Distraction

by McPherson, Angela

  "I only care about making sure she knows I'm not going anywhere."

  A mischievous grin crossed over Alyssa's face. "I think I like this side of you, Elle Richards. Maybe it'll pay off in the end?"

  I loved Alyssa like a second sister, but trying to analyze her thought process was pointless, even her therapist thought so.

  "Okay, whatever that means. Are you coming out there with me?"

  "You bet your ass I am. I wouldn't miss any of the action."

  In the living room, I found Tristan and Kellie talking with Ginger. Kellie bit the end of her thumbnail.

  "Hey, Kellie. Looks like you've met Ginger," Alyssa said in a taunt. I did my best not to laugh.

  "Hi, Kellie. I'm glad you came. We're gonna have a great time tonight," I said, and followed up with a smile.

  Ginger sighed. "Whatever, I'm out." Ginger then flipped her red hair over her shoulders and walked out the door.

  "I've got to get going but I'll see you later. Be good to my girl." He graced Kellie with a tight squeeze around her shoulders, and then followed Ginger out the door. As soon as Tristan left, Alyssa dove in.

  "So you and Tristan, how'd you meet? I want all the details." I had to hand it to Kellie, she put on a great poker face when Alyssa jumped in with her questions. Alyssa could be your greatest ally or worst enemy. Unfortunately for Kellie, she classified as the enemy.

  I didn't care how they met. Tristan mentioned their hook up briefly last weekend. Instead, I ignored the conversation, and surveyed Kellie from head to toe. We did favor, in a subtle way. The color of our hair being similar, our height, but I didn't see any other resemblance. Her face was too round, her cheeks dimpled when she smiled, making her seem childlike. Her eyes were brown while mine were green. Though I had to give her props about one thing, she knew how to show off her more, um, larger attributes. If I had to guess, Tristan noticed her chest first.

  "Did you hear that, Elle?"

  I winced, being caught staring at Kellie's oversized chest.

  "Uh, sorry. What? I was...I mean..." Shit, Elle. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear. What were you saying?"

  "Kellie just said she talked to Tristan's dad, and that's how he got on the team." Alyssa smiled.

  I stared back at them, shocked. "When did this happen?" I focused my attention on Kellie.

  "Last semester–"

  "You went behind his back and talked to his dad. Does he even know?" I resisted the urge to yell, and she squirmed under my glare, biting her thumbnail before answering me.

  "I talked to his dad when I realized Tristan wasn't going to. He wanted to play football here at one point, and so did his dad. I'm not sure what went on between them, but I was hoping I could close the gap."

  When she finished, I couldn't believe what I heard. Sure, I wanted to talk to Tristan's parents, but interfering wasn't my business or place. Not that Mr. or Mrs. Daniels would talk to me, but that was beside the point.

  Huh, Alyssa might be right. If Kellie continued to push Tristan, no way would they last. But she still hadn't answered if Tristan knew any of this.

  "Does Tristan know?" I eyed her closely. Kellie immediately dropped her eyes to the ground. Holy shit!

  "I begged Wade to let me speak to him first. I talked to his dad the other day and promised that Tristan would call this Sunday." She just called Mr. Daniels by his first name and Tristan doesn't know. Wow.

  "Wade told me if I could get Tristan to agree to go to school here, he'd make sure Tristan played on the team. So when he finally filled out the paperwork, I let Wade take over from there." She straightened her shoulders, obviously proud with herself.

  "Okay, good luck with telling Tristan about all that," I answered.

  "Let's get to the party; we're late enough already," Alyssa said. We walked out the door and headed to the Kappa house in Alyssa's car.

  Once there Alyssa headed to the kitchen, leaving me alone with the enemy. I didn't know what to say. When I looked at Kellie, her eyes were wide as she took in the scene. Her lips turned up ever so slightly at the corner, and I followed her stare to Robbie. Go figure. Robbie and Tristan could be related with the way they had girls lining up, but Robbie was an ass and Tristan at least pretended to care. Okay, so I guess he was an ass, too.

  "Here, this'll help settle your nerves," Alyssa said, handing Kellie a cup of our famous purple juice.

  It was a potent mix of cool-aid, everclear, sugar, and a variety of fruit to help hide the bite of alcohol. Kellie didn't waste any time, and gulped the potentially toxic mixture down in one long drink.

  "That's good. What's in it?" Kellie held her cup out to Alyssa, who surprisingly, took it from her without a smart retort.

  "Everclear," she shot back over her shoulder and returned to the kitchen.

  "I love him," Kellie declared, not looking at me. "I just wanted you to know that. I understand you and Tristan are close, and it might have been wrong for me to talk to his dad behind his back." She stopped. "I didn't want him to regret not playing here."

  My stomach knotted. As much as I didn't want to admit it, a small part of me agreed with Kellie. Still, I didn't like the fact that she'd gone behind Tristan's back. Thankfully, Alyssa joined us again, saving me from hearing any more of her convoluted explanations. Kellie eagerly accepted her refill from Alyssa, but didn't down her drink this time.

  "Oh, Tisha and her brother, Bret, are here. I'll catch you gals later." I wanted to argue with her to stay, but Alyssa took off before I had the chance.

  "Hey, I see a few friends. Let's go say hi." Kellie followed behind. I introduced her to Jamie and Alex, two fellow sorority sisters. Jamie and Alex smiled and welcomed Kellie to the party. Kellie's ability to fall into conversations easily made me dislike her even more.

  Alex turned to me. "Elle, you up for a game?"

  "Nah, you go ahead. I'm DD tonight."

  "Your loss," Alex said, fanning out a deck of cards. Kellie, on the other hand, didn't have any qualms with playing the drinking game. I stepped back and watched silently as they played a quick round. Kellie either learned quickly or had played before.

  When a few other people joined the game, I mouthed to Kellie that I'd be back. Kellie waved her hand at me dismissively. My face heated with irritation as I walked away. I went to the kitchen, grabbed another water, and walked back to where I'd left her.

  Robbie had taken over my place next to Kellie. He reached over and brushed Kellie's hair behind her shoulders. I gawked as she gave him a flirty laugh in return.

  I didn't want her thinking I was spying, but I didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone either, especially with the flirting going on between her and Robbie. I wasn't sure if my hidden feelings for Tristan biased my opinion, but something about her didn't settle well with me.

  "Not interested in playing the game?" I turned around and found Eric. He pointed to the table where Kellie and the others were. He sipped his beer, lazily waiting for me to answer.

  "Nah, I'm the DD tonight."

  "Cool," he said, nursing the beer in his hand. "So who's the new girl?"

  "Oh, she's my best friend’s girlfriend," I admitted, not wanting to go into the gory details.

  "I didn't know Alyssa batted for the pink team. I thought for sure she was into guys." I watched his Adam's apple bob with laughter. He had a nice smile.

  "No, not Alyssa, funny guy. My friend, Tristan. Kellie's a freshman and I promised Tristan I'd take her out and introduce her to a few friends. Though I'm not sure he meant the frat guys." I turned back to the table. Robbie had moved closer to Kellie.

  "You're a good friend," he said.

  He had no idea.

  Eric and I fell into conversation easily and my thoughts of Tristan drifted away. He asked about my classes this semester and when he moved closer, slightly brushing against me, I didn't move away. Eric emptied a few beers and I finished another water. The best part is I'd forgotten about Kellie.

  "Hey, I think your friends about to lose everything she
drank." He pointed in Kellie's direction. I turned in time to see Kellie sway with her hand cupped over her mouth. I'd never seen anyone actually turn green before.

  "I better go, but it was nice talking to you, Eric."

  "Yeah, nice talking to you, too. Maybe we can get together again sometime?"

  "Um, sure." Kellie bent over. "Hey, I better get her out of here."

  “All right."

  I hurried over and grabbed Alyssa, urging her to help me with Kellie. She obliged, but only if I promised to clean her car if Kellie puked inside. Alyssa drove fast to our house, wanting to avoid a mess. We barely made it back in time. Alyssa and I had to nearly drag Kellie to our bathroom.

  "Okay I'm staying with Tisha tonight at her parents' house. You're on your own." Alyssa backed away from Kellie as soon as her body convulsed again. "I don't do clean up," she said.

  "Good luck," Alyssa said, quickly scrambling out the bathroom door. I turned to grab a towel from the cabinet when I heard Alyssa talking to Tristan in the hall. Before I knew it, he rushed in.

  "Jesus, Elle, what the hell is your problem? I asked you to take her out, introduce her to your friends, but I didn't think you'd be this reckless." Tristan's voice rose to a near shout. But Kellie's muffled groan echoing from the porcelain tank, followed by another episode of splattering noises, silenced him. He kneeled down beside her.

  "It's okay. I'm here. You're going to be fine." Tristan raised his head, shooting me a sharp glare. "Do you think you can get me a towel?" I opened the cabinet door, handed Tristan a towel, then backed out of the way.

  Quietly I observed the delicate manner of him holding fallen hair from Kellie's face, and then wiping her mouth. His other hand moved in slow circles over her back, assuring her he was there.

  My stomach churned with guilt and jealousy watching as he cared for her without hesitation. He was right; I was reckless. I may not have intentionally wanted Kellie drunk, but I didn't care either. How pathetic.

  I left them alone. The least I could do was offer them to stay the night. I grabbed some pain pills and a glass of water from the kitchen, then headed to my room and pulled the covers down. When I finished, I walked back to the bathroom.

  "Hey, my bed's ready and there's water and some Tylenol on my nightstand. Can I help you get her up?"

  “No... I got her." Tristan lifted Kellie and cradled her against his chest as he walked to my room with me following behind.

  "I guess I'll let you get some sleep." I waited as Tristan pulled the comforter over Kellie's shoulders. "Goodnight, Tristan." I sighed. "I'm sorry." I left the room, pulling the door closed behind me.

  On the couch, the loose spring stuck in my back. I rolled over, hoping to avoid the stab until I fell asleep. I focused on breathing, in and out, straining to keep the tears away. Finally, I fell asleep.

  Chapter 7

  Tristan

  The guys and I practiced later than expected, and during drills all I thought about was Elle and Kellie partying together.

  It'd only been a little over an hour since I'd dropped Kellie off at Elle's house, but Alyssa was there too, and no good could come out of that situation. So when we'd finished up for the evening, I raced back to my house and cleaned up. I didn't care what I wore and grabbed the first shirt in my closet followed by a pair of jeans. When finished, I raced out to my car and hit the road.

  The party was packed when I walked in. I had to shift through the crowd as I searched for Kellie and Elle. I found Elle first. She stood next to some tall, geeky looking dude, laughing. The dopey way he stared made it obvious he was into her. Even if I couldn't fault him for that, I also couldn't stop the sudden need to punch his face in, or quiet the sudden possessiveness coming over me. I wanted to turn, look away, but I couldn't. My feet were glued to the floor as I watched them. My blood boiled as I did.

  Someone asked if I wanted to dance, but I ignored the offer and made my move toward Elle. On my way, I heard Kellie's voice off to my left. I turned and found her surrounded by a group of guys, Robbie included. From the looks of things, she was in the middle of a drinking game. The flood of guys around her or her drunken state didn't bother me.

  All I could think about was Elle standing next to that guy. I clenched my fists, trying to breathe. She wasn't…mine. Fuck. I had to get away.

  I turned back to the door, ignoring the angry comments from people I bumped into on my way out. Outside, I jumped in my car and peeled away from the curb. My windows were rolled down, and the air rushing around the inside helped cool my temper down.

  I drove around for a good while, straining to let go of the way Elle smiled while she talked with the guy. Or the way she tucked her silky hair behind her ears making her easier to see how beautiful she looked. When my mind finally cleared, I headed back to Elle's house. I thought I'd be okay, but as soon as I saw Elle, the image of her standing next to that dude pissed me off again. I yelled.

  God, the hurt look in Elle's eyes made me want to kick my own ass for being an asshole. I knew she'd forgive me in the morning. That was just her, always forgiving of those who'd hurt her. I never wanted to be that person, but I'd done a hell of a job of hurting her tonight.

  I needed to apologize, but I waited a while until Kellie's breathing evened. Knowing she wouldn't wake up, I got up and made my way to the living room. The hall light poured enough brightness into the living room for me to see Elle on the couch.

  I froze, standing in the doorway, not sure what to do or say. My heart raced with worry, but it didn't take me long to realize she'd already fallen asleep. My shoulders slumped and I leaned against the doorframe, transfixed with watching her, then winced. I knew she'd feel like shit in the morning. She needed a new couch.

  Elle turned, uttering a name. I could've sworn she'd called out my name, but being too far away, I couldn't be certain. Guilt gripped at my insides. I didn't know if I could do this, be a part of Elle's life without wanting her. I never thought too much about how my life would turn out, with one exception. I knew Elle would always be a part of it.

  I couldn't explain the sudden rush of intense anger consuming me. I'd seen her with guys before, but tonight felt different. Maybe knowing my chance to be with her drew to an end set me off. The sick, twisted tightness in my chest increased. The only thing I knew for sure was I didn't like the sense of emptiness it provoked.

  Maybe Kellie was right?

  I needed to make a choice: Elle or Kellie.

  Even thinking about cutting her out of my life made me want to hit something, but I knew what I had to do. I walked closer to the couch and bent down. Soft, light brown hair fell over her face, and carefully, I brushed the strands away. I coaxed myself to not hold on. She didn't move and as I watched her, her shampoo, the fresh flower smell, filled my senses. I took a deep breath in through my nose, and closed my eyes, memorizing her face in my mind.

  When I stood, I walked away and didn't look back.

  Elle

  The next morning I woke up on my back with the stupid spring poking in the middle of my spine. With a grunt, I eased myself off the couch and stretched. Immediately the smell of fresh coffee hit me. I headed to the kitchen, pulled out a mug, and filled it to the top.

  "Did you leave any for me?" Tristan's deep scruffy voice sent a wave of euphoria through me, followed by the uncertainty of where we stood at the moment. Without turning, I took the few steps to the cabinet and poured another mug for him. When I turned around, I didn't smile and neither did he.

  I tried not to look at him, but I could feel his eyes on me. Just before I took the plunge to ask if we were okay, Kellie walked into the kitchen.

  "Hey, Elle, do you mind if we talk?" Kellie's voice sounded scratchy. Her brown hair surrounded her face in a tangled mess and her eyes were bloodshot. I gave Tristan a brief glance, then nodded and followed Kellie back to my room.

  Next to my bed, Kellie tucked her hair behind her ears. She stood sideways, which made seeing her expression effectively difficult. I f
igured I might as well get to the bottom of this.

  "I'm sorry, Kellie, for everything. I should have kept a closer eye on you, or made you stop drinking before things got out of hand last night. I–" She cut my apology off, whipping around to face me full on.

  "Okay, say I believe that." She placed her arms stiffly by her sides. Her eyes weren't sweet or innocent as she glared at me. "Say I believe you didn't intentionally want me drunk. And let's say I didn't notice you keeping tabs on me all night, as if I didn't know you were ready to give Tristan a nice little recap the first chance you got."

  Okay, she took me completely by surprise and my mouth opened to speak, but my words were lodged somewhere in my throat. My mind had trouble processing her many accusations.

  "You didn't shove the bottle of Jack down my throat. I get that, but I'm on to you." Oh, my God, this was crazy, and the way her eyes blazed with somewhat accurate indictment didn't make me feel any better.

  Then, a small creak in the wood flooring gave and Kellie's face smoothed from the serious scowl.

  "I don't want to come between you and Tristan. I know you two have been friends since you were kids. I just want you to know, I don't want anything to change. Even after we're married."

  Who the hell did she think she was, and why the hell would Tristan want to be with someone as delusional as her? The theme song for psycho ran through my head.

  "Listen, Kellie, I appreciate everything you've said here. I don't want to come between you and my best friend either, so as long as we're all on the same page, everything’s cool." I had to lie because I was seriously a little more than freaked with her sudden mood change.

  Kellie opened her mouth, but a knock on the door interrupted her.

  "Kellie, do you mind if I talk to Elle in private for a minute?" Tristan stood in the doorway with a melancholy look in his eyes.

  "Sure," Kellie said. She walked over to Tristan, kissed him on the cheek, and then closed the door behind her when she left.