“Jennifer, Candy, one of you busted your chin open in third grade when you tried to do a banana flip on the playground. You didn’t realize you had grown three inches over the summer,” I reveal, leaving them gaping at me as I push open a sliding glass door and step into the mudroom of the main house. Cool air envelops me and I let out a sigh of relief escaping from the heat.
I follow the ear-splitting noise down a hallway and spill into a giant room. The first thing I notice is the massive moose head mounted above a rock-encrusted fireplace. Some creative soul has sling-shotted a blue thong onto the moose’s antlers. The fireplace is lit even though it was ninety degrees today and several people are using Josie’s dad’s extensive collection of antique hunting spears as marshmallow roasters. Josie is too busy screaming at a group of guys using his priceless coin collection to play quarters to even notice the flaming marshmallows scorching the spears.
Our house is big, my grandparents even have the entire lower level to themselves, but Josie’s house looks like it could eat mine for breakfast. People are jammed into every free space. I’m pretty sure if the fire department showed up Josie could be fined for exceeding the maximum number of people allowed for this residential dwelling. I’m not normally claustrophobic, but my chest feels tight just being here. I do not belong here. I’ll just walk home. No! Leo. Leo. Leo.
I can do this. I’m on a mission to find Leo. I push forward through the crowds of people. It helps that people start to recognize me and I actually stop and visit with some of them. I start relaxing and realize that no one is thinking that I don’t belong here.
“Hey, everybody, our valedictorian is here,” Ted Chan announces, slapping me good-naturedly on the back. Everybody claps and cheers sincerely and it almost makes up for my disastrous speech.
Eventually, I make my way through the giant room bypassing some guys playing Call of Duty, past a group starting a game of Spin the Bottle, and past several couples who really need to think about moving things upstairs. I squeeze past a round table where eight people are methodically putting together a ten-thousand piece puzzle without saying a word. It is the weirdest thing I’ve seen all night.
Leo isn’t anywhere. I wonder if he could possibly be behind one of the closed doors upstairs. Maybe he meant he wanted to hang out with me in a friendly way. I’m not sure if I could take it if I saw him with another girl. I really hate the self-doubt I feel in situations like this, I would never doubt myself while taking a test. If only life could be more multiple choice.
I hear shouts coming from some sliding oak doors on the other side of the room. I make my way over and peek through a crack in the doors. Several guys are sitting at an impressive cherry dining room table playing poker and smoking cigars. I nearly gag from the tiny bit of smoke filtering through the crack, but it’s worth it to watch Leo in action. His back is to me and I run my eyes over his muscular shoulders and the way they fill out his shirt. He moves to see a bet and I watch his beautiful lips suck on the end of that lucky cigar. I nearly fall through the crack in the door.
“Hey, beautiful, why don’t you get us some beers?” Billy Allen says, noticing me at the door.
I freeze and nearly whir around and race away from the door when I remember Erika’s bravery at the pool. I can do this. Leo is never going to notice me if I hide in a corner all night. I pull the doors apart and hold my breath.
“It’s about time, gorgeous,” Leo says, turning toward me. He pats the empty seat next to him.
Oh my God, he called me gorgeous. No one has ever called me that. I stride to the empty chair, attempting to look like I wear heels all the time.
“Laney?” Jeff Applebaum asks, his eyes bulging out. The other guys seem to notice me for the first time and I haven’t felt so uncomfortable since I went through the full body scanner at the airport last summer.
“Holy crap, girl. I was kidding about the beers,” Billy says, talking pretty much directly to my chest.
“Careful now, fellas. She’s taken,” Leo warns, draping his muscular arm over my shoulders. His arm is heavy but I don’t mind. “You don’t mind if we finish our game, do you?”
“No, of course not,” I manage to squeak out. I’d watch Leo trim his toenails if it meant spending more time with him.
I spend the next hour observing the guys play poker, very badly. The cigar smoke starts to get to me, and as much as I hate to leave Leo’s side, I have to get some fresh air.
“I’ll be back,” I tell him.
“Promise?” he asks, looking so adorable that a bead of sweat runs down my back.
“Yes, I promise.” I practically skip out of the room I’m so giddy. Leo likes me. He really likes me.
I walk around the house, grinning like a mad woman, for a little while. I chat up girls that suffered through P.E. with me last year, and I surprise myself by being kind of charming. Maybe it isn’t as hard to relate to other people as I thought.
All of this socializing has me starving, so I set off to find where people are getting the plates of food I’ve been seeing.
I wander into a gigantic marble and stainless steel kitchen. Two giant islands in the middle of the room are filled with trays of fruits, vegetables, and deli meats. Several slow cookers are filled with delicious smelling dips, meatballs, and cocktail wieners.
I grab a plate and start piling on everything that looks even remotely good. I was so nervous about my speech today that I didn’t eat anything. I want to hurry up and scarf this food down so Leo doesn’t see me eating enough for an army. In one corner of the kitchen is a custom-built booth like at a restaurant. I carry my overflowing plate over and slide it on the tabletop. I place my purse gently on the table and go back for a drink.
A huge crystal punch bowl filled with red liquid is in the middle of one of the islands. I ladle some into a plastic cup then sniff it. I don’t smell any alcohol so I take a tiny sip. It’s fruity and laced with bubbles, like Hawaiian Punch and ginger ale. Satisfied it is non-alcoholic, I chug it down, refill my glass, then return to the booth.
I slide in, careful not to dump any punch on my purse. I proceed to jam three napkins into the top of my dress so that hopefully it will emerge unscathed. I bang my ankle against something.
I reach down under the table and feel a smooth box. I lift it up to reveal a bin of Lego’s. They must belong to Josie’s little brother. I set the bin on the tabletop and pull the lid off. My entire body practically buzzes with excitement when I see hundreds of perfect primary-colored blocks.
I’m probably the only eighteen-year-old girl alive with a closet full of Lego’s and Tinker Toys. I seem to lose track of time when I build things, so I don’t allow myself to do it very often. I never wanted it to interfere with my studying. I push my plate aside, telling myself I’ll just build something really quick. I can only imagine what Leo would think if he caught me playing with Lego’s. I love to build things. I really considered majoring in Architecture, but the college near Dad doesn’t offer the major. I was bummed about it, but being near Dad will be worth the sacrifice.
Soon, I’ve got a pretty good mini replica of the Eiffel Tower built, but my food is getting cold. I just need a mini-Arc de Triomphe to match my Eiffel Tower. Maybe I’ll take a picture of them and send them to Dad asking him to send me pictures of the real thing. I’m about halfway done when I can’t wait any longer to find a bathroom.
I scoot out of the booth, my legs tingling. I shake them out and figure I must have been sitting there longer than I thought. I charge out of the kitchen hoping a bathroom is close. I make my way into a hallway and spot a half bath down a few doors. I duck in not a moment too soon.
I check my face in a hallway mirror on my way back to the kitchen. It’s still a shock seeing my reflection. My cheeks are rosier than I remember when I left the house and I don’t remember my eyes looking so crazy big but it must be all the eye makeup I have on.
I make my way back into the kitchen and around the island to the booth. I freeze when I
see a guy with his back to me touching my tower.
“I’ll figure it out,” he says, his voice so familiar, but I can’t place it because of the sudden roaring in my ears. I can’t let this guy see me and realize I’m in here playing with toys. “Don’t worry, Mom.”
The voice registers in my memory. It belongs to my ex-chem partner Jack. The guy who thought it would be funny to make S’mores with our Bunsen burner and almost got me a detention. I refused to eat one, afraid our teacher might ask to smell my breath to determine my guilt or innocence. Jack shoved one in my mouth anyway. I nearly choked to death and I pretended it was from the size of the S’more and not from the reaction I had to Jack gently placing his hand against my jaw.
The jolt that ran through me that day reminded me of what happens when you dump a packet of Mentos into a two liter bottle of Diet Coke. A geyser of sticky fizz that is fun but also an unpredictable mess. Against my better judgment, I fell for Jack’s goofy charm. I really thought he liked me, too. Then he screwed up our grade and the rest is history.
He’s wearing a royal blue polo and jeans and I have to admit he fills them out good. I get a whiff of his citrusy scent and remember how I used to live for the time we spent together in lab. At least Jack never realized how I felt about him. That would have been the ultimate humiliation.
I attempt to back away slowly because I am not up for another confrontation. Then remember that I left my purse on the table. Jack turns away from the booth and I’m sure he’ll spot me, but he pours his beer into a small sink in the island then turns on the faucet and fills the bottle with water, not noticing me. Weird. I always assumed Jack would be the good time Charlie of the party, as my grandpa would say.
“It’s going to be okay, Mom,” Jack says, his voice full of emotion.
Guilt almost knocks me off my heels. No matter what I might feel toward Jack, I know that his family has gone through some really tough times lately. He would be mortified to know that I was eavesdropping on such a private conversation. I’ll sneak out and come get my purse later even though my heart races thinking about leaving it here unattended. I try backing up slowly and my heels start to wobble. I grip the side of the countertop to steady myself.
I watch Jack take a few swigs off his bottle then sit it down on a stool. Frustrated, he lifts his left arm and moves a hand through his product-tamed hair in frustration. I fantasized about running my fingers through that hair more times than I want to admit. Jack slams his fist down on the tabletop knocking my tower over. My pulse races worrying that he is going to spill his drink on my purse.
He doesn’t say anything into the phone for a minute. I’m still close enough to him that I can hear his mother’s voice from his cell phone, although I can’t tell what she is saying. His shoulders seem to relax so she must be trying to calm him down and, thankfully, it seems to be working. He mumbles something then snaps his phone shut. Crap. I’ve got to get out of here quick.
Satisfied I’ve got my land legs back, I ease a foot carefully and quietly back. Before I even know what is going to happen, I sneeze with the pressure of a gale force wind and blow myself forward crashing right into the back of Jack.
“Jesus, you scared me,” he says, spinning around, one hand clutching his chest.
“I—I’m sorry, Jack,” I stutter, trying to recover from the electricity that raced through me when I touched him. I try to resist being drawn into his eyes, which have always reminded me of the color of green pigment found in plants, but eventually I lose the battle.
“Dimples?” He asks, dumbfounded, at the exact moment that I notice my precious purse in a puddle.
Chapter Three
I shove Jack out of the way and grab my purse. Fat droplets drip off the bottom of my beloved bag onto the tabletop. I rush over to a buffet table with a stack of napkins on top of it and grab a handful. I carefully start blotting the bottom of the purse.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Jack says, grabbing more napkins, attempting to help me.
“Gee, thanks, Jack. Good to see you too. I’ve got this,” I say, jerking the purse out of his reaching distance. How dare he act like I shouldn’t be here! The nerve of him.
“This isn’t normally your scene,” he explains, wiping his mess off the table and tossing the soaked napkins into the garbage.
“Even geeks like to have fun,” I reply.
“That’s not what I meant,” he says, staring at me.
“I know,” I admit, tired of trying to keep up this act of being mad at Jack. I was upset about the grade, but mostly, I just felt stupid when I realized Jack never had the same feelings about me. It isn’t fair to keep punishing him for something that isn’t his fault. He can’t help it if he wasn’t interested in me. Besides, I like Leo now, so it doesn’t matter.
“Truce?” he asks, holding out his hand for me to shake.
“Truce,” I agree, fitting my hand against his. A jolt races up my arm and the image of that Mentos explosion runs through my mind. I jerk my hand away. Jack doesn’t seem to notice anything. He reaches for my purse and thoughtfully wipes it off with a clean dish towel.
“This doesn’t suit you,” he says, handing it back to me.
Seriously? I was ready to just forgive him and now he goes and insults me. I’m not sure if I’m angrier about the actual comment or the fact that Jack is right.
“If you must know, it was a graduation gift from my dad.”
“I didn’t mean it in a bad way, I swear,” Jack backtracks. “You just look so different and the clothes and the purse. It’s like you’re trying to be somebody else.”
Jack’s words hit my heart like a bull’s eye. Who am I trying to kid? Underneath this hair spray, makeup, and fancy dress beats the heart of a true geek. I can’t believe I thought I had a chance with Leo.
Jack’s comment is actually affecting me physically. I’m burning up, probably just of humiliation but it feels like more than that. I have to get out of here. I turn to leave and stumble in my heels. Jack catches me and eases me down on a barstool.
“Dimples, have you been drinking?” Jack asks, resting the back of his hand against my forehead like Mom used to when I was little and she thought I had a fever. His other hand gently strokes my right dimple.
“I don’t drink,” I hear myself answer, but I do feel different.
“You’re hot.” He moves his hand off my forehead but continues stroking my dimple with the other. His cool hand relieves my burning skin.
His eyes seem to be asking me a question that doesn’t quite make it to his mouth. He moves his face closer to me a microscopic amount. I drop my eyes to his mouth, wondering if this is really happening or if I am just delirious from a fever.
A throat clears loudly from somewhere behind Jack and we both jump. Jack drops his hand from my face and I hate how disappointed I am. What was just happening?
“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Leo asks, moving into sight. I can’t imagine what Jack and I must have looked like to an outsider, especially when I’m an insider and I can’t quite figure out what that was all about.
“I was hoping you’d find me,” I lie, trying to cover up some of the guilt I’m having about that weird moment with Jack. Jack makes a disgusted noise then walks over to the buffet table.
“I missed you,” Leo says, resting one of his giant paw-like hands on my knee. He uses his other hand to start twirling a piece of my hair around his finger. I definitely don’t get the same physical reaction when Leo touches me, but I think that is probably a good thing. Jack and I are too combustible together. Leo and I are safe, like baking soda and vinegar, just enough fizz to be fun without all the dangerous side effects.
Jack snickers to himself, making me feel like an idiot. Of course he thinks it’s hilarious that Leo would like me. Not that I really care what he thinks. I still don’t know what came over the two of us when Jack was touching my face, but I know he thinks I’m nothing but some geek who takes her grades too seriously.
>
“Do you have a problem, McAllister?” Leo asks, glaring at Jack.
“Forget about him,” I tell Leo, touching his arm. I let my fingers linger over his impressive bicep for a few seconds.
“Let’s get out of here and get a drink,” Leo proposes. I eagerly hop off my barstool, noticing the way Jack is admiring my Lego creations. It would be just like him to try and embarrass me by telling Leo I was in here playing with toys. I hold my breath in anticipation of Jack’s next remark.
“She doesn’t drink,” Jack says, surprising me.
Leo looks at me, questioningly. I wish I was the sort of girl who could chug a beer to spite Jack, but I would never compromise myself that way.
“It’s okay, I’ll get some more punch then we can go get you a beer,” I tell Leo, filling up the biggest glass I can find.
“That’s cool,” Leo replies but I can’t help noticing he looks a little disappointed.
“Have fun, you crazy kids,” Jack yells.
*****
When Leo asked me to get a drink I was hoping he was going to suggest spending some time alone getting to know each other. I didn’t realize I would spend the next few hours trying not to suffocate on cigar smoke while watching Leo and his buddies play poker, very badly.
I want to tell Leo to deal me in so bad I can hardly stand it. These guys would die if they knew how good I am at poker, especially Texas Hold ‘Em. I spent hours reading books and using online tutorials because poker is my dad’s favorite hobby. Once I was confident enough about my poker skills, I challenged Dad to play online. We’ve spent hours playing, and while I can’t say that I love the game like he does, I do love spending any time I can with him.
Dad travels so much for work that he plays online poker as a way to pass time in airports and he says it also helps keep him sharp so he can out-strategize people in the business world. Mom doesn’t know about our online card games. I always got the feeling she wouldn’t approve. Kind of the same feeling I have that Leo wouldn’t like it if he knew how good of a poker player I am. He’s not a total Neanderthal or anything, but I wouldn’t want to take the chance of embarrassing him in front of his friends.
High School Hangover Page 4
