“You’re right, Beth.”
“Of course I am right. So when can you come over? You did promise.” She could scent victory.
“I’ll spend some time with you during your sister’s party. I’m sure you have learned patience in your long sixteen years. What’s that saying again?” I had Aimee hot and heavy for me in my apartment. Beth was smart, but this was over the phone. I needed to stop being so spineless with these girls.
“What? Wait I-” She couldn’t hide her disbelief.
“‘Good things come to those who wait!’ That is the saying. So I’ll talk to you at the party. It’s in two weeks? Or is it three?” I continued. Damn this felt good.
“Five weeks. But wait!! You have to come over before then!” Now Beth was pleading.
“Beth, I don’t have to do anything except talk to you at the party like I promised. So I’ll see you there!” I was ending the conversation.
“Eric! Hold on, let me finish-”
“Good things come to those who wait, Beth. Talk to you in five weeks.” I could hear her voice as I hung up my phone. I stared at it in astonishment. I couldn’t believe I had just turned the tables on Beth like that. She was probably fuming. Let her fume.
My phone buzzed in my hand. She was calling me back. I hit the button on the side to send it to voicemail. I was done letting Beth and Aimee manipulate me. Or, at least, I was going to start fighting back.
Chapter 3
A little before eight, I was knocking on the door of Kelly’s sorority house. The outside looked dismal. Weeds grew tall and green out of brownish, dead turf and patches of dirt; there was yellowish paint chipping off of the stucco walls; the bushes around the front door looked ready to take over the pathway from the driveway; and the driveway was crumbling, pitted asphalt. There were cars parked everywhere on the street and driveway. I saw Kelly’s faithful truck towering above the other cars; at least she was here.
The door opened suddenly, and a girl that I think I recognized from one of my classes opened the door. Her eyes got big when she looked at me, and she invited me in.
“Hi Eric!” more than ten female voices seemed to cry at once. There seemed to be girls everywhere, sitting in the living room, watching TV in the kitchen area, and running through the back hallway that lead to bathrooms and bedrooms. The place was busting at the seams with girls, clothes, bags of… stuff, food wrappers, and furniture. Holy shit, I thought girls were supposed to be clean? My apartment looked like a medical lab compared to this house. It smelled like stagnant dust and make up.
“Kelly said she’ll be out in a second!” someone called from the back hallway.
“Why don’t you sit down?” a voice said from the couch. There were four of them sitting there, and they beckoned me over. I recognized some from classes and some from volleyball. I sat down on the couch next to one who seemed to have a fit of the giggles. She was turning red and couldn’t look at me. Kelly better be quick; they were watching an episode of The Bachelor, and I thought my head was about to explode.
I felt someone start to rub my shoulders, and I looked up to see Kelly.
“Ready to go?” I nodded and ejected from the seat.
She had a small gym bag slung over her shoulder and wore a tight pair of jeans and a bright green wool sweater. As we walked toward the door, the girls in the house yelled their byes.
“How many girls live with you?” I asked, slightly exasperated, as I started the car and drove northwards.
“There are twelve right now, including me,” she said with a giggle.
“Holy shit. How many bedrooms in that house?”
“Four, but only two bathrooms! It is pretty awful trying to get ready sometimes.” I had problems believing twelve girls could share that small of a space, but I guess they did.
“You don’t seem like the kind of girl that would be in a sorority…” I paused. I didn’t really know what kind of girls joined sororities. I just thought they would be more girlie than Kelly was.
“I know what you mean!” Kelly said with a laugh. “But my parents said the only way I could move out was if I lived in a sorority house, otherwise I had to live at home and commute to school. The girls are all really cool. I’m glad I got involved with it. It is tough living together with all of them sometimes, but it is worth it.”
We got on the 118 freeway and then hit the 5 going north. I didn’t know exactly where I was going, but I figured I would be on it for an hour or so.
Kelly and I talked about her volleyball, classes, and my work. The conversation flowed very easily. I really enjoyed talking to her. It was just good talking to a girl without any sort of sexual tension. With a pang in my stomach, I realized that I really did like her. Breaking it off to be with Aimee was going to be hard.
She plugged her iPod into my stereo after about forty-five minutes of driving and blared some classic rock. Before two measures had gone by, we were singing Sweet Home Alabama and laughing. When we finally got to the camping spot, our voices were raspy, and our stomachs hurt from laughing. As we exited the car at the parking lot by the ranger station, I realized that Kelly might be a better choice for me than Aimee. Sure, they were both smart and funny. But I just seemed to fit better with Kelly. She laughed easier, made fun of herself, could talk to me about anything, and came from the same lifestyle I had grown up with. Aimee was prettier and had more money, but everything around her was dangerous and could hurt Jack.
We grabbed our bags out of the car and threw on our jackets.
“It’s about half a mile walk to where they like to camp. We could probably drive there since you’ve got all-wheel drive. But I don’t want you to get scratches on your new car. Cool?” I nodded. It was a bit cold, but the walk would warm us up. I asked her about her family and dirt-bike riding in the five or so minutes it took us to walk up the dirt-and-gravel road.
She gave me the skinny on her family: her parents had raised her brothers and her in Simi Valley, a city just outside of the Los Angeles county area. She was the youngest of five kids. Her brothers all did real manly jobs. One was a cop, one a firefighter, and the other two were mechanics who worked with her dad in a truck/motorcycle-repair/off-roading shop. Her whole family was involved in the off-roading community. I could only imagine Kelly growing up with four older brothers. I was surprised she turned out as feminine as she was.
Ahead I could see a large clearing with scattered fire pits and parked trucks. We were miles from any city, and the stars were easy to see. As we got closer to the clearing, Kelly made a line for the back group of trucks and jeeps. There were about eight people sitting around a fire, and I could see a few little kids running around. It was cold up top of the hill we had climbed, but the circle of off-roading vehicles kept most of the wind out.
“Uh oh. Here comes trouble! Run away kids! MONSTER AUNT KELLY IS HERE!” one of the brothers yelled as we approached the fire. Instead of running away, the two little kids squealed in delight and ran right to Kelly and hugged her legs. She bent down and gave them huge hugs. Then she stood up abruptly, held her hands out like a zombie, made a low roar, and snarled with her teeth.
“MONSTER KELLY IS GOING TO EAT LITTLE KIDDIES!” she yelled over the campfire as she started marching slowly toward the kids. She tried to grab them with a slow movement, and the kids screamed in delightful terror as they ran away from the fire and behind one of the parked jeeps. She, of course, chased them at a slow pace, growling the whole time. They ran to the other side of the jeep to keep away from her.
“Hi, I’m Eric,” I said to the eight adults sitting around the fire. They all looked at me, measuring me in an instant. Kelly had forgotten to introduce me, but it didn’t bother me. It looked like she was having a great time chasing the kids.
“Hey Eric! I’m Bob, this is Sue, Ryan, Lisa, Rob, Jessica, Randy, and Gail.” I shook Bob’s hand and waved to everyone else across the fire. They were sitting on fold-out chairs and logs around the fire. Kelly’s brothers were all tall and good
looking. They were pretty muscular too. Shades of blond and light-brown hair with various buzzed haircuts.
“Short for Robert?” I asked him with a raised eyebrow.
“You got it,” he said with a chuckle.
“So how come Kelly isn’t named Rachel?” They all laughed. Good. I could deal with people as long as they weren’t breathtakingly beautiful and trying to seduce me.
“Mom decided to switch it up when Kelly was born. “Broke the mold with her!” she said. I think you can agree right?” I laughed.
“Sit down and make yourself at home. We want to get to know you better,” Ryan said. He looked to be the youngest. His girl Lisa was cute; actually, all the girls were cute. I sat down at the nearest spot on the log.
“Want some coffee or a hotdog or something?” Gail asked me. The men were drinking beers, and a few of the women had wine coolers.
“No, I’m okay. Actually water would be good if you have any.” Within seconds I had a bottle in my hand.
Kelly continued to chase the kids. They didn’t seem to be tiring, and neither did she. No one around the fire said anything for a few moments, and then the questions started.
So what are you studying in school? How long have you known Kelly? How did you meet? Are you working now? What do you want to do when you get out of school? Any hobbies? Did you grow up around Los Angeles? Do you have a dirt bike? I answered them all.
“No, I don’t have a dirt bike, but I once bailed really hard on my BMX bike when I was twelve. Kelly told me it is almost like riding a dirt bike.” They laughed.
“Cool. We’ve got Kelly’s and an extra one just in case you didn’t bring one. It’s just a 200, but it should be fine for you. I’ve got an extra helmet and pair of gloves too.” Randy was the biggest one. I hadn’t identified who were the firefighter and cop yet. I didn’t know what a 200 bike was, but I remembered Jack telling me I would probably kill myself on this trip.
“What do your parents do?” Rob asked. They were really grilling me. I should have expected it when I was dating the baby sister of a four-brother clan. I should have been surprised they weren’t cleaning their guns when I showed up. I looked over at Kelly. She was going nonstop with the kids. She had picked one up and was spinning her over her shoulder while she tried to chase the other one. That might not end well.
“Actually, my dad worked as a manager at a grocery store, and my mom sold cosmetic products at a department store.” They nodded.
“Worked? Did he get laid off?” I think it was Lisa who asked.
“They were killed in a car accident about a year and a half ago.” I was surprised I said it. I felt the familiar lump in my throat, but it wasn’t as bad as I was used to.
There was silence around the fire.
“That is terrible. I am so sorry. What happened? I mean, if you are okay talking about it. I don’t want to pry.” Lisa’s eyes filled with sympathy. Everyone looked pretty uncomfortable.
“Oh no, it’s okay. They were driving back from Santa Barbara. There was a drunk driver. I guess he fell asleep at the wheel or something. The police said that it happened so fast they probably didn’t feel anything.” I took a gulp of water to try to soothe the ache in my throat and chest. I hadn’t really gone into detail with anyone before this.
“Ahh man, that sucks. So sorry to hear that.” They all nodded at Ryan’s words.
“It’s okay. I’m getting over it. Kelly is definitely helping me.” I heard her scream “WHERE ARE THE KIDDIES? I MUST EAT THEM!” from across the campsite and behind a huge lifted truck.
“Do you have any family? Brothers or sisters?” Bob asked.
“No. I’ve got an aunt that lives on the east coast, but I’ve only met her a few times. My best friend and his family have been helping me out. My parents had life insurance, so I got some money from that, and I was able to sell their house, so I’m okay with money.” They nodded, sympathy pouring out of their eyes.
“Where are your parents?” I asked carefully. Kelly hadn’t told me that had passed, but I thought they would have been here.
“Oh, they are taking their motor home across the country. Should be back in time for Thanksgiving,” Randy said. Oh that’s right. Thanksgiving was in a few weeks. Jack’s parents offered, actually insisted, that I spend it with them last year, but they always flew out to New York to visit his grandparents. They had offered to buy me a plane ticket, but I had declined and stayed home. That had been a rough week.
“Sorry!” Kelly said as she sat down breathless next to me. The little boy was glued onto her leg like a spider monkey. “So you met my family? Do you guys like Eric so far? Randy, you didn’t tell him you were going to beat him up did you?” she said the words fast.
“No no, Eric is great!” Randy said with a huge smile on his face. He was waving his hands at her like he wanted to show her he had nothing up his sleeve. His eyes were wide and apologetic. Looks like I had avoided whatever hazing they had planned.
Kelly looked at him suspiciously for a few seconds, and then she started asking everyone about news on their lives. The conversation lasted for a few more hours, till the kids were finally forced into bed by Bob and Sue. Shortly afterwards, the adults retired. Randy showed us where our tent was set up.
Near the campsite was a small restroom area where there were some well-used toilets, sinks, and showers. We all brushed our teeth and got ready for bed.
“Wow! My brothers seem to really like you! They’ve never liked any of my other boyfriends,” Kelly said as she took off her shoes and arranged her belongings inside of our bed. It was one of those two-person pup tents. Randy had put down a thick layer of foam padding, so we weren’t sleeping on the dirt and rocks. There were two nylon sleeping bags inside.
“Yeah. I guess I won them over with my dashing good looks and rapier-like wit!” I joked. In reality, they probably had decided that they didn’t need to give me a hard time because of my parents. I didn’t know if I should be thankful for their pity.
It was almost pitch black in the tent, but I could still see Kelly’s outline against the fire as she took off her sweatshirt, jeans, and bra. Before I had a chance to admire, or touch, her body, she slipped into the sleeping bag. It was probably for the best; the other tents were only a few feet from ours, and I doubted we would be able to do anything fun without making a good bit of noise. Also, I kept thinking about Aimee. We had made a bargain; we were going to be together right? Until someone else came along that was better?
I slipped off my clothes and crawled into the bag next to Kelly’s. We whispered and giggled to each other for a few more minutes till finally she pushed her sleeping bag as close as she could get to me and passed out. My eyes had gotten used to the dark, so I could somewhat make out her face as she sank deeper into sleep. After a few minutes of looking at her, I fell asleep too.
Chapter 4
The next day was a complete blast. We woke up a little before eight and ate a campfire-cooked breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, and pressed coffee. Rob seemed to be the cook of the clan, and it was simple but excellent fare. Afterwards, we brushed our teeth at the restrooms. Then the real fun started.
The bike they had for me seemed plenty big. It was about the same size as Kelly’s, but hers looked polished and streamlined. She showed me how to put on the various pieces of safety gear, and then we pushed the bikes about two hundred yards down the road to fire them up and begin my training.
I’d always driven a manual car, so I easily figured out how to feather the clutch and the throttle. The shifting with the foot was a little weird, and trying to balance and do everything took me longer to learn than I would have thought. But within forty-five minutes, Kelly declared that I was good enough to follow her over some of the flatter roads and hills around the site.
For the next couple of hours, I chased Kelly through the hills and brown grassy valleys. The bike was lightweight, and I felt like I was flying after her sometimes. I managed to keep the bike on the road, uprigh
t, and dodge the trail of dirt that she left in her wake.
We took a break for lunch at the camp site and shared some sandwiches with her family. Then we hit the trails again till the sun started to set. It was an interesting experience riding the bikes with Kelly. Although we were riding together, we couldn’t speak to each other. It felt exhilarating and lonely at the same time. We chased the last rays of sunlight over the rolling hills till we finally ended up back at the campsite.
Even though I had tried to avoid Kelly’s dust trail, I still ended up covered in a thick layer of dirt by the end of the day, so we took a shower in the public bathrooms before dinner. Afterwards, the brothers cooked hamburgers and hotdogs over the fire while Kelly and I played with the kids.
The food was good, and the conversation flowed freely as everyone had a few beers. Maybe it was because of my parents, but the brothers seemed to be giving me an easy time.
“So, Kelly, have you decided about Atlanta or Australia?” Rob asked a few hours into our conversation. The kids had long since gone to sleep, and the brothers were four or five beers into the night. I had been nursing my first one of the night.
“Ummm… I am still thinking about it,” Kelly said. She glanced at to me quickly with worry. I gave her a look of confusion. What was Rob talking about?
“I would totally go to Australia if I were you!” Sue said with a huge smile on her face.
“Naw. Stay in the States. Then you can come home easier. Besides, Emory is a great school,” Randy said with conviction.
I had no idea what they were talking about. I looked over to Kelly with a question on my face.
“I’ll tell you later,” she whispered to me as she leaned in close. Then she asked Lisa a question to divert the conversation.
Chapter 5
“What was that about at dinner?” I asked as we stripped of our clothes and slipped into the sleeping bags.
Rock God_Book 2_A Contemporary Harem Fantasy Page 3
