your roommate here? How is she?”