The Perfect Distraction (Volume 1)

by Melissa Rolka

  It’s mid-October and I drag Maggie, Kelly and Jenna with me to play tennis one early evening at the gym on the west side of campus. Kelly actually has caught on really quick, but Maggie and Jenna are still goofing around for the most part. We begin to head out and are full of giggles as Maggie tells us about the newest stalker, (really it’s just another guy interested in her). As we are turning the corner to head down the ramp back out onto campus, I literally bump right into someone.

  It’s a guy and he has to grab me by the shoulders to keep from knocking me over, but my tennis racket still manages to slip off my shoulder onto the floor. “Shit, I’m sorry,” he says. As I straighten myself up and look up I see Blue Eyes staring back at me. Now I’m just speechless. I cannot find my voice, which is just making this more awkward. He looks even better than he did the first night I saw him at Marco’s party. He is in a white Nike t-shirt and black running shorts. He has a tennis racket slung over one of his shoulders too. He runs his hand through his hair and in a smooth voice I hear, “Are you okay?”

  As I bend down to pick up my racket I finally am able to speak. “Oh, yea, I’m fine, sorry I wasn’t paying attention”. For more emphasis that I am ok, I give him a slight smile.

  I start to stand back up with my racket back on my shoulder. All the while our eyes are locked and my mouth may be open. With a wink he says, “Good, I’d hate to have hurt you. Looks like I’ll see you around.”

  I turn on my heel to head to the girls who are just a few feet ahead waiting for me. I don’t dare turn around because I know I am red with embarrassment. Already I am trying to process what he meant by his last comment. I’m also trying to regulate my breathing … I really find him so … gorgeous. The girls are staring at me open mouthed.

  “You know who that is, don’t you?” Maggie asks with her hands on her hips. God, the girl has been blessed with some curvy hips.

  Before I can answer Jenna speaks up, “Did you see how he was looking at her?”

  Kelly looks as clueless as I do. “Well, who is he?” I ask.

  We are now walking outside on campus and the sun is just about to set. Maggie is fanning herself and says, “That’s Reed Harper, he’s a junior and lives with Marco and some of the other soccer players. He doesn’t play soccer though. He is soooo yummy looking! I think he knows it though and has a reputation on campus.”

  “Oh, I remember him at the party our first weekend and especially his blue eyes…” I trail off and lose track of my thoughts.

  “Kate, that is no good for you, stay clear! I’ve heard stories from Marco and even my brother. You are too wholesome for him. Trust me.”

  “Hey, what is that supposed to mean!” They all look at me and laugh.

  Kelly even says, “Kate, you are pretty innocent.” Seriously, this coming from the girl who hasn’t even kissed a boy since we’ve been here.

  As we approach Main Street, we wait for the light to change and begin to cross the street over to the Union to grab a bite and coffee before going to the library. I’ve linked arms with Maggie and state proudly, “I’ve kissed a few boys since we got here AND I’ve kissed Derek three times now! That’s not so innocent.” Now turning to face Kelly, I add, “And whatever Kelly. You are more innocent than me at this point.”

  Kelly giggles and says, “Wait, this isn’t a competition to see who is the least innocent … is it?”

  Jenna chimes in, “If that’s the case I think Maggie and I are winning!”

  We are all laughing as we head down the stairs to the cafeteria. We break up to grab what we want. I get a coffee with a flavored hazelnut creamer and a power bar. Once we check out and head into find a table we see Derek with the other guys. Brandon is there giving Maggie a devilish grin. They have definitely done more than just kiss. We all sit at the table next to them and it doesn’t take long before Derek moves his chair over to sit by me. I don’t feel awkward next to him, but I’m not sure I feel enough of anything beyond friendship with him either. I get the sense he’d like to see if there is more, but to be honest my mind is occupied by Blue Eyes at the moment.

  “Did you just play tennis?” He asks.

  “Yea, I got all of them to come and play actually. It was pretty entertaining.” I smile at him and begin to open up my power bar.

  “Is that your dinner?” He looks horrified.

  “For now, I don’t have time for one tonight and besides you know how I feel about the cafeteria food, yuck.” I make a look of disgust and stick my tongue out. He rolls his eyes at me and then I can see him pondering this. His brown eyes begin to shift, almost avoiding mine.

  “Well, I guess you are just going to have to let me take you out for dinner one night. How about Friday night?” He rattles this off so quickly it takes me off guard for a moment. He doesn’t stutter, but I can tell he is nervous.

  I don’t want to lead him on, but I really do enjoy his company. As he is looking at me full of hope and I see this adorable smile stretch across his lips I can’t think of a reason not to. After another second I say, “Sure, I’d like that. How about 7:30?”

  After we settle on the time and that he will come to my dormitory to get me our conversation is back to our normal banter and chit chat. We talk about our classes and our mid-term tests coming up. I look over and Maggie is sitting next to Brandon, well actually she is on his lap. An idea comes to me …

  I lean over to Derek and say, “Maybe we should see if Brandon and Maggie want to come out with us on Friday night too.”

  I see a slight disappointment in his eyes, but he doesn’t miss a beat and says, “Sure that sounds like a great idea.” Maggie is now back in her own chair which gives Derek the opportunity to ask Brandon. Before we leave for the library it is all settled and I find myself relieved that Maggie and Brandon are joining us Friday night.

  Chapter 5

  The rest of the week seems to fly by. I’m sticking to my routine and I feel like that helps me stay focused and distracted. I don’t have any more encounters with Blue Eyes, aka Reed Harper. I’m not sure if I’m relieved or a little disappointed. Friday is here and I have a good four hours until my double date.

  I decide to call my dad and check in at home. My little brother, Daniel, answers and we talk for about ten minutes. He’s a really good kid. Good at tennis, better than me. Of course Dad had him playing baseball since he was a little squirt, too. He explains that Dad won’t be home until after eight tonight because of a work meeting and that he is getting picked up soon to go to a friend’s house. Before we hang up he tells me that Kyle called earlier in the week to get my numbers. I tell him I love him before we hang up feeling a little tightness in my throat because I know that he has to be hurting a little, but we never talk about it. I never ask if they’ve heard from mom. I just don’t want to deal with it, so I bury it down and don’t talk about it. My dad never pushes me. He has handled it really well and always puts his focus on us. He made sure that he got Daniel therapy and he goes weekly. I was offered the same, but it was my decision and I turned it down. I have my own form of therapy. Once Kyle broke things off with me I started to run a few times a week, and then when mom left I started running five times a week. Of course I also played tennis, which has also helped with my self-treatment of therapy.

  Just thinking about these painful moments in my life makes me want to run. So that’s exactly what I decide to do. I take a bus down to the lake because it’s a beautiful day. I think about Kyle and feel tightness in my chest. Although a lot of time has passed, it is still painful. I just know I don’t want to go back there or back to being that girl. Kyle had a way of dictating and ruling my life. I manage to get in a four mile run. I’ve done longer runs than this, but I don’t have time today.

  Sure enough, as I am about walk back into my dorm room, my cell phone vibrates with a call from Kyle. I ignore it and send it to voicemail. As I open the door, I see Quinn doing her nails on the floor. Things are working out good enough with her, but she can be a little much at
times. I find that small doses of her make it manageable. As predicted she has created quite the reputation and it started that first night before I went to Angie’s for pizza. Rumors floated around our floor and she backed most of them up to me at night before bed. The girl definitely kisses and tells. I know she has also made out with several guys while at Marco’s. It dawns on me as I am remembering her telling me about some of those make-out sessions that she said she really has her eyes on Reed Harper. At the time the name meant nothing (now if she would have said Blue Eyes I would definitely have known who she was talking about), but now I know exactly who Reed Harper is. A twinge of jealousy sweeps through me. I quickly push this feeling from my mind and try to concentrate on the fast talking Quinn.

  I sit down at my desk and start to comb my hair out because it is tangled from the run. As usual Quinn does most of the talking and I do most of the listening, but honestly I don’t mind. She tells me that some guy Kyle called for me and sounded hot. Seriously, how does someone sound hot? But I guess she’s right because Kyle is hot. She continues to ramble on about her plans for the evening and what boys she will see. Then she mentions that Marco is having another party and that I better show up or at least that’s the quick version. Typical of Quinn she never asks what my plans are for the night and I don’t feel the need to share them.

  I pick out a cute jean skirt and t-shirt to wear that night. It is definitely getting colder at night, so I decide to bring a hoodie with for later. Quinn is in a very short floral skirt and backless tank. She leaves before I do and kisses me on the cheek before she heads out. I still have a half hour before they get here.

  Seeing as I have time, I decide to lie down on my bed and before long I am thinking about my plans for tomorrow with hopes of getting a morning run in with Kelly and then heading to the gym with the indoor tennis courts. I’ve been pretty lucky when I go to find a random to play a set or two. Then come back for a shower and get ready to spend the rest of the day in the library. I have mid-terms this coming week that I want to be ready for. I’ve always had good grades, but I’ve had to work really hard for them. Then I start thinking about what this date with Derek means… I really am trying not to overanalyze like I normally do. I definitely like him, but I’m not sure to what extent.

  ******

  I get off the elevator and see Maggie in the lobby. Wow, she looks hot. Hmmm, I wonder if she has more of a thing for Brandon than I had thought. The girl always looks good, but she has outdone herself tonight. She has a black tight dress on with strappy black heels. Her hair is down and heavy with waves. Her lips are full and have red lipstick on them that emphasize her natural poutiness. I guess if I really thought about how opposite we look I could feel insecure, but I don’t and I feel good with the way I dress. Once Maggie sees me she moves towards me and we give each other a hug. We are huggers.

  We head out and Derek is standing against a car and Brandon is in the driver seat. Maggie pinches my side and whispers that Derek is excited about tonight. I just give her a closed mouth smile and rub the pain on my side. Once I get to the car Derek opens the back door for me and tells me that I look good. He also gives me a soft kiss on the cheek. I’m checking my internal reactions to him and still no butterflies. He tells me that we are going to a restaurant on the river. I find that I am now nervous because I get the feeling that Derek has more expectations than I do. The remainder of the ride is quiet in the back, but Brandon and Maggie are talking up a storm in the front.

  Once we are in the restaurant I feel much more comfortable because the four of us are back to our normal banter and chit chat. Brandon ends up having a fake I.D. and orders a pitcher of beer. Our waiter is young and probably goes to our college, so he never cards the rest of us. The beer definitely helps my nerves. I only have a couple glasses because I do not want a repeat of our first night at Marco’s. I never threw up, but the spins and the headache the next day are fresh in my mind. We finish up dinner by 9:15. Before we head out, Maggie and I head to the bathroom.

  “So you and Brandon are really touchy feely?” We are standing at the mirrors looking at ourselves and putting on our lipstick.

  Maggie rolls her eyes. “Yea, I do like him, but I’m not sure I want a boyfriend yet. He’s a really good kisser and pretty good at some other stuff, if you know what I mean.” She winks at me through the mirror. “To be honest, I don’t think he would want a girlfriend either.”

  I raise my eyebrows and glare at her because even though I haven’t known Maggie for long, I get her. “Maggie, just admit that you like being a little bit of a player and having all your admirers chasing you around campus.” I’m now giggling.

  “Well, what about Derek? You know he is really into you. I definitely think he wants to be exclusive.” Those words freeze me up for a minute.

  “I’m just not sure I feel that. I mean I definitely like him, but beyond kissing and the friendship … I don’t want to hurt him though.” I pause for a moment and decide to tell her a little about Kyle because I can’t completely shake him from my mind knowing he called earlier. He tried several times to reconnect with me over the summer, but I kept my distance. I’m a little shocked to be honest that he still is reaching out and it is unsettling. “It’s tough because I had a serious boyfriend in high school, but he broke my heart before my senior year. Kyle was my world for almost two years and I believed everything he told me. He broke up with me right before he went away for college because he wanted to be single. I was blindsided. I didn’t handle it well. I dated a couple other guys, but kept it very casual and made sure I was single before I left to come here …” I start to feel like tears might prick my eyes thinking about something my mom told me about absence making the heart grow fonder. But the truth is I never heard from Kyle all of senior year. Of course I hoped his heart would grow fonder and that he would want me back. This past summer he started calling me and coming around, but I was hurt, angry and now dealing with the absence of my mom. He claimed to want me back. I can’t lie that I didn’t feel some satisfaction throwing his own words back in his face that I wanted to start my freshman year single. There is too much pain from when he left me. I’ve never talked to Maggie about my mom and she never asks. I really appreciate that. I blink a few times to push back the tears. “I just don’t think I want anything serious, ya know?”

  Maggie moves to put an arm around my shoulders, and since she is in heels she could reach me. “Oh Kate, I see you holding back all the time. You keep yourself so grounded. It’s ok if you don’t want anything more than what you are doing right now. Derek is a really great guy, but that doesn’t mean you should settle.”

  I straighten up and smile a full teeth smile at Maggie through the mirror and say, “Alright enough of this sappy stuff let’s have us a fun Friday night!”

  Derek and Brandon are waiting by the doors for us. Maggie makes some comment about whether they are finally ready or not. Brandon just rolls his eyes at us and says that he has three sisters and is used to waiting on girls to be ready. Derek puts his arm around my waist as we walk outside. It is still a nice night out, but I put my hoodie on. We decide to walk down to the river for a bit and we all joke with each other. As we are about to head back to campus we agree to split up once we get back because Maggie had told Kelly and Jenna we would meet them at Marco’s. The guys have plans to go to a fraternity party on the other side of campus.

  Once we get back on campus and park Brandon’s car, we walk until it is time to split up. Derek pulls me aside and tells me that he had a good time. I thank him for dinner and tell him I had fun too. He brings me in for a hug and a little part of me feels a twinge of guilt. He whispers in my ear, “I definitely want to see you again later. Are you sure you’re ok with splitting up now?”

  “Of course, we can all meet up again later.” I start to pull away from the hug, but he reaches up with his hand to my face and kisses me. I let him and again I don’t feel butterflies. As a matter of fact, I feel full guilt. I really don’t w
ant to lead him on, but at this point I’m pretty sure I am.

  Chapter 6

  Maggie and I head straight to Marco’s. Maggie is already excited about the remainder of the night. I really love her carefree spirit. Embracing this slowly, I try to let the situation with Derek dissipate from my mind. I remind myself that I am young, single and can be carefree too.

  We head straight to the backyard because we can tell that the front of the house is packed. Once we get to the back we see Jenna and Kelly, as well as Quinn and Lynn. Actually, I think Quinn and Lynn seem to get along pretty well. They do have quite a few similarities in their personalities. This makes me smile. We sneak up on them and instantly we all embrace each other with hugs. They ask about our date and they fill us in on what we have missed so far at the party. I find myself surveying the yard for Blue Eyes and I notice that Quinn may be doing the same thing.

  Kelly grabs me and says, “You need a cup now, we are in this together, right? Round four!” Since school has started this is only our fourth time out drinking. I motion to Maggie that I’ll get her one too.

  I laugh and follow Kelly over to the keg. I guess it won’t hurt to have a beer, it’s not like I’ve made a habit out of drinking every weekend. As we head that way I see a group of guys huddled. I notice Marco and Blue Eyes staring in my direction.

  “Hey Marco!” We’ve seen each other quite a few times on campus now and he’s helped me with some of my homework for economics. I lean in and give him a hug as I ask for a cup. He doesn’t charge me again and tells me how glad he is to see me. Then he introduces me and Kelly to his roommates, one being Blue Eyes and now I have been officially introduced to Reed. I’m trying to keep my composure, but those eyes are piercing. He’s barely said two words to me and I find that my heart rate has picked up and I feel flush. By the look on his face I swear he knows too.