“Thanks,” I say. “And yeah, I guess I am different from most of them. I don’t drink, for one thing.”
“I noticed,” he says, looking down at my half full water bottle. “Good for you. I don’t drink either.”
I’m surprised—pleasantly.
“So why are you at a party like this one, then?” I ask.
“I kind of have to be,” he replies. “I live here.”
Now I’m shocked. A frat boy who doesn’t drink? Twitter alert! Newsflash!
I need to know more. “No offense,” I say, “but how’d you get accepted into this fraternity if you don’t drink?”
He laughs. “Simple,” he says. “I lied. Told ‘em I drink like a fish. They’re all usually so drunk at these things they don’t notice I’m not.”
“So, how come you don’t?” I ask. “Drink, I mean.”
He shrugs. “Gotta keep my grades up. I’m from a tiny little town you never heard of, and college is my ticket out of there. The only stoplight in town is a blinking one, and there’s absolutely zero to do. Graduating is the only way to make sure I don’t get stuck back there.”
“I’m impressed,” I tell him. “A guy who thinks about more than how much fun can he have tonight.”
“Don’t be,” he says. “If you ever saw my dad on one of his benders, you’d know how easy it is for me to not go down that road. He’s another reason I want out of there for good.”
I totally understand the wanting to get away from parents thing, though I don’t want to be away from mine forever—just most of the time. But that’s a much more intimate conversation than I’m prepared to have. Apparently, it’s not a topic he wants to get into either, because he steers the conversation back to very safe ground.
“How about you?” he asks. “You from around here?”
“Yeah,” I say. “Right down the road. Less than ten miles from campus.”
“Living at home, then?” he asks, which is a logical assumption.
“No, I live on campus.” I see no need to tell him which dorm. This is just a casual conversation—we’re two ships passing in the night.
He looks at me for a moment. I think he must suspect there’s a reason I chose to live away from home even though it’s so close, but he doesn’t say anything about it.
“So, where’s Jerry Lee tonight?” he asks instead.
Huh? Jerry Lee? What the heck’s he talking about? He must have me confused with someone else. Maybe that’s why he was watching me before. Yeah, that must be it. He thinks I’m someone else.
“Jerry Lee?” I ask.
“Yeah, the crazy piano player,” he says. “The guy with the beret.”
Oh…he’s talking about Chris. He must have been in The Joint that night. I can see why he’d remember Chris—he put on quite the show—but why does he remember me? Maybe he saw us leaving together. Oh, god! I hope he didn’t see us kissing outside!
“He’s gone,” I manage to say, trying to keep my tone flat and unconcerned. “History.”
“Sorry to hear that,” James says. He sounds really sincere. “You two looked good together.”
“Well, not everything works out the way we want,” I say.
“No, I guess not,” he says. He has enough sense not to pursue the subject, for which I’m very grateful.
“I’d better get back to my friend,” I say. “She’s inside, chatting up one of your frat brothers.”
“Oh? I hope she picked a good one,” he says. “There’s a few of them, but not very many.”
I jump at the chance to learn something about the guy Marissa is clearly interested in.
“His name is Gary,” I say. “Is he one of the okay ones?”
“Yeah, he’s one of the good guys.” James grins. “But don’t tell him I said so.”
I smile. “Your secret’s safe with me. Nice meeting you, James.”
“Same here, Heather.”
And that’s that. He lets me leave without trying to get me to stay, or even pestering me for my phone number. For a minute I think it’s probably because he wasn’t attracted to me at all, but he didn’t have to say anything when I walked past, and he certainly didn’t have to keep the conversation going. No, he seemed to like me, at least a little. I guess he could tell I’m kind of down on guys right now, so why waste his time? Still, I’m glad he let me go so easily. Not all guys would, I know, especially at a party like this.
I find Marissa and Gary right where I left them, chatting away. Marissa glances up at my arrival.
“Hey, Heather,” she says. “You lasted longer out there in the cold than I expected.”
“Not really,” I say. “I got cold pretty quick. I was talking to some guy by the door for a few minutes. One of Gary’s frat brothers.”
“Uh, oh,” Gary says. “Which one?”
“James,” I say, watching Gary’s face for any telltale reaction.
Gary grins. “Oh, he’s all right—for a guy who doesn’t drink, that is. You don’t have to worry about him.”
I wasn’t really worrying about him, but it’s nice to know.
“Just a casual chat,” I say. “Nothing more. I’m not in the market for a guy right now.”
“That’s cool,” Gary says. He turns back to Marissa. “What about you? You in the market?”
Marissa wraps her hands around Gary’s forearm and smiles flirtatiously. “Oh, I’m always shopping,” she says. “Are you for sale?”
“You bet,” he says. “Or, if you’d prefer, you could just rent me for the evening.”
Marissa laughs. “Now that’s a tough offer to pass up.” She lets go of his arm and grabs mine. “I told Heather we’d do some dancing tonight, though.”
“That’s okay,” I say, not wanting to get in the way of what looks like a budding romance. “You don’t have to.”
“Yes I do,” she says. “I want to make sure you have some fun tonight. I already gave Gary my number.” She looks at him. “You’ll call me, right.”
“Definitely,” he says. “Count on it.”
“See?” she says to me. “We’re all set. Let’s go shake, rattle and roll.”
So that’s exactly what we do.
Chapter 26
I’m lying on my bed on my stomach, reading a book called Breathless for my vampire class. Taylor Swift’s “Speak Now” CD is playing softly in the background. I love the sound of her voice, and I’ve finally reached the point where neither her sad songs nor her love songs hurt too much—as long as I don’t play them too loudly or listen to the lyrics too closely, anyhow. Some of her lines are so poignant and still poke at me pretty good, like that kissing on the sidewalk thing in “Sparks Fly.” That hits way too close to home, since my first kiss with Chris was on the sidewalk in front of The Joint. Get rid of the pain, my ass. Can you tell I’m still a little bit angry?
I’ve been reading some of Breathless every night for the last couple days. I can totally identify with Leesa, the main character. She’s a college freshman, like me, and kind of shy and awkward—again like me. She sounds like she’s much prettier than me, but she doesn’t realize how cute she is. Marissa would say that’s just like me, too. Leesa’s home life is totally messed up—way worse than mine, for sure. Her Dad left when she was really young, and her Mom won’t go out of the house during the day, saying the sunlight hurts her skin because she was bitten by a one-fanged vampire, of all things. I bet you never heard of one-fanged vampires before.
I could go on and on about all the cool stuff in the book, but the part I’ve just got to talk about is the romance. Leesa meets this gorgeous guy named Rave. The chemistry between them is immediate, but there are a couple of problems. Rave doesn’t use any sort of modern appliances, not even a cell, which makes him kind of hard to get a hold of, let alone get together with, especially since he doesn’t live on campus. At first, Leesa thinks it’s a religious thing, but she soon learns better. You see, Rave isn’t human—and no, he’s not a vampire, either. He’s a volkaane. Vo
lkaanes are supernatural vampire hunters. They look human, but they possess this magical inner fire they use to slay vampires. That’s kind of cool, right? To be dating a guy who can protect you from a vampire? Only problem is, the heat of his kiss could kill Leesa. And that’s not so cool, no pun intended. Not cool at all.
Anyhow, despite all these obstacles, Leesa and Rave fall in love. Some of their scenes together are so tender and passionate they almost make me change my mind about giving up on guys. But they make me sad, too. If Leesa and Rave can make things work despite all their challenges, how come I can’t find a decent guy to be with? Maybe having a mother who was bitten by a vampire and a brother who disappears is less damaging than parents who constantly fight and a boyfriend who cheated on you.
There’s really no sense comparing my situation to Leesa and Rave’s, because Rave isn’t human. Human guys still suck. Maybe if I meet a volkaane, I’ll give him a chance. Yeah, that’s the ticket. I think I’ll wait for that.
Marissa comes waltzing in through the door, so I close my book and sit up. She’s been out with Gary tonight, and judging by the smile on her face and the bounce in her step, she had a good time. This is their fourth or fifth date since the frat party, and she’s told me she’s starting to really like him.
“Hey, Roomie,” she says. She notices the book on my bed. “I bet you’re loving that, huh?”
“Yeah, it’s really good,” I reply.
“I knew you would. Leesa kind of reminds me of you,” Marissa says. “Really shy, but totally hot.”
I blush and laugh at the same time. See, I knew she’d say something like that.
“I think she’s way hotter,” I say. “But thanks anyway. How was your date?”
“Really fun. We went to the arcade. Played a couple of dance games—Gary’s pretty good for a guy, but I kicked his butt.” She does a couple of fancy dance moves in the center of the room to emphasize her point. “He got me back in the shoot-em ups, though. Then we went for some hot chocolate, and then back to his place to make out.”
“Ewww, too much information!” I say, scrunching up my face in mock disgust. “Please, spare me the details.”
Marissa laughs. “You sure? They’re pretty hot.”
I grin. “Yeah, believe me, I’m sure.” I pick up Breathless. “I’m getting all the romance I can handle right here, thank you.”
“Suit yourself,” Marissa replies. She turns and hangs her jacket in the closet. “Hey, I almost forgot,” she says, turning back to me. “James gave us some tickets for open mic night at The Joint. Wanna come with us?”
I look at her like she’s crazy. Sure, James seems like a nice guy and he’s friends with Gary and all, but she knows I’m not interested in dating anyone. Not even close. Maybe she’s trying to ease me back into the game.
But open mic night? What if Chris shows up? I really don’t want to see the creep, let alone watch him play the piano.
“No, thanks,” I say. “I’m really not ready for any dating, even if it’s just a double date.”
It’s her turn to look at me like I’m crazy. “What double date? James gave us three passes. It’d be just you, me and Gary.” She winks at me. “And we’re not ready for a threesome yet, so it’s definitely not a date. It’ll just be a fun night out.”
“I don’t know,” I say. “You-know-who could show up. He likes open mic.”
“Oh, yeah. I forgot about that,” Marissa says. She thinks for a moment. “Tell you what, if he shows up, we’ll all leave. The tickets are free, so it’s not like we’d be losing anything if we have to split.”
I’m still not sure. It would probably be fun, I know. But I’m still a little worried about running into Chris. But I can’t let him dictate my life.
“Okay,” I say. “I’m in. On one condition.”
“Great,” Marissa says. “What’s the condition?”
I smile. “That you and Gary save all the mushy stuff until you’re alone. I don’t want to have to watch you two horn dogs going at each other.”
Marissa laughs. “Fine by me,” she says. “But it might be tough for Gary. I’m not sure he can keep his hands off me that long.”
I laugh. “Tell him to try hard.”
Chapter 27
I’m getting ready for open mic night. Or trying to get ready, at least. I’m not having much luck deciding what to wear. I don’t want to give anyone the idea I’m looking to hook up, but since I’m going with Gary and Marissa, I can’t go as a total slob, either. Marissa suggested my yoga pants and boots with a sweater or something, but that’s way too much of a “look at me” outfit. I’ve settled on a pair of semi-dressy jeans—one of my looser pairs—but haven’t figured out my top yet. All my T-shirts seem too casual.
I look over at Marissa. She’s having no trouble at all, but that’s because it’s a date with her boyfriend. So of course she wants to look hot. She’s already dressed and is putting on her makeup. She’s wearing a pair of tight jeans and black leather boots with three inch heels. The jeans are stylishly faded across the front of her thighs. Her dark blue pullover shirt is cut so that it’s casual and sexy at same time. It’s loose off one shoulder at the top and slightly baggy at the bottom, but cut more tightly around her chest. And just to make sure no one misses her curves, three narrow light blue stripes stretch horizontally across her chest. I have to admit, she certainly does have a sexy little figure. And she knows how to work it, too.
I go back to rummaging through my closet, finally settling on a collarless burnt orange shirt with a two button neck. I pull it on over my head and check myself out in the mirror. Casual enough, I think, but dressier than a T-shirt. So far, so good. Now, what to do with my hair?
It’s down right now, but no way am I going to leave it that way. Guys like long hair way too much. I gather it in my hand and hold it atop my head like it’s in a bun, but with my collarless shirt, that exposes way too much neck. Guys like necks, too. I think they must have vampire blood in them. So no bun, either.
I twist my hair into a loose braid and fasten it at the bottom with a plain rubber band. Much better—sloppy but contained. I flip the braid over the front of my left shoulder. Perfect!
Turning from the mirror, I see Marissa watching me. She has a big grin on her face.
“Trying not to look too hot, huh?” she says.
I smile sheepishly. This whole thing is ironic, because I’ve never thought I was all that cute, but here I am worrying about it, in an ass-backwards way. See what you’ve done to me, Chris?
“Most of us work hard trying to look good,” Marissa says, shaking her head. “You work hard not to. Must be a nice problem to have.” She’s still smiling, so I know she’s only teasing.
“I just don’t want anyone getting the wrong idea,” I say.
“Maybe you should hang an ‘off limits’ sign around your neck,” Marissa suggests.
I stroke my chin with my fingers, like I’m considering the idea. “That’s a great idea,” I say after a moment. “Maybe I can get a fake engagement ring somewhere, too. To keep away any guys who can’t read.”
“Good thinking,” Marissa agrees. “And just to be sure, we can hang some barbed wire around our table.”
We’re both laughing now.
Gary steps in through the open door. “What’s got you two laughing so hard?” he asks.
Marissa crosses to him and gives him a quick peck on the mouth.
“We’re figuring out ways to keep guys away from Heather,” she says.
“So far, we’ve come up with an engagement ring, an off limits sign and barbed wire,” I say. “But I’m open to suggestions.”
“Heck,” Gary says, grinning. “Just hire some old guy with a shotgun to sit next to you. Trust me, nothing keeps guys away better than an angry father with a double barrel.”
We all laugh.
“You got some experience with that, frat boy?” Marissa asks teasingly.
“I’ll never tell,” Gary replies.
> Marissa snuggles against him and rubs her hand seductively over his stomach. “You sure about that?” she asks. “I bet I can get it out of you.” She rubs him again, a little bit lower this time.
“Hey! None of that,” I say. “Remember our agreement.”
Marissa laughs and steps away from him. Gary looks from Marissa to me and then back to Marissa.
“What agreement?” he asks.
“Heather said she would only go to open mic if I promised that you and I would save any mushy stuff for later,” Marissa explains. She looks at me and smiles. “But you didn’t say anything about sex stuff.”
“I didn’t think I needed to,” I say, shaking my head. “You’re such a perv.”
“I’m not a perv,” Marissa says. “I just have healthy appetites.”
Gary laughs. “She just can’t keep her hands off me, that’s all.”
“That’s what she said about you,” I say, smiling now. “But either way, no more of that stuff till you guys are alone… got it?”
“Yes, Mother,” Marissa says. “I promise we’ll behave ourselves.”
“So, you girls ready to go?” Gary asks. “You both look great, by the way.” He immediately corrects himself. “I mean, you look great, Marissa. Totally hot.” He smiles at me. “Heather, you look just okay.”
“Nice save, Gary,” I say. “That’s exactly the look I was going for—just okay.” I grab my coat from the closet. “So I guess I’m ready.”
Marissa gets her coat and the three of us head out the door to the elevator.
There’s a short line in front of The Joint, so even though we’ve got passes, we have to wait outside a few moments while the less lucky kids pay the small cover charge. Standing there, I can feel my stomach beginning to get a little nervous. I haven’t been here since that night with Chris, and there’s always a chance he could be inside. I hate to admit it, but a small part of me still wants to see him. But a much bigger piece of me hopes I never have to look at his cheating face again. I’m glad Marissa promised we’d all leave if he’s here. I wouldn’t really make her and Gary leave—that wouldn’t really be fair—but her promise gives me the freedom to scoot if I need to.
Mine: A Love Story Page 15
