by JL Paul
“Hi, Bella. It’s Lance.”
My heart leapt and I smiled brightly at Annie. “Hi, Lance. How’d you get this number?”
Annie shook her head, frown marring her face.
“Cammy gave it to me. That’s all right, isn’t it?”
“Sure,” I said, not really caring much. “So, um, what do you need?”
“I was wondering if you’d like to go to the movies with me Friday night after the football game.”
My heart stopped. Lance was actually asking me out. Me!
“What movie?” Oh, I know I did not just ask that! I wanted to smack myself but I didn’t think I had enough strength to make it hurt.
“I hadn’t really thought about it,” he said, a little taken back. “Whichever you’d like to see, I guess.”
“Okay. Sure. Thanks.” I really needed to work on my conversation skills.
“Great. I’ll talk to you more about it tomorrow.”
“Sure. Thanks.” Ending the call, I mentally chastised myself for my stupidity. I never had a problem talking to Jake!
“Lance asked you out?” Annie inquired.
I nodded, excitement returning. Yes, Lance asked me out. Me! I beamed at Annie perhaps a bit too smug. But I would prove to her once and for all that I had no romantic interest in Jake.
None whatsoever.
Chapter Nine
“What movie do you want to see?” Lance asked as he maneuvered his sleek, black BMW through town. He’d finally taken a break from his play-by-play recap of the earlier game—a game that I had attended. Obviously he thought I, being female, knew nothing at all about football. But, Meridian Valley was having an amazing season, and as quarterback, Lance was dubbed the star.
“I don’t care. Anything but that new Monique DuVois film,” I muttered, still a little bitter.
“You don’t like her?” Lance asked. “I thought everyone loved her.”
“I don’t like her acting,” I answered in a petulant tone. Actually, I couldn’t recall ever seeing her in a movie but I didn’t share that little tidbit with Lance. I really have to have a burning desire to venture inside a movie theater. I prefer renting or buying DVDs and watching them at home - the floor isn’t sticky, and I can pause the movie when I have to use the bathroom.
“There’s an abundance of horror flicks out since Halloween is around the corner. Do you want to burn some brain cells on one of those?”
I laughed and relaxed. Who knew Lance had such a weird sense of humor? “Sure. Sounds great.”
We settled toward the back of the theater and munched on popcorn. The movie was a typical garden variety horror film, pun intended. I say that because the psycho freak used various garden tools to creatively murder all the college students daring to spend the night in a supposedly haunted caretaker’s cottage behind an abandoned mansion. Lots of blood, gore and naked coeds. Lance loved it.
After the movie, Lance offered to take me out for junk food—it’s no secret at school that I’m a huge junk food addict. I nearly agreed until he suggested we go to Burger Kastle. I turned him down—I just couldn’t do it. Burger Kastle suddenly became sacred ground that no one could tread upon in my company unless he happened to be a rock star named Jake Johnson. If that made me a psycho, well, hand me a garden hoe.
We agreed upon a coffee shop near the theater. It wasn’t the same one I’d visited with Jake, not that it mattered. Really. We sat in a booth, sipping hot drinks, when I remembered to turn my cell back on. I was surprised that I had two voice mails and like a thousand text messages. I sighed. They were all from Jake.
“Something wrong?” Lance asked, lifting a brow in an incredibly adorable way.
I smiled. “No. I just have a ton of messages. Geez, the movie wasn’t that long.”
Lance’s deep laugh assaulted my ears. “Maybe you should check just to be sure everything is okay.”
I nodded and before I could even begin to scroll through the messages, I received another text. From Jake.
I’m bored. Turn your phone on.
I released a frustrated sigh before answering. On a date. Leave me alone.
It took him a few minutes to reply. Who is the lucky guy?
Call you later.
“Anything important?” Lance asked.
“Huh?” I’d almost forgotten he was there. “Oh. Nah.”
“That’s good,” he said absently as he gazed out the window and into the darkness. He snapped his head to me so fast, I was afraid he’d suffer whiplash. “Hey, do you want to go to a party with me tomorrow night?”
“I didn’t know anyone was having a party tomorrow night.”
He leaned over the table, lips curled in a conniving grin. “It’s off campus. Dean’s cousin lives in town, and his parents are leaving in the morning for vacation.”
“Oh,” I muttered. Real witty, I know, but it was all I had. “Sure.”
“Great,” he smiled. “I’ll pick you up at your dorm around seven.”
***
“Help,” I cried as Cammy opened her door.
Her brows pulled together, resembling a fuzzy caterpillar above her eyes. “What’s wrong?” She tugged me inside and shut the door. “Are you in trouble?”
“No. I need something to wear. Lance is taking me to a party tonight.”
Her brows tightened as her lips puckered in confusion. “I didn’t know there was a party going on anywhere.”
I quickly explained about Dean’s cousin. Her eyes darkened as she dropped to her bed. “Be careful, Bella. Remember how Dean spiked the punch at the Fall Festival dance? He got me drunk and didn’t care.”
Oh, I remembered. But I would be with Lance, and I’d make sure he knew I didn’t drink. “It’ll be okay, Cammy. I’ll be with Lance.”
“I don’t know,” she said, uncertainty troubling her eyes. “Bella, I think those boys changed a lot over the summer. I’ve heard some stories…”
“Cammy,” I said, gripping her shoulders and giving them a little shake. “I’ll be fine. I don’t drink—you know that. I can take care of myself. If Lance turns out to be a jerk, I’ll call you or Annie.”
She scrutinized me carefully before giving me a reluctant nod. “Okay, let’s see what I have.”
Cammy was close to my size though I was a little bit skinnier and shorter and she was more top heavy. She found a cute dress in her amazing wardrobe and made me try it on. It was pale pink with a square neckline, fitted waist and a flowing skirt.
I tugged on the hem. “It’s a little short, don’t you think?”
“Not on you. You’re shorter than I am, and it looks good.” She stepped back and tilted her head, studying my appearance. She made me feel like a specimen under glass. “You’re going to need a padded bra. The bust is a little poofy.”
“Gee, I hadn’t noticed,” I replied in a droll tone.
Once she had me properly dressed, she worked on my makeup and fixed my hair. By the time she finished, Annie appeared and gave her nod of approval. We returned to my room to fetch my jacket just as Lance buzzed our room. I bid my friends goodbye and hurried out to greet him.
His eyes lit up when I walked out the door, and he eagerly claimed my hand. “You look beautiful, Bella. I’m going to have to keep a close eye on you tonight.”
“Yeah, well, I hope you do,” I muttered nervously. “I don’t guess I’ll know anyone there.”
He led me to his car quickly, in an obvious hurry to get to the party.
“Sure you will,” he said as we stopped at his car. He opened the passenger side for me and I slipped inside. He hurried around the front and started the engine. “Dean will be there and a couple guys from the team. Probably a couple girls from school, too.”
Great, cheerleaders and all his friends. My kind of crowd. I sighed, knowing he only meant to put me at ease, but he’d managed to make me more nervous. I didn’t fit in with his friends; never had.
The massive front lawn was packed with cars. I was sure Dean’s aunt
and uncle would not appreciate their lawn being turned into a parking lot. Lance didn’t seem to mind, though, as he found a spot and killed the engine. We both got out and he took my hand.
The music was loud, naturally, and definitely not my favorite. The bass reverberated off the walls as the rap artist expelled his thoughts firmly. I winced. If this was the music choice for the evening, my head would be pounding right along with the beat.
Lance kept a tight hold on my hand as he shoved his way through the hordes of bodies moving to the music on the once beautiful carpet. I stayed as close as possible to him, scared he’d let go and I’d become lost in the crowd.
“Lance, dude! You made it!” Dean exclaimed once we entered the kitchen. He thrust a plastic cup in Lance’s hand and smiled appreciatively at me. “Bella, baby, you look hot!”
I stepped closer to Lance, trying my best to smile at Dean. Lance dropped my hand and slung his arm over my shoulder.
“Hey,” he warned. “Go find your own girl.”
“Just kidding,” Dean laughed, holding his hands up in surrender.
“Be a good boy and fetch Bella a drink.”
I opened my mouth to protest when Krysti stumbled into the room, her eyes slightly glazed. She spotted me and Lance and pulled her lips into a tight smirk. She lifted her plastic glass in my direction and disappeared out on the deck.
When Dean handed me a glass, I sipped it carefully. I could taste cranberry juice but it had a little bit of a bite to it. I couldn’t smell anything alcoholic but it didn’t take a genius to know vodka didn’t have a scent. At least, that’s what the kids always said at school. I decided to just walk around with the cup in my hand so I fit in with everyone else. I would just sip at it gingerly and make it look like I was drinking. No one had to know it was just an act.
Suddenly a horde of cheerleaders popped up in front of us. Kimberly Carlson was in the lead and she nearly screamed when she spotted me.
“I just knew Lance would bring you,” she exclaimed. She squeezed my empty hand. “I always knew he liked you.”
Krysti pushed through the crowd and stopped next to Kimberly. She drained her plastic glass and tossed it carelessly to the floor.
“He talked about you all the time,” she added, weaving slightly. “Just watch yourself.”
Kimberly pulled a face as Krysti stumbled away, losing herself in the music. “Ignore her, Bella. She’s just jealous.”
I glanced over my shoulder, fearing Lance’s reaction to the whole scene. He didn’t seem bothered at all. In fact, he was engaged in conversation with Scott Lawson, a guy on the team.
“So I can’t believe you’re actually friends with Jake Johnson,” Kimberly gushed. I nodded and sipped at my cup. Kimberly took it from me and handed it to Amber Pickler. “Get her a fresh drink. This one is warm.”
Amber rushed off to do Kimberly’s bidding while I groaned. I didn’t want another drink. But it didn’t matter – I’d just carry it around like I did the other. “Yeah, Jake and I are friends.”
“Is he coming back to the school anytime soon?” she asked, a hopeful lilt in her voice.
“I don’t know,” I fretted, taking the cup Amber handed me. “He’s really busy right now.”
“I’m sure,” she commiserated sadly. She took a long drink from her cup and perked. “Hey, how come you’ve never tried out for the squad? You totally have the body for it.”
“I’m in the Drama Club and it takes up a lot of my time,” I explained, feeling a bit lame.
“I always wanted to be an actress,” she sighed. “I just don’t think I have the talent.”
I restrained from snorting. I mean, who was she kidding? She was giving an award winning performance, pretending like she was the least bit interested in me.
I unthinkingly took a large gulp from my cup and nearly choked. I forgot about the alcohol. It burned its way down my throat, and I grew instantly warm. Kimberly’s eyes bore into me as I swallowed carefully, stifling my coughing fit.
“Not used to vodka?” she asked. Her sympathy was not sincere.
I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “I don’t drink a whole lot.”
“That’s right,” she smiled. “Is that why you never come to any of our parties?”
Her question seemed innocent enough – but I knew better. She was testing me, giving me a chance to sink or swim. I’d never been invited to parties off campus because I wasn’t a known ‘partier’.
“Perhaps,” I murmured, staring her down, daring her to contradict me. We both gazed at each other, neither willing to back down, until her face finally relaxed into a smile.
“Lance, get your girl a refill,” she said. She took my cup and handed it to him. He gave me a wink and disappeared. “The cheerleaders are in charge of the Halloween party at school next week. We have our own little party planned afterwards while we clean up. I hope you’ll come.”
“Sure,” I said, although I had no interest in attending. She’d probably forget by then, anyway.
Lance returned with my drink and I sipped at it more frequently, conscious of Kimberly’s watchful eyes.
Later that evening, my head swimming, my body moving to my own little rhythm on the dance floor. Some guy I didn’t even know was swaying in front of me, his smile a little unnerving. His name was Tim or Jim, or something of that nature. We were moving our bodies to our own beat, not really keeping in time with the music. I didn’t much care. I was having a blast.
“Malcolm!” Lance screamed at my dance partner. How did I get Tim or Jim? “Get away from my woman!”
Grinning like a serial killer, Malcolm waggled his eyebrows at me as Lance took firm hold of my elbow. He pulled me through the mass of people and down a quiet hall. He peeked into a couple rooms before finding one unoccupied.
“Are you okay?” Lance asked as he guided me by the shoulders to the bed. I fell back and he had to lift me to a sitting position. “You look a little green.”
“I’m fine,” I slurred. My head was spinning and my stomach churning.
“I need to get you back to school,” he frowned.
“No,” I protested. “I was having fun dancing with Tim. Or Jim.”
“Malcolm,” Lance corrected.
“Him, too,” I shrugged as I tried to get to my feet but the floor swayed beneath me. Lance grabbed my shoulders and steadied me. I tumbled into his chest.
Edging back, he tucked my hair behind my ears. “You sure are beautiful, Bella.”
I smiled a goofy grin, trying to still my weaving body. “You are, too.”
Chuckling, he brushed his lips lightly over mine. My heart began to spin, too, joining my head. I clutched his waist as he kissed me again, applying a little more pressure. I sighed, content to be kissed by my long time crush.
“Come on, Bella. You need to get to bed.” He tucked me under his arm and steered me down the hall. Every face was a blur and I wondered vaguely where Kimberly had gone.
Lance buckled me into his car and rolled down my window allowing the cold air to blow on my face. It was heavenly.
He walked me to my dorm building but left me to my own devices when I assured him I was fine. I managed well enough to get in my room and fell to my bed, fully dressed.
***
My ring tone penetrated the pile of pillows over my head and brought the thudding back to life. I squeezed my eyes tighter, willing my phone to stop. I figured I’d have more luck with the phone than I would my head and fished it off the floor, wondering how it got there in the first place.
“What?” I croaked. Even I was horrified at the crackly sound, I could only imagine what my caller would think.
“Iz?” Jake asked. “Are you okay? Are you sick?”
I licked my dry, cracked lips. “Something like that.”
He groaned and I cringed. “You’re hung over, aren’t you?”
His accusing tone blended well with my guilt. “A little.”
“Oh, Iz,” he sighed. “I thought you di
dn’t drink?”
“Now I know why I don’t,” I mumbled. Jake was not amused. “I went to a party last night. It was a one time thing.”
“I certainly hope so,” Jake chastised. “That’s not something you need to get caught up in. Don’t make it a habit.”
Under normal circumstances, I’d take exception to his order. But today, I didn’t really care. I deserved to be lectured. I was very much ashamed of my behavior. “I don’t plan on it.”
“Good,” he said, slightly appeased. “You never called me back Friday night. Who were you out on a date with?”
“Lance,” I said.
“Lance?” he exclaimed.
His shout was like knives stabbing my brain. I winced. “Not so loud. Head.”
“Sorry,” he grumbled. He lowered his tone. “Why’d you go out with that jerk?”
I immediately went on the defensive. “I like him. He’s a nice guy.”
“After what he did to you?” His voice grew both in anger and volume.
“Please, Jake,” I pleaded. “Not so loud.” He grunted, as I cleared my throat. “He said he was sorry and that he was stupid to get back with Krysti.”
“Yeah, I’ll say,” Jake said. His anger leaked through the phone, thick as mud.
“Well I like him,” I said firmly. “Besides, what do you care? You have Monique.”
His laugh was bitter and ugly. I didn’t like it at all. “Is that what this is about? Yeah, Monique and I were an item once, but we’re not anymore. She just needed someone to escort her to her premier, and I did. But I didn’t take her to a party and get her drunk.”
He took a deep breath. I hoped it would calm him. “Did that moron touch you in any inappropriate way?”
“Of course not,” I bit out, my own anger getting the best of me. “And stop calling him names.”
I heard him inhale and exhale, loudly I might add, a few times. I did the same but only with less volume. We were both obviously trying to tame our raging emotions.
“Listen, Iz, please. I’m not criticizing you or him, okay? I’m just a little worried. A guy who can jump from girl to girl that quickly worries me. I wonder if he doesn’t have some kind of hidden agenda.”
