“Coming right up!” I quip, turning around to grab a cup.
I start up the espresso machine. She waits patiently for me, glancing around the shop. After I’ve added the whipped cream, I hand it to her and take her money. She smiles at me and even though it makes me smile back slightly, I recover quickly and nod. There’s something about this strange girl that makes me want to be friends with her. Ugh, I think, shaking my head. I need to get back to work. I do happen to notice her settle into the green chair in the corner and open up her lap top before I turn to start stocking shelves.
I hear the bell chime with an incoming customer. I climb to my feet only to see Hunter and his friends barreling into the shop, screaming and hooting.
“Wooo! Best game ever!”
“Did you see that three-pointer Hunts threw?”
“Guys, guys let’s fill the little lady in,” Hunter yells over all of them as they crowd around the counter.
I hate it when he brings his friends into the shop. They are so loud and obnoxious. I mean, this is a coffee shop! People are trying to do work here! That, plus the fact that it’s just embarrassing that I know them.
“Oh, April you should have seen it—it was a buzzer beater!” Todd yells from behind a few guys.
“What can I say?” Hunter shrugs with a smug smirk on his face. Humility is not one of his stronger points.
“What can I get you guys?” I’m trying to get them out of here as fast as I can.
A few guys yell things over each other, but I hear nothing because Hunter leans in, his hair slick with sweat, his cheeks flushed. “What time do you get outta work?”
“10, same as always.” I swear I have to tell him things a million times. Sometimes, I wonder if he listens to anything I have to say.
“Wanna hang out?” His eyebrows quirk up when he says ‘hang’ and I know what that means.
“OOOOh, Hunt’s trying to get it on!!” One boy in the crowd snickers and the rest start a series of hoots before they start gyrating their hips in a provocative manner. Others are just humping the air in a manner I have no words for.
“I’ve really gotta study for finals.” I lean back slightly.
“Suit yourself.” He backs up and tries to gather his crew together. “I’m all yours, boys! Let’s go celebrate the big win!”
“Wooo!” they scream and I watch as they make a ruckus all the way out the door. One boy even kicks my trashcan over as they file out into the parking lot and into their cars. Completely ridiculous! I think to myself before turning to face the few staring patrons that give me disapproving looks. Everyone that is except Sera with an E. She has her headphones in, completely focused on her laptop. I guess rowdy college boys aren’t on her radar.
Jack comes jogging out from the back, his blonde ringlets a mess once again. He must be fussing over paperwork. It seems like paying the bills always makes him a little tense. Can’t say I blame him.
“What was all that?” He must have thought I needed his help out here.
“Sorry, it was just Hunter and his stupid friends.” I turn around, continuing to pack the cabinets from the grounds we just received. I feel Jack continue to walk behind the counter to my side.
“You know April, it’s not my place… but I think that you can do better than that guy.” His voice is so low, I almost miss it.
I can’t make eye contact. I just keep my eyes focused on the bag of coffee in my hand. But inside a part of me is screaming, I know.
With that, he turns and I see his shoulders square slightly when he sees Sera in the corner. I guess he hadn’t noticed her when he walked up here. So he continues to help me stock the coffee beans to keep him from going into the back.
After Hunter and his entourage disrupted my quiet shop, most of the patrons left and I got to close up a little earlier. It’s still mostly dark when I get home, though. I pull up in front of my house and hop out of the car. Taking a step onto the sidewalk, I can’t help but notice that Jared has gotten home at the same time. Although I never make eye contact, I can feel it as we walk up the walkway to our respective houses at the same pace. I hide a smile as I shoulder my way into my house, thinking about how ridiculously odd that just was. Jinx’s hungry whine greets me as I step inside.
“I know, me too!” I open up a can of his food and leave it on the table for him as I sit down with the muffin I took from work. Jinx’s little slurps are making me regret not taking more food with me, but I hate to be greedy. Actually, I hate asking for help in the first place. I shovel the rest of the muffin down before wandering upstairs to my room.
Flicking on the lights, my fingers trace over the top of my collection of snow globes before I open the drawer underneath and pull out a nightshirt. After I slip off my clothes that reek of coffee I collapse onto my bed, brushing my hair as Jinx nudges his way inside my room. He winds his chubby little body between my legs, his tail tickling me, but I feel something else. I feel eyes on me. I glance up to meet the eyes of Jared through his window right across from mine. My cheeks redden in embarrassment as I tug my shirt down lower on my legs and turn away quickly. Was he looking at me? Did he see me changing? Was he wearing only a towel? A few more random questions enter my mind before I finally decide to glance back. My eyes meet darkness; he’s closed his curtains. As I continue to get ready for bed, I find myself glancing back towards the window. When I finally climb into bed, pet Jinx goodnight, I check one last time and I notice a soft light behind the curtain flick on. I fall asleep looking at the light across the way from me.
THE WEEK GOES BY in a blur of Scantron sheets and essays galore. We don’t even know yet if we passed, but Todd apparently doesn’t care. It’s all about the beginning of the summer party. We walk into the grimy frat house and I have to say I’m blown away. It looks like Hawaii threw up all over them.
“HUNT!” Todd screams, running to the door. His grass skirt swishes as he runs and his coconut bra makes clunking sounds as they bounce against each other.
“Dude! This party is epic!” He hands Hunter a red Solo cup before turning to someone else. As soon as we are through the front door, Hunter releases his hand from mine and continues deeper into the house. I follow after him and see that the kitchen is completely covered in sand. Someone has built a sand castle on the table and there are about ten kegs lining the island in the middle. People are lined up for beer when we pass through and come back around to the living room. The furniture has all been cleared for a huge Tiki bar with swinging lights strung around it in the corner and the center is a dance floor. It’s only eleven but people are already trashed and grinding to hip-hop music. I turn to say some kind of smart remark to Hunter, but my eyes fall on nothing but air. He has disappeared from my side. Typical, I think, making my way back around to look for him.
I’ve circled the house a few times and haven’t seen Hunter at all. My anger flares and I grab a cup off the counter and fill it with beer as I make one final run. If I don’t find him this time, I’m just going to call a cab and never talk to that jerk again, hopefully. I circle the downstairs again, open the patio door to a few couples making out, before I think maybe he’s upstairs. The thought sends a shiver through my spine, and a feeling of dread fills me. I pass a few people passed out on the stairs as I ascend slowly. I listen at the first door. Silence.
“Hey, hot stuff!” someone hollers into my ear while gripping my waist.
I push the drunken kid down the steps and walk to the next door. I hear moaning but for some reason I know it’s not Hunter’s voice and there’s no way the girl would be moaning like that, believe me. I’m about to try the door across the way when I see him.
He’s coming around the corner with a girl. I swear it’s the same girl I saw at the last party, the girl with the fake boobs. They climb down the steps at the other end, heading toward the kitchen below, laughing the entire way. I watch as she flirtatiously smacks his arm at a joke that was probably not that funny. My heart drops into my stomach. It’s true. I sh
ould have known. I stumble down the steps behind me, not from the alcohol, but from my tears. I wipe my cheek as I walk to the Tiki bar and grab a brown bottle. I take a swig and let the warm cinnamon coat my throat. I swallow another mouthful before walking towards the kitchen. I have to see this for my own eyes. Standing in the hallway, I watch as he pours her a drink from the keg. His smile is one he used to have when we first started dating. A smile I no longer receive. He looks happy, cracking jokes, his jock friends around him, slapping him on the back. They all know. I’m the only one that looks like an idiot! An idiot, I am not! I take another swig of the cinnamon stuff. It’s actually quite delicious – tastes like those little candies my grandma used to give me in church. I try to read the label, but my eyes are fuzzy, only I’m not crying anymore. I stumble out into the dance floor. I take one final swig before I decide I’m going to show them all. I think maybe it’s the song that comes on that makes the decision for me. It’s my favorite hip hop song from high school. There is something about the song that makes my hips move. I throw the empty bottle into the corner with a smash before I begin my dance. I twirl around, swirling my hips as the music takes over.
“Yea! Go, girl!” someone calls.
I have the attention of the whole house now that I smashed the bottle. I grab a cute frat boy from the corner and spin around, grinding my butt against him. I feel his hands grip my waist and lower themselves to a comfortable spot on my hips.
I do as the song instructs me to. I drop it to the floor and bounce back up. I hear the crowd around me OOOOH in unison. That’s when I grab another guy from the wall in front of me and drag him by the shirt to sandwich me in between the other.
By the end of the last chorus, I see Hunter break through the crowd, barrel between the boys, and throw me over his shoulder.
“Sorry to break up the party boys, but I think I better get this little drunk home!” he hollers to the crowd that’s forming. He turns and I see the look the top-heavy slut gives me. A look that makes me wonder if she knows who I am. I want to have the last laugh.
“Oh! Someone’s anxious!” I scream, slapping his butt in front of my face. I lift my head long enough to wink at the relationship-killer.
We exit the house and Hunter throws me into the passenger side of his BMW without a word. The towns are passing beside me in a drunken blur. My mind can’t focus on anything.
“What was that, April?”
“You left me.” I mutter with my forehead against the seat belt.
“I couldn’t find you. I didn’t know where you went and then I see you with those dudes!” he yells, gripping the steering wheel tightly.
“I saw you!” I turn and spit fire at him. “I saw you with her!”
“What?”
“I saw you coming down from upstairs, you asshole! I can’t believe you!”
“I was just giving the new girl a tour, A. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“What the hell does that skank need a tour of a frat house for?! Oh, now here is our sperm infested couch and these is the books none of us can read…”
I try to take off my seatbelt. I can’t be in this liar’s car any longer. He child locks the doors, noticing my sudden movement.
“STOP THE CAR! I want out!”
“Relax, April!” He smacks me back against the seat. He pulls onto my street and idles in front of my house. “It’s not what you think. Todd asked me to keep his cousin busy so she didn’t get too drunk.”
“Why did Todd ask you? Why didn’t he ask one of his ‘brothers’? Huh?” I start getting animated with my hands.
“Because they would try and get in her pants.”
“And you wouldn’t?!” I scream, smacking my arm against the door, trying angrily to get out because I’m afraid to hear the answer.
“No, because I have a girlfriend.”
“COULDA FOOLED ME!” I yell so loud it hurts my own eardrums. “You left me to talk to another girl. How do you think that makes me feel, you jerk?”
“Shut the fuck up already about your feelings!” he screams over me.
I gasp.
“You stupid bitch. You’re ruining my life!”
I can’t even defend my actions other than my body knew exactly what to do even if my mind was a drunken mess. I lift my hand and smack him clean across the face. He stares back at me, unbelieving. He reaches for the button on his door and releases me from this prison without a word. I whip the door open, more than happy to never talk to this tool bag ever again.
I stumble out of the car, but run my hand along the length of his BMW to hold my balance until I’m walking up the driveway. Hunter zooms off down the road. He doesn’t even wait to make sure I get inside okay.
“Pshh, typical,” I mumble to myself before wandering up the driveway.
I trip over my own toes a few times before I finally make it to the porch steps. I get up two of them before I topple over onto a flowerpot, knocking it into the bushes below.
“Whoops, excuse me Mr. Flowerpot!” I blurt out, tipping a fake hat in its direction before bursting into hysterical giggles.
I crawl up the remainder of the steps and collapse onto one of the wicker chairs as I search for my keys. I’m fumbling with them, trying to find the house key in the darkness.
“Thanks for leaving the freakin’ lights on. It’s okay, I don’t live here or anything!” I scream to no one in particular.
Finally grasping the gold house key, I use all my weight to get up and stumble to the door. Now comes the tricky part. I close one eye and bite my tongue, trying to find the lock in the darkness. After a few minutes I finally feel it slip into the keyhole and I twist in an attempt to open it. It takes two shoulder throws to get it to open. I must have misjudged my whole weight because I come swinging in with both my hands still gripping the doorknob. I think it’s the most hysterical thing that’s ever happened. I crack up for what feels like hours before I pick myself back up and crawl up the stairs. I try to be as quiet as possible, but Jinx is eyeing me warily as I interrupt his slumber on the top step.
“Shhhh!” I whisper at him once I reach the top of the stairs and slip into my room.
I rip my dress off over my head and throw it across the room before pulling on a long nightshirt. I then notice my window is wide open and I’m attracting the attention of Jared. It’s 1 am and his light is still on. He’s looking at me over his book and eyeing me curiously. I feel it, his stupid judgment.
Finding my courage, I stumble over to the window. I open it and scream, “Don’t judge me!” before slamming the blinds closed and collapsing face first onto my bed.
MOTORCYCLE EXHAUST IS the first thing I smell. That, mixed with the roaring engine, is what brings me back into consciousness.
“Ugh!” I moan as I try and roll over.
He revs the engine again and finally a third time, almost like it was on purpose, before I hear the bike zoom off down the street and around the corner.
What a jerk! I think, trying to get my mind to fall back asleep.
But it’s useless, I already know.
I’ve just gotten out of the shower when I hear my doorbell ring. I put on a quick sundress and throw my hair up into a bun before I descend the stairs. Opening the door, I see Hunter standing there with a bouquet of white roses in his hands.
“I’m sorry,” he says. He reaches his hand out to stop the closing door.
“You’re sorry?” I holler. Then I turn and see Jared wiping his hands on his jeans and shaking his head. “Come inside. I’m not doing this on the porch.”
I stroll around the leather couch and collapse into the cushions. It was all a little too much energy for my hung over self.
He comes to sit down beside me. “April, you were the one who slapped me and I’m here trying to apologize.”
“You called me a bitch,” I slowly begin to remember the events of last night. I think I’ve been trying to suppress them. He told me I was ruining his life. I can’t bring mys
elf to say that out loud. I just want to shove those words down and hide them under the rug.
“You always take things to the extreme. These guys are my teammates and I have to help them out.”
Sometimes I swear if we weren’t dating, Hunter would be a frat brother. That’s what he wants, I can tell. But I can’t figure out why. He has the best of both worlds: he’s treated like one of them because he’s on the basketball team, but he doesn’t have to go to meetings, do community service, or even pledge.
“I saw you with her,” I whisper through clenched teeth.
“April, she’s Todd’s cousin. I would never do that to him, or you. I love you.” He scoots closer, to me putting his hand behind my head. He tries to go in for my lips, but I turn so he gets my cheek. “April?”
“What?”
“I said I love you…”
“I love my cat. Doesn’t mean I wanna kiss him. And furthermore, my cat would never cheat on me. Would you, Jinxy?” I pet his little head and he rolls onto his back, swatting at my hand.
“I didn’t cheat on you!” he screams, leaning back from me as he runs his fingers through his hair. “April Landau! I love you, and only you. I would never cheat on you. We’ve been together forever! Do you think I would ruin something like that?”
“I don’t know any more, Hunt,” I whisper.
It seems like things have gotten worse between us. We aren’t the couple we once were; time has torn us apart. There are just too many things that have happened that I will never forget, and I have a feeling last night is one of them. His green eyes are sparkling now and I realize how much this is eating him up.
“You don’t know if you love me?” he whispers, almost afraid of the answer.
“I know I love you. I’m not sure you feel the same any more.”
“Of course I love you!” He pulls me onto his chest. It’s probably the worst thing he could do. His cologne drives me crazy, and he knows it.
Discovering April Page 2
