Waylaid

by Ruth J. Hartman

  I stood, speechless staring after her. She walked into the back room, her footsteps slapping on the hard concrete floor. After a few seconds, she returned and edged past me again without even looking at me. She ran up the stairs taking them two at a time and was gone.

  My legs didn’t want to budge from my spot at the bottom of the stairs. I glanced down at my boots. Move, will you? Do something. I shook my head. What had just happened? Where did the popular jock from school go and who was the wuss in his place?

  Footsteps approached from above me. Was she coming back? My heartbeat sped up. Maybe I’d get a second chance to show her I wasn’t really an idiot. I glared at my feet and gave them one more chance to cooperate.

  “Hey, so I see you met Addy.”

  “Hmm?” I turned slowly toward the voice, as if my movements were in slow motion. My heart fell hard. It was Kendra. Not at all who I’d hoped. Why did she always seem to be showing up when I least wanted to see her? Wait. She’d asked me something. Oh, right. I cleared my throat. “Uh, Addy?”

  “Yeah. My friend. She’s cute, isn’t she?”

  I nodded, still unable to express a rational thought. Cute didn’t even cover it.

  Kendra frowned. “Well. Guess I’ll see ya by the truck, then. I think everybody is ready to leave now.” With a shrug, she headed back upstairs. Her quick steps echoed across the kitchen floor overhead.

  I blinked. Leave? What did she mean? Oh, right! People. Dance club. Truck. And I was driving. Get it together, Graham.

  I hurried upstairs, across the kitchen, and glanced out the front door. Everyone, including Addy, especially Addy, was waiting beside the curb. She brushed her hair out of her eyes as the breeze picked up and then she crossed her arms. Everyone else was talking and having fun, but not her. Why would that be? Didn’t she want to go?

  “Come on, man.” Marcus waved me over from beside the truck. “Time’s a wastin’.”

  I opened the door, closed it behind me, and picked up my pace as I remembered Marcus’ second promise. Not only would there be pretty girls going tonight, but one of them would sit beside me in the truck since I had to drive. Sounded like a good trade-off to me.

  Please, please let it be Addy.

  Most everyone had already piled into the back of my truck by the time I got there. I’d put the cap on the back earlier in the day so they wouldn’t get blown away on the half-hour drive. I’d even taken the time to vacuum the piece of carpet I kept for when I hauled people anywhere. Plus, the cap also hid the human cargo from the law. Wouldn’t do me any favors if I got pulled over for something and the police spotted them. For the millionth time, I wondered how I got talked into this stuff.

  As I rounded to the driver’s side door and opened it, I hoped against hope that she would be there sitting in the middle of the bench seat. That I could get to know her. Maybe I could prove I could carry on a coherent conversation after looking like the world’s biggest jackass down in the basement.

  I peeked inside and barely held in a curse. The only people sitting in the front seat were Marcus and Kendra.

  And they were kissing.

  If steam could really shoot from someone’s ears, then it came from mine. I took a deep breath. Maybe the situation could still be fixed. Could we switch some people around so Addy could sit up front with me? I doubted Marcus and Kendra cared where they were as long as they could make out. Location never seemed to bother them.

  I reached around Kendra and smacked Marcus on the shoulder. Hard. “Hey!”

  He waved me away with his hand, but his lips stayed locked with Kendra’s. Obnoxious sounds of wet kisses followed. Why did they have to do that here? Now? Get a room!

  I clenched and unclenched my hand. A part of me wanted to pound the crap out of him even though I knew I never really would. I’d never had to punch anyone. People took one look at my size and ran the other way.

  “Thanks a lot, Marcus. Some friend you turned out to be.” I rammed the truck into drive, instantly sorry that I’d done it. The truck had cost me my whole savings the summer before, and I didn’t have the money to repair it if I ruined the gears.

  Streetlights popped on as I drove through town. Shadows edged across recently cut lawns and cars parked in driveways. It would be black as pitch by the time we got to the club.

  Not that it mattered. I could be just as bored sitting there watching Marcus and Kendra have fun as I could if I had stayed home. But if I’d stayed parked on my couch, at least I wouldn’t be burning all this gas in my truck. Somebody was going to owe me some money by the time we got home.

  Laughter floated up from the bed of the truck through the small window behind my head. Was Addy laughing too? She hadn’t seemed thrilled right before everyone got in the truck. I shoved away thoughts of her with some guy in the back doing what the other occupants of the front seat were engaging in.

  Stop it. You have no claim on her. You don’t even know her. I tried really hard to concentrate on my driving, but every time a noise or bump came from behind me, I wondered what was happening back there.

  If tonight turns out as bad as it’s starting, I am never driving people around again. No. Not gonna happen.

  Chapter Three

  Addy

  I’m gonna kill Kendra!

  I took another peek through the little window between the cab and the back of the truck. Good grief! She was practically in Marcus’ lap. I wondered what the big guy driving the truck thought. Guess I should at least find out his name to thank him later for taking all of us. Even though I’d never wanted to go in the first place. If I leaned to the right a little, I could see the back of his head and neck. Man, as red as his neck is, he’s either embarrassed by Marcus and Kendra making out right next to him or pissed for the same reason.

  I know I would be.

  All I really wanted was for the night to be over and we weren’t even to the stupid dance club yet. No one was talking, but slurping and sighing surrounded me. I turned around. But shouldn’t have. Holy cow! Everyone else in the back of the truck was making out. And there I sat, stuck in the same very small enclosed space with them. And their noises, and their—

  I quickly turned away. When a guy starts unbuttoning a girl’s shirt, that’s something I don’t need to see. How far were they planning to go with other people only a few feet away? I didn’t want to know, but had no choice – stuck back there with them.

  Eeewww!

  The truck hit a pothole or something, and one of the couples leaned my way. They didn’t even notice they’d moved. I closed my eyes, praying we would get to the club really fast so I could get out of there. I plugged my ears with my fingers and felt stupid doing it, but I doubted anyone else even noticed. Amazing what you could get away with when people were otherwise occupied.

  I leaned down so I could peer through a small side window of the cap. A sign gave the mileage to the club. Not too much farther, Addy. Think of something else. Anything else. I conjugated verbs in my head. Boring, I know, but it was better than listening to the sounds of serious making out. Then I went over the multiplication tables, and when you considered how I despised math, that’s saying something.

  A kick to my thigh from one of the guys next to me trying to get comfortable nearly did me in. “Hey, do you mind?”

  He squinted at me, as if trying to figure out why I was even there. “What?”

  “You kicked me.”

  “I did? Oh, sorry.” He went right back to kissing whoever the girl was.

  An apology was something, I supposed.

  I brushed at my jeans to get off the dirt from the guy’s pricey athletic shoes and gritted my teeth together. Never again would I be talked into one of Kendra’s ideas, no matter how much she begged or bugged me.

  The truck bounced down and then up. Tires squealed as the guy driving made a turn into a parking spot.

  We’re here. Thank goodness!

  I grabbed my purse from beside me, ready to get out of the truck. The other two gi
rls pulled away from their make-out buddies and immediately grabbed mirrors from their own purses to see what damage had been done to their hair and faces. How much did they think they’d be able to see in the near-dark?

  Holding in a scream, I tightened my grip on my purse strap. Come on!! I need out! I scooted toward one of them until she glanced up. “Sorry,” I said, though I wasn’t. “I need to get out.”

  “Oh, right. Yeah, I have to pee, too.” She giggled and peeked at the guy who was wiping lipstick from his mouth.

  Was she embarrassed to say the word pee after everything she’d just been doing with him? As soon as the others moved out of the way, I scooted toward the tailgate. I shoved against it with my shoulder, but it wouldn’t budge.

  “Hold on a second.” A deep voice came from just outside. Was it the driver? It didn’t sound like Marcus.

  Cool air rushed over me as the driver finally opened the dang gate. When I had gotten to the edge and could climb out, he reached out his hand. Did he want to help? How sweet.

  “Thanks.” I placed my hand in his until I was out and could stand up straight. I’d been so mad at being stuck back there with the others that I hadn’t noticed until then how cramped it had been.

  “Any time.” The truck was parked under a streetlight, so I got a pretty good look at him. When I’d seen him in the basement, my first thought had been to get him to move over so I could get my purse. How could I not have noticed how cute he was? Guess I’d been madder at Kendra than I thought not to have seen that before. He smiled and very deep dimples appeared on his cheeks. I stared up at him. So tall. His eyes were dark, though I couldn’t quite tell their color. Maybe I could see them better once we were inside the—

  “I thought you had to pee.” The girl I had asked to move out of the way was now glaring at me from inside the truck.

  I blinked. “Right.” I turned and walked toward the entrance of the club. Loud heavy metal music blasted from the long one-story building even though the entrance doors were closed. When I reached out to grab the door handle, a large hand appeared from someone behind me and tugged the door open for me.

  It was him again. The driver. The tall guy. The one with the dimples that wouldn’t quit. “Thanks. Again.”

  He nodded and waited for me to go in first. I walked inside and edged near a wall in the entryway. Where was Kendra? She was the whole reason I was here. The least she could do was come in and wait with me until we paid to get in.

  The sound of her giggling floated in the open doorway and then Kendra appeared. The way she clutched onto Marcus’ arm looked like it would hurt him, but he didn’t seem to mind. Although, I’d seen him down several beers before we left his house, so would he even feel pain?

  So I was on my own. Again. I was going to strangle her until her face turned purple when we got back home. Thanks for nothing, Kendra. When the line to pay had moved ahead, I stepped up and handed the guy in charge some money. Not only had I been grossed out in the back of the make-out truck, but my friend who’d insisted I come tonight as a cover for her, was now ignoring me. And now I was out fifteen bucks. Perfect.

  The obnoxious girls from the back of the truck tugged the equally obnoxious guys past me into the main room. I followed them and stood just inside, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the dimly lit room.

  A couple of guys staggered through the crowd. One of them belched as he got closer to me. The reek of sour beer turned my stomach. “Hey. You’re hot.”

  “Uh, thanks. Now go away.”

  “Wanna find someplace to be alone?”

  “No, you go ahead and be alone by yourself. I’m fine right here.”

  “But that doesn’t make any sense. If I’m by myself—”

  “Whatever.” I started past him but he grabbed my wrist. “Hey!”

  “Just trying to get to know you, baby.” The leer on his face told me exactly what part of me he wanted to get to know. Gross.

  “I’m not your baby. Now back off.” I yanked my arm but he wouldn’t open his grasp of death on my wrist. “Let go!”

  “But I want to—”

  “I don’t think so.” The nice guy from the truck stood there, arms crossed over his impressively massive chest. How did he appear to be even taller now than when I’d talked to him in the parking lot?

  “Hey man, I—” The drunk blinked and tipped his head back, finally getting a good look at dimple man. “Uh, yeah. Okay.” He dropped my wrist and hurried off.

  I beamed, as a warm sensation encompassed my heart. “You keep saving me.”

  He gave a shrug. “It’s what I do.”

  “I see.” I laughed.

  “Hey Addy! There you are.” Kendra rushed forward and grabbed my hand, dragging me toward some empty tables. I tried to glance behind me, but Kendra had a tight hold on my hand.

  Oh great, so now she wanted to talk to me? After the ordeal in the make-out machine?

  There were four chairs at the table, but before we could stop him, some guy walked over and snatched one.

  Kendra shrugged. “There’s still enough for me, you and Marcus.”

  Ah yes, the ever-present Marcus. Outside of school, I couldn’t remember the last time I had spent any time with Kendra without her boyfriend hanging around. He was a nice guy, but seeing them together all the time and acting so happy made me a little sad.

  But you have a boyfriend. Remember Jud?

  I sighed. How could I have forgotten? Probably because I wanted to forget him. He was sweet, but so immature. I just couldn’t see myself with someone like him for the long haul. Even though Kendra had teased me about breaking up with all those guys, she wasn’t wrong. But was a girl supposed to keep on dating someone she knew wasn’t right for her?

  My phone buzzed. I checked the new text. It was Ali. Again. Why wouldn’t he leave me alone? Didn’t “I do not want to marry you” mean the same thing in his culture? Another buzz signaled a second text. Knowing I should ignore it, I pressed the button. Oh no, he’d sent a picture this time with him standing next to… I squinted at the tiny photo on my screen. Were those camels? Ugh! Why wouldn’t he just give up already? Why was I catnip for all the guys I didn’t want?

  I shoved the phone back into my purse. I didn’t have time for that crap. Right now I needed to find a nice way of breaking it off with Jud. I really hated to do it, though, because he wouldn’t have a clue it was coming. And he really was a sweet guy. I liked him a lot, but I didn’t love him. Some of my friends thought like was enough to stay with someone, but I didn’t. It wasn’t fair to me or to the guy.

  Kendra and I sat down. Marcus stopped to talk to someone two tables away. It was dimple man. Not that I really cared or anything, I just wondered what his name was.

  Turning back toward Kendra, I pointed over my shoulder. “That guy who’s talking to Marcus…”

  “Graham?”

  Graham. Nice name. “Oh.”

  “I thought you met him in the basement earlier.”

  “We didn’t really exchange names or anything.”

  “I told him yours.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “You did? Why?”

  “Why not?”

  “Kendra, you know I’m not interested in meeting anyone else. Not until I get to college.”

  She held up her hand, palm out. “Yeah I know. You’ll go to college, meet some guy there, fall in love, graduate, and then get married.”

  “So you have been listening.”

  She poked me in the shoulder. “Addy, it’s all you talk about.”

  I tried to ignore her finger jabbing me. “At least I have a plan.”

  “You and your plans.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with them.” I leaned away, just far enough so she’d quit touching me.

  “Don’t you ever just want to live your life? Be surprised once in a while?”

  Truth was, I didn’t give myself a chance to ever be surprised. The unknown was too scary. “I just know how I want things to be.”


  She closed the distance between us again and stared me right in the eyes. “What if they don’t turn out that way?”

  I opened my mouth to answer but was interrupted.

  “Hey.” Marcus sat down and scooted his chair closer to Kendra’s. She gazed at him and practically purred.

  Ugh!

  A waitress came over to take our orders. Marcus ordered two beers. The waitress looked at him and then at Kendra. “I’ll need some ID.”

  “Sure.” He pulled out his wallet and flipped it open.

  “What about these two?” She pointed with a red, polished fingernail to Kendra and then to me.

  “I just want a soft drink.” I smiled. No problem here. Just move along.

  She frowned at Kendra. “And you?”

  Kendra shrugged. “I’m not thirsty.”

  The waitress raised her eyebrows at Marcus. “And I suppose both beers are for you?”

  He shrugged. “What can I say? I am thirsty.”

  “Sure you are.” The waitress stuck her notepad in her pocket and left.

  Kendra leaned toward me. “Why didn’t you get a beer?”

  “Hello, ’cause I’m only eighteen?”

  “Marcus could have gotten one for you.”

  I shook my head. “No thanks.”

  “But you drink beer. I’ve seen you.”

  “But not out in public. I don’t wanna get caught. It’s not worth it.”

  “Suit yourself,” Kendra said with a casual shrug and then turned all her attention to Marcus, putting her hand on his arm and leaning against his side like a cat rubbing against someone’s pant leg.

  Eewww. Any minute now I expect her to mark her territory with her scent.

  The music crept up a notch on the loudness scale. Drumbeats thrummed throughout the building. I could even feel the beat from the floor through my shoes.

  Kendra pouted at Marcus. “Come on, dance with me.”

  He crossed his arms. “Uh, no.”

  “Oh come on. For me?”

  “I’ll do almost anything for you. But I don’t dance.”

  She turned her head. “Then you come, Addy.”