"Don't apologize." I sniffled. "I just…I can't imagine what you've been through."
"I'm much better now. It's been almost a year since I took the pills. Please don't worry about me."
"Are you sure you're better?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. Why?"
"Well, it's just that I've noticed some strange -"
"Obsessive Compulsive Disorder." He interrupted me. "As hard as I try, I just can't avoid certain little rituals. If I don't eat my food in threes, for example, I literally get sick and vomit. The ticks get pretty embarrassing sometimes, but most people just assume I'm a run of the mill superstitious athlete. I'm actually much better than I used to be before I started seeing a therapist. My doctor says I'm still getting even better every day too. And since I've met you, the ticks have subsided even more."
"Really?"
"Yep, when I saw you dance in the Nutcracker last December it -"
"Wait. You saw me in the Nutcracker?"
"Yeah. I even sent you flowers. White orchids."
I remembered getting the flowers. They didn't have a card so I just assumed they were from Sasha or Ms. Alexander.
"Anyway, when I sat through that performance, it was the first time in three months I went two straight hours without going to my car and tapping the door three times to make sure it was locked. You were so mesmerizing, I didn't…I couldn't leave the show. Now I can go six hours straight without the door tapping ritual. I'm finally getting a decent amount of sleep."
"Wow." I really couldn't think of anything else to say. For so long Will had hidden his wounded soul behind a false wall of strength and confidence. But he had let me in. I felt like I was the only in the world who had seen his vulnerability.
"You're like my angel," he said after a moment. "And if you don't mind, I think I just might fall in love with you."
Chapter 14:
Make it Take it
I don't even really remember falling asleep the night I talked on the phone with Will. But I do remember Sasha shaking me awake early the next morning.
"Leave me alone. What do you want?" I grumbled.
"You have to break up with Will," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.
I blinked my eyes open and stared at her. Had she lost her mind? "What are you talking about? Why?"
"You just do, okay? There's a lot you don't know about him. He's not good for you."
"Sasha, two weeks ago you nearly forced me to go out on a date with him. Now you want me to break up with him? What's gotten into you?" I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.
Sasha chewed her bottom lip as if searching for what to say next. "Everyone saw you at the party last night."
"So? Isn't that what you wanted? Didn't you want me to improve my social status?"
"Everyone thinks you slept with him," she said, ignoring my questions. "You were alone in a room with him for almost an hour. I don't want people thinking my sister is a slut."
I was completely confused. "Two weeks ago," I began slowly as if speaking to a three-year-old, "you gave me a handful of condoms just for that purpose. Do you not remember this?"
"Yeah, well things are different now."
"What things?" I asked. She didn't respond. "Well, we didn't have sex if that is what you are concerned about. I don't care what everyone thinks."
"Do you know about Cherry Picker?" she asked still standing over me.
"Yes, he told me everything. And I don't care. He's not like that anymore."
"Of course he is. You think he changed in just two weeks? He's just using you for points."
I shook my head and sighed. I was too tired to argue with her. "I'm going back to sleep." I scooted back down under the covers and put the pillow over my head.
A few minutes later, she ripped the pillow away and said, "Do you know he's crazy? He goes to a psychiatrist."
"Yes, I know he goes to a psychiatrist. And he's not crazy."
"Well then why does he go to a psychiatrist?"
I paused. I couldn't tell her about Will's family or his suicide attempt. I didn't want to betray his trust. I sat up again and decided to try and figure out what was really motivating Sasha's sudden change of attitude. "Sasha, what's really going on?"
She sat down on the bed. "It's Ashley, Brittany, and Lauren DeHaven. You've really pissed them off by dating Will."
"Are they the Bitch Brigade?"
She nodded sheepishly.
I shrugged. "So?"
"What do you mean 'so'? You have no idea what these bitches are capable of."
"Who cares?"
"I do. I care, Sonya. I've worked too hard for my reputation just to have it ruined because you're suddenly in love with a sex-crazed psycho."
"Don't call him that," I said through clenched teeth.
Sasha put her head in her hands. "Sis, I'm begging you. Just end it before something bad happens."
I sighed. "I can't. He needs me."
She looked up. "What about me? What about what I need?" Sasha hopped off the bed and stormed out the bedroom. I followed and caught her right before she opened the front door.
"Sasha, wait." She turned to look at me. I didn't quite know what to say. I didn't want her to leave angry at me, but she obviously wasn't in the mood for communication. I decided to change the subject. "Colbert wanted me to tell you something."
Sasha rolled her eyes. "What did she want?"
"Uh, let's see," I said, walking to the fridge while trying to recall as much of the message as I could. "She said it didn't mean anything, and she's not in love with him, and she's sorry. What does that mean?" I thought about the words for the first time. It kind of sounded like Colbert had slept with Sasha's boyfriend or something. "Did Colbert sleep with Desmond?" I asked. "Is that why you're so upset about Will and me?"
Sasha burst out laughing.
"Of course not. Desi would never cheat on me," she said when her laughter subsided. "Colbert is a very…disturbed girl," Sasha began seriously. "She's been making some bad decisions and I've been trying to warn her and she's not taking my advice. Sound familiar?" She raised an eyebrow to indicate she was referring to me.
That was odd. I never thought of Colbert as disturbed. I always thought she and Sasha were a lot alike.
***
I realized I needed to find out more about the Bitch Brigade. They were becoming too much of an intrusion on my life. I just knew that somehow they were going to try to break up Will and me. Sasha seemed too afraid to tell me anymore about them. But my conversation with her reminded me of someone else who might be able to give me some answers.
"I gave Sasha your message," I said to Colbert outside her locker Monday morning. Besides me, Colbert was the closest person to Sasha. I was sure she would know at least as much as Sasha if not more.
"You did? What did she say?" Colbert shut her locker and stared at me with wide curious eyes.
"Nothing much really. Just -"
"Is she still mad at me?"
I shrugged. "No idea."
"Great, Sonya. You're a great help." She rolled her eyes.
"Sorry. I'll help you, I promise. But I need a little favor in return."
"What."
"Tell me about the Bitch Brigade."
"No way." Colbert turned away.
"Wait." I grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. Thankfully, she wasn't into theatrics like Ashley was. "Do you want to make up with Sasha or not? How important is my sister's friendship to you?"
Colbert sighed then looked around. The bell sounded and students started herding into classrooms. She grabbed my arm then pulled me into the same stairwell where I found Emmaline.
"Okay, what do you already know?" she asked once we were alone.
"I know they're behind the Fat Tuesday prank. I suspect they stripped Emmaline and left her naked right here in this stairwell. They left a threatening note on my door. Now Sasha says Ashley, Brittany, and Lauren are pissed that I'm dating Will."
"She gave you names?" Colb
ert's eyes expanded.
"Yeah, why?"
"Because no one really knows for sure who's in the Bitch Brigade. It's a secret society. You have to be invited in, then there's some sort of initiation and you're sworn to secrecy for life. Each year a new Queen Bitch is selected to run the society and then she passes on the power to an underclassman before she leaves. The Bitch Brigade has been talked about for longer than we've been alive. My mother remembers them from when she was here. In all that time, no member has been officially identified."
"Well Sasha knows who they are. Maybe that's the first step to bringing them down. You, me, and Sasha can stand up to them. Isn't it about time someone stopped them?"
Colbert stared at me as if I was speaking another language. I actually did a mental check to make sure I hadn't slipped into Spanish. Suddenly Colbert started laughing. Her shrill cackle filled the empty stairwell.
"Oh my God. I thought you were serious for a minute. Sonya, you can't stop them. They have too much power. Listen, my advice to you is to do whatever Sasha tells you. That's what I should've done." She closed her eyes and shook her head. She placed the back of her hand on her forehead as if she was about to swoon. I noticed her trembling fingers. "I am so not up for school today."
"Are you sick?"
Colbert rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, Sonya, I'm sick. In fact, I need to make a visit to Dr. Bloomingdale's." She dug her cell phone out of her pocket and said, "I'm out," while bounding down the stairs toward the first floor exit. "Don't forget to talk to Sasha for me." She called out behind her.
"Okay," I said even though I still wasn't quite sure what I was supposed to talk to her about.
***
"So where are we going?" I asked Will after school a few days later.
Will dribbled his lucky basketball on the sidewalk. "We're gonna go improve your basketball skills."
"Improve my basketball skills? Mr. Maddox, that would imply I have some basketball skills to begin with. If that's what you think, you are sadly mistaken."
Will laughed. "Don't worry, I'm a good teacher." He tossed me his basketball. In true pathetic girl fashion, I yelped and stepped out of the way. He shook his head. "This is gonna be harder than I thought.
Thankfully, Bridgeton's gym was empty so no one could see my pitiful attempts at imitating Will's moves. After about thirty minutes of learning some basics and throwing up some practice shots that never went in, Will decided to challenge me.
"We're gonna play a game of Make-it Take-it."
"Okay, how do you play?" I asked, clapping my hands together and doing my best imitation of an excited, pumped jock.
Will chuckled. "Well, usually, Make-it Take-it just means that if you make a shot you take possession of the ball. But I was thinking of adding a little twist to it." Will's trademark devilish grin returned. God, he was sexy.
"What did you have in mind?"
Will took the ball and spun it around on his index finger as he said, "Well, let's say I make a shot, then I get to take a kiss…anywhere I want."
My breath caught in my chest causing my heart to momentarily pause. My skin tingled in anticipation. This was about to be one hot February afternoon.
Will tossed me the ball and let me take the first shot. He laughed when I lobbed it up and it slammed against the backboard. Then he came from out of nowhere, grabbed the rebound and sunk an easy lay-up. Smiling as if about to burst with delight, he strode over to me.
"Time to claim my prize."
I closed my eyes and lifted my head in expectation of his lips on mine. I felt his face nearing and smelled his green apple scented breath, but I didn't get what I was expecting. Instead, he lifted my hair and graced the side of my neck with his soft, powerful lips. He massaged the sensitive area with his tongue then pulled away abruptly, leaving me aching for more.
"That's one," he said, dribbling the ball around me. "We play to fifteen."
I didn't know if I could take fourteen more kisses like that. I already felt weak in the knees. Will kept dribbling and waiting for me to move.
"You plan on doing any defense?" he asked after a few seconds.
I snapped out of the momentary trance that kiss had put me in and tried to block Will's next shot. He toyed with me by dribbling the ball through his legs and around his back laughing the entire time. If he wasn't so darn cute and sexy, I might have gotten annoyed.
I tried to focus and keep my eyes on the ball, but seconds later he did some sort of turn and side step then sailed toward the basket almost making a slam dunk.
"Oh, now you're just showing off," I said, crossing my arms and feigning irritation.
Will just smiled and grabbed my hand. Then he pulled me toward him, slamming my body against his in the process. He wrapped his arms around my waist and stared into my eyes. He licked his lips slowly as he leaned down. His nose touched mine and his breath caressed my lips. He left me in that state of blissful agony while he rocked me back and forth in a sensual two-step. Finally, he lifted my chin to the left and stroked my right collar bone with a gentle kiss.
He smiled. "That's two."
Still woozy from the kiss, I tried to concentrate and figure out how to steal the ball. It didn't work. Within seconds he'd made another shot. This time when he approached me he let his fingers slowly trace the lines of my neck. Then he unbuttoned the top button of my uniform shirt. I tried to look down to see what he was doing, but he lifted my chin and held my eyes with his as he undid another button. The palm of his hand slid down to the swell of my breasts and my mind went fuzzy. The only thing I could think about was how much I wanted him to rip my shirt completely off. He was driving me crazy.
Will leaned down and kissed where his hand had just been, letting his tongue slip between my breasts. My whole body felt engulfed in flames.
"That's three," he said, pulling away.
I grabbed his shirt and pulled him back to me. "Where do you think you're going?" I slipped my hands under his un-tucked shirt letting my hands roam his smooth, rock hard chest.
"Hey, we have a game to finish," he teased as he removed my hands from his body and started dribbling again.
"Will," I whined.
"What?" he replied innocently.
I decided I'd had enough of this. When he squared up to take his next shot, I ran and jumped on his back, throwing him off balance. As he fell to the ground, I landed gracefully on my toes and easily retrieved the stray ball. I stood right under the basket and banked it off the backboard and into the net.
"See, you made it," he said, getting to his feet. "Told you I was a good teacher."
"Shut up and kiss me."I grabbed his shirt and pulled him to me. I moaned in ecstasy as the taste of his lips finally satisfied my intense craving. My arms reached for his neck. He lifted me off the ground and my legs wrapped around his waist.
His hands slid under my uniform skirt clutching and massaging my thighs all the way up to my panties. I pressed my body closer to his. I wanted to melt into his essence. I wanted to be one with him.
Will knelt to the ground and laid me down on my back. He ripped open my shirt then rained luscious kisses on my breasts. He created a path with his tongue down to my navel then down to my skirt. In one swift movement, he whisked my skirt off. He kissed my stomach again as his thumbs hooked into the sides of my panties.
"I want you so bad," he said, slowly tugging my panties down.
"I want you too, Will. I want you to be my first. I want you to be my one and only."
Will froze. He sighed and rolled off of me. I knew what the problem was. "Will, it's okay. I'm ready. I want to do this."
He shook his head. "You don't want to know how many times I've had sex in this very gym and with how many girls. It makes me sick just thinking about it." He closed his eyes and shook his head again. "I want it to be different with you. I don't want to be Will the Drill with you." I scooted closer to him and rested my head on his chest. He rubbed my back and said, "You might be ready, Sonya, but I'm
not."
"I understand." I tilted my head back and stared into his sweet yet tortured eyes.
"Isn't that weird? With you…when it means something…I'm afraid."
I shrugged. "I like weird."
Chapter 15:
What Matters
Will had ripped the buttons right off of my shirt so he let me wear his as we lay in each other's arms staring at the gym ceiling.
The Queen Bee of Bridgeton Page 8
